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She was looking at Norman pleasantly enough。 He wasn't sure that the hit was for him as well as for Culver； but he flushed deeply。 〃Will you lunch with me at the Astor House at one to…morrow？〃
〃I've got an engagement；〃 said she。 〃And I must be going。 I'm awfully late。〃 He had an instinct that her engagement on both days was with the same man。 〃I'm glad to have seen you〃
〃Won't you let me call on you？〃 he said imploringly； but with the suggestion that he had no hope of being permitted to come。
〃Certainly；〃 responded she with friendly promptness。 She opened the shopping bag swinging on her arm。 〃Here is one of my cards。〃
〃When？ This evening？〃
Her laugh showed the beautiful deep pink and daz… zling white behind her lips。 〃NoI'm going to a party。〃
〃Let me take you。〃
She shook her head。 〃You wouldn't like it。 Only young people。〃
〃But I'm not so old。〃
She looked at him critically。 〃Noyou're not。 It always puzzled me。 You aren't oldyou look like a boy lots of the time。 But you always SEEM old to me。〃
〃I'll try to do better。 To…night？〃
〃Not to…night；〃 laughed she。 〃Let's seeto… morrow's Sunday。 Come to…morrowabout half past two。〃
〃Thank you；〃 he said so gratefully that he cursed himself for his folly as he heard his voicethe idiotic folly of so plainly betraying his feelings。 No wonder she despised him！ Beginning againand beginning； wrong。
〃Good…by。〃 Her eyes； her smile flashed and he was alone； watching her slender grace glide through the throngs of lower Broadway。
At his office again at three； he found a note from Tetlow inclosing another of Dorothy's cards and also the promised check。 Into his face came the look that always comes into the faces of the prisoners of despair when the bolts slide back and the heavy door swings and hope stands on the threshold instead of the famil… iar grim figure of the jailer。 〃This looks like the turn of the road；〃 he muttered。 Yes； a turn it certainly wasbut was it THE turn？ 〃I'll know more as to that；〃 said he with a glance at the clock； 〃about this time to…morrow。〃
It was a boarding house on the west side。 And when the slovenly； smelly maid said； 〃Go right up to her room；〃 he knew it wasprobably respectable； but not rigidly respectable。 However； working girls must receive； and they cannot afford parlors and chaperons。 Still It was no place for a lovely young girl； full of charm and of love of lifeand not brought up in the class where the women are trained from babyhood to protect themselves。
He ascended two flights； knocked at the door to the rear。 〃Come！〃 called a voice； and he entered。 It was a small neat room； arranged comfortably and with some taste。 He recognized at first glance many little things from her room in the Jersey City housethings he had provided for her。 On the chimney piece was a large photograph of her fatherNorman's eyes hastily shifted from that。 The bed was folded away into a couchfor space and for respectability。 At first he did not see her。 But when he advanced a step farther； she was disclosed in the doorway of a deep closet that contained a stationary washstand。
He had never seen her when she was not fully dressed。 He was now seeing her in a kind of wrapper of pale blue； clean but not fresh。 It was open at the throat； its sleeves fell away from her arms。 And； to cap the climax of his agitation； her hair； her wonderful hair； was flowing loosely about her face and shoulders。
〃What's the matter with you？〃 she cried laughingly。 Her eyes sparkled and danced； the waves of her hair； each hair standing out as if it were alive； sparkled and danced。 It was a smile never to be forgotten。 〃Why are you so embarrassed？〃
He was embarrassed。 He was thrilled。 He was enragedenraged because； if she would thus receive him whom she did not like； she would certainly thus receive any man。
〃I don't mind you；〃 she went on； mockingly。 〃I'd have to be careful if it was one of the boys。〃
〃Do you receive theboyshere？〃 demanded he glumly； his voice arrogant with the possessive rights a man feels when he cares for a woman； whether she cares for him or not。
〃Why not？〃 scoffed she。 〃Where else would I see them？ I don't make street corner dates； thank you。 You're as bad as fat； foolish Mr。 Tetlow。〃
〃I beg your pardon；〃 said he humbly。
She straightway relented； saying： 〃Of course I'd not let one of the boys come up when I was dressed like this。 But I didn't mind YOU。〃 He winced at this amiable； unconscious reminder of her always exasperating and tantalizing and humiliating indifference to him 〃And as I'm going to a grand dance to…night I simply had to wash my hair。 Does that satisfy you； Mr。 Primmey？〃
He hid the torment of his reopened wound and seated himself at the center table。 She returned to a chair in the window where the full force of the afternoon sun would concentrate upon her hair。 And he gazed spell bound。 He had always known that her hair was fine。 He had never dreamed it was like this。 It was thick； it was fine and soft。 In color； as the sunbeams streamed upon it； it was all the shades of gold and all the other beautiful shades between brown and red。 It fell about her face； about her neck； about her shoulders in a gorgeous veil。 And her pure white skin It was an even more wonderful white below the line of her collar where he had never seen it before。 Such exquisitely modeled earssuch a delicate noseand the curve of her cheeksand the glory of her eyes！ He clinched his teeth and his hands； sat dumb with his gaze down。
〃How do you like my room？〃 she chattered on。 〃It's not so badreally quite comfortablethough I'm afraid I'll be cold when the weather changes。 But it's the best I can do。 As it is； I don't see how I'm going to make ends meet。 I pay twelve of my fifteen for this room and two meals。 The rest goes for lunch and car fare。 As soon as I have to get clothes〃 She broke off； laughing。
〃Well；〃 he said； 〃what then？〃
〃I'm sure I don't know；〃 replied she carelessly。 〃Perhaps old Mr。 Branscombe'll give me a raise。 Still； eighteen or twenty is the most I could hope forand that wouldn't mean enough for clothes。〃
She shook her head vigorously and her hair stood out yet more vividly and the sunbeams seemed to go mad with joy as they danced over and under and through it。 He had ventured to glance up； again he hastily looked down。
〃You spoiled me；〃 she went on。 〃Those few months over there in Jersey City。 It made SUCH a change in me； though I didn't realize it at the time。 You see； I hadn't known since I was a tiny little girl what it was to live really decently； and so I was able to get along quite contentedly。 I didn't know any better。〃 She made a wry face。 〃How I loathe the canned and cold storage stuff I have to eat nowadays。 And how I do miss the beautiful room I had in that big house over there！ and how I miss Molly and Patand the gardenand doing as I pleasedand the clothes I had： I thought I was being careful and not spoiling myself。 You may not believe it； but I was really conscientious about spending money。〃 She laughed in a queer； absent way。 〃I had such a funny idea of what I had a right to do and what I hadn't。 And I didn't spend so very much on out…and…out luxury。 But enough to spoil me for this life。〃
As Norman listened； as he notedin her appearance； manner； way of talkingthe many meaning signs of the girl hesitating at the fork of the roadshe felt within him the twinges of fear； of jealousyand through fear and jealousy； the twinges of conscience。 She was telling the truth。 He had undermined her ability to live in purity the life to which her earning power assigned her。 。 。 。 WHY had she been so friendly to him？ Why had she received him in this informal； almost if not quite inviting fashion？
〃So you think I've changed？〃 she was saying。 〃WellI have。 Gracious； what a little fool I was！〃
His eyes lifted with an agonized question in them。
She flushed； glanced away； glanced at him again with the old； sweet expression of childlike innocence which had so often made him wonder whether it was merely a mannerism； or was a trick； or was indeed a beam from a pure soul。 〃I'm foolish stillin certain ways；〃 she said significantly。
〃And you always intend to be？〃 suggested he with a forced smile。
〃Ohyes；〃 replied shepositively enough； yet it somehow had not the full force of her simple short statements in the former days。
He believed her。 Perhaps because he wished to believe； must believe； would have been driven quite mad by disbelief。 Still； he believed。 As yet she was good。 But it would not last much longer。 With himor with some other。 If with him； then certainly afterward with anotherwith others。 No matter how jealously he might guard her； she would go that road； if once she entered it。 If he would have her for his very own he must strengthen her； not weaken her； must keep her 〃foolish stillin certain ways。〃
He said： 〃There's nothing in the other sort of life。〃
〃That's what they say；〃 replied she； with ominous irritation。 〃Stillsome girlsLOTS of girls seem to get on mighty well without being so terribly particular。〃
〃You ought to see them after a few years。〃
〃I'm only twenty…one；〃 laughed she。 〃I've g