The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1922-03-16

the long mirrors opposite. She leaned
forward; then farther, her lips OPEN
ing. a tear dried and left a vitrified
glistening on her cheek.
Through the mirror and the gray
air Of cigar smoke, shirt-sleeved and
hunched over flare of five cards
lifted close before his eyes, she beheId
her father. And around the table,
above open collars and vari-colored,
vari-sized stacks of chips, a circle of
mems faces, unUelaxed and as if
carved from cherry stones
First in the foreground the cool.
collared vision of Mr.. Danziger. draw
ing unto himself from the center of
the table a great mass of the vari-
colOred chips. In silhouette she could
see her parent shutting a fresh deck
of cards, dealing them five times
around with a quOitlike motion, across
the tabletop. Then her gaze returned
and fingered upon the figure beside
him, in gOdlike calm opening the fan
of his cards ever so slightly, discard
ing, tossing his Offering of chips
lightly to the center of the table and
every so often and with great fire.
quency scooping In the center loot Of
them
Watching that vaudeville of sight
without sound, the imperturbable
breadth Of his back, the imperturbable
line of his profile, the muscles which
rose on the backs of his hands with
each scooping-in, lights fickered for
moment in Miss Lefkovitch's eyes,
then burned quietly in their depths
like altar candles.
Suddenly, as she watched, chin
cupped in palm, head dropped into the
bunch of her shoulders, she leaned
forward, gripping the edge of the
divan; leaned closer, her quick breath,
too light to flutter a leaf, coming
through her open lips. Passed a quar-
ter-hour, a half, an hour, and still she
sat there immobile her hypnotized
eyes on the mirror Two spots Of
color came out round and burning on
either cheek and one heat wave raced
another through her body
With the great effort of pulling her
strength together, she rose finally, but
trembled and grasped at the balcony
rail for support. Then, after a last
interval, she tiptoed down a brief car
peted staircase to the near door, of the
Lounge, lifted a fold Of heavy brown
pOrtiere, and slipped into it; stood
there an additional quarter-hour, her
hand at her throat
Reaching out from that fold, she
might have brushed her fathers sleeve.
A waiter pussy-foOted through the
doorway, almost touching her At that
moment and with a deerlike bound
that landed her even farther than her
gauge Miss Lefkovitch lit beside the
card table, her small tight fingers
closing over Mr.. Danzigers relaxed
wrist The white face Of a playing
card flashed upward for a second and,
wrenching it from his surprised fin
gers, she danced backward from him,
waving it.
Il got you! Got you! l saw him,
pa. Saw him work it five times. saw
him, pa! Saw him every time" She
leaped toward her father, waving the
card higher above her head, the
tremolo of hysteria in her voice.
always under his cuff he worked
1.-THE far side. Look for yourselves
and see what else he's got there
Here's the ace, pa. l don't want it.
Take it! Take it! Take itw
In the sudden upheaval of chairs
scraping backward and great tangle
Of arms flung across the table for the
wrist she had released, Mr.. Danziger
tugged free for the moment, made
side lunge from the table, his under
jaw shot forward and his cuff
wrenched open.
"She-devil! ~ he cried. "She-devil-
a lie" Lunged again, but a sudden
group closed about him, muffling out
his speech, and with the soft thud of
graphing bodies in her ears, breathy
oaths, feet scraping against soft car
pets, chairs Overturning, gurglngs, she
fled trembling up the two decks, sobs
tuAiibiAhS ObC oNCI tAiC OlllOl llOlII hCA
dry lips.
In the identical quiet of the top
deck, mOOn-washed, Gibraltar rising
closer and blaCker and hunch-backed
in the pale night, Mrs Lefkovitch lay
muffled in sleep and a steamer-rug,
her mouth open to the taste of salt
and her hand across her heart, as if a
hurt lay there.
Beside the steamer-chair in a hud-
die, Miss Lefkovitch buried her head
deep into the sag of her mothers
skirt.
Mrs. LefkOvitch woke with a start.
Sleepy, her perceptions rose and fell.
"Who-who's that? AaronY
"N-no, mama"
"Esther-that you? Is that you
come back?'
Eyes, mama"
whats the matter baby; why
child you look"
mo, no, mama, nothing! Don't get
excited"
But Esther, what"
Nothing, mama, nothing! l forgot
and came back"
"Forgot?"
I'm.