HIGH WINDS 



Broadway, the yellow dog turning the occasion 

 into an idiotic Saturnalia, giving everything away 

 with the most unpardonable looseness of de 

 meanour. 



Griselle s eyes sparkled. The blood was in her 

 cheeks. She was extra aerated by the walk, and 

 she really outshone, without knowing it, all the 

 Fiammettas and Lauras who are paged and in 

 dexed. One or two degrees more of animal frank 

 ness, and I would have danced round her like the 

 yellow dog. I strangled my exuberance and said 

 with hospitable dignity, &quot;Good morning, Miss 

 Hotchkiss, you are quite a stranger Charlie, 

 behave yourself. Walk inside, please.&quot; 



Once inside and vis a vis, we got out our foils. 

 I sat with my face a little averted, for I did not 

 care to give her the advantage of knowing that I 

 could not help admiring her in her new shape as 

 a visitor. Besides, Charlie was taking irreverent 

 liberties with her, and I did not intend to condone 

 her crafty familiarity with him. 



&quot; You see we are as comfortable as mortals can 

 be without woman s society,&quot; I said. &quot; Will you 

 take your hat off and stay awhile ? Perhaps you 

 can stop to dinner. Charlie, take her umbrella.&quot; 



She sat there like a handsome pincushion, I 

 thought, for me to stick my absurd observations 

 into, and instead of making any replies let me run 

 on to see how much of a fool I could make of 

 myself. Nothing in the world can be more ridic 

 ulous than to use foils with a pincushion. 



&quot; I came over/ she said, &quot; to bring you this 



243 



