Page:Flaming Youth black on red.pdf/178

 1v4

FLAMING YOUTH

attractive on this side, while holding himself under re straint against her more direct advances, puzsled and discouraged her. Especially if he were, in fact, embarking upon a whirl with Cissie Parmenter. Pat knew Cissie’s methods—or thought she did. Im truth she decidedly underestimated the b.f.’s acumen as well as her adaptability to various kinds of camaraderie. Pat determined to make herself extra-specially attrac tive to Mr. Scott that evening at the dance.

Unfortunately to be extra-specially or even ordinarily attractive to a person, you must first draw that person within the radius of attraction. To Pat's discomfiture

Mr. Scott evinced no interest whatsoever in her; barely any cognisance of her existence and presence at the dance. With the other girls in the wedding party he had early dances, to their obvious satisfaction, for in seme occult

way, though not of the party proper, he had come te be a central figure of interest. He was deemed “unusual,” fascinating, “relieving"—a word which had recently come

much into vogue in that set. Cissie Parmenter had been exploiting him. The party was notable for its pretty girls; but Pat, though on the score of actual beauty she was far behind in the running, glowed among them with her dark, exotic radiance, like a flame among flowers. She was beset with admirers competing for such fractions of dances as they could get. Every man in the room had been a suppliant except Mr. Scott. In that atmosphere of adulation Pat

seemed to become more quiveringly, femininely, alluringly alive. She exhaled delight, like a perfume of her ardent soul. Yet in all the excitement of her pleasures, she was waiting and hoping and manceuvring. . . . Twice Cary Seott had danced with Dee; three times with Connie, whe

was her old, lovely, wistful self for the occasion; Pat didn’t

/