The Washington herald., 1921-07-28
CHAFrER cLxxu-REvnRIEs.

CHAPrER CLxXu-REvER1E
The 1rst night that she was alone
after Edith's departure found Nancy
restless and distract
In the months since Gerry's de-
parture she had spent few hours
alone. Her life had been so filled
with the activities of her friends
that she had had little time for In
: trospection; scarcely any at all for
forecasting the future
Not since the night when left
alone in q Chicago hotel. she had
searched through the telephone di-
rectory and Chance had pointed to
the name Frederick Barton Lang
weIl' had she felt the same sense
Of isolation as she did that night of
Edith's departure
Lying full length on the couch in
the library before the fire which tine
chill of the Spring night made nee
essary, she went back bit by bit,
chapter by chapter. hour by hour,
r over the months since Gerry had
gone away.
In retrospect. she saw all the mis-
takes she had made, CHASTITY blum
ders that had seemed so innocent
and Insignificant at the time.
She was ashamed of the part she
had played in the martial dramas
of her friends. She had meant so
well; she executed so poorly; she
had been misunderstood so bitterly.
After all the months that she had
devoted completely and unreserved-
" to her friends, she had reaped
this whirlwind; the enmity Of Con-
ME Stanley. the sorrowing forgive
ness of Edith Langwell; the ma
licious doubt of Peggy Lewis.
She had sent Desmond away dis
appointed and disheartened. falsely
believing in her; she had gained the
rancor Of such unscrupulous people
as the neutrality-suspicious. of the
son. She had dealt a death blow to
the vanity of a powerful man, whose
egotism was his god.
LangweI would never forgive-of
that Nancy was confident. As for
Curtis Stanley, she was now at the
mercy of his passion for practical
jokes and she had not even the pro-
lection of Comics friendship
against his unwelcome attentions.
Well. my dear, you've made a
mess of it." she told herself, yawn-
ingly. her hands clasped above her
nedO- lnlS Is "naI mas ndppShcu
to your longed-for freedom. You
wanted to feel the fiutter of your
wings and as a result, you're Gagged
more completely than you have ever
been before. You're hedged around
with enmity and spite and with the
disapproval of the members of your
own sex, than which. Heaven knows.
there is nothing more malicious! All.
live
the old routine. for the dear. de-
iightful, confining. irritating, mad
dening but delicious bondage of
matrimony?"
She fell to wondering what her
friends were doing now that they
had deserted her.
Peggy and Reeve Lewis were cele-
brating with a dinner at the Ritz.
She could picture Edith Langwell
leaning on the rail of the ship, a
slight somber figure above the
white-capped waters, staring with
dry disillusioned eyes toward the
country she was leaving and the
hopes that were buried there.
She wondered II Langwell had re-
turned to Chicago. or whether he
was still playing around New York
with the insolent bobbed-haired
beauty with whom she and Edith
had surprised him.
Connie should have already de-
parted for the mountains. Curtis
she supposed, was passing his sum-
mer widowerhood with convivial
souls at his club.
The telephone ringing on its stand
at the head of the couch, startled
her from her reverie-
She took down the receiver to hear
Connie Stanley's familiar voice.
fCooyrirht 1871, Wheeler Syndicate, Inc. J