The Washington herald., 1918-12-19
THE LOVE AFFAIR OF A HOMELY GIRL
By JEAN LOUISE DE FOREST.

neatly folded Iaces. dainty embroid-
cries. and many sachets. She selected
a roll of yellow ribbon-pale. reddish
yellow, just the shade to tone in well
with red hair-and measured of
length for her waist, enough to hang
down in long ends. No one but her
self had ever had so much as a peep
into that drawer. II contained a col
lection Of all the dainty accessories
which she would have liked to wear
had she dared. How Rebeccs loved to
purchase them, How she dreamed Of
being able to wear them Usually.
when Christmas came, or birthdays
rolled around, she disposed OF such
as could be utilized as gifts, unless. as
was the case with the present con-
tents OF the drawer. she loved them
too much to part with them.
From the shelf OF her closet she Sc
Iected a white hat made Of lacy braid.
shaped like an inverted fluted shell.
IL was surmounted by loosely falling
bunch OF yellow roses.
That goes with golden hair" she
whispered whimsically to herself. I'll
tuck a tea rose from the garden in
my hair. and then I will be a sym
phony in gold" As she made the OBJ
servation she chuckled al the humor
OF It. though ChuCklinE WAS no; in
strict keeping with what until now
had seemed TO be her character.
She had forgiven Maud.
The night before she had swept into
the library where the blind man sat
with her mother awaiting dinner. and
had said in a new voice and new in
Election:
How disgraCefully early every one
is, I am afraid that have done all
the prinking for the family"
She had heard Maud say that once.
as she floated down the stairs looking
a dream in white satin. and half an
hour late for a dinner party.
What have you on Martin had
asked gently. Let me enjoy it too"
Guess" she had returned. What
is your favorite COLOR"
Pink" he had answered promptly,
as Rebecca had thought that he would.
Yes" she had replied 1T is pink
gauze over the thinnest Of pink silk
satiny shining silk II is cut Just a
little low. and around the edge runs
a spray OF point lace. The front clear
down to the bottom OF the skirt is
embroidered with pink roses. Can you
see it7''
"Yes-yes Go on, Are the arms
bare"
Rebecca had looked shamelessly at
her dispay OF freckled thinness.
Bare TO the elbow" she had made
answer.
And the hair7''
Maud has told you about that"
Gold. red goId?"
Rebecca had remained silent at this.
but Mrs. NHnderpool, when she had
recovered from her stupefaction at
her daughters strange and becomiuS
mood. had made answer equIvocally.
How did you know
And the eyes-are they brown
pursued Martin eagerly; to which Re
becca, now thoroughly aroused by the
delight evident in the blind mans
face. had replied with meudacious
candor:
Some one must have told you"
Extraordinary" The questioner
had settled back into his chair as
though he had reached the end Of
some quest
At dinner Rebecca had been as one
transformed. An inner radiance shone
from behind her sallow. thin face and
glowed in her eyes. II was due partly
H..
for she found herself embarked upon
an enterprise from which there could
be no turning back
Once in a while it is pleasant to
indulge in forbidden pleasures. pro-
vided only they have been forced upon
us by circumstances. So might a small
boy feel, dragged by some bigger bov
to the circus against his mothers
comma nds. A very good boy could
not be blamed il. such being the case,
he applsuded the bareback riders, and
lost his head a bit when the lady was
shot out OF the cannon, and fingered
around the "erfunts' and chalky-
faced clowns Thus it was with Re-
beccs, who had been whirIed away en-
tirely without her consent, while old
Dame Truth shook her finger at her
from a rapidly increasing distance.
As dinner had progressed Martin hac
lived up TO all that his friends had
claimed for him.
He had the most delightfully."- imper-
sonal way of sharing his experiences.
Somehow one did not gain the i'm
preston that they had happened TO
him at all. 1t was more. as though
he were reading aloud from an un-
usually fascinating book.
And Reeecca had responded readily.
The pretty conversational tricks Of
score or more OF beautiful women
had flocked to her at her call Now
she experimental with a speech made
by this one FIVE years ago at a din
ner, during which she. Rebecca, had
sat. ugly and still and frightened; and
now with a plessantry which shsd