صفحة 366 من 439

So Arlie froze her heart toward the Texan, all the more because

he had touched her girlish imagination to sweet hidden dreams of

which her innocence had been unnecessarily ashamed. He had spoken

no love to her, nor had he implied it exactly. There had been

times she had thought something more than friendship lay under

his warm smile. But now she scourged herself for her folly,

believed she had been unmaidenly, and set her heart to be like

flint against him. She had been ready to give him what he had not

wanted. Before she would let him guess it she would rather die, a

thousand times rather, she told herself passionately.

She presently became aware that attention was being directed

toward her and Jed and somebody who sat on the other side of her.

Without looking round, she mentioned the fact in a low voice to

her partner of the dance just finished. Jed looked up, and for

the first time observed the man behind her. Instantly the gayety

was sponged from his face.

"Who is it?" she asked.