ere, and the girl had met them with only an
impersonal and non-committal smile.

Paul had drunk enough of flattery to feel piqued at its withholding. Now
to see the figure of her who had withheld appear there quite
unaccompanied, as though rising in response to his meditations, almost
startled him. She did not see him until he reached her side and lifted
his hat; not even then, for she was looking across the avenue with
something of absorption in her manner, until he spoke her name.

Even as he murmured, "Miss Terroll," the inflection of surprise remained
in his voice. It was well after ten o'clock and in those circles of
society where he was received the system of chaperonage was rigid enough
to fail of understanding for the women who dared the streets at night
unescorted. He knew ladies who went to their several rostrums to sound
the clarion of sex equality and who went at night, but they did not go
uncavaliered. And under the lights this slim figure, with its easy,
almost boyish independence, seemed very young, almost childish.

She turned, at his greeting, and her eyes must have read his thoughts,
for once more they smiled and in the smile was an amused twinkle. This
time, though, it was also a smile of the lips, revealing a row of teeth
so small and white that they accentuated her seeming of childishness.
She must be about twenty-two or twenty-three he thought.

"Mr. Burton," she laughed, "you spoke my name then almost as though I
had astonished or startled you. I was scrutinizing the house across the
way rather intently, but honestly there was no burglary in my thoughts."

"I'm rather sorry to hear that," he countered with a simulation of
disappointment. "I've never burgled--and I had begun to hope you'd
initiate me and let me share the adventure." She said nothing for a
moment, and he bluntly demanded, "I was wondering what was in your
thoughts just then."

Miss Terroll bent forward to look up the avenue before she answered. The
'buses were not running close together at this hour and the lamps of the
nearest were still two blocks away.

"If I tell you, will you tell me why you spoke my name so chidingly?"

"It seems on its face a fair bargain." He spoke with a pretendedly grave
consideration of the subject. Then added, "Yes, I will."

"I was thinking of music."

"What music?"

"Just music as music. Music as the one art which needs no background
because every listening human being supplies one. That is