Evening star., 1907-08-24
TX.
The Reception.

Faces lie even more than words. If they
were given us to exhibit emotions as words
to express thoughts, they have gone quite
as far astray from this original intention.
To shirt waist from fig leaf is not farther
than TO the face masking present from
those primal days when men barked up
roar!ously their loves and hates, and with
facial contortions wrote the history Of their
changing sentiments. Let US rejoice that
this is so. Were it otherwise who could
stand complacently before his fellow men?
The ability to make the face say what
the mind contradicts enabled me to live
through, and even to enjoy to a degree, the
hours Immediately following my determine
tion to play to the end my comedy Of lies
for the benefit of Mrs. Randolph's finances
In this comedy 1 foresaw Courtney Lane
enacting the role Of villain with a big v,
and myself the hero.
Yet l do think my intentions were gen.
timely heroic, and I insist here On being
credited to that extent. For 1 thought to
immediate my love on the altar of service
He who can so resolve, II no more, 1s 1t
seems to me. as worthy Of praise as that
overlauded individual who in the hot and
bloody excitement Of battle rushes with
bayoneted rifle up to the snarling lips of
smoke -wreathed cannon. There are other
ways of committing suicide. and the mo-
tives may be quite fine I knew / could
not live II now lost Mrs Randolph.
She had f1owered forth like a new-made
vanities of dress. Hourly, while 1 was try
ing TO plan my battle lines and making be-
lieve that in strategy / was an Oyama-
Togo, she came to me to exhibit some
"creation,' with a distracting rustling and
| trailing Of skirts asking my opinion Of
the pretty things, just as If l were a
Partisan man n-mlliner.
Whatever she wore she was the loveliest
woman under the sun. and many times
was tempted into telling her so, when she
walked around and before me with such
saucy and happy piquancy. begging me
| with her sapphire eyes to admire her. After
each yielding l had to lash myself anew
with the cactus thongs, which gave me a
| novel view Of the medieval conscience ad-
ministering self-punishment and then
hurrying gayly to sin again.
Julian" she said with sly witchery in
one of these delightful moments, Il feel
| just as If l We're girl again, in the salad
days of our courtship. You were too timd
| for anything, and l just adored your
shrinking timidity and wouldn't have had
| you otherwise for the world. Now look at
mel (She shook her finger at me saucily
as If 1 were a Boston terrier that she was
| trying to teach tricks) Don't you think
| this dress the most becoming of allT'
ut is,' / admitted. The one you are
| wearing is always the prettiest of ALL"
Where did You learn that fiattery? But
you always were fiatterer. l think you
were born In Ireland, close by the Barney
stone. l wonder you haven't brogue.
Now I'll show you what I'm to wear at the
reception
She tripped away, laughing back at me
| from the doorway, where she made pretty
picture. And then she ran daintily through
| the connecting room into her own apart
ments, where her maid awaited her.
When she returned l gasped' at her love-
| illness. She was in evening dress Of pure
white. relieved only by red rose. Her
shoulders and arms were matchless, her
slender figure willowy with grace her shin
| ing brown hair done in bewilderng coil,
which my masculine pencil refuses to at
| tempt to describe. could not restrain my
| pride in her and my rapture.
You are simply divine!" / CRIED with the
enthusiasm of high emotion.
DO you like it?"
She turned slowly round and round that
| Like 1t? You are adorable"
why don't you say the rest?'
THE rest?"
| Use my name, / mean. Why don't you
| say. You are adorable, Kittyr That is. If
| you think so.''
| Il do think So"
"'Kitty,'" she added.
| kitty Randolph, you are the loveliest
| the most beautiful woman ever saw
| She Redeemed like a debutante, for she
| saw that meant 1t.
| Miss Hansborough rendered Mrs Ran
| dolph valuable assistance in all this. The
nut-brown maid had not only "a flashing
| eye to love-" but simply practical mind.
| Her pulse was rhythmically cool. I was
| sure she played golf with precision and
| lack of bubbling ineficiency, even before /
was told so. Such q woman would be sure
| to tee her golf ball and drive II with calm
| ness Of nerve and charity of vision
Sister mine" she would say, speaking