The Washington herald., 1921-04-10
A Powerful Story by the
Great Spanish Novelist.
Graaalatsd ~ Jsss Psdia.I


roR . whole week that wedding had
been the talk OF tout Paris, the
fashionable folk who gather every
afternoon between S and to drink and
to tango or merely to gossip Maurice
Delfour. heir of pelfour q Co. and q
fortune Of two hundred and ffty miIlions
was engaged to Be married to the beau
tiful Granddaughter Of Q celebrated DO
ntical leader. now almost forgotten, who
had been . candidate for the presidency
of the republic on two occasions.
rhe marriage of an Industrial king
and . Republican princess 10 not an un-
common event in Parisian' life and ordi-
nariiy wouid not engage the attention
of society for more than half an hour.
But these two young people were 50 in
teresting; they were such favorites in
the smart seti
He had been the central figure In many
woman's day and night dreams, as the
perfect type OF masculine charm and ac-
complishment He was q huge social
success He had won the cup in several
very aristocratic horse races: h. had
carried OF nrst honors and the cup in
countless fencing and shooting matches;
and last but not least, he had won thee
great Paris-Naplss automobile race and
still another cup. These glorious vessels.
eloquent testimonials of his athletic
proWess, covered every piece Of furniture
his office. which was beginning TO
look like dining room
In recent years Maurice had added to
his athletic record a certain scientific
prestige. He had taken up aviation. and
made flights almost every week. Perhap,
this was the reason why he would knit
mis- brow and put on a mysterious air
whenever any one discussed mechanical
problems in his presence
She was Odette. peerless odette, among
her friends: for the rest of mankind sb.
was Mile. Marsac, a name almost A. IA
nous As those of the great Parisian
writers and painters. for 1t never failed
TO appear in leading social news particu-
Iariy in reviews of first nights, and her
picture had been published by every
fashion sheet.
The famous tailors Of the Rue de In
fax' after laborious and feverish cosi-
tations to evolve new forms of feminine
attire. always counted on her to launch
their sublime creations on the great davs
Of Parisian life. Scarcely a hundra5
pounds In weight. her wonderful figure
was the despair of her rivals, who
sighed and turned pale with envy. Her
shoulders were ideal" Her finely mod
eled collar bones stood out in high re-
lief and seemed to provide n base for
the frsil and graceful column of her
neck her shoulder blades projected from
her back like pair of sprouting wings,
ana her long, straight limbs showed be-
10" the skirt with freedom which be-
trayed no fear of inspiring evil tbougb,.
or arousing temptation. A thin Iav.- or
hesh' sparingly distributed, covered the
inner frame of her body and made IL
look like a mere pretext, something to
rang clothes on, something to hold and
carry them. And topping this ,unren,eIv
distinguished body, a long smiling face
with pointed chin; a small mouth like
red cherry: pair of black eyes like
two large almonds: two curIs hanging
over the ears like the side whiskers NJ
toreador, the sort Of toreador thew con-
eeiEe In Paris; and pyramid of mixed
hair built of real curIs and false curIs.
She was the modern Venus which fashion
book designers see in their genial dreams.
Early in 1914 new sport began to
turn the head of all the fashionable neo-
pie Of Paris and. by infection, of all
other European capitals and the Ameri-
can contfnent. The smart set everywhere
segan to move feet and hips to the time
OF the tango, a dance recently imported
from the Argentine republic. The lead
ing figures in this 'tangoing humanity"
were Maurice and Odette. At the begin
ming of the fad Maurice had locked. him
self with a dancing professor who had
arrived from Buenos Aires the week be-
fore. and he had sworn by all his gods
not to look again upon the light of day
until he had mastered this new art as
completely as he had conquered all the
others Being a man endowed with va
ried talents and considerable will power,
he soon achieved success in the new
sport. Carefully groomed. his stiff black
hair brushed back. in . tight htting cut
away and high heeled. light topped pat
ent leather shoes. he made his debut one
afternoon in the limelisht of a famous
hotel Of the Champs Elysee and won
instant recognition and the admiration OF