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freshness of his complexion； the steadiness of his eyes laughing
back a greeting； had evidently attracted her。 Or perhaps anything
was a relief from the Incubus。
〃So you're back at last； are you； Jack？〃 drawled Jane in her lazy；
good…natured way。 〃Come and meet Miss Bishop。 Carroll； I want to
present Mr。 Orde。〃
Orde bowed ceremoniously into the penumbra cast by the lamp's broad
shade。 The girl inclined gracefully her small head with the glossy
hair。 The Incubus； his thin hands clasped on his knee； his sallow
face twisted in one of its customary wry smiles； held to the edge of
his chair with characteristic pertinacity。
〃Well； Walter；〃 Orde addressed him genially； 〃are you having a good
time？〃
〃Yes…indeed！〃 replied the Incubus as though it were one word。
His chair was planted squarely to exclude all others。 Orde surveyed
the situation with good…humour。
〃Going to keep the other fellow from getting a chance； I see。〃
〃Yes…indeed！〃 replied the Incubus。
Orde bent over； and with great ease lifted Incubus； chair； and all；
and set him facing Mignonne Smith and the croquet…ball。
〃Here； Mignonne；〃 said he； 〃I've brought you another assistant。〃
He returned to the lamp； to find the girl； her dark eyes alight with
amusement； watching him intently。 She held the tip of a closed fan
against her lips； which brought her head slightly forward in an
attitude as though she listened。 Somehow there was about her an air
of poise； of absolute balanced repose quite different from Jane's
rather awkward statics； and in direct contrast to Mignonne's
dynamics。
〃Walter is a very bright man in his own line；〃 said Orde； swinging
forward a chair； 〃but he mustn't be allowed any monopolies。〃
〃How do you know I want him so summarily removed？〃 the girl asked
him； without changing either her graceful attitude of suspended
motion or the intentness of her gaze。
〃Well；〃 argued Orde； 〃I got him to say all he ever says to any girl
'Yes…indeed！'so you couldn't have any more conversation from him。
If you want to look at him； why； there he is in plain sight。
Besides； I want to talk to you myself。〃
〃Do you always get what you want？〃 inquired the girl。
Orde laughed。
〃Any one can get anything he wants； if only he wants it bad enough；〃
he asserted。
The girl pondered this for a moment； and finally lowered and opened
her fan； and threw back her head in a more relaxed attitude。
〃Some people；〃 she amended。 〃However； I forgive you。 I will even
flatter you by saying I am glad you came。 You look to have reached
the age of discretion。 I venture to say that these boys' idea of a
lively evening is to throw bread about the table。〃
Orde flushed a little。 The last time he had supped at Jane
Hubbard's； that was exactly what they did do。
〃They are young； of course；〃 he said； 〃and you and I are very old
and wise。 But having a noisy； good time isn't such a great crime
or is it where you came from？〃
The girl leaned forward； a sparkle of interest in her eyes。
〃Are you and I going to fight？〃 she demanded。
〃That depends on you；〃 returned Orde squarely； but with perfect
good…humour。
They eyed each other a moment。 Then the girl closed her fan； and
leaned forward to touch him on the arm with it。
〃You are quite right not to allow me to say mean things about your
friends； and I am a nasty little snip。〃
Orde bowed with sudden gravity。
〃And they do throw bread；〃 said he。
They both laughed。 She leaned back with a movement of satisfaction；
seeming to sink into the shadows。
〃Now； tell me； what do you do？〃
〃What do I do？〃 asked Orde； puzzled。
〃Yes。 Everybody does something out West here。 It's a disgrace not
to do something； isn't it？〃
〃Oh； my business！ I'm a river…driver just now。〃
〃A river…driver？〃 she repeated； once more leaning forward。 〃Why；
I've just been hearing a great deal about you。〃
〃That so？〃 he inquired。
〃Yes； from Mrs。 Baggs。〃
〃Oh！〃 said Orde。 〃Then you know what a drunken； swearing； worthless
lot of bums and toughs we are； don't you？〃
For the first time； in some subtle way she broke the poise of her
attitude。
〃There is Hell's Half…Mile；〃 she reminded him。
〃Oh； yes；〃 said Orde bitterly； 〃there's Hell's Half…Mile！ Whose
fault is that？ My rivermen's？ My boys？ Look here！ I suppose you
couldn't understand it； if you tried a month； but suppose you were
working out in the woods nine months of the year； up early in the
morning and in late at night。 Suppose you slept in rough blankets；
on the ground or in bunks； ate rough food； never saw a woman or a
book； undertook work to scare your city men up a tree and into a
hole too easy； risked your life a dozen times a week in a tangle of
logs； with the big river roaring behind just waiting to swallow you；
saw nothing but woods and river； were cold and hungry and wet； and
so tired you couldn't wiggle； until you got to feeling like the
thing was never going to end； and until you got sick of it way
through in spite of the excitement and danger。 And then suppose you
hit town； where there were all the things you hadn't hadand the
first thing you struck was Hell's Half…Mile。 Say！ you've seen water
behind a jam； haven't you？ Water…power's a good thing in a mill
course； where it has wheels to turn； but behind a jam it just RIPS
thingsoh； what's the use talking！ A girl doesn't know what it
means。 She couldn't understand。〃
He broke off with an impatient gesture。 She was looking at him
intently； her lips again half…parted。
〃I think I begin to understand a little；〃 said she softly。 She
smiled to herself。 〃But they are a hard and heartless class in
spite of all their energy and courage； aren't they？〃 she drew him
out。
〃Hard and heartless！〃 exploded Orde。 〃There's no kinder lot of men
on earth； let me tell you。 Why； there isn't a man on that river who
doesn't chip in five or ten dollars when a man is hurt or killed；
and that means three or four days' hard work for him。 And he may
not know or like the injured man at all！ Why〃
〃What's all the excitement？〃 drawled Jane Hubbard behind them。
〃Can't you make it a to…be…continued…in…our…next？ We're 'most
starved。〃
〃Yes…indeed！〃 chimed in the Incubus。
The company trooped out to the dining…room where the table； spread
with all the good things； awaited them。
〃Ernest； you light the candles；〃 drawled Jane； drifting slowly along
the table with her eye on the arrangements； 〃and some of you boys go
get the butter and the milk…pitcher from the ice…box。〃
To Orde's relief； no one threw any bread； although the whole…hearted
fun grew boisterous enough before the close of the meal。 Miss
Bishop sat directly across from him。 He had small chance of
conversation with her in the hubbub that raged； but he gained full
leisure to examine her more closely in the fuller illumination。
Throughout； her note was of fineness。 Her hands； as he had already
noticed； were long； the fingers tapering； her wrists were finely
moulded； but slender； and running without abrupt swelling of muscles
into the long lines of her forearm； her figure was rounded； but
built on the curves of slenderness； her piled； glossy hair was so
fine that though it was full of wonderful soft shadows denied
coarser tresses； its mass hardly did justice to its abundance。 Her
face； again； was long and oval； with a peculiar transparence to the
skin and a peculiar faint； healthy circulation of the blood well
below the surface； which relieved her complexion of pallor； but did
not give her a colour。 The lips； on the contrary； were satin red；
and Orde was mildly surprised； after his recent talk； to find them
sensitively moulded； and with a quaint； child…like quirk at the
corners。 Her eyes were rather contemplative； and so black as to
resemble spots。
In spite of her half…scornful references to 〃bread…throwing；〃 she
joined with evident pleasure in the badinage and more practical fun
which struck the note of the supper。 Only Orde thought to discern
even in her more boisterous movements a graceful； courteous
restraint； to catch in the bend of her head a dainty concession to
the joy of the moment； to hear in the tones of her laughter a
reservation of herself； which nevertheless was not a
t all a
reservation； against the others。
After the meal was finished； each had his candle to blow out； and
then all returned to the parlour； leaving the debris for the later
attention of the 〃hired help。〃
Orde with determination made his way to Miss Bishop's side。 She
smiled at him。
〃You see； I am a hypocrite as well as a mean little snip；〃 said she。
〃I threw a little bread myself。〃
〃Threw bread？〃 repeated Orde。 〃I didn't see you。