Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-11-01
CHAPTER -XXXI
An Invitation to Tea


@LAUDIA, having implanted what she
I thought were the seeds of discord in
her fathers mind, forgot all about her
stepmother for a time. Harris Fiske was
giving Claudia what the crowd termed ga
rush" He came out to Brompton Manor for
all the club affairs, staying sometimes with
the Bradleys, sometimes at the rather smart
hotel And always it seemed to be Claudia
who drew HIM
! No one seemed to know very much about
him. Jean Bradley told Claudia that her
mother had met Fske at dance given at
one of the art clubs in New York. He was
attractive good dancer, and inasmuch as
the Bradleys were fairly unconventional,
they did not think it necessary to inquire
into his credentials. They accepted him fer
what he was land Claudia did the same,
albeit in a somewhat different way.
For the first time in her life she was
Aemotionally stirred. She did not capitulate
to Fiske. Since that night when he had
seized her in his arms and kissed her, she
had fenced with him, held him at arms
length, so to speak. But his nearness trou-
bled her. When she danced with him, she
found her heart beating fast. In their con-
versations she tried to be flippant and failed,
and she knew that it was only question
of time before he would break down the
frail barrier she had erected between them,
and make love to her again.
She looked forward to this time with
feelings composed half of delicious expec-
thing about him that troubled her, some
thing that she did not trust. Somehow he
did not seem to be serious about anything,
nor did he possess any very definite ideals.
In spite of Claudia's callousness, there were
buried deep in her heart standards of a
sort. She would have thought it senti-
mental to admit them, but that she
found herself actually caring for Fiske, she
wanted to be sure of him and found it i'm
possible. In spite of her doubts, however,
| -I,o L.
together, and the time came when Fiske
asked her to come into the city and have
tea with him at his studio.
After he had made the suggestion he
studied Claudia with narrowed eyes, and
when she did not answer him Immediately,
he said amusedy:
"You modern girls scott at conventions,
don't you? Don't tell me you're afraid to
come!"'
Afraid" Claudias tone was scornful.
"Afraid Of what? Of course T. come in and
have tea with you. I assume that you're
not moving picture villain, and certainly
I'm not the frail heroine of fiction"
"No, you're certainly not that" He agreed
quickly, studying the girls slender but we'll
developed figure, her splendid young
strength, the clear defiance of her strange
eyes. No, she was not the frail heroine Of
fiction, and as she said sho was not afraid
of him. But although she was not aware Of
it, the one thing she had to fear was her
self. She thought she knew herself, but Of
course, she didn't How could she know
what brooded behind those slanted eyes Of
his? How could sh eEnow what she might
do in the grip of some powerful emotion,
hitherto inexperienced.
1t was something rather new and delight
full to play with this girl who part
child and part woman. SO wise and yet so
young, so callous and yet SO entirely unde-
veloped mentally.
"Shall we say Wednesday afternoon?" he
said lightly. about 4:30? 1t will be in
teresting to show you some of my most
precious possessions, and if you're not too
bored when we've had tea we might
have dinner somewhere and take in a show"
Thursday-'fAt Harris Fiske's." Renew
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