, 1921-08-04
Nobody's Darling
and Warren
BY MARTHA MACWILLIAMS
0@. zen. ey MecIur. Newspapsr synalsats. j


90 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate,)
What's this2' Warren asked.
blocking the way of a sheeted figure
In front of him. Apparently 1t had
the neck OF a giraffe, SO distant was
the crown from the spread Of Shout
ders. But with draping Of thick
homespun linen, outlines were mat
tiers of faith rather than sight. This
was true of the whole company of
gay youths gathered for a phantom
party" wherein sheets, pillow and
bolster cases, napkins and such small
deer, had been impressed for mas
querade duty.
This is-no, this ain't-nobody's
darling" the giraffe answered in
plaintive falsetto: 81 amt fat-not a
little bit-but nobody loves me either
weekdays or Sundays"
What a shame-if there's enough
Of you to love-" Warren returned,
making a fumbling clutch at a shroud-
ed arm. Lets feel; I thought so +"
as his fingers identified buttons clear
ly masculine. Sonny, you should not
begin to deceive this early. You're
hardly more than a cock sparrow"
With that he tried to swing the
giraffe across his hip-but met with
amazing resistance. His captive
writhed eel-1ike from his hold and set
a huge, heavy heel upon his instep.
painting out, Let go, unless you want
a hole stamped in your socks, Sammy
Warren"
Lets see your socks" Warren be-
gan bending and grabbing the foot.
At his touch 1t was jerked free of the
heavy shoe, revealing itself, small.
dainty, Enthusiastically feminlne-its
owner the while whispering angrily
Now you've done it-spoiled my fun
all evening""
Put on your shoe and come out on
the piazza-nobody saw your foot"
Warren countered, dragging the girl
away. Giggles followed them. In the
encounter her high-spiked ~headdress
had got away, letting the sheet droop
like a court train over one elbow and
falling scantily below the other. The
wearer tugged spitefully at 1t, saying
under breath: I'm a sight, know
am-and they pick on me enough
when I'm all set"
Let them-no matter who the
are" Warren said soothingly. TELL
me your name and I'll say enough
sweet things to make up"
mot II I keep my hearin'. Ughi I
hate sweet thingsp the girl flung
back.
Warren laughed softly. ~ see. No
body has said them-to you" he said.
Blind batsi I know you're pretty,
even through a linen sheet"
I'D ram you for that, If only I we're
a submarine" with menacingly low
cred head, "for making fun Of me.
You know I'm Zarah Zell, and, every
body says, ugly enough to chaw wool
with the burrs In It."
"Hearsay is not evidence" Warren
all but whispered, parting folds of
linen TO look into a piquant olive
skinned face, nov Illuminated by deep
shining eyes and dashed with damask
bloom. Dimly he recalled :he Zarah
Zell he knew; this could not be the
same. yet certainly was. It's lucky
you didn't swear to what you said"
he went on. at would have been rank
perjury. Every girl here tonight is
prettier than you are-but none of
them half so beautiful"
Paint makes a heap Of difference.
II you put 1t oil right" Zarah an
swered, with an ~artless giggle.
The phantoms were in full tide of
ghoullsh glee. They had spread over
the lamp-lit lawn. by twos or threes.
or blotches OF curious half dozens.
Zarah looked at them through fingers
held under the sheet, saying judiclally I;
It's n mighty fine party"
shall we go out TO play with the
restT' Warren asked. She nodded.
Under the brightest light she paused
to say In Warren's ear: Can you
understand how II feels to be finer
than anybody, when all along YOU
have been the commonest looklng7r
II don't know. Can your" from
Warren.
TITS heavenly I'm feeling 1t now"
Zarah whispered. "You see. at all the
other parties I've looked like a rag
'"S ''iNhh ~ HIhhnN 0nt linen
sheet, nobody can touch me. ! shall
slip away before the undressing-then
nobody will know what's under II.
But they'll all guess who wore en-
%broidered linen-nobody else has my"
1--WE won't unmask," Warren said.
"TH declare ourselves Guardian
Ghouls, charged to keep the others In
order. And they viii have to feed us
In private just the things we like.
IL they don't. wen put all sorts of
spells on them"
Seems like somebody has already
put a spell on you" a minclng voice
said behind them. Warren laughed
carelessly. That's all right. Min-as
II wasn't you he said. run nlong
and play With Jacky Durden-he ls
the man after. your heart"