h an added charm that was very elusive
and hard to analyze, seemed to have lost all of her old animation.

Joe tried the weather, and the small gossip of the film world, and a
judiciously expurgated sketch of his life since he had last seen her.
Marie answered him whenever his monologue required answer, but she was
unresponsive, uninterested--bored. Joe twisted his mustache, eyed her
aslant and took the plunge.

"I guess joy-ridin' kinda calls up old times, ay?" he began insidiously.
"Maybe I shouldn't have brought you out for a ride; maybe it brings back
painful memories, as the song goes."

"Oh, no," said Marie spiritlessly. "I don't see why it should."

"No? Well, that's good to hear you say so, girlie. I was kinda afraid
maybe trouble had hit you hard. A sensitive, big-hearted little person
like you. But if you've put it all outa your mind, why, that's where
you're dead right. Personally, I was glad to see you saw where you'd
made a mistake, and backed up. That takes grit and brains. Of course, we
all make mistakes--you wasn't to blame--innocent little kid like you--"

"Yes," said Marie, "I guess I made a mistake, all right."

"Sure! But you seen it and backed up. And a good thing you did. Look
what he'd of brought you to by now, if you'd stuck!"

Marie tilted back her head and looked up at the tall row of eucalyptus
trees feathered against the stars. "What?" she asked uninterestedly.

"Well--I don't want to knock, especially a fellow that's on the toboggan
already. But I know a little girl that's aw-fully lucky, and I'm honest
enough to say so."

"Why?" asked Marie obligingly. "Why--in particular?"

"Why in particular?" Joe leaned toward her. "Say, you must of heard how
Bud's going to the dogs. If you haven't, I don't want--"

"No, I hadn't heard," said Marie, looking up at the Big Dipper so that
her profile, dainty and girlish still, was revealed like a cameo to Joe.
"Is he? I love to watch the stars, don't you?"

"I love to watch a star," Joe breathed softly. "So you hadn't heard how
Bud's turned out to be a regular souse? Honest, didn't you know it?"

"No, I didn't know it," said Marie boredly. "Has he?"

"Well, say! You couldn't tell it from the real thing! Believe me, Bud's
some pickled bum, these days. I run across him up in the mountains, a
month or so ago. Honest, I was knocked plumb silly--much as I knew about
Bud that you never knew, I never thought he'd turn out quite so--" Joe
paused, wit