“I did. Like a fool I sent for you the first thing, but I was awfully glad when five o’clock came you didn’t turn up. Please don’t bother or speak of it again.”
And burning with curiosity as to what part Poniotowsky played in her life, Dan sat quiet, not venturing to put to her any more questions. She seemed so tired and so overcome by her own thoughts. When they had turned down toward the hotel, however, he decided that he must in honor tell her his news.
“Got some news to tell you,” he exclaimed abruptly. “Want you to congratulate me. I’m engaged to be married to the Duchess of Breakwater. She happens to be a great admirer of your voice.”
The actress turned sharply to him and in the dark he could see her little, white face. The covering over her head fell back and she exclaimed:
“Heavens!” and impulsively put her hands out over his. “Do you really mean what you say?”
“Yes.” He nodded surprisedly. “What do you look like that for?”
Letty Lane arranged her scarf and then drew back from him and laughed.
“Oh, dear, dear, dear,” she exclaimed, “and I ... and I have been....”
She looked up at him swiftly as though she fancied she might detect some new quality in him which she had not observed before, but she saw only his clear, kind eyes, his charming smile and his beautiful, young ignorance, and said softly to him:
“No use to cry, little boy, if it’s true! But that woman isn’t half good enough for you—not half, and I guess you think it funny enough to hear me say so! What does the other boy from Montana say?”