Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-17

Elizabeth's heart was numbed with
agony and. thinking she .vas not in.
teresting madame, said no more. She
kissed the girl warmly when Eliza.
beth went up to bed and pattcd her
cheek.
80 pale! Such a white rose But
tomorrow go triumphant. So proud
What n change!' And she laughed az
Elizabeth walked away without an.
swering.
She went to her room and stood over
by the window in the darkness, her
cheek pressed to the cool pane.
..What shall I do? What shall I
do" Over and over again the ques-
| ton scared her heart.
| Once the wild thought came to her
| that she would throw everything to
| the winds and go TO him after oil. he
clone counted in her world. Ambition.
Neil Farmer, Nine. Senestis--what were
they, in comparison with her love
| for him?
Then common sense rensserted itself
1t he wanted her he would send: II he
had wished for her before when he was
| i'll he could have sent then.
She lay awake all night. She was
like ghost in the morning. and, afraid
OF madame's comments, she hastily
rouged her cheeks and forced herself TO
go downstairs humming snatch of
song.
There was no letter from Meta, as
she had hoped there might be; and
there was nobody of whom she could
inquire for Royston, and she did not
even know where he was.
She dragged through the day some.
how - the longest day of her whole
life. She was mass of aching, throb.
|
madame t5ld her it was time to dress.
| Elizabeth went to her room and look
ed at the new frock lnid out on the bed
white, all of it-of the filmiest, love-
liest material, wired out little from
the hips and artfully touched here and
there with silver. And there were new
silk stockings and white shoes, with
silk ribbons to bind about her ankles,
and narrow fil1et of tiny water lilies
for her hair, with mother of pearl
petals. and tiny rose diamond in the
heart of each.
| Neil Farmer had sent 1t to her "for
luck SO he had said. and Elizabeth
Lad thanked him, never realizing how
great the cost Of his gift must have
been. She had no idea of values; she
had never had a present in her life
until she came to London.
Slowly she dressed with hands that
felt cold and dead. When she took a
Inst peep at herself in the studio glass
she almost cried out at her pallor. She
was as white as her frock-as white as
the lilies in her hair.
She rubbed her checks to bring
to- inspect her she asked timidly If she
had better use some rouge.
Madame stood scrutinizing her, her
queer head on one side, her painted
lips pursed up considerably. Then she
said:
."No. You are the lily as it is. all
white! We leave it You are--oh,
just adorable. petlte."
She blew Elizabeth a kiss with the
tips Of her fingers. She tried hard to
suppress her own keen excitement, but
there was hectic spot of color In the
usually dead pallor of her face and her
voice was unsteady.
So well had she timed things that
Elizabeth was not allowed moment
in which to look forward and grow
nervous; she had only just slipped into
her cloak when Farmer came, and they
drove away together.
Farmer looked terribly nervous; he
kept biting his mustache and tilgeting
with his gloves. When they reached
the duchess house he held Elizabeth =
| hand hard for u moment.
Good luck! The best of luck, my
queen" he said hoarscly: then he
went on up the big staircase to minglc
with the guests. and Elizabeth went
to the room that had been set apart
for her with Nine. Scncstis.
The Frenchwoman kept hoverins
round. twitching fold of her frocl
into place and whispering last in
struction.
"You will remember all I told you
petite; you will not fail me. 1t Is q
great, day for you. l am proud
proud.'
YES" said Elizabeth. She was nc
longer nervous, and her pulse was
steady she felt as if it was somebody
clse's great night, and not her own
at all.
Madame went on:
ones Of London. They will love you
they will fall at your feet. little one
you will wake tomorrow, after long
sleep Of happiness. and find yourself
famous, is 1t not sO?'
YES" said Elizabeth again. She
wished she could show more enthusi-
asm, she felt vaguely scornful OF
madame's excitement: even when tht
call came for her her heart beats did no,
increase: she looked at madame in
quiringy.
DO ! go now?"
The Frcnchwoman nodded she wa
too excited to speak, but she caught
Elizabeth's hand as she passed her an,
kissed it hysterically.
MY little one! My brave little one !"
Elizabeth went out Of the room
across the wide hall, and into the grea
bullroom. one of the most famous II
London.
For a moment the hundreds of light
dazzled her, and she faltered at th'
doorway, her thoughts flying again t
the one night she had danced with ltoys
ton, and the happiness it had been then
She walked on mechanically. vaguci!
, conscious of the throngs of people sur
rounding the space which hnd beer
cleared for her; of the flash of man.
. diamonds, and the chatter of tongue
that ceased as she entered.
A round of applause broke out. in
, creasing in volume as her exquisit
,laintiness and charm were sowl!
r realized by the hundreds of person
present. She looked like fairy dol
from a child's Christmas tree US sh
stood there in her white, tilmy frock
alone in the great cleared space OF foor
: and there was an impressive silence be
fore the music started.
:, Elizabeth knew every note OF tn
q a music to which she was to dance; sh
, had pracliced scores of times with tn
! orchestra accompaniment, and vagll
= wonderment went through her as sh
= realized that after all she was not II
Il the least nervous.
"You cannot fall so madame an
. Neil Farmer had declared. and nov