Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-20
CHAPTER XXI.

| ing in the last details before tn,
closing Of the presses. Detectives
wandered among the guests, watch
ing the imported servants. In ;
corner of the struggling dining
room a knot of reporters, in domi
noes provided by steingall, copi
ously fed under the direction of til,
head caterer, passed the mighty il
review, detailing anecdotes from
their secret knowledge.
| Must be $l,000,000,0O0 worth oil
jewels here"
Nearer two"
"Say, Bill, get the name of the
foreign gink who came with the
Gunthers2 What is he, Portuguese
MRS; Reggie's gone. off badly this
season"
"Grub's all right"
"Who's the sporty girl in redo"
"Mrs. Tontee, divorced Jack Al
bright last winter-remember the
story down in Palm Beach,"
The speaker, short, baldish, old
young man left the group and bore
down on the lady in question.
"How do, Mrs. Tontee? Would
you mind giving me some details
about the costume you're wearing
tonight"
ooh, do you really want to write
something about mel" she said,
shaking hands cordially. "The dress
is nice, isn't it? It's genuine, too
worn by the Comtesse de Vrilly.
Came down in my husbands fam
lily"
(which husband" asked the ire
pressible spirit of the American
press.
"Well-say nothing about that"
said Mrs. Tontee, much amused. She
wasted no pretenses on the gentle
men of the fourth estate, knowing
them of old. 81 don't suppose you'd
want photographs, but if you do,
SandersoA & Sanderson have taken
some beautiful ones"
What's the foreign Teller with
the Gunthers" n
Mrs. Tontee gave the required in
formation sweetly, and volunteered
several bits of useful details.
Much obliged" said the reporter.
Anything you'd like mentioned?"
Moo. \ I'm giving rather im-
portant dinner. Call me up next
week, in the morning-there might
be something"
Irma Dellabarre passed on the
arm of Jap Laracy, in search Of her
husband. a little apprehensive.
Il think he's in the smoking
room"
Go and see, like a dear boy"
Laracy having located Rudolph, |
returned.
as he enjoying HIMSELF"
She's all right" said Laracy, who !
comprehended the question.
Anyhow" thought Irma, glanc-
ing round the dining room, what
ever happens, he won't be con
spicuous."
Say, Trina, I'll keep an eye on
him." said Laracy., Leave him to
me; I'll get him home at the right
time"
THANK you, Jap" said Irma, with
4 soft glance. "And now run along
and dance with some pretty girl"
Monte BrackRn and Amy passed |
her, entering the ballroom, so en-
crossed in each other that they did
not perceive her. There was a
light in Bracken's, eyes she knew
/ certain way. too, of holding his
read as though bending forward in
Difference. She knew
,he was no longer in love with him,
md yet the spectacle Of Ills awaken
ng interest in anther woman
her, bringing back disturb
ng memories. That this WOMAN
should be her close friend was par
icularly hard to bear. AT that mo-
nent, happening TO look up to the
little balcony, she saw Andrew For
ester gazing down. She thought
moment and then went up. So en-
crossed was he in his own mood
hat it was not until she touched
lis arm that he noticed her coming.
This is nice oftyou," he said
frightening up.
How does it feel to be the hus-
,and of a great beauty?"
He smiled grimly. A moment be-
ore, looking down on the fairy
he had been thinking
hat, in one night, he had thrown
nto the air what it had cost him to
i've two years as q bachelor.
Wonderful scene-exquisite in
very detaill" she said, looking
Iown. you've justified your mot
O."
Whats that?"
Hang the expenseP
"Oh-Id forgottenl" he said,
With a bitter smile.
Nov, as Kitty says, they'll have
chance to feel natural" she con-
inued, with gesture toward the
ancers, who were swinging into
he lively measures of an ultra-mod-
IN dance, imported from the pur-
eus of the Barbary Coast.
The evening, which had begun in
he decorum that had descended out
f the stately past, burst into the
lot of modern America.
Eyes; now they are more natural"
aid Irma, smiling. 1--WE are not so
IT removed from the Zulus, after
Il. are we? And listen to the
avagery of the music we dance to-"
he added, as at that moment the
rchestra burst into a tumble of ex-
iosive chords, accompanied by
very noise-provoking device of
lndshuf1ers, cowbells, clashing
ymbals and drum-pounding, which,
/ that time, was considered the
armony of sweet rhythms, Gould
ulu make night more hideous or
ance more grotesquely7 After all,
ere only a generation from the