Middletown transcript., 1915-12-25

seeing there amid the CONNECTIONS, the |
laughing, swirling skaters in Mrs.
Matson's glistening ballroom. There
were some who would not be at that
ball-Allison, and Rev. Smith Boyd,
and-Arlene has plenty of time to
write her formally dutiful letter with
out disturbance.
Gail has letters, too, as the days |
wear on. She scarcely has time for |
them amid all the impromptu gayeties. |
but she does find a chance to read |
them; some of them twice. II she'd |
only come back. That was the tenor |
Of all her letters; If she'd only come |
backi Bless their hearts, she loved |
them; and yes, she longed for them,
even here in the happy, sheltering en-
vironment Of her own dear home and
friends! There were still other let
ters; confidently friendly one from
Allison, who sent her regularly candy
and flowers on alternate days; a
substantial one from Houston Van
Ploon; a thoughtful one from Willis
Cunningham; fiorid one from Dick
Rodley; nice little notes, calculated to
relieve her embarrassment, from all
her Slaves" except the missing count,
and discussion from the Rev. Smith
Boyd. That was one of those which
she read more than once; for 1t was
quite worth it.
There was an impromptu party at
Calls house. jolly affair, indeed. All
her old steadfast friends, you know,
who were quite sufficient to fill her
life; and this was the night of the
gay little Mrs. Rabbits affair in New
York. How much better than those
great, glittering social pageants was a
simple, wholesome little ball like this
with all her dear girl chums, In their
pretty little Paris model frocks, and
all the boys, in their shiny white
fronts. No one had changed and she
quite felt, except for the presence of
Arly, that she had fallen back into her
old familiar life. Why, 1t seemed as
If she had been home for ages and
ages!
At the end of the Sargent ballroom.
where Calls sedate but hospitable
mother always sat until the Home,
Sweet Home" dance was ended, were
the same dear, familiar palms, which
Marty the florist, always sent to ev-
erybody's Mouse to augment the home
collection. The gorgeous big one had
a leaf gone, but it was sprouting two
others.
Tremendously gay affair. Every
body was delighted, and said SO; and
they laughed and danced and strolled
and ate ices, and said jolly nothings,
and knew, justif1ably, that they were
nice AID clever and happy young
people, and Arly Fosland, with any
number Of young men wondering how
old her husband was, danced consci-
entiously, and smiled Immediately
when anyone looked at her. Gail also
was dancing conscientiously, and hav-
ing a perfectly happy evening. At
about this hour there would be some
thing near four hundred people in the
ballroom and the drawing rooms and
the conservatory of Mrs. Babbitt's.
She was whirling near the balcony
windows with tall young friend who
breathed, when there was an exclama-
tion from group of girls at the win
dow. Vivian Jennings turned. She
was girl with the sort Of eyes which,
in one sweep. can find the only four
leafed clover in a 40-foot field.
Call" she cried, almost dancing.
Gail! Do come and see it'll"
Gail did not desert her partner; she
| oto rod - ..,a- A..
with one hand trailing behind her as
an indication to follow, and immedi-
ately, without looking around, she
called:
"Arly! Where's Arly?"
What she saw was this. A rich.
brown limousine, in which the dome
light was brightly burning, had drawn
up to the steps. Inside, among the
rich brown cushions and hangings.
and pausing to light leisurely ciga-
rette, sat the most wlckedly handsome
man in the world! He was black
haired and black-mustached and black
goateed, and had large. lustrous, melt
ing black eyes, while on his oval
cheek was the ruddy bloom Of health.
Every girl in the window sighed, as,
with a movement which was grace in
every changing line, he stepped out
of the brilliantly lighted limousine,
and came slowly up the steps, tall,
slender, magnificent, in his shining
silk hat and his flowing Inverness,
and his white tie, and his plated shirt
front-oh, everything; correct to the
last detail, except for the trifipg