The Washington herald., 1922-10-04
The Beautiful
And Damned

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

In a frenzy of suspicion he rushed
here and there about the apartment.
hunting for some sign of masculine
occupation. opening the bathroom
cupboard. searching feverishly
through the bureau drawers. Then
he found something that made him
stop suddenly and sit down on one
of the twin beds. the corners Of hts
mouth dropping as though he were
about to weep. There in a corner
of her drawer. tied with a frail
blue ribbon. were all the letters and
kilograms he had written her dur
ing the year past. He was suffused
with happy and sentimental shame.
Tim not Mt to touch her" he cried
aloud to the four walls. I'm not
nt to touch her little hand"
Nevertheless, he went out to look
for her
In the Astor lobby he was en-
quilted Immediately in a crowd so
thick as to make progress almost
impossible. He asked the direction
of the ballroom from half dozen
people before he could get a sober
and Ineligible answer. Eventually.
after a last long wait, he checked
his military overcoat in the hall.
1t was only but the dance was
in full blast. The panorama vas
incredible. Women. women every
where-girls gay with wine singing
shrilly above the clamor of the
dazzling confetti-covered throng:
girls set of by the uniforms of
dOzea nations; fat females collaps-
ing without dignity upon the floor
and retaining self-respect by shout
ing "Hurraw for the Alliesw three
women with white hair dancing
hand in hand around a sailor. who
revolved in a dizzying spin upon the
floor, clasping TO his heart an
empty bottle of champagne.
Breathlessly Anthony scanned the
dancers. scanned the muddled lines
trailing in single file in and out
among the tables, scanned the horn
blowing. kissing. coughing, laugh
ing. drinking parties under the
great fulI-bosomed flags which
leaned in glowing color over the
psgeantry and the sound.
Then he saw Gloria. She was sit
ting at a table for two directly
across the room. Her dress was
face. tinted with the most CLAM
OurCus rose, made. he thought, a
spot of poignant beauty on the
room. His heart leaped as though
70 a sew music. He jostled his way
toward he and called her name Just
as the gray eyes looked up and
found him. For that instant as their
bodies met and melted, the world.
the revel, the tumbling whimper of
the music faded to an ecstatic
monotone hushed as song of bees.
"Oh. my Gloria"' he cried.
Her kiss wa a cool rill flowing
from her heart.
CHAPTER II.
A Matter of Aesthetics.
On the night when Anthony had
left for Camp Hooker one year be-
fore, all that was left of the beauti-
ful Gloria Gilbert-her shell. her
Young and lovely body-moved up
the broad marble steps of the Grand
Central States with the rhythm of
;he engine beating in her ears like
dream, and out onto Vanderbilt
avenue, where the huge bulk of the
Fillmore overhung the street and.
down at its low. cleaning entrance.
sucked in the many-colored opera
~lOaks OF Gorgeously dressed girls.
For A moment she paused by the
taNi-stand and watched them-won-
dering that but a few years before
she had been of their number. ever
setting out for = radiant Somewhere,
always just about to have that
ultimate passionate adventure for
which the girls cloaks were delicate
and beautifully furred. for which
their cheeks were painted and their
kearts higher than the transitorv
dome of pleasure that would engult
them. cOiffure, cloak. and all.
Continued Tomorrow.
Co-vrf-hY 1909 ~ Cb,-I.. s.-;k,.-. C..