The Holly chieftain., 1924-02-14

came to meet him, and, when he took
her In his hands. he saw that she
frightened animals.
Instantly he let her go. and stepped
back. "Well let that stand ever
while you're getting used to me-" he
told her.
Blood surged up into her face, and
1t was with shrug she turned away.
"Sult yourself about that" she said
| The paralysis which had been upon
him lifted. His thought spoke itself,
naturally. in words. ''My dear the
only woman who ever kissed me with
out wanting to was your mother. I'm
not going to have that handed on to
you. You're going to like me some
day, and when you do you'll come and
kiss me without having to stiffen your
back"
At that she smiled round a little
more spontaneously upon him. I'm
going to like 1t here. all right" she
said.
And with this encouragement, par
tial as 1t was (for 1t was 1t. he noted,
that she'd prophesied she'd like, rather
than him), he took matters into his
own hands. Had she said anything to
Anson about dinner-about anything
she'd specially like? Was she tired
after her long journey7 If not. what
would she say to their dining down.
town-at the Blackstone. perhaps?
And seeing show afterward. by way
Of making 1t party7
The party that night was a success.
True, he frowned trifie at the way
she dressed. Her San Francisco
clothes showed they had been bought
by one used to making forty dollars
look like four hundred. A trifle bizarre
for the fashionable hotel at which they
dined and with an impossible hat. Joe
ordered two cocktails and suggested
that she could sip hers and he would
finish 1t for her. She drank it down
instead and 1t showed little in her
heightened color and tendency to be
on her guard.
1t might have been that or the show
that followed, charming little play
with a heroine in dotted Swiss, whom
Beatrice seemed to resent, that made
her fancy her father was In patron
izing mood. Riding home from the
theater (ha had not suggested pro-
tracing the adventure further) she
had seemed n trife frightened at his
proximity and 1t was with evident re-
lief that she took his casual dismissal
Of her to bed. without any demand for
condolences.
At half-past seven the next morning,
as he was sitting down to breakfast,
she amazed him by coming into the
dinlng-room. She was clad in a loose
sleeved bath-robe, over her nlghtgown,
and her hair, in two thick black braids.
hung over her shoulders. Her eyes
were bright with youth, and the bloom
of sleep lay upon her unpalnted skin.
Her greeting was mere playful
caress Of one hand upon his shoulder.
Then she sat down In the armchair op-
posite his, and made a great play of
the domesticities Of breakfast; had
the coffee-urn and all the serving
dishes removed to her side OF the
| table.
She chafred him brightly while she
served and. in the intervals, made a
hearty breakfast of her own. She
made light Of his concern that she
should be up and about so early. She
wasn't one of the sort who had to
sleep away their days. There was
nearly always something better to do
than sleep, she thought, and certainly
her first breakfast with her father was
one Of them.
The meal prolonged itself far be-
yOnd his usual limit for breakfast, and
the morning paper lay unregarded on
the floor. At last, however. he rose