The Dolores star., 1924-02-08

came TO meet him, and. when he took
her In his hands, he saw that she
WINGED. Her head went back like
frightened animals.
Instantly he let her 20, and stepped
back. "We'll let that stand over
while you're getting used to me-" he
told her.
Blood surged up into her face, and
1t was with shrug she turned away.
"Suit yourself about that" she snid.
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 little
more spontaneously upon him. I'm
going to like it here. all right" she
said.
And with this encouragement. par
tial as 1t was (for 1t was 1t. he noted,
that she'd prophesled 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 journey? II not. what
would she say to their dining down
tOwn-at the Blackstone, perhaps? :?
And seeing show afterward, by way
of making it party?
The party that night was success.
True, he frowned a trltle at the way
she dressed. Her San Francisco
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 it showed little in her
heightened color and a tendency to be
on her guard.
1t might have been that or the show
that followed, charming little play
with u heroine In dotted Swiss, whom
Beatrice seemed to resent, that made
her fancy her father was in patron
izlng mood. Riding home from the
theater Che had not suggested pro-
tracting the adventure further) she
trtH ri nj
proximity and it was with evident re-
lief that she took his casual dismissal
of her to bed, without amy demand for
condolences.
At half-past seven the next morning,
as he was sitting down to breakfast,
she amazed him by coming Into the
dIning-room. She was clad In loose
sleeyed bath-robe, over her nlghtgown.
and her hair, In two thick black bralds.
hung over her shoulders. Her eyes
were bright with youth, and the bloom
of sleep lay upon her unpainted skin.
Her greeting was a mere playful
coress of one hand upon his shoulder.
Then she sat down in the armchair op-
nosIte his, and made great play OF
tbe domesticities of breakfast; had
the coffee-urn and all the serving
dishes removed to her side OF the
table.
She chatfed 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 40
than sleep, she thought, and certainly
her first breakfast with her father was
one of them. ~.
The meal prolonged itself far be,
,ord bis usual limit for breakfast, ana
the morning paper lay unregarded on
tbe floor. at last, however, he rose