The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-29
CHAPTER XII-Continued
IL

nSSo q shaking up. u De OuL AOA
you around eight"
'Will Lin be along?"
mot on your life-not with me-"
Florian replied. "She has made 9TH
er arrangements"
''Of course"
Bruce is coming in to look after
her. Well make it nice little four
some when we get together. Any
objections?"
None whatever" she replied
lightly. "I'u be ready when you
come"
When she mentioned the affair to
her father and asked him if he would
not like to come along, he drew
down one shaggy eyebrow and ele-
waited the other humorously.
me? Scarcely" he said. "But
buy me ticket-buy me half doz-
en-. It's a worthy cause. You run
along and enjoy yourself. It'll proba-
bly, be the last spree for you in this
part of the world. Put on your glad
rags and show EN- what it means to
be a Dean!"
Autumn laughed a little tremu-
lousy and kissed the sere and bris-
ting eyebrow. ''I'1 do that very
thing, d." she told him. Though
you'd cast more glamor on the name
than I can, if that's what you want,
you old Roman!"
He tweaked her ear, and Autumn
ran 1JDctairS m dress
Florian, turned out fawlessly in
evening clothes, was waiting impa-
tientIy in the drawing room below.
His quick flush as she came down
10 meet him, the silver web of her
evening wrap on her arm, would
have been sweet to the light vanity
that had been hers IN day gone
by. Now she needed it only with
feeling of faint vexation. Florian
came forward and lifted a cool and
waxy corsage of white orchids from
the small table near the door.
Permit me, most beautiful" he
said, bowling deliberately from the
waist. "And if you tell me you hate
orchids, III make you eat 'em!"
Autumn laughed and brushed the
delicate aristocrats with her finger
tips. 'Extravagant wretch" she
said, and fixed them to her gown.
They're beautiful, Florian. There!
Thank you so much!"
She did, as a matter Of fact, de-
test orchids, and IN her imperious
days at Aunt Flo's she had never
thought twice about spurning them.
But that was before this curious pos
session of pity had come over her.
"Yeu haven't seen father, of
course?" she said as they turned to
leave.
''I crashed the gates with Han
nah's assistance" Florian said. ''Is
the Laird still peeved about the hay
stack episode?"
NO." she replied. ''He has for
gotten that, I think. But he has his
bad days"
Probably feels low about your
leaving him so soon again."
Scarcely that. He may be join
ing me in the fall"
They had got into Florian's car.
We're going to miss you like the
deuce" he said.
IT'S something to know I'll be
missed, anyway" Autumn muir
INJURED.
Florian put out a hand and
crushed her fingers within his own,
then let them go and grasped the
wheel. Damn it" he muttered.
"n you would only listen to
reason"
The hall In which the dance was
being held was packed when they
arrived. Japanese lanterns and gay
steamers festooned the ballroom
and across the bobbing sea of faces
came the giddy blare of a Jazz or
chestra. Autumn looked down from
a balcony upon the throng, with
heavy-hdded eyes behind which
there was searching glow.
Some crush, eh?" Florian OBJ
served, standing close beside her.
''Shan we go down at once and get
our shins kicked? Or shall we wait
awhile? They're using everything
down there from the Ark gallop to
the latest wiggle of the runba."
Let us look on for a while first"
she suggested.
As she spoke, her lashes swept
low over her eyes. In the compara-
tive freedom Of the outer fringe of
dancers, she had seen Linda and
Bruce Lander. Above Linda's head,
Bruce's eyes moved cautiously along
the rim of the balcony, paused for
an imponderable instant as they met
Autumn's, and moved on In in
difference.
There's Lin and Bruce" Florian
said suddenly, down there near the
wan-to the right"
Autumn looked, pretending not to
see at once. "I see them now"
she said finally.
"You could pick them out Of a
million" Florian said admiringly.
''They make the rest of the crowd
lock like also-rans. Let's go down
and give them a little competition,
Autumn"
$50 you got here?" It was Hector
Cardigan speaking at Autumn's ell
bow. She turned upon him radi-
ant smile and extended her hands.
Hello, darlingl" she cried throat
ny. How gorgeous you lookl" She
seized the lapels Of his dinner jack
ct and surveyed him with wide eyes.
"Are you going to give me a
dancer"
You hatter me-" Hector said IN
his courtly fashion. do you guar
antee to bring me safely out of the
melee2"
'She brings US all safely back
out Of everything" Florian put in.