The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-25
Epening Story
Decorating for David.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

! Wh0n OdVlQ came IN. one was not
and tired and the estimate for the
Flynne house at Great Neck must go
| out in the evening mail.
| Her smile of greeting was a bit
i wan, but held its degree of charm and
| invitation. Monica's business manner
| it was with extreme difficulty that the
mantle of reserve dropped from her
| shoulders sufficiently to permit her
to chat naturally with the strangers
who came into the office.
David Trevor seemed to fill the
| tiny office. His physical being was
| big, and second swift glance told
| Monica that his mentality promised
| the same broad proportion.
Il saw your sign, Interior Decorat-
ton on the door, he began, "and
have found the courage to plunge in.
1 have tried for a week to get suffi-
Icient pluck to come in"
| ''And what were you fearful of
| finding in this innocent-looking Of
fice?'' she inquired with a swift glance
| into his very blue eyes. Interior
decorators don't usually carry a stock
of dangerous things"
David Trevor did not voice the re-
| ply that came naturally to his lips.
! The same reply would have flung it
self into many masculine minds upon
| beholding the lure of Monica's eyes
| and the soft sweetness of her lips.
| Instead, Tevor laughed boyishly.
Il was afraid Of meeting with
bobbed hair and wild Batik-most
decorators go in for that sort of
thing. you know. However" he add
| ed, as if to make good the reason for
his visit, II want to find out if you
have time to furnish an apartment
for me. My wife is away in the
| mountains and will be back in-Sep-
tember. I rather wanted her to come
home to a wonderful new setting"
THAT would give me just August"
said Monica, but 1 think I can man
age nicely" She was all business now
and quite forgetful of self. David
Trevor found ample time to study her.
He smiled from time to time if
glad he had found the courage to enter
the office.
He found himself answering a few
simple questions as to the size of the
apartment, the amount he wanted 70
spend, what type of furniture he fan
, cied and an idea of color schemes.
His complete disaster when it came
to color combinations brought a smile
to, Monica's lips. He floundered hope
lessly.
well" she said. finally realizing his
utter helplessness regarding. interior
decorations. 81 will assemble a. few
cretonnes and color schemes for you
and if you like you can send them up
to your wife for approval
mo, no--this is all to be a great
surprise package for my wife. 1 want
her to come home in September to an
exquisite little home and I want you
to do the whole Business. I don't
mind looking at the cretonnes-you
would no doubt feel more satisfied if
1 approved of them
So it was that Monica began one of
her most artistic bits of work. Tre-
vor's office was just next door to her
own, and 1T was he who took her up
first time to see the apartment he had
LIeased.
They went up in Trevor's car and
Monica found the. studio apartment
just such a one as she dreamed of hav-
ing when her golden ship came into
harbor.g
There was a huge studio room that
would permit of most lovely color ef-
fects- and wide couches with heaps of
wonderful cushions, baby grand. and
those great cozy. chintz-clad chairs.
and a Chesterfield, with a table be-
hind.
There will be exquisite rose
shades on two lamps" she said to
Trevor. land when your wife sits and
sews in the evening she will be so
comfy and look so adorable under
those lights that she stopped alb
ruptly at the queer look in her clients
eyes.
you have the right idea,'' was all
he~said.
And Monica found as the weeks
wore on that David lTrevor's apartment
was going to be the gem of her career
She found wonderful English Gre
tonnes, gauzes of exquisite hues and
furniture that seemed just fashioned
! for a real home-a home where love
would Eeign supreme.
1t became their custom as the
drapers hung the curtains and the
carpet men put down the rugs and
the pictures began to appear on the
walls for David and Monica to make,
an evening visit to the apartment
TT grows more charming by the
| minute" David told her. They had
discovered that evening the great cozy
ehaise lounge in the pink bedroom. its
back invitingly banked with pillows of
softest chiffon and at its side read
ing lamp with chiffon shade
that made David smile, so feminine
was its chafm.
eve must have pink roses in that
pink vase-when my wife returns he
suggested.
Monica looked swiftly at him, then
more swiftly away. When the pink
roses were ordered - then would
David Trevor pass out of her life.
Something strangely compelling had
Gripped her heart. She would not al
low herself to realize that out OF a
whole world of men she had found
only one, and that she was furnish
ing an apartment for that ones wife.
The thought sent the blood from her
cheeks and David. watching her felt
his own heart beating unsteadily-
He, however. mastered any emotion
that made the earth tremble under his
feet and said quickly, ''If you don't
mind and If it wouldn't interfere with
your ideas-eould We not have those
four prints you SO admired in my Of
flee framed and hung in the dining
room p"
Il wanted to buy them myself" she
said softly, "but didn't feel 1 should
be so extravagant. They would be
Just the finishing touch to these
walls"
David's business was the banding
of old English prints, and it pleased
him not a little TO know that he could
with complete artistic taste use some
in his own home.
I'm hoping when the apartment is