Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-25

! more quickly that the winter l knew
Constance Larcher was the harshest,
everybody said that the New York
ers of our generation had ever
known. There seemed an Unsuitable NAL
ice in the sharp winds. persistent
cruelty in the thick. Icy atmosphere. Even
on the November day that first saw her
| / remember that a resistless chill was
creeping, like thing of shape and sim
lister purpose, upon the city! And l was
shivering miserably when I came In just
before dinner and ran up our two flights
of stairs. childishly yearning for the
warmth that awaited me at the top. Our
outer hall was rather dark, and l could
not see plainly the lady who happened
to be coming down from the floor above,
but knew that it must be Miss Larcher
We lived in an oldfashioned house COM
fortably remade into studios and apart
ments, whose easy-gOing tenants moved
out only when they married or died or. in
the case of the Neil Gillespies. who had
the big studio on the top floor, went
abroad. 1t was only a week before that
the Gillespies had sailed. the arrangement
having suddenly been made with this old
friend of theirs that she should take the
StuOlO curing their absence. XMTS. ClHcS-
pies flowing condolences had included,
somewhat to my distaste, a great many
points of Miss Larchers somber history;
and although the new tenant was her
friend said. very far from the type OF
woman one expects to find living in a
studio. Mrs. Gillespie had nevertheless
been sure that l should like her very
much.
So. as we stood there facing each other
in the dark, I ventured to speak to her.
IN tall 1,o,. <ha$ NJ fhVr10
and to say few welcoming things that
should still not seem overcordial, for l
had quickly caught that there was some
| thing peculiarly formal and elegant in
her unaggressive presence. and l did not
wish her to think me obtrusive or ia
miiar. She had only arrived, she said.
that afternoon, and had now left her
maid to unpack while she went out to
get some dinner: and she asked me,
rather casually. and by way of response
some good place to dine nearby, for she
had never lived so far downtown before.
and did not know about the restaurants.
"Oh, won't you come in and dine with
her, forgetting the formal manner / had
assigned myself. my husband will not
be at home, and it is SO desolate dining
alone
She accepted very readily. and was
therefore my guest before had really seen
her face; and it was not until l led her
into my own bedroom and helped her to
take off her wraps that / got complete
impression of her. She managed grace
fully her slender height. and it was not
until you looked her squarely in the face
that you realized that she was, as peo-
pie say. mo longer young: Mrs. Giles
pie. l remembered, had at least been
loyalty vague on the point of her friend S
there was a look. deep in her eyes. that
one does not like TO see. but she was
of the scrupulously worldly type that
never allows itself to go to pieces" eX-
teriorily, and her dark hair was so beau
tifully arranged. her smile SO charming
and the details of her quiet dress, to a
feminine perception. at least. SO ravish-
ing, that she could still pass for pretty
| woman. She, too. seemed cold, SO
gave her some sherry and had a fire
our little library. We both complacently
absorbed the warmth as we sat and
talked. and Miss Larcher inquired. lit
tie anxiously, whether she could have ~;
many open fires as she liked in her own
studio. In hurried, explanatory way
she added that she had been ordered
south for the winter. usual, and had
been on the point Of starting when she
heard of the Gillesries' plans and
changed her own. ] looked a little du-
bious at this. whereat she laughed and
said she believed that she had been SUI
perstltiOusly Obedient to medical pre-
scrlptiOn and was tired of it. At all
events she had spent year after year in
California, on the Riviera. in Sicily, until
she was bored to desperation and her
throat seemed no better. after all. SO
she had decided to spend one winter as
she pleased, seeing her old friends. hear
ing all the music that she wanted. and
ignoring, with dclirious imprude,ce, the
stupid matter of climate. The next day
she should have d piano moved in and
go to philharmonic in the evening.
She believed she should. be quite content
nothing for years had promised so richly
We had barely finished dinner when Sid
ney Fennell. whose rooms were opposite
ours. stopped in as usual. ii had become
his custom to have cigar with Dick be-
fore lie went out for the evening. or
when, as was now coming oftener TO be
the case, Dick was not at home, he
would stop long enough to tell me some
thing amusing or to play to me little
MY guests encounter seemed aingulariy
fortunate. for Sidney was still Young
enough to feel a devouring joy in any
one who genuinely understood music as
knew that Miss I.archer did and
guided their instant plunge into what was
FOR them the great topic. Sidney had
already composed some creditabIe things
and he brisfled with an artists divina-
tions; but he felt hampered. think. by
the narroWness of his experience, Miss
Larcher. on the other hand. in addition
10 fair amount of solid knowledge had
an easy familiarity with musical people
and performances the world over: there
seemed to be nothing. his eager aues-
tlonlng drew out. she had not seen and
heard. 1t was some time previous that
had abandoned the use of Sidney as a So
cial pawn, greatly his good looks and
good spirits and kind of Youthful radi-
ance tempted What is supposed To be I.
young matrons pr'Seminent ObSesSion.
The danger of inviting the obliging youth
TO meet the pretty girls of my ac-
quaintance had proved to be that the
pretty girls had liked him more than was
necessary, and that he. seemingly in
vulnerable. never thought of them again.
But these two were already on solder
basis. | had only to sit by. purringly.
and contemplate them. BY the time that
they both had to leave they We're in the
midst OF an amtable quarrel over Strauss;
so ] invited them TO come to dinner a
few nights later and have it out at their
leisure
Because we honestly liked each other
and had, each of us, many empty hours,
Miss I.archer and l fell shortly into an
unburdensomc intimacy. I had to tell
the truth, been wretchedly lonely before
she came because Dicks work. OF his
pleasure. | weakly preferred not to know
which, allowed him to be at home so lit
tie, d fact which | preferred that my
older friends should. SO far as possible
not suspect. 1t was different with Con-
stance Larcher; one could not mind her
knowing 1t was her exquisite way not
10 appear. by the least implication, TO see
or to know anything that / had not
specifically told her; and she was no less
ScrupulOuSly reticent about her own af-