The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-18
The Woman
He Married
BY JANE PHELPS
A SETTING FOR BEAUTY.

A SETTING FOR BEAUTY.
Chapter 3d.
Juanita had planned dinner fol-
lowed by cards for her house-warm-
ing. She seemed very much excited
over it, and said she was so anxious
to show the bungalow as the reason
when 1 spoke of it.
They'll all go mad with envy
when they see it," she said.
IF they are mad enough to give
! me an order I'll do as well for them"
1 replied.
You mean you would like to take
another house to fix up?''
81 certainly would! You know we
are poor folks, Juanita, and want a
home of our own. The more money
can earn to help Dick, the sooner
we can build. He is so well now
have no computations at keeping too
busy to be with him all the time
and watch over him as did when he
was ILL.,
well, wait until after my party.
and you'll have all you can do. You
certainly are wizard at your work"
The night of the house party we
went over early, at Juanita'S special
request. When she came into the
living room I fairly gasped. She had
a new dress on, a wonderful filmy
affair. But it was not the beau
ty of the gown-she had dressed up
to the room. She looked as much as
if she belonged as did the draperies.
the floor cushions or the lamp shades.
1t was marvellous, the effect it pro-
duced.
eff Nan is an artist in her line,
you surely are an artist in DRESS"
Dick said in resopnse to a question
of hers regarding the lighting of the
| room.
No expense had been spared to
| make everything complete, and as
we looked about my attention was
distracted a moment because Of the
| looping of a curtain. +, changed it,
then turned just in time TO hear Dick
say:
"a fit setting for your beauty"
| why I should have felt hurt can't
| explain. but I did. For a moment
something very like jealousy flashed
, over me. Then as I looked at Juan
tia, I too felt she was like a Jewel in
| the setting that harmonized with her
| brilliancy and her beauty.
That's a pretty speech. Dick"
she remarked carelessly. Wasn't it.
Nan?" She turned to me, showing
| she knew I had heard.
"Veryi And It is true. You are
like brilliant jewel of some sort"
Thanks awfully! But I shall be
| totally spoiled if I listen to you two
any longer. There come some of my
| guests, so you, won't have a chance
| lot more
! The guests arrived in quick sue
| cession. It was to be dinner of
16 covers, then four tables of bridge.
| The women all looked charming, but
Juanita eclipsed them all. Not wo-
man but raved over her house, her
| gown, and not d man but looked his
! admiration of her as well.
She was charming hostess al
ways, but that night at dinner she
fairly scintillated. No wonder every
one is fascinated by her, I thought
as 1 watched the admiring eyes about
the table, heard the compliments upon
her brilliant sallies in response to some
remark that was made.
/ Yet some way I was uneasy, why
could not have told. L was enjoying
myself. a1tho was perhaps even more
quiet than usual. For years now
| had not been much in society, and one
loses the gift of repartee, of persi.
flage, of the light tossing back and
forth of conversation very easily.
Dick, however, was brilliant 1t was
just the sort Of an affair at which he
shone. Then his work had helped
him in many ways-in choice OF
words, in facility of expression. He
told several good stories. always look
ing at Juanita for approval, where in
the old days, when we used to go out
he always used to turn to me. But
if I gave it a thought. it was that II
was his way of paying his hostess q
delicate compliment.
While the men were smoking, the
women discussed the house. Juanita
had thrown it all open, every ROOM
4 "Mrs. Williams is very artistic
one of the ladies, Mrs. Hubbard, re.
marked. But none of us would
dream of making her work still more
perfect by dressing to suit the room
Il I thought I detected a bit OF venom
in the speech, and replied quickly:
"It was a. very great compliment,
to me-"
THANK you Mani" Juanita said
darting a quick glance at me.
Then the men all had to see each
room. Before we sat down at cards
I had promised to see Mrs. Hubbard
the next afternoon.
sIt is fnexcusab1e to talk shop al
a dinner party she had said in ar
undertone, '.but will you run in and
, see me tomorrow afternoon"
Naturally I promised.
(Tomorrow-Nan's enthusiasm
1 c1,