The herald., 1921-06-23
MARCH WINDS
BY MAE POOLE.

A"AhhAJ eyes, u llIli6 EOSc-
checked someone in a pink pinafore,
playing with disreputable looking doll,
"Raggedy Ann" A mound of bedclothes
moved, and then settled down, and one
could hear a faint sigh of contentment
the white mound shifted again! And
where the moon shone family On the
face of the sleeper, one saw, not the
dlmpled mouth Of a 4-year-old, but
was 1t the face Of the little maid Of
the Orient, with narrow, almond eyes
and dusky skin? Mayhapsl And one
might almost imagine faint, elusive
perfume stealing forth from a trans
parent vial.
Peggy O'Day had been to New York.
And what Of that, one might ask?
New York is-New York; and In these
days Of "limiteds" and airplaning, all
one had to do was to drop a few "nec-
eSsarieS" in weekend case and
phone for chair at p. m, and hear
three bells" in dear old New York,
so TO speak!
But this trip to New York hadn't
been exactly as IL the Prince of Wales
had said, casually, Come, Peggy, old
dear, we'll just take a little trip to
Cairo and see If the Sphinx is still
wearing his perpetual grouch-and his
Egyptian cOstume!" oh, mol 1t had
meant marcelless, manicure-less and
matinee-less days to Peggy ODay Of
the firm Of j. Houser & Sons, decora-
tors.
The only thing Peggy had been able
to talk about was THE Follies." Oh,
yes, she had been shopping" at Wana-
makers, and teaing; taken a trip to
Chinatown and Washington Square;
had seen gay thrOngs on Fifth avenue
and BrOadway-but, without knowing
why, she had chosen the Village Fol-
lies as her first pleasure. The night she
had returned she woke Yvonne, her
roommate, to go In wild ectasies-"Oh,
i saw Margaret S. In the masked dan
ces,' and she was wonderful Yvonne.
however, who had visions of lost beauty
sleep, didn't seem much interested In
masked" dances-one didn't have to
60 to New York to see theml
Peggy went back to her corner desk
she ate the usual lunches Of ]. Houser
4 Sons. but to the trained observer II
wasn't the same Peggy" March came,
and with it. strong, penetrating winds.
Along with March winds, and "house-
cleaning" came the "Follies" TO B.
Peggy didn't null over In her mind the
foolishness of spending perfectly good
dollars to see it again-there was that
irresistible call that must be answered.
Yvonne had to answer the CALL" too,
not wishing to be In disfavor.
All that night through Peggy was
child in pinafores. playing with her
dolls-a shy. slant-eyed little maiden.
dainty and fragile, in garb Of Nippon
oh, wasn't 1t wonderful? Dear, dead
days beyond recall" Why, there were
not any such things now. One could be
young and old, beautiful or ugly, and
on and on. Marvellousl And no one
had discovered 1t before.
When she awoke in the morning. she
leaned over to rouse her roommate
but there was no Yvonnei
. Funny" and then she glanced at
her watch.
Heavens why, It's 8 O'Clock, and
I'm due at the Office"
Slowly she slid her feet into woolen
hose and oxfords, and when tiny hands
pointed to 10 o'clock-she was sitting
in the deep window seat, with no idea
Of going to the Office!
With the kaleidoscope of faces In the
night had come the Transformation Of
her soul.
She was like Gagged bird who sud-
denly found the door open, and that II
had wings.
1 had heard Of this House of Many
Faces recently from a friend who was
a staunch admirer Of the place-and of
Peggy O'Day. Like Yvonne of the old
en- days, had to answer the CALL"
too, to keep in favor. Nothing can de-
scribe the feeling of contentment as
passed through heavy, rich draperies
to meet her. My feet sank into Persian
rugs, upon which were placed wicker
chairs Of every color; and draperies to
match hung at countless windows.
Peggy never met a patron en- mask,
and so 1t was I found her-sweet,
and full of vitality.
"Whom do you wish to be, Mr.. Harm
denf Or have you Just come to see
my happy folkr
1 shook my head-what had come
for?"
Around me chairs of blue, old rose,
yellow, held youths and maidens of
every land and CLINE conceivable, and
they were chatting and laughing in
tones as soft and rich and quaint as
their exquisite surroundings.
Peggy O'Day and / wandered in and
out, and finally I ventured: May j
have 'mask'7" She raised her eyes.
"Oh, you pick II out, please" begged.
She did so, without a moments hesita-
tion, choosing one from q box high I'D
on the shelf. Immediately she had
handed 1t to me she reached for
another box the same size, and drew
out another maski