Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-10
Mouse in Town

-sny mirrors 80 t,,;,obotl
- PIX ne shrinking g e ..t.n OF n,.IaSe.l 1,Stcl
10. 10 it Il seemed that, no mat.es et, wn'G, !,
4. looked, there was a no.nmh "a a
W-ssrid sd but a myriad rehection OF NJ ~,
W WVs Wssu,o seated alone on the OIL
IN ssoucb in the full g'are OF
plu% electric lights. a.. ..-
buncreSs, s,I, "A II she were on fire IRON
she 'f,s foot with self consciousness ant
bead 70 t,;.sry: ,U her checks were as Grim
utter iu'Vh ,hs artificial rose which sh'
m 10 as III into the waist Of her frock
hd mwr rr nerve in her body seemed
Ctung ~ md md ridiculous! The words
Doxoy yyhonted at her every time her
eemeo unon one or other Of her
Wes zen en..aertions. Full-faced. side
many az matter which way she looked,
hesd-,TI shrinking figure seemed to
bF sns%t .nt from the gayety and color
eano vu vOuurro,lndings and compel atten-
iw season OF its very difference
ten ~ - every other girl in the room.
tns' =. S.o.L wns so obviously home
hu .nS although when she had tried
caae % 100 DAYS ago 1t had seemed
ss,tty and dainty enough .on,sut nt,.,o,, sie !,
s,sjS have torn it OF ana tramp'ed II
under foot: Ia, ,oror emma sbe
.tmsd d herself passionately for ever
s.,ns been persuaded to accept her
.s,t's invitation to spend fortnight
\. iondon, and she was wretchedly
~. That her aunt and cousins were
~ .S.~,ne themselves just as bitterly for
isdns asked her. ~,
ths light in the eyes Of every
s.rsn and girl who glanced her way.
.sI .he wished that the ground would
~ and swallow her up. :.
.totous fox trot was in full swing,
Il never. .ccasing .whirl of we'll
S..sd couples passed her and made
~ tsel sIddy, as she sat there on the
..;r.ms !" me edge Of the big sofn. her hands
:i.m.d tishtly in her lap and her feet
sid s.sisd away under the white skirt that
~. too long, and too full, and too
snsh @ everything which 1t should not
furins the first quarter OF an hour
N, aunt had laboriously tried to find
Hrtn.rs for her bringing up men who
Sne reluctantly, looked at her. bowed
Slmy and expressed regret that their
s,oe,am was already filled, but if they
nisht hope for the fourth or fifth ex-
la, always supposing there would be
uch 4 number.
Elizabeth had looked up at each In
turn, with burning eyes and tremulous
Ips.
THANK you. I can't dance--at least,
paly the polka
And one by one the men had melted
sv,y, until at last Elizabeth found
Srelf in icy isolation on the big sofa.
The fox trot ceased with crashing
chord, and the dancing couples melted
cuy to sit out on the stairs or in
IL corridors, and the ballroom was
practically deserted.
Elizabeth looked wildly around. 1t
seemed to her as IL she were miles and
miles from the nearest door. and she
Itdt as II she could never find the will
power whereby to get up and make q
|rn for IL.
In a far corner the musicians were
chatting and laughing together: they !
|ll-men and women--wore a sort Of |
thunder and lightning jazz costume in
bright blues and green's. which Eliza |
|kth's cousin. Dolly Mason. had in
formed her was the latest and smart.
|sst idea. ,
Simply posh costume. call IT,"
|pAs had said. in her up to- date. slangy
|ny, and Elizabeth had answered help
lsly, "Oh, is 1t" with not the
|Nasuest Idea as to what ''posh" CO.'S
kume might be.
Her hot eyes lifted slowly. and looked
Pece again at her reflection in the long
piror Immediately opposite.
Dowdy and ridiculous! A lump rose
u her throat as for the first time
|ne mercilessly criticized herself.
white silk undertook, which had
psen washed more times than she could
l.nember. with an overdress Of chean
usue oought at remnant sale; trans
NEtnt sleeves to the wrists, and the
mIliest opening at the throat.
no cut, nothing smart-no attempt
y msts She hated the artificial rose
,saen-oefore she came to London
asd seemed to give the finishing touch
. dress with which she had been
i1Srantly pleased.
sne hated the way in which her soft
|ais hair was dressed. brushed simpiy
's '.U without being loosened around her
sIe N any way, and twisted up in
ols mot too high on her head to be
.sc!%nete s.!ete near the fashion followed so
aosel! BY Dolly and her friends.
NJ sne mated the necklace OF coral beads.
ss 'aS mated the imitation silk stockings
au undainty shoes which-after the
,ss ss9nised comparison with those
.Ouna M her-she had tucked under the
'iS 3, OF that too-long skirt.
Sne would have given her soul nj
ast moment for n frock of pink cbif. !
On like Dolly's, even tbmpb NJ tirst
oS.a .au oeen shocked by it's lack OF
ssnts ana the slenderness of the dia- ,
ii v th,, chslns mains which apparently were !!
= a.. L"at Kept 1t from utter disaster. :
i.h neo1t cried out passionately for y
\ ,sIh,n.stIed' hu0s,0' dainty shoes with butter |
=, = 'b.nes' and for the power to dress
a ,,,.. .''r IN the many little puffs and Il
sou, ' which which every other girl in the 9
III, ~. seemed to find the easiest thing !
- D' "orld to manipulate. '
M ~s W. one must be laughing at her.
M, Nas sure; she had heard Dolly
od. .1o~ns Ior her once to tall, rather
sna.S man with whom She had
'ening. '"e greater part of the
mnt.S -she's my cousin--up from the v
he you know! Mother asked her, Q
,urss sIJhusht i would be kind. OF II
'e Fr;e she cant dance"
,e hapeln hsIs IN could have killed her for
lous a"n,eepphdesrcndlng. half contemp. Il
I'd for "Ifn tSn which followed the words, .
artner o,oni ar amused way in which her Il
,sn. ,sizabeth knew who rho ,vn, mon ,os
nd tbat taat his name was Neil Farmer h
bon 30 'aat a he and Dolly we're lookeL fl
ne %s oelng more or less engaged"
"W"sr'p,'on being Dolly's own, n
how, uahcing partners. too, you
thcuvh Sne had added casually, and
ondered Sh a. the time Elizabeth had !.
ood waI, what she meant, she under. II
ID saw bomough now, as she sat there !,
|