Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-21
The Flapper Who Found Herself BY hesH Haynes

Cold abbFsyialsd-Ihat took but s minutes
ths eating Of IL less The problem stirred, In
another instant II would float up 10 the surface
ot her mind, TO what should she turn now
isadinsf Rummagins among Margaret's book
shelves, she came across one OF the Years liter
sfy sensations She plunged into IL,
IL could not hold her. though. Her eyes run
ming swiftly sions the print ate Up the pages,
but at the end OF the first chapter her mind
was blank. she tried another book. and an.
other and another. No uses the hour had struck.
sni on her recognition OF the fact tina, worry
forged chest pulled up Its anchor. floated
straight up TO the surface OF her mind-eaught
immoyabiy there. She threw the book down.
angled her elbows ON tho window seat eupped
hsi chin In her hands and looked at the problem
square.
Yes. her visit TO the Eiwells had been COM
pl.ta failure, out OF the dozen young people
who formed the house party she alone was not
a success as a guest What was II that made her
different from other girls7 Or was she---o. was
she what Bob called dumb bird7
Why was II that the instant n boy entered
the room she turned tongue.tledy She liked
boys and how much she wanted them 10 like
her she could not tell Not that she desired
them 10 be mushy All shc asked was that they
pick her for a partner for tennis. for golf
above ALL for dancing. But II was obvious that
they liked 10 do none Of these things with her
on the other hand they liked much to do
them with Dora that they almost fought for
the privilege. What wns II Dora had that she
lacked? or what was II she had from which
Dora was free? In her heart she knew well
enough what her handicap was. Her inevitable,
her inescapahle. her horrible shyness! What
blight that shyness laid on her! II descended
the instant male tunder 20) entered the room
descended like fog-a fog so heavy. so
soRgy. so guey that II bound her body. choked
her speech. slowed her thought. mutsd her
vision.
Dora bore no such social burden.
In the two weeks that Lefty had spent, with
the Elwels--a two weeks In which the house
wac overrun with boys-Dora had always been
the dominating figure. Lefty. silent. heavy
ever thinking that In another instant she would
break into that stream Of chatter which flowed
In a starred rainbow colored torrent between
Dora and the boys-never once succeeded In
doing II. II was az though she were piece Of
furniture standing inert there. What was the
quality in Dora that produced the flutter. chat.
ter. laughter? why hadn't she II?
In the meantime wan dusk, attended by a
pale crescent of new moon. tentatively descend
ed. Out side Letty's window the linden kept up
it's friendly murmur, poured on her It's delicious
perfume. syringa bush, in the tiny slit OF
garden across the way, waited odorous welcome.
single spear point OF diamond tipped silver
pricked through the sky. Suddenly the sky
surged waves of stars. cool evening slid into
Ut" place OF the warm DAY. A group or cnlidreL
making the most of the meager hour before bed
tine. materalized from nowhere
A trio OF girls, welded by their interlocked
arms into one group, walked up and down.
Pairs Of absorbed lovers passed Fragments OF
their talk, strangely close, flew in at Lettys
window. They deepened a strain of melancholy
that wound in and out Of Lettys reflections.
Some girls were not only social failures at
first, but all their lives. Social success had
nothing to do with being pretty. wearing charm
Ing clothes, having nice family and a delight.
full home. She herself had so much. In boarding
school, for instance. she had even rated higher
than Dora for looks. How could she avoid
rea alising that, when everybody told her So
And indeed. she knew she was not plain 1t :
all came down again to that something, ?,
pact OF flutter, chatter. laughter, that Dora
had and she hadn't.
There were other things girl could do
social settlement and charitable work. Hadn't
she better make up her mind now to retire
from the world and devote herself to the poor?
She had always hoped that she might marry
a family-a quite large fam
iy--two boys and two girls. But manifestly
she could not marry unless somebody asked her.
Equally nobody would ask her unless he fell In
love with her. And he couldn't fall in love II
he didn't even notice that she was In the room!
She must signal to him that she was there!
But she had no signals--not single one 1t
must be, she decided, retirement from the
world, service to the poor. She ptied babies
most and old people. But oh, never to swim or I
play tennsh or dance agan
A tear splashed off the round OF her cheek.
Others followed She put her arms down on the
window sill and her head on her arm. Gradually
the romping children retired from the street.
The gggling girls withdrew. But all the time
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