Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-17
P 1.
VickY Van.

Vicky Van.
Victoria Van Allen was the name
she signed to her letters and to her
CHEQUES, but vicky Van, as her
friends called her, was signed all over
her captivating personality, from the
top Of her dainty, tossing head to the
tips of her dainty, dancing feet.
l liked her from the first, and II
her small and earlies" were said to
be so called because they were timed
by the small and early numerals on
the clock dial. and if her ''little"
bridge games kept in active circula-
ton a goodly share of our country's
legal tender, those things are not
I lived in one Of the polite sections
Of New York. City. up among the
East Sixties. and at the insistence of
my sister and aunt, who lived with
me, our home was near enough the
great boulevard to be designated by
that enviable phrase, "Just off Fifth
Avenue" We were on the north side
OF the street, and, nearer to the Ave-
nue., on the south side, was the home
Of Vicky Van.
Before I knew the girl, I saw her a
rev times, at long intervals, on the
steps Of her house, or entering her
little car, and hafr-consciously I noteo
her charm and her evident zest of
life.
Later, when a club friend offered to
take me there to call, I accepted
gladly. and as I have said, I liked her
from the first.
And yet, I never said much about
her to my sister. l am, in a way, re-
sponsible for Winnie, and too, she's
too young to go where they play
Bridge for money. Little faddly prize
bags or g%ift-shop novelties are her
stakes.
Also. Aunt Lucy, who helps me
stand the atmosphere at Vicky's. Not
exactly Bohemian-and yet, I suppose
it did represent one compartment of
that handy-box Of a term. But I'm
going to tell you right now, about a
party I went to there, M you can
see for yourself what Vicky Van was,
like.
How late you're going out" said
Winnie. as I slithered into my top
coat. It's after eleven"
Little girls mustn't make COM
ments on big brothers." I smiled back
at her. Win was nineteen and 1 had
attained the mature age Of twenty
seven. We were orphans and
spinster Aunt Lucy did her best to be
a parent to US: and we got on
smoothly enough, for M Of us had
the temperament that rouses friction
in the home.
across the s%treet?" Aunt Lucy
guessed, raising her ~aristocratic eye,
brows a hairs breadth.
Yes" returned. the least bit ir-
ritated at the implication of that
hairbreadth raise. "steele will be
over there and 1 want to see him"
This time the said eyebrows. went
up frankly in amusement, and the
kind blue eyes beamed as she said,
All right, Chef, run along"
Though I was Chester Calhoun, the
junior partner of the law firm of
Bradbury and Calhoun and held my
self in due and consequent respect, I
didn't mind Aunt Lucy's calling me
Ghet, or even. a. she sometimes did,
Chiefly. A man puts up with those
things from the women of his house,
hold. AS to Winnie. she called me
anything that came handy, from Lord
Chosterton to Chessy-Cat.
patted Aunt Lucy on her soft old
shoulder and Winnie on her hard
young head, and vas off.
True, l did expect to see Steele at
Vicky Nan's-he was the club chap
who had introduced me there-but
as Aunt Lucy had so cleverly suspect
ed. he was not my sole reason for 60
ing. A bigger aso was that I al
ways nae a good time there, the sort
Of a good time I liked. =
I crossed the street diagonally, in
defiance of much good advice I have
heard and read against such a pro-
ceeding. But at eleven O'Clock at
night the traffic in those upper side
streets is not sufficient to endanger
1ifa nr 1iYnh and T raoohoS fNic1-v
Vans house in safety.
1t was a very small house. and it
the one neares to the Fifth Ave-
nue. corner. though the long side of
the first house on hat block Of the
Avenue lay between.
The windows on each floor were
brilliantly lighted. and I mounted the
long fight OF stone steps sure of a
merry welcome and a jolly time.
I was admitted by a maid whom I
already knew well enough to say
Evening, julie as I passed her, and
in another moment, I was in the long.
narrow living-room and was q part Of
the gay group there.
Angel, child" exclaimed vicky
Van herself, dancing toward me, did
he come to see his little ole friend?"
and laying her two hands in mine for
instant. she considered me sum-
CleHLly WeiCONleu, diu QdllCcu OAL
again. She was a will O. the wisp.
always tantalizing a man with a hope
of special attention, and then flying
away to another guest, only to treat
him in the same way.
1 looked after her, a slim, graceful
thing. vibrant with the joy Of living.
smiling in sheer gayety of heart, and
pretty as a, picture.
Her black hair was arranged In h
style, that covered her ears
with soft loops and exposed the shape
of her trim little head. 1t was band
ed with a jeweled ,fllet, or whatever
they call those Oriental things they
wear, and her big Eyes with their
long, dark lashes, her pink cheeks
and curved scarlet lips seemed to say,
world owes me a flying and I'm
going to collect"
Not as a matter of financial obliga-
ton. be it understood.
Vicky Van had money enough and
though nothing about her home was
or over ornate, 1t was
quietly and in the best of taste lux
urious.
hut I was describing vicky herself.
Her gown, the skirt part of 1t, was a
Of may maize-colored thin stuff,
short and rather full, that
swirled as she moved, and fiuttered
when she danced. The bodice part,
.of heavily. ,gold-spangled ma
and a kind of overskirt ar
rangement was q lot Of long gold
fringe made of beads. Instead of q
woke there were shoulder strans NJ