Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-04


| it's because I'm SO Confoundedly IN love
with you that can't stand IT,
| She got her hand away and retreated 10
the door. a shudder Of disgust running ing
| through her. To be In his power was gall
| ing enough. without his lovemaking, YET
she dared not altogether dismiss It she
| tried instead to smile and pass 1t Off easily
| but did not breathe freely until she hao
shut the door behind her and run upstairs
| to her room Even there she specialized on
| the possibilities of his lingering IN inc IL
| brary TO fall into Frances Fennels hands,
| and il was not until she glanced from the
| window and saw him going down the ave-
nue. that she felt any permanent relief.
| The morning had tried her endurance TO
| the limit. coming as Il did after the emo
| ton OF her interview with Portucarrero In
! the afternoon and an evening spent IN
! wearlsone efforts to keep back the deciara-
/ ton that seemed to be always trembling on
! Something's lips AS she put on the fur
| coat and toque which Mrs. Whiting had
! given her for motoring, she glanced IN me
/ mirror and saw shadows under her eyes
nd lines about her lips which alarmed her
The excitement of the gay life she was
! leading with the strain of these continued
! risks was telling on her at last. and she
| began to show that she was nearer thirty
| than twenty. 1t Is detestable to think Of
! growing old when you are young and beau
! tiful, and Mary was no more OF a philoso-
/ pheC IN this respect than others OF her sex.
! and she took longer than usual to arrange
| her beautiful hair and the furs about her
white throat. After all. elegances of at
| tire go a long way toward Disgusting
| tagged look and the incipient suggestion
that the milestones of life are slipping past.
Without lingering for a longer reflection
| on the distressing problems which assailed
| her on every hand, Mary ran swiftly down.
| stairs and was in time to sse Molly Lane
! seated In her small electric automobile,
! waving a farewell to Jim Fennel, who had
/ evidently just vacated the seat at her Side.
! Jim's attentions to the heiress were well
| known everywhere except at the Lanes for
| on OpNnilAEs
| and he avoided attracting her attention to
| his love-making. and was given to pursuing
! Molly on the side streets and at balls and
/ dances, where Mrs. Lane, wearled by much
social dissipation, relegated her chaper-
| onage to some more careless matron, usu-
| ally Mrs. Jerome, who was too busy with
her own affairs to heed Molly and Jim in
! the corner.
| As Mary got up beside her now and
Molly started the auto whirling along the
! snowy streets. the older girl made laugh
! ing reference 10 Jim's fragrant devotion.
| oh, Jims nice enough" confessed Molly
| ingenuously: sometimes I really want to
| fail in love with him. he's 50 pink and
adaptable and kind. not bit like Frances.
but he isn't strong minded enough. l want
| d good solid, determined man. on whose
! coat-tails l can hang with the happy as
surance OF being pulled safely over the
| shoals"
But determined men sometimes un-
| pleasant at home.' laughed Mary; he
! might even be determined with you. and
fancy you'd want your way with your hus-
| band"
ITO be sure" replied Molly calmly. but
there aro-ways! I'd rather have him Sc
we're. though, than Indifferent. I'd Just kill
! a man who treated me Fred ChAe ec
treats Harriet. She might be an old snce
! for all the notice he tc,kes of her.
| Mary remembered her evening at the
| White House with a conscience trtosAE
| pang: the rush of events had almost Ef4f
it out of her mental horizon but Molty's
| words recalled 1t. Harriet is so cEArlsprg
and so spirited that l cannot und-vS-nd
her quiet acquiescence," she observed
| softly.
"Oh. Harriet doesn't think of anybody
| but that boy; she'd be torn by wild horses
for him. She'll never get divorce ard
have him provided for n court. It isn't
the same thing as being the old st ZOE
while his mother IS stu Mrs. Cheever. You
know those Cheayers are all aWfully San
nish and proud of the name, ard they'd
fight her. even II she is Il Van Brush.
divorced woman hasn't any position Really,
unless she has a thoroughly loud =cande1
attached to her and lots Of money. Har-
riet knows that; she's awfi!iiy clever about
social matters. Oh. she'll never do any
thing to put Archie in the shade-never."
Time will remove Madame syrene; re-
fiected Mary; happily ambassadors do not
stay forever at one post
Molly laughed a hard little laugh. 'oh,
yes" she agreed. It'll remove Madame S
! and bring Madame T and Madame T."
Mary said nothing. instead she blushed
painfully
Molly watched her with wide. bright eyes.
Il never saw a girl so sensitive about
| scandal she observed. and you're not a
! novice; you've seen more of the world than
l have Why. you're blushing,"
Il thought l had almost forgotten the
| art" Mary said quietly: 'one should here"
Cheever Is" said Molly. but isn't he hand
some? l used to think him Ideal"
Hes too coarse said Mary cold!y.
Molly laughed. You like men like Ry
/ ye oh, ,,<ri,,
There was a time when people said he
| loved his cousin TOO well TO look at an
| other woman, but somehow Harriet put
that down. Don't you admire Harriet? 1
do. She has that way with her. she puts
| things down and walks over them. But
she hasn't been able to put Madame Syrene
down yet. mores the pity. Sometimes
think she's going to. and 1 stand on tip
| toes to see the fun. and then it all dwln-
dies down and peters out, like spoiled
rocket"
Molly paused moment for breath as she
pioted the machine around crowded cor
ner. sitting erect and stylishly pretty, her
bright eyes rowing in every direction, and
changing her bell as she Steered through
some narrow places between carriages and
automobiles and electric cars. Mary drew
a sigh of relief at the brief respite; Molly
had put her finger on some tender places,
and the picture she had drawn of Ryland
and Harriet was not wholly out Of accord
with Mary's own remembrance of his anger
at Col. Foxboro's laundering inquiry for
Cheever at Harriets reception. The
thought was peculiarly unpleasant. and
Mary looked out over the crowd with I'M
seeing eyes. But Molly's vision was clear.
There's Christine Jerome in Portucar-
rero's motor car" she announced; she's
trying to firt with the sphinx; only imagine
| It, Mary. Yet they say he can make love
with all the subtle refinements of a RiZzo.
By the way. they do say don't believe 1t
but they say that Capt. Jerome is cutting
Cheever out with Madame Syrene; but,
dear me. Jerome can't give her diamonds.
Mary had meanwhile spoken to Portu-
carrero and Mrs. Jerome the ambas
sadors motor car. with his servants in
/ their foreign iivertes, passed them. The
! s!9ht OF his face increased her depression;
| she began to regret the trip and Mollys
| endless chatter Il can't imagine Mrs.
| Jerome submitting she said quietly, ''and
| there Is no Archie in this case"
| NO, admitted Molly. with her usual I'm
spar!nS frankness. but it's pot and kettle:
| you know Christine Is high. I've heard
mamma say that Capt. Jerome came near
divorcing her SIX years or more ago You
| wouldn't think she was forty would vou7
1 She messages the crow sfeet out and she
! does blend very nicely. Now that old
| Widow Palkly, who IS trying TO look young,
paints badly that it all gets In streaks
4