Omaha daily bee., 1922-06-01
- The -
Dancing Master
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Meta hesiisied; then suddenly she
asked; why didn', you marry Neil
FameFF
Elizabeth WINGED,
Il dida'i care ior him, couldn't,
He was ever so kind-and I'm AFRAID
! hurt him dreadiully,"
Meta laughed.
"lle's running alter an actress now,
my dear; ! don, think you damaged
linn very much"
Elizabeth looked away. She had
not cared Tor Farmer. or wished "a
marry him. but II hurt somehow %
know that he had so soon forgotten
thar he loved her.
Was every one the same, she won
dered, Was there no such thing as
oonstaney or true love IN the woFlds
so you're not married to any
one" Meta said blun,ly.
"No."
Nor engaged
"No,'
Then why on earth didn't YOU
answer Pats letter. There MAS
angry evaporation IN Aelia's voice.
you nigh, have written even II you
had changed your mind
Elizabeth turned scarlet, and her
breath came fast. "Wha, do you
mean, never had a leiter--he never
wrote TO me. | haven't seen him or
heard from him ior--for i've months,
oh. Meta. wha, do you mean"
Meta shrugged her shoulders.
"I,'s uo business OF mine she said
usually. "But he did write! lie
wrote from Paris As soon as he could /:
he sen, the letter TO you at the Sem
cs,is woman's. /, was the only ad-
dress he knew"
Il never had it! never had t!'
Elizabeth said wildly. She was
,rembling from head to foot. III he
did write, madame never sent !, oh to
me-oh, indeed. never had IT,"
Meta made a little grimace.
"lts odd how letters so as'ray
sometimes" she said drily. How
ever. il you say you never had it
"You know never did! should
have wri,ten-I should have written
Elizabeths voice was hoarse with
emotion: er'lips quivered so that she
could hardly form her words.
Ne,ta's eyes grew more kindly
"Wel. don't get so upset" she
said "Here-I'll take you back to
my place for some tea. It's only a
tiny furnished Hat--but it's all we
could get, and we're going abroad
soon. so | don't bother much
She hailed a passing taxi ard bup-
died Elizabeth into it unce. :moni-
ously. :.
"You look i'll. you know she sa d.
with blunt kindliness. I'm sorry
il l upset you, but was wild at the
time-I thought you'd changed your
mind. and didn't care for him after
all. He thought so, too, | know-l
, never saw anyone so hard hit as he
was when you didn't write; but. OF
course, if the letter never reached
you
Elizabeth shook her head: she
could not trust herself to speak, and
for a few moments Meta sat staring
mest Of the window. frowning.
Presently she said abruptly:
Hes doing quite we'll now, you
know. The French people seemed
to like him as soon as he got over
there. and some old French count
ess. or whatever she was, took him
under her wing and made every one
90 to him to be taught.
tShe made him the fashion in three
months, and now he's doing ever SO
we'll"
I'm glad-I'm very glad" Eliz-
abeth said family.
. He wanted to chuck it all up
when YOU never answered his letter.
Meta went on. He would have
done it il it hadn't been for me-
made him stick to it, she laughed
, apologetically. 81 told him that
there were as good FISH in the sea
as any that had been caught used
to hope he would forget you, ane
take fancy to some one else. He.
wife"
Elizabeth looked up; her face wa!
drawn and peaked; she could not u
derstand why Meta seemed so dellb
crately trying to hurt her.
"Oseht to have a wife" she echoec
mirthlessly. "How can he when HI
is married already?"
Meta turned sharply.
SYMarried" she CALCULATED; sh'
stared helplessly at Elizabeth, then
"My Godl Didn't you know Emit
was dead?" she asked blankly.
.'Deadv" Elizabeth's lips forme'
the word, but no sound escaped her
she closed her eyes-shc felt as # al
the breath had been forced from
4 her body by the sudden shock; tn
sunhole world seemed to recede, leav
inP her in space Of mists and III,
realities.
Then slowly she struggled bacl
to consciousness, to find Meta cry
ing remorsefully and chafug he
hands.
"You poor kid! l was so sure yo
must know! Don't you ever read tn
PAPERS? Didn't anyone tell you
She's been dead three month -
was an accident. She Away
took stuff to make her sleep, an
she took an overdose. OF
what a fool l am-what a clums
fcol!"
Elizabeth tried hard to recove
herself. but she was shaking in ever
limb; it was some time before sh
could find her voice, then she sal
brcathlessly:
SIN all right now-quite a
right" Then suddenly she brok
down into bitter sobbing: "Oh, wh
didn't | know! Why didn't