The Salamander

y disillusioned. It was not at all exciting. Conversation was impossible, and what they said was meaningless. She became irritable and restless, for she had a feeling that she was being defra

horrible failure. I really want to talk to

ent

cut it,

y would never

ent a momen

s. You can at le

tain

house, she sa

in for jus

ing occupied, the

ten minutes from the fascinating Sada

e said, taking off his coat

he clapped her hands like a child, not perceiving how h

ally going

, in

excit

, intimate, feminine gestures that have such allurement to the gaze of men. If, with Blainey, she had resorted to abrupt and dashing ways, with Massi

houlder, arching her eyebrows with ey

sage of the room, she darted on the sofa, curling her legs under her, hugging her knees, and restin

!" he sai

And Sad

It's much more amusing gam

standing, examining the room with a

o b

, patting it. "She's rehears

curiously, smiling at the trunks which stood o

an awful mess!" she said,

ike it! It looks real

she had indulged in with Peavey, Sassoon and Blainey had aroused her craving for sudden transpositions. If only this should not prove disappointing! She felt an exhilarated curiosity, more stirred than ever before. Did he really know her,

out him that imposed on her. He did not ask permission for what he did, and yet it carried no offense. He was dressed perfectly, and that counted for much with her

aracteristic mockery of his smile, that smile which gave him the appearance of one who projects above the crowd and sees beyond the serried heads, it did not seem so much the man himself as an attitude carefully assumed against the world. Was there a drama back of it all? At any rate, he

our prayers," he said, p

!" she answe

said, raising

, "I throw myself on my kne

want!' Then I dive into bed, an

wn at her as she rocked in laughter on the couch

ink s

them off surreptitiously, concealing the operation with her skirts. She sprang on the rug in her green

now?" she said, bo

y the chrysanthem

ring if they

tati

She had three vases, chrysanthemums, roses, violets, all imitation. She said they were the only flowers she car

é?" asked Doré, stoppi

She would place the vase of roses, say, on the mantel,-out of

fully fragrant t

he laughed, consciou

nor, you know en

nd their games!" he said frank

ore anything!

him with her blue eyes, which were no lo

rsonally. "It's true-it's safer and more amusing! Le

ll

n: "What are you going to do wi

ation, to throw her off her guard, b

n?" she said, drawing her eyeb

e said. "You see how I

ook he

can't tell anyt

to me at the luncheon!

now

hardly sp

N

hy

e too strong for me!" she said solemnly,

lau

schief, that'

from the start," she s

er than he had believed, wherea

ssibility too?"

but, as she began an evasive answer, satisfied, he turned to

e had camped on another trunk, swinging one little foot incased within a red slippe

tarted it

le row?" she asked, clapping her h

d, with the gaze of one who appreciates the irony of values. "Do you know, you pr

lovely!

mies over your charming little person, that Blood is capable of turning all the force of his newspapers

ld!" she exclaime

e thought to himself. "

el

ver feel any

assoon-

m in a gesture th

atisfied w

's just what he as

etty sure to ask that. An

you wouldn't have asked that question!" But, not yet ready to talk, wishing to put a score

her with a touch of his magisterial man

such

ng; "it is fun; but wha

ng out

en s

said, with a touch of solemnity. "

g look, a little restless, too, under his fixe

a lighter tone, "and you don't even

ion. She felt as though she were playing a great r?le, and that before an audience which would not respond-which she was

ll you tell

r, I'd tell you almost

from-your home

of my life-

d be int

" she began, composing her features. "Mother wa

an appreciative nod. "

d with som

It was such

t one of a dozen sto

her red slipper, r

you," she said final

orld did you pi

What do

' It wasn't

turning away hastily, as if

Josh Nebbins, press-agent for a local theater, who had once adored her fatuously-one of those forgotten minor incidents, lost in the impenetrable m

nt of her confusion t

my ears?" he

d how to telephone?" she said indignantl

ion to listen, seeking in vain to patch se

thought it was time! Engaged to-night!... You saw me?... To-day-this afternoon.... 'Dee

th and poverty. He had known them by the dozens, and yet each was a new problem. Was it possible that she could experience no temptation before the opportunities of sudden wealth, so boldly enticing, or did she not realize what such opportunities could

ning and looking at him

ephone," he said appreciatively. "What

t guess wh

sso

Harriga

uld like to

responding in an assumed voice, she cut it off a

e examination. Well!

her seriously. "Sassoon, Blood,-twenty others, I understa

wh

aelstrom o

ears,

st be a man or two

," she said, half guessing his

e, asked permission with a no

cceptable man, safe, eligible, marriageable. The man who will come forward at any time! Every woma

ing of Peavey, blushed

of c

than

; but I shall

the game so exhil

always a retreat,"

ive, made her forget, at times, the combat

g her glance critically. "They're not eyes; th

an observer, calculating and foreseeing developments. This compliment infuriated Doré

d icily. "You compli

h eyes," he answered calmly; "De Joncy was ri

u over

did you u

cour

went to the dressing-table on

ou talk to me," she sai

hy

o divined so much that she believed securely masked, and yet showed no trace of emotion even in his flattery, began to irritate h

y think I shall turn

come near it-very near it; but it will be a hazard

itation yielding to her curiosity, "you were going

l you," he said, with a whi

! W

d then you will marry, and turn into a devoted, loyal little Hausfrau-like a million other

" she said, covering her ears and

with mock solemnity, delighte

ing unusual, extraordinary. I'm not like every other little woman. Marriage?

this is a phase of mild hysteria. Do you know what you are doing? You're not living; you're rejecting life-yes, just that!-with every man you meet. The time comes when you will have to select. The forces

now. We can be free-we can live our own lives! And I will not be commonplace. Nothing can make me that. I'd rath

covering the ground with the leap of

rolled up with the report of a pistol-"this ugly, hateful, brutal wall t

ght the tassel, and pulled th

e said maliciously, pointing to the spac

d to thaw out this glacial reserve of his, rouse him, teach him that she could not be held so cheap. "No wall in my life! No man to tell me: Do this-do that-come here-go there! Sacrifices? I shall never make them! I tell yo

transforming himse

savage! Perhaps it was because she had no fear that she played so boldly, recognizing in him the true gentleman, and womanlike, presuming on this knowledge. He continued like a statue. She was not quiet a moment, flitting to and fro ne

finest apartments,-but it is such fun to be in an old boarding-house at ten dollars a week, when you never know how you're going to raise the rent! Ah, the rent! that's a terrible bugbear,

lf closed as if dazzled by this sudd

coming near to him, laying her hand appealingly on his sleeve. "Ah, don't get wrong ideas. Don't judge us too harshl

" he suggest

he said it her eyes drooped, her lips seemed to tremble apart

e said, drawing his arm away from her touch and f

rself gleefully on the arm of a chair. "I adore precipices! It's such fun to go dashing along their edges, leaning up against the wind that tries to throw you over, looking way, way down, thousands of miles, and hear the li

d that!" he

ainst an imaginary gale, and bending over, her finger o

r fall in," h

she straig

precipice, endlessly, forever and ever! No more precipices

cipices, Dodo?" he said

. "There are old precipices, but those aren't interesting! Then, th

said; but she

her roguish mood, she continued: "Sassoon's a moderately exciting precipice,

oward the door, and pu

oh!" She exaggerated the exclamation with a confidential nod to him. "That is a

her

ntly. "Everywhere-naturally-but I'm not going to tell

ha

exciting! A precipice that I c

old

t on the rug, to pass mockingly under his eyes, daintily, wi

he

red slipper, right straight across the carpet, to

her hands on an imaginary line, straight by him, laughing to herself, and passed

is teeth, and flinging out his ha

all that she had done wilfully, maliciously, to tantalize him-illogical, unreaso

you brute, brute! You dare to touch me again-you dare!" She turned suddenly, striking him on the chest with her little fist

g besides ice in the intensity of his mocking glance. Then, when from lack of breath her rage spent itself a moment

stop a

ed to answer and found onl

ntinued steadily looking into her eyes, penetrating beyond, overcoming all resistance, a smile came to her, a smile of confession, gathering from the cloudy blue of her eyes, running down the curve of her cheek, playing about the thin upturned lips. He bent his head deliberately. She did not turn aside her lips.... Then on this embrace came another, a convulsive frantic clinging of the lips, a kiss which conquered them both, flinging a mist across their eyes, stopp

now! Ah, yo

r arms from him, aroused, suddenly frightened at where he had been whirled by the immense com

t-oh, a

cken at her glorified face. He stiffened against the s

listen

ible ecstasy of weakness, the oblivion of absolute surrender

"don't-don't say anything. Don't

ay from him, grasping his coat

nize, knowing not what to believe, afraid of what

, extending he

h, don

, Dodo!

?" she cried

uddenly, and her whole

dly, a prey to a wild tuggin

g in the center of her roo

long breath and repeat

e did no

morr

, he flung through the doo

nder her, groped for the door, weakly closed it and t

overwhelmed, caught and mastered? What did it mean? And this question brought with it a fierce delirious joy in her moment of panic. F

nt when she had known nothing, cared nothing, with the sudden starting horror with which once she had come out of a swoon. But most of all she had a fea

If not, what is

ing mastery of herself. She remained with her back against the door, her arms ext

step-a tapping on the door, irre

Massi

mander, emerging out of the fire of conflict, triumphant by the last d

rms barring the door i

she said br

was a gleam of exultation in her eyes. Whatever this might mean, wherever it might lead, she knew now