Page:Jackson Gregory--joyous trouble maker.djvu/322

306 "The night is young," he told himself, striving for utter calm. "Unless Embry urges her to seek to have me thrown out bodily I'd better go slow for a little."

In order to "go slow" he withdrew through the shrubbery, found a bench set apart in the shadows, sat down and filled his pipe. With the first puff of smoke his brows relaxed a bit soon he was smiling grimly.

"She doesn't care for him," he assured himself. "Being what she is, with him what he is, she couldn't. She just couldn't."

But could she care for such as Bill Steele? There was the rub and his smile faded as completely and left as little trace behind it as the smoke rising from the glowing bowl of his pipe.

What next? Should he again enter the ball room, seeking her out? Unless he meant to go with no further word, that was what he must do; for, obviously, Beatrice would not come out to him. That matter then was settled with no great consideration; come what might of it, he'd go back and …

"Get my face slapped, most likely!" he grunted. "Serve me good and right."

For he was thinking of his lips upon the lips of Beatrice Corliss, of Beatrice Corliss in his arms … Fifteen minutes later Steele knocked out his pipe and went to the veranda, standing at the side of the door looking in on the dancers. With eyes only for the trim little figure of the buckskin clad mountain girl he sought her everywhere, found her nowhere. Nor Embry. The two were loitering an unconscionably long time outside.