Athalie

, fur-lined overcoat and carried in his white-glove

feet and turned half around in her chair again to meet his expecte

ensleeve?

heavy lustrous braids framin

thalie!" he ask

ior," she said

ward her and, very slowly, she offered a hand

went over and closed the door, stood for a few

er the short dark moustache the clean-cut mouth unchanged. Only his cheeks

nconscious of her own somewhat intimate attire, s

logically.... "How did I know you lived here? I didn't until we bought this row of flats last w

aid n

write and ask you. But walking in this

N

ment? I'm on my way to the op

sufficiently compose

oat and hat; then slipping out of the sof

ward, stripping off his white gloves, suddenly she became conscious of

ertainly she did not care to rise, now, and pass before him in se

y chair, and had drawn it

id. "Do you realise that th

es

s to look inevit

sm

sidered significant," he added laughin

e upholstered wing of her chair and looke

d a single bit, Ath

aven't c

our last meeting-

es

at was four years ag

es

lour grew o

piker,

y clasped hands lying on her knees: "I

so many things to do, all sorts of engagements,-and the summer vacation seemed ended before I could understand that it had begun

kept my word to you-and I really wanted to.... An

that of you, C.

must

did

u and did send you the strap-watch. I sent both to Fifty-fourth Street. The Dead Letter Office

very slowly took the

't that the limit?" And he began to

ore that old gun-metal watch of mine so long. I wa

ill," she sai

anced at her bare

e I have just bathed and am prepared for

ulous, then his expr

t so?"

usness confused her a

saying: "Thank the Lord I'm not such a piker now as I was, anyway. I hope y

her charming eyes to his,-"there's only an ai

is y

ned it

" she said very gently.

hy

beautiful.

elled lever and setting it by the tin alarm-clock on the mantel. Then he wound it, unclasped the wove

ned bent as she gazed in silence at t

Junior," she said, a

he slight constraint: "You're welco

derfully b

I will be when you read that letter and adm

"I never thought that of

all

e said in

e, then again, conscious of his ow

thing in friendship. You a

e to leave me unimpressed. I never knew any other boy

ation of how memory chanced to retain him. But it did not occur to him to ask himself how it happened that, in all these yea

read it," he said. "It's my credent

for its unsealing and

oing to read

hen yo

hy

ur visit seem a little l

you really g

. For a moment only, both felt the least sense of constraint, then the instinct that had forbidden her to admit any significance in his serious

have gone into the kitchen to bring you one.... And I have already told you that I am unchanged.... Wait!

en shot a glance ar

ing, Athalie?" h

e s

d me. You are steno

es

he

ahlbaum, Gro

y decent

er

s though about to speak, then seemed to re

our sisters, don

es

and leaned forward, his head on his

, Junior," she ventured, "you mu

e lifted

r way to the op

I'd rather stay her

" she protested

care for

't y

ed: "No;

ad abo

my place, you wouldn't give up the

decidedly; but checked herse

four years of not seeing you-and if I had to choose-I don't believe I'

o wrenc

e you o

could be no question of choice betwe

unior, you ar

. Why do y

rmances," she said, he

t performances in my face e

u comin

generous of

it," said the g

f course I am i

ed to "If you'll let me,"-a development and a new footing to w

unior, do you

be nice to me after-everything. And it'

chair, her pretty hands

on't say you'll come i

t I

t-I am going to tell you-I was disappointed-even a-a little-unhappy. And it-lasted-so

I am-I had no idea-I don't deserve your kindness to me-your loyalty-I'm a-I'm a-a pup! That's what I am-an undeserving, ungrateful, i

that-not much different, not enough changed to know that I'm a woman. I feel exactly as I did toward you-not grown up,-o

teresting,-a lot jollier,-than any girl I know. I always suspected it,

ad and laughed outright, checking his somewhat im

had together, as though-" And suddenly she checked herself in her tu

y both laughter and discourse, for he reddened and gazed rather fixedly a

earth-with a cat on the hearth and a big chair and a good book.... Athalie, do you r

ng her own bare ones f

o me when you came in so silently,

id I lo

e fairy

hat ragg

gure and your yellow hair and your wonderful dark eyes in the ru

that of me when I stood there lookin

he laughed; "you ar

you the most wonderful

illusioned y

did, C. Bai

when I prov

s amused and challenging ey

cally still, had put it back. Not accustomed to modern men of his caste she had not paid much attention t

ay

I li

ou sm

then when I'

ten?" he as

the proof is that I never smoked more tha

ne now?" he ask

in troubl

t know.

C. Bailey, Junior?"

n to leave. And i

erious trouble than that," she sa

rry if I were

ural

hy

are my friend. Why

our friendship as

't y

ked the ashes from his cigarette. Sudde

quietly and perhaps unnecessarily emphatic that, fo

look at it that way. It means th

to-morrow if

ised and silent but

I, At

f you

hough addressing himself, and perhaps others not present.

N

to dinner and

a sort of whispering confusion in her b

like to go

nd we'll have s

rough the ringing co

ng supper with me

N

re t

h you, C. Bai

he said he was responding with something more subtly vital than mere words. Faintly within her the instinct stirred to ignore

anning all sorts of future pleasures for them both together, confident

don't,"

, Ath

ises-plans. I-am a

: "What on earth h

hing

made you unhappy; I

ly-miss you-very much-C. Bailey, Junior.... So don't promise me to

e alarm went off with a startling clango

s mid

" she explained with a smile. "I usually have somet

e for you," he said, looki

o out in t

o some

Bailey, Junior, I have never be

ha

ev

hy

s because I don't know any men with whom I'd care to

me?" he ask

rely s