They laughed at this like a couple of children, and moved on toward a
less frequented part of the floor, for there was a big man in khaki,
one of Francis's men, who was coming dangerously near, and had in his
eye a determination to cut in. Francis and Marjorie moved downwards
till they were almost opposite the door. And as they were dancing
across the space before the door there was a polite knock on it. They
stood still, still interlaced, as an unpartnered man lounging near it
threw it open. And on the threshold, like a ghost from the past, stood
Mr. Logan. In spite of his mysterious nervous ailment he had nerved
himself to make the journey after Marjorie, and walked in, softly and
slowly, indeed, and somewhat travel-soiled, but very much himself, and
apparently determined on a rescue. Marjorie stared at him in horror.
Rescue was all right theoretically; but not in the middle of as good a
party as this. And what could Francis do to her now?
What he did was to release her with decision, and come forward with the
courtesy he was quite capable of at any crisis, and welcome Logan to
their home.
"You've caught us in the middle of a party," he concluded cordially,
"but I don't suppose you feel much like dancing. Perhaps after a
little something to eat and drink you'd like to rest a bit. Come speak
to Mr. Logan, my dear," he finished, with what Marjorie stigmatized as
extreme impudence; and Marjorie, in her firefly draperies, came forward
with as creditable a calm as her husband, and greeted Mr. Logan, after
which Francis called Mrs. O'Mara to show him to a room where he could
rest.
"I came to talk to you----" began Mr. Logan as he was led hospitably
away.
"I'll be at your service as soon as you've had a little rest and food,"
said Francis in his most charming manner.
He actually put his arm about Marjorie again and was going on with the
dance, when the telephone rang. The woman nearest it answered it, and
called Francis over excitedly. Marjorie, too proud to ask any
questions, was nevertheless eaten up with curiosity, and finally edged
near enough to hear above the phonograph.
"You'll be all right till to-morrow? Very well--I'll be out then and
see what to do."
"What's the matter?" demanded Peggy, who had no pride to preserve.
Francis smiled, but looked a little worried, too.
"Nothing very serious, but inconvenient. Pierre, the cook for the
outfit, suddenly decided to leave to-day, and did. He said he thought
it was time he got married again, and has gone in quest of a bride, I
suppose. The deuce of it is, we're so short-handed. Well, never
mind----"
"If mother wasn't so silly about the ghosts," began Peggy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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