"Larry, I've a new girl here," she said. "Come."
"Evenin', Miss--Stanton," he drawled. He puffed slightly, after the
manner of men under the influence of liquor, and a wicked, boyish,
heated smile crossed his face.
She led him easily. But his heavy gun bumped against her, giving her
little cold shudders. The passage opened into a wide room, which in
turn opened into her dancing-hall. She saw strange, eager, dark
faces among the men present, but in her excitement she did not note
them particularly. She led Larry across the wide room, up a stairway
to another hall, and down this to the corner of an intersecting
passageway.
"Take--this--key!" she whispered. Her hand shook. She felt herself
to be a black and monstrous creature. All of Benton seemed driving
her. She was another woman. This was her fling at a rotten world,
her slap in Neale's face. But she could not speak again; her lips
failed. She pointed to a door.
She waited long enough to see the stalking, graceful cowboy halt in
front of the right door. Then she fled.
27
For many moments after the beautiful bare-armed woman closed and
locked the door Allie Lee sat in ecstasy, in trembling anticipation
of Neale.
Gradually, however, in intervals of happy mind-wanderings, other
thoughts intruded.
Pages:
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442