Page:Firecrackers a realistic novel.pdf/246



The situation regarding Wintergreen Waterbury, unchanged and unchanging, was beginning to try Paul's patience. Long since, he had lost all interest in everything pertaining to the affair save the sporting chance. It was disagreeable to his pride to be forced to admit that he had failed where all others had failed. The girl's placid virginity was baffling. Apparently, she made no slightest effort to protect her most cherished possession: she accepted all invitations with alacrity, lunched, dined, motored, and supped with Paul with a casual docility that, in another case, would have offered evidence of interest. When the atmosphere became unpleasantly warm she wept. On one occasion she had cried continuously for nearly an hour. After ten minutes or so of this startling exhibition he had felt impelled to time this test of endurance. Lately, she had been given to dropping mysterious hints. With any one else, or had there been anything in their relationship to provoke such a thought, he would have believed that she was enticing him to propose marriage to her. With Wintergreen, however, the idea was incredible, preposterous. Still there was something going on in what took the place of her mind; of that there could be no doubt.