Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-03

i"iHh and peonles concealed electric
rams which were suspended from the
ceiling. In the midr. Of the strong
wind OF the whirlins fans. the dan
GERS in the two long drawJng-rooms
appeared TO be blown violently In
circles and eddies. like colorcd
leaves In high wind. For few
minutes after Stephen had entered.
tho roomn seemed 20 him merely a
brilliant haze. where the revolving
figures appeared and vanished like
the colOrs o! Kaleidoscope. Near
the door he becam" aware of the re-
splendid form of his hostess. sta
toned appropriately againat n back
ground OF peonies. and after she had
greeted him with absent minded cor
diality. he passed with Margaret In
the direction of tho LAUNDERING
sounds which came from the bank
%. ferns behind which the musicians
were hidden.
Shall wc try this?" he shouted In
20 Mnrgarets car.
She shook her head. ITS one OF
those horrid new things" Her high,
clear tones pierced tho din Nike the
music OF flute. Lets walt until
they play something nice. hate
jazz"
Sho was looking very pretty In
lands OF tiny rosebuds on the skirt;
md he thought. rs ne looked at her.
that II she had only been n trlae legs
fastidious and refined. she might
easily have won tho reputation OF
beauty Nothing hut n delicate su-
periority to the aec in which she
had boon horn, stood in the way Of
her success. Sixty years ago. In
modest crinolincs. she might have
ma ia hirtn Il
ably have been fought for her favor.
But other times. other tastes, he re-
nected.
For the rest OF tho dance. they sat
scdatcly between two bay trees In
green tubs that occupied a corner 81
the room. Then something nicer"
started-a concession to Mrs fiar-
rison's mother, who shared MarGa-
rets disapproval of jazz-and step
hon and Margaret driftcd slowly out
among the revolving couples. After
the third dance. relief appeared n
the person Of tho young cleryma n.
who had come 10 look on: and icav-
ing Margaret with him between the
bay trees. stephen started eagerly to
search for Patty where the dancers
we're thickest.
Across the room. he had already
caught glimpse OF Corinna, In a
uuccnly gown OF white and sllvcr
brocade. She had stopped dancing
now: and standing. between Alice
Rokeby and John Benham. she was
:iancinG brightly about her. while
she waved slowly fan OF white
ostrich plumcs. Among all these
fresh young girls. she could easily
hold her own. not because OF her
beauty. hut because OF that deeper
fascination which she shed like
light or a perfume. She had the
something more than beauty which
these girls lacked and could never
ncquire--a legendary nnchantment.
the air OF romance. Was this the
result. he wondered now, OF what
she had missed in life rather than OF
what she had attained? Was II be-
cause she had never lived completely.
because she had preferred the dream
20 the vent. because she had desired
and rcfraincd. because she hah
missed both enchantmcnt and dis
enchantmcnt--was IL because ~ the
profound inadepuacy or experience.
that she had been able 10 keep nm
dimmed the glow of her iovclincsa?
II was not that she looked young, he
realized while he watched her. but
that she looked agelcss and Immor-
tai. Il creature OF the spirit, While
he Eazcd at her across the VIOLENT
whirl of coiors in the ballroom. he
remembered the evening star shin
ing silver white in the afterglow.
Perhaps. who could tell. she may
have had the best that life had to
give?
Making his way. with difficulty.
through the thronE. he followed Co
rinna's protecting gaze. until he saw
that II rested on Alice Rokeby. who
was wearing dress that reminded
him of wild hyacinths. For a mo-
ment. the sight OF this other woman's
face. with it's soft. hungry eyes, and
It's expression OF passive and unre-
sis,ing sweetness. gave him a start
OF surprise. and he found himself
knocking awkwardly against one OF
the dancers. Something had hap
pened to her. Something had re-
stored II only for an evening. the
peculiar grace. the appealing pretti-
ness. TOO trivial and indefinite for
beauty. which he recalled wildly
now. though for the last year or two
he had almost forgotten that she
ever possessed il. Yes. something
had changed her She looked to-
night as she used to look before he
went away, with faint flush over
her whole face and those soft flower
tlhc eyes. Utica diIllT InS!N 10 some
man, to any man except Herbert
Rokeby. Then. as he discntangled
himself from the whirl. and went to-
ward Corinna. she came a step or
two forward. and left John Benham
and Alice Rokeby together
Everything is going WELL" she
said; and he noticed. for the first
time, that her charming smile was
tinged with irony. as il the humor
of the show. not the drama, were
holding her attention. II am having
a beautiful time"
He glanced over her shoulder.
What have you done to Mrs. Roke-
by"
She shook her head. with n laugh
which. he surmiscd sympathetically,
was less merry than II sounded.
THAT is my secret. / have IL magic
you kHow-but she looks well.
doesn't she? | did her hair myself.
II you could have seen the way she
had 1t arranged! That dress Is very
ecoming, | think. 1t makes her eyes
look like frosted violets. Her APP
pearancc is n success-but More
brain. o Lord more BRAIN"
do you suppose that type will
ever pass?" he asked.
She met his inuuirinS look with
eyes that were golden in the colore,,
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