.

Yet there had been a certain evening, not long before that spring
evening upon which Julia's own awakening came, when Mark had been
astonished to find a sudden charm in the little girl. She was only a
little girl, of course, he said to himself later; just a kid, but she
was a mighty cunning kid!

Julia often had dinner with the Rosenthals; she loved every separate
member of the family and she knew they all loved her. She used to run
upstairs and pop her pretty head into the Rosenthal kitchen perhaps
twice a week, sure of a welcome and a good meal. On the occasion so
significant to Mark she had been there when he got in from work, helping
his sisters Sophy and Hannah with that careless disposition of iron
knives, great china sugar bowl, oddly assorted plates, and thick cups
that was known as "setting the table."

Mark had noticed then that Julia's figure was getting very pretty, and
he watched her coming and going with a real pleasure. She sat next him
at table, and, conscious as he was of her nearness and of himself, he
found her unconsciousness very charming. Julia had burned her arm
serving the fried hominy, and she held it up for Mark to see, the bare,
sweet young arm close to his face.

And since then, poor Mark seemed to be bewitched. He could not think of
anything but Julia. It made him angry and self-contemptuous, but he was
no better off for that. He did not want to fall in love with Julia Page;
he would not admit that what he felt for Julia was love; he raged with
disappointment at the mere thought of bondage so soon, and especially
this bondage. But the sweetness of her stole upon his senses
nevertheless, tangling about him like a drifting bit of vaporous mist;
he had no sooner detached one section of it than another blew across his
eyes, set pulses to beating in his temples, and shook his whole body
with a delicious weakness.

And then came the night when she had not kept her appointment, and he
had followed her to the Alcazar Theatre, and later kissed her in the
dark hallway. Then Mark knew. From the instant her fresh lips touched
his, and he felt the soft yielding as he drew her to him, Mark knew that
he was of the world's lovers. He wanted her with all the deep passion of
first love--first love in an ardent and romantic and forceful nature.
His dreams did not change; Julia changed to fit them. She was everything
for which he had ever longed, she was perfection absolute. She became
his music, his b