"I gave it to Tracey for you," persisted the tormentor. "Didn't you get it?"
Betty caught at her breath, inaudibly; only Duncan could see the little spasm of mortification and anger that shook her.
"Oh, perhaps I did," she said shortly. "I—I'll ask Mr. Duncan to wait on you."
She swung quickly out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her and so darkening it that she didn't detect Duncan's shadowed figure. And if she had meant to call him, she must have forgotten it; for an instant later he heard her stumbling up the stairs, and as she disappeared he caught the echo of a smothered sob.
He waited, motionless, too disturbed at the time to care to enter the store and endure Josie's vapid advances; and through the thin partition there came to him their comments on Betty's ungracious behaviour.
"Well!... did you ever!"
That was Angle; Josie chimed in the same key: "Oh, what did you expect from that kind of a girl?"
"Ssh! maybe he's coming!"
After a moment's silence, Josie: "Oh, come on. Don't let's wait any longer. I don't think it's healthy to drink sody so soon before dinner, anyway."
"And, besides, we only wanted to hear—"