The Washington herald., 1908-05-18
CHAPTER VIII.


Lady Donoyle and her daughter were
having tea together. They were both
fighting that feeling Of fatness which
pervades rooms the day after a dance,
or any other great gathering of people.
The dim echoes of many personalities,
the reek of fading thoughts. hung about
the curtains like stale tobacco smoke.
Il wish some one one liked would come
in. observed Kitty. looking mournfully
at the generous provision of teacups
and rakes.
Yes, or some one one hated, answered
Lady Donoyle YEARLY. But even ones
enemies fight shy of one the day after
dance. and who can blame them? The
servants. pink-eyed and drowsy. and all
Williams? TO a footman, who entered
with a cardboard box.
From the florists, your ladyship"
'Tae bin for last nights flowers 1 sup
pose, murmured Kitty
You may put it down on that chair.
William said Lady Doneyle
DO open il, Kitty" said her mother.
when the fOotman had left the room.
~ etAA &c II - ADA guH nave YOU no
enthusiasms? They are part Of a girls
outfit her first season, and should be
worn during her second, except at very
youthful parties"
oh mamma, do look at themr said
Kitty. excitedly. holding up sprays Of
wonderful mauve flowers Aren't they
exquisite? / did not know such rare
orchids were ever seen outside OF eollec-
tors treasuriesr'
Very seldom. I imagine" replied her
mother. feeling about the box for the
card. 4 thought so! 'Standish Van
draken, MillionaiTes' Club. New York
The Cosmopolis.' Poor deari He seems
20 have no home-only clubs" She read
on the other side of the card, May I
pay my party call this day week."
How nice and informal of him." said
Kitty. And how thoughtful to send
flowers exactly at the right moment
der mother had hitherto refrained from
mentioning the millionaire Yes. isn't
it?' she answered. American men are
charming in that way. You rather liked
him, didn't you, Kitty?"
Il found him delightful, mamma. So
amusing, so responsive-such a nice
slangy. expressive way of speaking; and
he didn't take himself a bit seriously, like
most rich young men,"
That's because he has fifty millions
If he had only one Still. I don't know.
He is an American. AS a nation. they
take nothing seriously except themselves;
as individuals. they take everything seri-
ously except themselves and the person
they are talking to. So perhaps even
gllded youth is light-hearted there. I
am so glad you liked him, Kitty"
When / was talking to him 1 had
curious feeling about him"-Kitty looked
down into one of the orchids, and then
at the back OF it-"as though he was a
picture painted in profile, and that If I
could get round and see the back of
the picture. the other side would be paint
ed, too. but quite differently"
No, no. Lady Donoyle laid an inplor-
ing hand on her daughters arm Don't
get into the habit of looking at the backs
OF pictures, Kitty. They are usually
dusty, and hung with cobwebs-particu-
larly mems portraits Keep your eyes
on the nice. fresh paint and the gilded
frames-particularly the gilded frames.
You are talking generalities. mamma:
but there was something special about
Mr.. Vandraken, as though. II I could
only get behind I would find a little
devil hard at work pamUIng a earicature
of the side that was turned to me. and
that l could frighten the little devil
away"
Dear Kitty" remarked her mother,
affectionately, pouring herself out some
tea, how well you put things! Yes,