The Washington herald., 1917-07-16

The tiny round box held a cake
of vermiliOn red. With bit of alb
sorbent cotton and a guilty thrill,
Helen nervously- applied the natural
bloom" which, according to the box
lid, 'defied detection"
Rouge high: somewhere she had
heard that admonitioh. So now she
touched the REDEEMED cotton well up
under her eyes, then carefully toned
1t down with powder.
1t was her aEst ofrense-the first
time she had ever used rouge. II
Warren should detect 1t! She had
heard his scathing denunciatiOn of
'painted-up' women. But he rarely
troubled to look at her closely. His
unobserving indifference. of which
she so Otter complained, now gave
her a feeling of security.
"Half-past" called Warren from
the library. What time does that
pow-wow begin"
"Oh, we needn't start before nine" 8"
holding the hand-mirror under the
light for a closer scrutiny. The be-
coming flush was defyingly naturaI
|. They were going to the WaIcotts'
musical-a form of entertainment that
bored Warren to extinction. But
Helen had insisted that they could
not again decline without offending
Mrs. Walcott, who had a mania for
giving literary" and musical" even
inGs.
She had attracted a circle of pose
urs" and near artists" all self-ad-
vertisers, who were ever eager TO
furnish the program. Tonight it was
to be a Musical Reading by Miss
Irene Benton, assisted at the piano
by Mr.. Elmer Phillips
Now for Heavens sake don't stay
late. Cut 1t short as you can"
growled Warren as their taxi drew
up before the Walcotts' residence.
"A small dose of this sort of thing
is all can stand
In Mrs. Walcott's guest room, Helen
gave her wraps to the attending maid
and turned with nervous apprehen-
sion to the mirror. Unused to rouge.
she felt famingly conspicuous. but
her reflection was again reassuring.
The various cosmetics, rouge, lip
stick, and eyebrow pencil. on Mrs.
Walcott's dressing table added to her
confidence. Everyone used these ac-
cessories in the evening. 1t was
prudishly old-fa ashioned to have any
scruples about them. Every woman
had a right to make herself attrac-
tive.
Yet it was with selr-conscious te-
merity that she passed downstairs
to join Warren. Sne was thankful
for the shaded lights. Mrs. Walcott
was much too clever to subject her
own complexion to an unsoftened
glare.
A white-gloved attendant ushered
them into the drawing room, where
a swarthy foreigner was believing an
impassioned ballad-the words wholly
unintelligible.
In the interim that followed, Mrs
Walcott came forward to greet them,
and introduced a confusing number
OF people.
"Oh, Lucille witherby, the poetess.
Is herel 'I DO want you to meet her
You know her poems of course-every-
body's raving about them"
Though Helen had never heard of
Lucille Witherby. she murmured a
responsive "Oh, yes" with a reprov-
ing glance at Warren's stolid but hon.
est silence.
The next moment they were being
presented to Miss Witherby. a young
woman of the most pronounced ar
tistic" type-thin, sallow. uncorseted.
in a curious greenish gown draped
on Grecian lines.
Mrs. Curtis Is so interested In your
verse;" gushed Mrs. Walcott.
"Oh, yes, it is most appealing" ="
foundered Helen, wondering desper-
ately IL appealing were the right
word.
Did you read my love sonnets IN
the New Sphere last October?"
THE New Sphere?" Helen was ig-
norant of even the existence Of such
a publication. but she was spared the
isnominy of this admission, for Miss
Witherby, eager to talk about her
self, rippled on.
Miss Benton Is to read them this
evening-Mr. Phillips has arranged
an accompa niment They are so color
ful-they seem peculiarly adapted to
musical setting" Then impress
sively, I'm just bringing out little
volume Of verse. privately printed
We are limiting the edition to two
hundred
How very interesting" murmured
Helen. not grasping that this was
hint for her to subscribe for a copy.
IL