d for a moment, undecided which course to take
next, and it was then that he saw Joan again.

She was standing a little in front of him on the edge of the pavement,
evidently waiting for a bus. Another girl stood near her, talking in
quick, childish excitement, recounting some conversation, for she acted
the parts as she spoke. Joan seemed to pay very little attention to her
companion, though occasionally she smiled in answer to the other's
laughter.

He had recognized her at once! Now he stood with his eyes glued on her,
taking in every detail of her appearance--the wide-brimmed hat, the
little lace collar showing outside her jacket, the neat shoes.

Even as she talked Fanny's bird-like eyes darted here and there among
the crowd and lit presently on the young man, so palpably staring at her
companion. She edged nearer to Joan and nudged her.

"You have got off, honey," she whispered. "Turn your eyes slowly and you
will catch such a look of devotion as will keep you in comfort for the
rest of your life."

Joan flushed: Fanny could always succeed in bringing the hot blush to
her face, even though she had been on tour with the company now for two
months. Also she still resented being stared at, though Fanny was doing
her best to break her in to that most necessary adjunct of their
profession. Rather haughtily, therefore, she turned, and for a second
his eyes met hers, bringing a quick, disturbing memory which she could
in no way place.

At any other time Dick would have taken off his hat and claimed
acquaintance; just for the present moment, though, something held him
spellbound, staring. Fanny giggled, and Joan, having had time to raise
her feelings to a proper pitch of anger, let her eyes pass very coldly
and calmly from the top of the young man's hat to the tip of his boots
and back again. Contempt and dislike were in the glance, what Fanny
called her "Kill the worm" expression. Then No. 11 motor-bus plunged
alongside, and "Here we are at last!" called Fanny, dragging at Joan's
arm.

With a sense of victory in her heart, since the young man had obviously
been quelled by her anger, Joan climbed up to the top of the bus and sat
down in a seat out of sight. Fanny, however, turned to have a final look
at the enemy from the top step. As the bus moved, she saw him shake
himself out of his trance and start forward.

"Good-night," she called in cheerfully affectionate tones; the conductor
turned to stare up at her. "