Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-02
CHAPTER VI
The Other W oman
DAISY liked Nick Immediately

nA1SY liked Nick Immediately
- With her usual shrewdncss she
sized him up from the beginning as n
man who hnd been disappointed in love.
and she set herself out to be as agree
able rs possible.
Daisy was clever, and with all her
faults she wnS not garish. She iinttcrcd
Nick. she deferred to him, and she was
nstoundngly pretty in pink and white.
youthful way that was enchanting.
At home in the privacy of their
apartment the three girls talked over
the affairs of the evening in intimate
detail
How'd you like Mr.. Tracy:' asked
! Luclla from the dressing table where
she was brushing out her thick dark
hair.
Dnisy was polishing her nails with
large ivory buffer. Her crinkly blonde
hair stood out around her small head
! like a childs. She looked about fifteen
at that moment. but at heart she was
wise and she knew exactly what she
wanted
Hes all right" she said noncom-
mittally.
Rather quiet. wasn't hcf" remarked
Georgia Larrimorc from the bed.
where she had thrown herself full
length
Yes. rather" Daisy said cri>ply. II
think its case of unrcquited love.
girls. YOU know. just dropped in for
some amusement in order to forget Men
think that's all we re- good for. 70 make
them laugh, hut. when it comes to mar
rying chorus girl--ncvcr Aim it the
limitT'
The others laughed and Daisy went
IN pnliyhinO hnr nptls and thinking
She was wondering if she would ever
see Nick again. She liked him very
much. and his grave. rather dc!crential
/ treatment Of her had battered her
vanity. She was not falling in love with
Nick, not at all. but she wondered if
it would be worth her while to en-
courage his intentions. to go on playing
the innocent little girl forced by cir
cumstanCcs to make Il living on the
stage. That had been her role Of the
evening. and she was Shrewd enough
to see that Nick had fallen for it. II
she played her cards carefully il might
mean marriage.
When she reached this conclusion in
her thoughts, in spite Of her hard,
schcming little heart. Daisy drew a
long breath.
/ She did not doubt. hcr ability to man
age Nick Tracy, and she had no scruples
about 1t. but marriage was marriage,
and there was something in Daisy that
made her feel toward it as something ir.
rcvoCablc.
The light talk and laughter Of Georgia
and Luella came to Daisy ms from a
great distance so absorbed was she in
her thoughts until remark from
Lucia woke her. from her dream.
well, Daisy. why SO quiet? Come
out Of it, | think she's dreaming about
the broken hearted Mr.. Tracy. What do
you say. George: Preston tells me he
has plenty of money, so there's your
chance, Daisy
But if the girls had known that at
that very moment. Nick was pacing
rcstlesSly up and down the floor of his
room, with every conscious impulse in
him Eeaching toward another woman
they would have thought Daisy 5
chances Of winning him fairly slim after
all. Remote from hhr and aluring in
her cOldnCSs, Carol seemed to Nick
more than ever desirable. He could not
get the thought of her out of his mind
and whatever memory he had of Daisy
only served as a standard of comparison
between the two women.
And yet at the time Daisy had
amused Nick, even though at the present
moment he %ould have laughed at the
idea Of seeing her again. She had in
jccted n certain subtle sympathy into
her manner toward him, and there was
every chance that Nick would remember
and seek that same sympathy when IN
the days that were to follow the
thought Of Carol would be more than he
could bear.