Evening star., 1921-12-18

dILer ai, human Oeln& WIN as niSn
a right to dignity as anybody.
There was moonlight that night.
following the shadowy glow of the
dining room. and Idalene prospered
exceedingly. Eaton and Warren
wrangled over her as before; their
women glared. They danced on the
terrace. and Idalene did not do SO
badly. At least, Eaton and Warren
whispered that she was divine. and
that helped her to be better than her
self. And she had the rapture of be-
ing cut in on. Walt would not dance,
and he did not somehow enjoy Ida
lene's success. He found 1t difficult
to get Idalene alone, and when he
grumbled a compliment 1t seemed to
alarm her. She seemed to evade him.
She was afraid to let herself love
Walt; she was afraid to be seen with
Thus she obtained a sincere elusive
ness that gave her a mystic charm in
the eyes Of Walt, who did not care
for beauty to excess, and, who felt
for -Idalene something of what Pyg-
malion felt for his sculptured Gala
tea Walt had not put the finishing
touches on Idalene. but he had
brought her from the quarry, and he
felt an interest in her that no other
woman had ever inspired
She was not beautiful under analy-
sis. She never would be. Her fea-
lures and her members were not
modelled with felicity. Prue Nicker-
son had been born to all exquisite
ness Of line and color and rhythm.
But Prue thought silly. selfish
thoughts. and though she would get
lovers and a husband all too easily
she would not hold them long.
The earlier Idalene had also thought
silly. selfish, man hunting thoughts
Now she thought Of beauty and the
Eraces Of the spirit. Her soul was
playing upon her body as a master
would play a masterpiece upon an
ordinary violin. Prue's soul was
wasting her resources as cheap fid-
dler would make a Stradivarius rat
tie with Jig.
Idalene, like most women, respond
ed to the opportunity for physical
self lf-improvement with lightninglike
rapidIty. Hardly a week had passed
when Pamela felt that she was ready
to take revenge on the callow youth
who had broken Idalene's heart al
the Junior prom.
The Shiel home was not far from the
college. and invitations were rare
enough not to conflict. Roy Duncan
Alien Lansing, Phin Larrabee. and
one or two others accepted with wild
enthusiasm. They were not fore
warned that 1dalene was to be a
guest. They did not recognize her
in the upstanding, 1.-THE, smart tri-
umph Of fashion that greeted them by
name, though they pretended hastily
that they remembered perfectly.
Roy Duncan repeated to Phin Lar
rememberer. Who is that pippin
anyway"
Phin stared and stared, and then
! he gasped: Lord help us. it's Ida.
lene"
The Gramlin beau, Allen Lansing
was dancing with her at the time and
finding her perfection. He was sigh
ing into the ear beneath her roya
coiffure: you dance like a dream o.
delight. Miss-Miss-"
Idalene murmured up under his chin
This dance earns you the bull pup
Lansing stopped short and accepted
the dolts Of passing dancers as h
foundered: II don't understand"
Idalene explained. with almost vo.
luptuous malice: Roy Duncan prom
ised you his bull pup If you would
dance with mo again. This Is again.
Lansing made a magnificent recov.
cry: mo. I was to dance with you
three times more, and I'll hold you to
the bargain"
Walt Breen noted darkly that Aller
Lansing took three dances with Ida.
lene. He was jealous now. without
subtlety or compassion. He had a
frenzy for monopoly. When the last
house guest had gone up to bed and
the last extramural guest was far
along the road. Walt checked Idalene
as she checked a yawn Of replete con-
tentment. He dragged her back to
the terrace for glimpse Of the moon
and he growled: You were wonder.
full tonight"
ME wonderful?" she sighed. TN
only learning my A B c's. can't play
the piano or the ukulele. or paint even
water colo-s. or talk books or politics
or anything much"
What an ideal wife" he said. and
then blurted out his hope: will you
be my wife and go west with me?"
He could see her eyes widen like
two tiny moons. When he slipped his
arms about her she gulped a deer
breath Of rapture and leaned into his
bosom for a moment. But as he tight.
ened his clasp she broke loose sharply
and fairly barked at him, with a mini.
mum Of her new delicacy: II should
say not"
THEN she ran into tire house and ur
the stairs. She had remembered
just in time that Walt belonged te
Pamela by right of discovery, pre-.
emption and devotion.
Pamela was waiting for her: stared
at her; exclaimed: what on earth
has happened to you? You are posi-.
lively beautiful. What is that strange
light in your eyes?"
II don't know" said Idalene. AnG
she did not know could not know
that it was tho benediction Of self.
sacrifice.
It was only when she was alone
that Idalene. realized how alone sht