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102

FLAMING

YOUTH

going to give herself into a profound and enduring em-

brace, then leaned to him as the swirl of the rhythms

caught them. He felt her fresh young cheek pressed toe his, close and warm, and drew away a little. “What's the matter?” she asked naively. “Don’t you like it?” Perplexed for the moment and a little startled by the sweetness of the contact, he did not answer

at once.

“J thought we were to be friends,” she murmured mournfully. With a sudden understanding he realised that she had nestled to him as unconsciously as a kitten; that her natural expression of the merest comradeship was physical. In a manner, innocently so. After that dance he did not see her again until, just before her departure, she dashed up to him to say, “T’ve been terribly good all evening. It isn’t so hard.” ‘Then, peering at him anxiously: “You don’t despise me, do you, Mr. Scott?”

The innate pathos of it made it hard for him to control his voice, though he answered easily but sincerely: ‘How could Ir We're friends, you know.” “Yes,” she assented with deep content. “We're friends.” At home Dee asked her: “Did you try your rescue party, kid?” “What rescue party?” returned Pat dreamily. ‘Oh, that! Itrow some not! He won’t be the one that needs help when the water gets deep.” “TI suppose

not,”

Pat meant Constance,

acquiesced

Dee,

She

thought

that

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