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In one doorway, cheeks flale, stood Rita, alert as a fawn and ready to flee In the other doorway, likewise fla attitude of the Mother of the Gracchi, the wreckage of her kimono wrapped severely about her and held severely about her by her oaist-pressing arm Lute, cornered behind the piano, attempted to run but was driven back by the menace of Forrest, who, on hands and knees, stamped loudly with the palely, and emitted bull-like roars

"And they still believe that old prehistoric myth," Ernestine proclaimed from safety, "that once he, that wretched se prone in the dirt, captained Berkeley to victory over Stanford"

Her breasts heaved fro cherry-colored silk with delight as he flung his glance around to the other two girls sirand--a dainty thing of rich white and gold toroom It stood out from the wall, so that there was possibility for Lute to escape around either way of it Forrest gained his feet and faced her across the broad, flat top of the instrument As he threatened to vault it, Lute cried out in horror: "But your spurs, Dick! Your spurs!"

"Give me time to take them off," he offered

As he stooped to unbuckle them, Lute darted to escape, but was herded back to the shelter of the piano

"All right," he growled "On your head be it If the piano's scratched I'll tell Paula"

"I've got witnesses," she panted, indicating with her blue joyous eyes the young things in the doorways

"Very well,pal over to you"

Action and speech were simultaneous His body, posited sidewise from his hands, was vaulted across, the perilous spurs a full foot above the glossy white surface And simultaneously Lute ducked and went under the piano on hands and knees Her mischance lay in that she bumped her head, and, before she could recover way, Forrest had circled the piano and cornered her under it

"Come out!" he commanded "Come out and take your ht, for dear love's sake and all daht," Forrest announced in his deepest bass "I're I was born in the tule-sware and my mother was more so I was lulled to slumber on the squalls of infants dead, foreordained, and predamned I was nourished solely on the blood of maidens educated in Mills Seminary My favorite chophouse has ever been a hardwood floor, a loaf of Mills Seminary re, was a California horse-thief I am more reprehensible than ress, was a Nevada book-canvasser Let all her shaazines I am more terrible than my mother I have peddled safety razors"