y she walked away, though still with the just
perceptible limp that most shop girls have in their first few weeks of
"business."
She did not look up at the giant Hands with their blazing rings, as
she had looked at first, half admiring, half awed. Their gesture now
seemed greedy. They were trying to "grab the whole sky," as the lion
tamer said. Rather would one hurry to escape from under them, and go
where the Hands of Peter Rolls could not reach.
It was exquisite in the park, and she was thinking how a delicate,
floating blue curtain appeared to shut her away for a little while
from all the harshness of life, when a small and singularly silent
automobile glided by. A lamp showed her the forms of two men in the
open car, one in front, who drove, and one behind, who sat with arms
folded.
"How heavenly to have the air and lean back restfully without needing
to walk," thought tired Win.
She was envying the comfortable figure with its arms folded when the
little car turned and, to her astonishment, drew up close beside her.
Involuntarily she stopped; then, as one of the men jumped out, she
regained her presence of mind and walked on at top speed.
The man strode along after her, however, and spoke.
"Don't you remember me? That's very unkind. You might wait a minute,
anyhow, and let me remind you where we met. I recognized _you_ as I
went by, that's why I came back."
Wondering if it could be possible that they _had_ met, Win ventured a
glance at the face on a level with her own. She knew instantly that
never had she seen it before.
"You're mistaken," she said. "I don't know you. Please go."
"Logan is my name," he persisted. "Jim Logan. Now don't you remember?
But you didn't tell me your name that other time."
Win took longer steps. This active hint did not, however trouble Mr.
Logan. He was an inch or so taller than she, perhaps, and kept step
with the utmost ease.
"You and I might have been at the same dancing school," said he. "I'm
doing the newest stunt--the wango. Is that what you're doing, too? Or
is it the y-lang-y-lango? I could go on like this all night! I hope
you're not engaged to anybody else for the next dance?"
"As a matter of fact, I am," said Win sharply, though it was all she
could do not to laugh. "My partner will very much object to you."
"That's all right. It's not likely he knows jiu-jitsu as well as I
do," cheerfully replied the man, still hurrying on at the same pace.
He kep
|