Evening star., 1922-12-10


mana Weenana Just
saying the word brought sensation Of
coolhess. 80 sharp was its connotation Of
the towns wide-flung green quietude.
tree-shadowed and breeae-invaded.
Involuntarily, Elsie stopped her fan
as though to substitute for its fever
ish gusts that clean western air. dew.
chilled. pine -psrfumed.
X X i ::
NH. that morning freshness of
" weenana! 1t lay, the baby city,
north and south. The valley funnel
i'll cooperation with the lake first
drew over them all stray northern
breezes and then delicatsly mois-
tened them. The weenanians were
justly proud Of a city which main-
tanned q green crispness when sur
rounding towns swsltered. wiited,
scorched, and finally parched.
And Elsie Gammell, who had be-
como Elsie Sawyer, had held an ac-
cepted position in tho Weenana scheme
Of things. To be daughter Of Rhoda
0ammell. = famous. invalid, and once
the most beautiful woman in the
town. was enough to account for this;
in addition. to be the daughter of
Dixie Gammell. the bank president.
the finest and perhaps the ablest man
in town: and. finally. to cap 1t ali.
to be Elsie Gainmell herself. Elsie
had inherited not all but much of
her mothers beauty: and not all but
much Of her fathers ability.
Pictures Of her past self fitted be-
fore Elsie's set eyes as slowly she
welded the fan; gay afternoons with
"the bunch'-the small exclusive core
Of Weenana's youth-gathcred on the
piaxxa OF the comfortable jig-sawed
house. Mrs. Gammell. q mass Of bill
lowly chiffon In the hammock: Elsie
herself in a crisp "smock;" tho porch
table set with q colony Of cut-slass
cups, the big cut-glass bowl. in which
an ocean Of fruit punch gradually
melted mountain OF ice
great plates Of sandwiches and cake
striped awnings
Sometimes anonymously her fathers
lean, creased, weatherbeaten face in
truded Its tired but always under
standing smile into the picture. She
would hear herself asking him for
money = Or he would be say
ing, Go light this month. daughter.
Things rather heaped up on me last
month, you know" Father was get
ting Old, she told herself inconse-
uuently: there were white streaks In
his blond hair.
mothers face; still velvct-eyed. for
she smeared artificial shadows OF an
astounding verisimilitude about her
lashes, and still velvet-haired. for her
dye was remarkably successful. Much
more often than to her father. she
seemed to listen to her mother. to the
tales of her past love affairs, to her
vicarious pride in her daughters con-
quests. her daughters clothes. And
in the same key:
And when you do marry. Elsie
dear, 1 hope you'll pattern your mar
ried life after mine and your fathers.
You can see what 1t 10 like-protect-
ing devotion on his part. accepting
devotion on mine. No harsh words
no quarreIs. OF course. we've got
good dispositions. both Of us: but
I've made it point always to try
here Mrs Gammell drew the inevita-
BILE hand mirror. always easily acces-
sible, from under the afghan and
studied herseif-"as my Ill health
would permit. You don't think I've
failed, do you. Elsie child:"
Failed? With their lovely home
and from the small-town point Of
view their luxurious home-a focus
for every social impulse In Weenana:
Failed! Sometimes her fathers tired
face intruded itself at this moment,
but Elsie always gave her mother
and gave sincerely-the reinsurance
she craved.
And one thing more. Elsie. dear
her mother would add, remember
this: Never step down from your ped
estal, Elsie. Keep yourself always
an ideal. Be sure to insist after mar
riage on all those little attentions
he's given you before marriage. Why,
your father waits on me by inches
'But Keene Sawyer How did it
happen that. out OF all the men in
yer7 For she had fallen swiftly In
love with him. as soon as possible
after that dance in which she sud
denly realized that Of all the men she
had met in WeenanA, Keene Sawyer
was the only one who was different"
What constituted that difference IT
was hard for her to say. Other peo-
pie said he was visionary. But he
had kind Of charm. Physically, tho
difference was obvious enough. His
hair. in contrast with the slick locks
of the young mon in "the bunch" was
always storm.tossed. His eyes. in
contrast with the clear calm Of their
eyes, had a-Elsie described 1t to
herself as "a wild sweetness" His
whole makeup, in contrast with their
square-cut Athleticism, was nervous,
almost fragile. Oh, yes, she loved
Keene-still loved him for that mat
ter
ssVXIELL, of all things-if it amt
w Della Dolan! But for the love
of all the blessed saints. what do ye
be doing here!'
These words, drifting across the
airshaft. came through the window
which opened above Elsie's head into
her bedroom. Elsie recognised the
voice to be that Of Mrs. O'Connell,
the woman who once a week cleaned
the halls ana stairs. Another voice
presumably it belonged to Della Do