At sight of her Smith-Oldwick halted, momentarily expecting that
his presence would elicit screams for help from her. On the contrary
she came toward him smiling, and when she was close her slender,
shapely fingers touched the sleeve of his torn blouse as a curious
child might handle a new toy, and still with the same smile she
examined him from head to foot, taking in, in childish wonderment,
every detail of his apparel.
Presently she spoke to him in a soft, well-modulated voice which
contrasted sharply with her facial appearance. The voice and the
girlish figure harmonized perfectly and seemed to belong to each
other, while the head and face were those of another creature.
Smith-Oldwick could understand no word of what she said, but
nevertheless he spoke to her in his own cultured tone, the effect
of which upon her was evidently most gratifying, for before he
realized her intentions or could prevent her she had thrown both
arms about his neck and was kissing him with the utmost abandon.
The man tried to free himself from her rather surprising attentions,
but she only clung more tightly to him, and suddenly, as he recalled
that he had always heard that one must humor the mentally deficient,
and at the same time seeing in her a possible agency of escape, he
dosed his eyes and returned her embraces.
It was at this juncture that the door opened and a man entered.
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