She believed him literally.
There was a long silence. He heard her move, heard a suppressed cry and
glanced toward her again. She was darting from the room. A second later her
door crashed. He started up and after her, hesitated, returned to his
book--but not to his reading.
Toward noon the next day, he passed her room on his way out. The door was
wide open; none of her belongings was in sight; the maid was sweeping
energetically. She paused when she saw him.
"Miss Alice left this morning," she said, "and the room's been let to
another party."
VI.
IN A BOHEMIAN QUICKSAND.
Howard could have got her new address; and for many weeks habit, at first
steadily, afterward intermittently, teased him to look her up. He was
amazed at her hold upon him. At times the longing for her was so intense
that he almost suspected himself of being in love with her.
"I escaped from that none too soon," he congratulated himself. "It wasn't
nearly so one-sided as I thought."
He had never been gregarious. Thus far he had not had a single intimate
friend, man or woman. He knew many people and knew them well. They liked
him and some of them sought his friendship. These were often puzzled
because it was easy to get acquainted with him, impossible to know him
intimately.
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