Part 10 (2/2)
”I know,” he replied: ”crackers and cheese, beer and badinage: our humble pleasures You'll be bored to extinction--but you'll come, won't you?”
”Why, of course! I counted on it But--”
”They s ready--Violet to set her rooe to tote the wash-pitcher to the corner for the beer And very likely, pending our arrival, they're lingering at the head of the stairs for a kiss or two”
The girl paused at the gate ”Then we needn't hurry,” she suggested, s
”We needn't delay,” he countered ae will be too late to get the pitcher filled This town shuts up tight atyou hear So there's no need of being too indulgent with our infatuated fellow-inmates”
”But--just a minute, Mr Sybarite,” she insisted
”As hed ”As a ht beer”
”Do be serious,” she begged ”I want to thank you”
He are of a proffered hand, slender and fine in a shabby glove; and took it in his own, uneasily conscious of a curious disturbance in his bosoled expectancy, pleasure, and diffidence (as far as he was able to analyse it--or cared to--at that instant)
”It was kind of you to come,” he said jerkily, in his embarrassment
”I enjoyed every moment,” she said warmly ”But that wasn't all I meant when I thanked you”
His eyebrows cli?”
”Your delicacy in lettingher hand, she broke off with a startledinto the street froate, and pausing, discharged a young man in a hurry; witness the facts that he had the door open when halfway between the corner and the house, and was on the running-board before the vehicle was fairly at a halt
In a stride this one crossed the sidewalk and pulled up, silently, trying tohi clothes, he thrust forward a handsoly at the girl
Instinctively she shrank back inside the fence, eyeing him with a look of fascinated dismay
As instinctively P Sybarite bristled between the two
”Well?” he snapped at the intruder
An iloved in white abolished him completely--as far, at least, as the other was concerned
”Ah--Miss Lessing, I believe?”
The voice was strong and rated upon the nerves of P Sybarite; he declined to be abolished
”Say the word,” he suggested serenely to the girl, ”and I'll bundle this animal back into that taxi and direct the driver to the nearest accident ward I'd rather like to, really”
”Get rid of this ely--”unless you want hilass slides under a microscope”