rry of
scraping chairs, that made me murmur with a grin,

"Bet that's a wedding party."

Worth gave them one quick glance, then came round to me with a smile.

"You win. Married at Santa Ysobel this afternoon. Local society event.
Whole place standing on its hind legs, taking notice."

So he had been down to the little town to see his father after all. And
he wasn't going to talk about it. Oh, well.

"Friends of yours?" I asked perfunctorily, and he gave me a queer look
out of the corners of those wicked eyes, repeating in an enjoying drawl.

"Friends? Oh, hardly that. The girl I was to have married, and Bronson
Vandeman--the man she has married."

I had wanted to get a more intimate line on the kid--it seemed that here
was a chance with a vengeance!

"The rest of the bunch?" I suggested. He took a leisurely survey, and
gave them three words:

"Family and accomplices."

"Santa Ysobel people, too, then. Folks you know well?"

"Used to."

"The lady changed her mind while you were across?" I risked the query.

"While I was shedding my blood for my country." He nodded. "Gave me the
butt while the Huns were using the bayonet on me."

In the careless jeer, as much at himself as at her, no hint what his
present feeling might be toward the fashion plate young female across
there. With some fellows, in such a situation, I should have looked for
a disposition to duck the encounter; let his old sweetheart's wedding
party leave without seeing him; with others I should have discounted a
dramatic moment when he would court the meeting. It was impossible to
suppose either thing of Worth Gilbert; plain that he simply sat there
because he sat there, and would make no move toward the other table
unless something in that direction interested him--pleasantly or
unpleasantly--which at present nothing seemed to do.

So we smoked, Worth indifferent, I giving all the attention to the
people over there: bride and groom; a couple of fair haired girls so
like the bride that I guessed them to be sisters; a freckled, impudent
looking little flapper I wasn't so sure of; two older men, and an older
woman. Then a shifting of figures gave me sight of a face that I hadn't
seen before, and I drew in my breath with a whistle.

"Whew! Who's the dark girl? She's a beauty!"

"Dark girl?" Worth had interest enough to lean into the place where I
got my view; after he did so he remained to stare. I sat and grinned
while he muttered,

"Can