Her smile was beautiful. She
closed the door and locked it. Allie heard the soft swish of silk
dying away.
26
Beauty Stanton threw a cloak over her bare shoulders and, hurriedly
leaving the house by the side entrance, she stood a moment,
breathless and excited, in the dark and windy street.
She had no idea why she halted there, for she wanted to run. But the
instant she got out into the cool night air a check came to action
and thought. Strange sensations poured in upon her--the darkness,
lonesome and weird; the wailing wind with its weight of dust; the
roar of Benton's main thoroughfare; and the low, strange murmur,
neither musical nor mirthful, behind her, from that huge hall she
called her home. Stranger even than these emotions were the swelling
and aching of her heart, the glow and quiver of her flesh, thrill on
thrill, deep, like bursting pages of joy never before experienced,
the physical sense of a touch, inexplicable in its power.
On her bare breast a place seemed to flush and throb and glow. "Ah!"
murmured Beauty Stanton. "That girl laid her face here--over my
heart! What was I to do?" she murmured. "Oh yes--to find her
sweetheart--Neale!" Then she set off rapidly, but if she had
possessed wings or the speed of the wind she could not have kept
pace with her thoughts.
Pages:
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430