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Porter froe beside her kept her plate heaped with delicacies, calmly removed the breast of chicken from his own plate to hers, all but fed her with a spoon when she refused to ht- himself fro over her chair so as to feel for himself if the wind touched her

Katherine and Jack kept Li Chung trotting to the kitchen for different dainties hich to te He kept up what seemed to be his usual fire of ah inscrutable black eyes But he made no attempt to serve her

Rhoda was scarcely conscious of the deference showed her, partly because she had received it so long, partly because that detached frame of mind of the hopeless invalidreally mattered much She lay back in her chair with the little wistful sht in her eyes that had become habitual to her

After dinner was finished Katherine led the way to the living-room To his unspeakable pride, Rhoda took Billy Porter's ar pitying glances on his less favored friends Jack wheeled a Morris chair before the fireplace--desert nights are cool--and John DeWitt hurried for a shahile Katherine gave every one orders that no one heeded in the least

Cartwell followed after the others, slowly lighted a cigarette, then seated hi hesoftly, as if to hiently that their notes see bits of Spanish love-songs, of Mexican lullabies But for the s and chants that touched the listener with strange poignancy

There was little talk aroup around the fire The three men smoked peacefully Katherine and Jack sat close to each other, on the davenport, content to be together DeWitt lounged where he could watch Rhoda, as did Billy Porter, the latter hanging on every word and , as if he would carry forever in his heart the memory of her charm

Rhoda herself watched the fire She was tired, tired to the in The only real desire left her was that she ood friends of hers had set their faces against the inevitable and it was only decency to humor the her, she lifted her hands and eyed theroup about the fire stirred pityingly John and Katherine and Jack remembered those shadowy hands when they had been rosy and full of warmth and tenderness Billy Porter leaned across and with his hard brown palers down into Rhoda's lap She looked up in astonishment