The Washington herald., 1921-04-19

Nancy came away from the sim
Pile ceremonies which consigned
F7surette's body to the dust with q
feeling OF utter relief of which she
was ashamed.
throughout the ordeal she had
been conscious only of desire to
get away. 1t was not alone be-
cause last rites are always painful'
even those pronounced over an abb
solute stranger. She struggled vail
antly to feel sad; 1t seemed irrev-
erent to attend the ceremony with
only two emotions: aversion and Gu
riosity.
That there was no one in the little
gathering to shed a real tear for
FIeurette, was in itself so pathetic
that Nancy found herself almost
summoning a bit of moisture to her
eyes at the thought. To stimulate
this artificial emotion, she recalled
the F1eurette she had first seen
beautiful, copper haired, extrava-
gantly clad. who had walked with
the air Of an empress down the aisle
Of the smart restaurant, the cyno-
sure Of admiring masculine eyes.
mind the still, broken, mud-stained
figure which DR.. Langwell had lifted
from the wrecked car, its gay motor
wings Of a crushed butterfly.
There came another vision Of
Fleurette tossing feverishly in the
sunny bed chamber of the Lang
well country house, her beautiful
hat
betraying the coarseness of the
soul which dwelt in that superb
body.
4 And the last picture
A muffled sob from the youngster
Fleurette had employed as her er-
rand girl drew Nancy's attention.
There was actually some one who
cried for Fleurette.
On an impulse Nancy reached an
impulsiye hand to the girl-a calso-
mine, crimson-lipped little creature
IN cheap adaptation of an extrava-
CANT Paris mode.
The girl looked up at her, tears
cutting great burrows through the
cosmetics on her cheeks.
amt got no more job than a
rabbit" she whispered tragicaIly.
Gee, it's ferce-her dyin' and ALL"
Nancy experienced a hysterical
desire to laugh. and controlled her
self only by a herculean effort.
She glanced at Edith, white, si-
lent, and emotionless as a marble
angel over q mausoleum, and won
dered what she could be thinking,
or II she thought at all.
When the ceremonies were over at
. last Nancy stepped again into the
sunlight. She drew a deep breath
of the keen lake air, and. slipping
her arm through Edith's, said
quickly:
Dismiss the car, Edie. Let's walk
home. I'll scream II I don't!
But Edith evaded her, and mur-
muring something about having
several things to attend to-" slipped
away.
Nancy stood kesitatingly in the
doorway. drawing her furs closer
against the lake breeze.
While she waited. several girls
passed by, former employees Of Fleu-
rette. Tney were chattering in sub
dued tones, but Nancy caught the
words movie" and meet Jim at the
drug store"
She was rejecting how small a
ripple death makes in the great pool
cf life, when the little girl with the
calsomine face came out alone.
The generous application of her
handkerchief to her eyes had re-
duced her complexion to the state
Of a badly-done water color.
She looked at Nancy a little re-
sentfully, but her confidence was
won by the 1atter's quick smile.
You're one Of F1ossie's swell
friends, amt you! Did you notice
HE didn't show upT"
Tor the first time Nancy realized
that DR.. Langwell had not put in
an appearance.