For one instant Lynn stood against the closed door, flaming with anger,
her eyes flashing fire as they well knew how to flash at times. Then
suddenly her lips set close in a fine control the fire died out of her
eyes, she drew a deep breath, and a quick whimsical smile lighted up
her face, which nevertheless did not look in the least like one
subdued: "You know I could get very angry at that if I chose and we'd have all
kinds of a disagreeable time, but I think it would be a little
pleasanter for us both if you would cut that out, don't you?" She said
it in a cool little voice that sounded like one in entire command of
the situation, and Opal turned around and stared at her admiringly.
Then she laughed one of her wild silvery laughs that made them say she
had a lute-like voice, and sauntered over toward her hostess: "You certainly are a queer girl!" she commented, "I suppose it would be
better to be friends, inasmuch as we're to be roommates. Will you smoke
with me?" and out from the depths of a beaded affair that was a part of
her frock and yet looked more like a bag than a pocket, she drew forth
a gold cigarette case and held it out.
Marilyn controlled the growing contempt in her face and answered with
spirit: "No, I don't smoke. And you won't smoke either--not in here! I'm
sorry to seem inhospitable, but we don't do things like that around
here, and if you have to smoke you'll have to go out doors."
"Oh, really?" Opal arched her already permanently arched, plucked brows
and laughed again. "Well, you certainly have lots of pep. I believe I'm
going to like you. Let's sit down and you tell me about yourself?"
"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" hedged Marilyn
relaxing into a chair and leaving the deep leather one for her guest,
"I'm really a very simple affair, just a country girl very glad to get
home after four years at college. There's nothing complex and nothing
to tell I assure you."
"You're entirely too sophisticated for all that simplicity," declared
Opal, "I suppose it's college that has given you so much poise. But why
aren't you impressed with Laurie? Simply everybody is impressed
with Laurie! I don't believe you even know who he is!"
Lynn laughed: "How should I? And what difference would it make any way? As for being
impressed, he gave me the impression of a very badly spoiled boy out
trying to have his own way, and making a great fuss because he couldn't
get it."