Page:The Breath of Scandal (1922).djvu/37

 a bit dangerous, on which to spend some of her energy. How she liked to get on a clear, country road and, with nobody else in the car, set the motor humming!

She seemed to feel like that to-night and, not being able to drive, she seemed to be finding some excitement in shocking Bill, beside whom she looked smaller and even younger than her twenty-two years. For Billy, when with a girl, had a way of becoming mature, particularly when he was shocked.

It was not difficult for Marjorie to shock Bill, Gregg knew; undoubtedly her new dancing dress was enough to do it. Of course, it was cut low, with only two slim bands of blue silk over her white shoulders; blue and opalescent silk clung to the roundness of her small bosom, bound her slender, supple waist and fell into a skirt of simple, graceful loveliness. Her arms were all bare but for a bracelet of platinum and sapphires; a tiny, glinting chain of platinum with a glistening sapphire was about her smooth, white neck. As she approached, and Billy came with her, Gregg saw that her brows had been darkened a trifle and her lips touched, unnecessarily, with a rouge stick—extra items of usual and fashionable procedure but undoubtedly designed to tease over-proper old Bill, and her greeting to Gregg obviously was part of the same design.

"You managed to get him?" Billy repeated, challenging her.

"Certainly; but I had a terrible time. I wrote him a special note; and then telephoned him twice, besides begging you to bring him; didn't I, Mr. Mowbry?"

"Certainly," Gregg said seriously.

"What?" demanded Billy.

"Oh, Billy," she cried fondly, to let him know she was teasing him; and Gregg laughed a bit foolishly