Arning if she ’ d ever been in Idaho.
“Why would I go there?” she asked with unvarnished curiosity.
He tried to think of a reason. “It ’ s a beautiful country. ”
“I ’ ve been to Cal Tech. And Los Alamos.”
“Where ’ s your home?”
“Here in St. Louis.”
“You grew up here?”
“Oh, no. But I live where I work ... ”
He didn ’ t do any better with a discussion of tastes. And when he didn ’ t talk at all, she accepted the silence calmly. She ate her dinner with far more interest than she expended upon him and his conversation.
He looked at her curiously. She was wearing a dress of dark blue silk which gave her figure a chance; a heavy gold necklace called attention to her white throat, little ear-bobs accented her cheeks, and brought out the blue in her shadowed eyes. It was the sort of costume selected by a girl with pride in her feminine beauty.
But this girl betrayed no attitudes or desires that were at all familiar to him—she might have sprung from one of her own test tubes.
He took her back to her lab, which was where she said she wanted to go, opened the glass door for her and returned to his car, sure that he detested her. She was just about as seductive as a cotton-stuffed test tube—and far less interesting.
Within the first week, Phil had moved from the downtown hotel to one near the Group. His apartment was small, just a pleasant sitting room with the bed letting down from the paneled wall. There was a fireplace with gas logs which glowed red, a good sized bathroom which provided an ironing board and iron, and a tiny cupboard kitchenette with a refrigerator. It was comfortable, though not especially cheap, that handicap being balanced by its nearness to the center. The hotel provided maid service and garage space for his car, a dining room where he could eat or entertain friends if he chose.
He wasn ’ t in the place too much, and he ’ d been living there for over a month when, one rainy evening, he literally bumped into Page Arning who came hurrying into the lobby, a Coat hood shadowing her face.
“What on earth are you doing here?” he asked, steadying her after the encounter.
She moved away from his touch, and did not smile when he shook his hand and said, “Sorry ! ”
“I could better ask what you are doing,” she said briskly. “After all, I happen to live here.”
A smile split his face. “You do? Why, that ’ s wonderful!”
“Why?”
He was getting a little used to her scientific way of asking questions in order to get an answer—and for no other reason. “Well, because I live here, too. And it ’ s going to be pretty cozy ...”
“Dr. Scoles!” She drew herself erect, and shrugged her head clear of the hood, the better to glare at him. “I ’ ve endeavored to be kind to you—”
Kind, she sez, thought Phil, watching her. A spot of color in either cheek was becoming to Page.
“I realize you Westerners count on more friendliness than ordinarily is available—but I must tell you that I resent your taking advantage of my—my—”
“Kindness.” Phil fed the word to her, his own cheeks darkening. Why, the dame was mad!
“Yes!” Page accepted the term. “I am not amused at your following me. I consider it unforgivable presumption.”
The shine in her eyes, the color—even when it was due to anger—was just what this ice-maiden needed to turn her pale loveliness into exciting beauty.
“Hey, hey,” said Phil softly. ‘ Take it easy, Doc ...”
“I do not like to be called ‘ Doc! ’ ”
He chuckled. “I reckon most folks know that, too,” he drawled. She ’ d called him a Westerner, and no compliment intended! He ’ d play the part to the hilt.
“I ’ m in a hurry; will you excuse me?” The color was gone, but her eyes still flashed sparks.
“I won ’ t detain you longer than it will take to point out that I hadn ’ t the slightest idea you lived in this joint. For all I knew, you holed-in at the lab. Of
“Why would I go there?” she asked with unvarnished curiosity.
He tried to think of a reason. “It ’ s a beautiful country. ”
“I ’ ve been to Cal Tech. And Los Alamos.”
“Where ’ s your home?”
“Here in St. Louis.”
“You grew up here?”
“Oh, no. But I live where I work ... ”
He didn ’ t do any better with a discussion of tastes. And when he didn ’ t talk at all, she accepted the silence calmly. She ate her dinner with far more interest than she expended upon him and his conversation.
He looked at her curiously. She was wearing a dress of dark blue silk which gave her figure a chance; a heavy gold necklace called attention to her white throat, little ear-bobs accented her cheeks, and brought out the blue in her shadowed eyes. It was the sort of costume selected by a girl with pride in her feminine beauty.
But this girl betrayed no attitudes or desires that were at all familiar to him—she might have sprung from one of her own test tubes.
He took her back to her lab, which was where she said she wanted to go, opened the glass door for her and returned to his car, sure that he detested her. She was just about as seductive as a cotton-stuffed test tube—and far less interesting.
Within the first week, Phil had moved from the downtown hotel to one near the Group. His apartment was small, just a pleasant sitting room with the bed letting down from the paneled wall. There was a fireplace with gas logs which glowed red, a good sized bathroom which provided an ironing board and iron, and a tiny cupboard kitchenette with a refrigerator. It was comfortable, though not especially cheap, that handicap being balanced by its nearness to the center. The hotel provided maid service and garage space for his car, a dining room where he could eat or entertain friends if he chose.
He wasn ’ t in the place too much, and he ’ d been living there for over a month when, one rainy evening, he literally bumped into Page Arning who came hurrying into the lobby, a Coat hood shadowing her face.
“What on earth are you doing here?” he asked, steadying her after the encounter.
She moved away from his touch, and did not smile when he shook his hand and said, “Sorry ! ”
“I could better ask what you are doing,” she said briskly. “After all, I happen to live here.”
A smile split his face. “You do? Why, that ’ s wonderful!”
“Why?”
He was getting a little used to her scientific way of asking questions in order to get an answer—and for no other reason. “Well, because I live here, too. And it ’ s going to be pretty cozy ...”
“Dr. Scoles!” She drew herself erect, and shrugged her head clear of the hood, the better to glare at him. “I ’ ve endeavored to be kind to you—”
Kind, she sez, thought Phil, watching her. A spot of color in either cheek was becoming to Page.
“I realize you Westerners count on more friendliness than ordinarily is available—but I must tell you that I resent your taking advantage of my—my—”
“Kindness.” Phil fed the word to her, his own cheeks darkening. Why, the dame was mad!
“Yes!” Page accepted the term. “I am not amused at your following me. I consider it unforgivable presumption.”
The shine in her eyes, the color—even when it was due to anger—was just what this ice-maiden needed to turn her pale loveliness into exciting beauty.
“Hey, hey,” said Phil softly. ‘ Take it easy, Doc ...”
“I do not like to be called ‘ Doc! ’ ”
He chuckled. “I reckon most folks know that, too,” he drawled. She ’ d called him a Westerner, and no compliment intended! He ’ d play the part to the hilt.
“I ’ m in a hurry; will you excuse me?” The color was gone, but her eyes still flashed sparks.
“I won ’ t detain you longer than it will take to point out that I hadn ’ t the slightest idea you lived in this joint. For all I knew, you holed-in at the lab. Of
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