ested.

"Go on; knock him down to the lady," Sidney proposed to his companion.

"No, you," Conny demurred. "I refuse to take the responsibility. He's too
good looking."

"All right," Sidney assented. "Come on. It's the only way I can get a look
at her anyway--introducing somebody else. A good-looking girl in this town
can start a regular stampede. We ought to import a few hundred.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}"

It was during an intermission. They forced their way through a phalanx of
men brandishing programs and pencils, each trying to bring himself
exclusively to the attention of a small blonde person who seemed to have
some such quality of attractiveness for men as spilled honey has for
insects.

When Ramon saw her he felt as though something inside of him had bumped up
against his diaphragm, taking away his breath for a moment, agitating him
strangely. And he saw an answering surprised recognition in her wide grey
eyes.

"You {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} you're the girl on the train," he remarked idiotically, as he took
her hand.

She turned pink and laughed.

"You're the man that wouldn't look up," she mocked.

"What's all this about?" demanded Sidney. "You two met before?"

"May I have a dance?" Ramon inquired, suddenly recovering his presence of
mind.

"Let me see {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} you're awfully late." They put their heads close together
over her program. He saw her cut out the name of another man who had two
dances, and then she held her pencil poised.

"Of course I didn't get your name," she admitted.

"No; I'll write it {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} Was it Carter? Delcasar? Ramon Delcasar. You must be
Spanish. I was wondering {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} you're so dark. I'm awfully interested in
Spanish people.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}" She wrote the name in a bold, upright, childish hand.

Ramon found that he had lost his mood of discontent after this, and he
entered with zest into the spirit of the dance which was fast losing its
stiff and formal character. Punch and music had broken down barriers. The
hall was noisy with the ringing, high pitched laughter of excitement. It
was warm and filled with an exotic, stimulating odour, compounded of many
perfumes and of perspiration. Every one danced. Young folk danced as
though inspired, swaying their bodies in time to the tune. The old and the
fat danced with pathetic joyful earnestness, going round and round the
hall with red and perspiring faces, as though in this