The Washington herald., 1921-12-25
The Bird OF Paradise.

The Bird of Paradise.
The maid thrust a hairpin into
Jeanne Dare's completed couture.
gave IT nnal fun with deft nm
gers and stepped back to view her
handiwork.
4 Jeanne Dare-she was Jane Dare
In the family Bible back in Iowa
surveyed her reflection critically
with the aid OF a hand mirror.
The contour isn't graceful" she
decided a trifie petulantly. Try
bringing my hair further over my
forehead and raising the coil to the
crown of my head in the back"
The maid murmured something
ana began patiently to remove the
pms. 1t was the third time that
madame had requested that her
couture be changed. Madame was
dlncult to please 80
Madame wears her hair like the
Countess de Vese." she observed.
busy with comb and brush. She.
too, stop here at re hotel"
Miss Dare raised her brows but
made no reply. She would have
liked to ask more about the coun-
tess and other notables who were
dwelling at the huge fashionable
hotel where she had elected to
make her temporary home.
But among the books that lit
tered the reading table beside
Jeanne Dare's bed was one entitled.
what Is Proper on All Occasions"
and one of its early precepts was:
Always discourage familiarity
or gossip in servants. 1t Is the in
\ variable sign of woman of cul-
ture."
There were other books of SINH
lar ilk there. One told how to
modulate and use the voice. An
other was devoted to graceful car
rtsge- How to write social notes;
the proper procedure for hostess
and for guest; how to dress on all
occasions, filled another volume.
Besides this. there were copies of
Vanity Fair. Town and Country.
Town Topics and other society pc
riodicals showing signs OF careful
and frequent perusal.
"Viola!" The maid stepped back
once more from the completed Golf
fure. her eyes seeking Jeanne's In
the mirror.
The couture was a work Of art
Jeanne was secretly delighted with
her reflection. She was almost
startled at her own beauty.
But she only said languidly:
That will do, I think Now,
want you to hook my frock before
you CO."
Playing . Game.
Hooking Jeanne's frock consisted
of adjusting a single snap that
held the Jet girdle Of her black
dinner gown. The rest OF the gown
depended fer its allowance to
Jeanne's slim figure upon a frail
strand /of Jet across one white
shoulder. The whole Of her per-
feet shoulders was bare and even
IN the front OF her scant bodice.
sAodesty yielded to Fashion.
You may CO." Jeanne surveyed
Aer reflection critically In the mir
ror. Il shall want you again at
lehis time tomorrow, and each day
Thereafter until my own maid can
leave her sick family"
It was a crude little prevarica-
tion-this fiction of the absent maid
but the hotel maids of Manhat-
tan are not paid by the manage
ment to call a bluff. whatever in
ward smiling they may do.
Madame Is ravishing- mur-
INJURED the girl and there was no
irony In her compliment 1t was
easy to speak the truth in admit
ration of Jeanne Dare.
| Tall. slim as a willow. blond. and
graceful. she was Fashions idol for
the moment She had more than
beauty of face and figure. There
was about her that Indehnable
charm known as personality. More
over there was touch of sristoc-
racy. the arrogance that comes OF
race. In her bearing.
She might have been a young
princess. masquerading as a sim
pie American girl. She WAS a
simple American girl masquerad-
| ing as a princess.
When the maid had gone. Jeanne
went into her tiny sitting room on
the fifteenth floor OF the great ho-
ell overlooking Central Park. 1t
was twilight there and before she
pressed the button of the wall
switch she went to the windows
Md stood looking down into the
fairyland of lights.
Over in the West the sun had set
in a blaze OF crimson and saffron
and traces OF the sfterglow still
fingered in the chill winter sky.
L
were starkly outlined in the fad
ing light. Millions of arc lights
like tiny brilliant Jewels marked
the confines of the park and these
were mingling with myriad other
lights in amber and green and or
ange that bespoke hordes OF home
going motors.
Large numbers of these flashed
from the headlights of limousines.
Jeanne knew. She had been in
New York long enough to picture
their occupants. well-fed. sleek
men in fur-collared great coats,
heavy OF jowl and hshy Of eye
Women as obvious as mechanical
dolls, swatched in lustrous furs
with diaphsnous hose above frivo-
lous pumps with buckles Of brill
liants! Poms and Pekinese with
gold collars. yapping fretfullyi
To such a limousine Jeanne as
pired- She yearned for the warmth
Of sable against her white Shout
ders and the weight Of velvet trail
log against her slim ankles. She
Wanted to be able to say You. may
call for me at 5, James" to a
chauffeur in an irreproachable uni
FORM and to order Tn $500 import
ed gown at Madame Juliette's
without swift problems in mental
arithmetic
Jeanne had no use for romance
Ehs had seen too many girls back
Iowa whose beauty outrivalled
INV of these artificial women in
he limousines. turn into drudges
xnrfsh To