The Washington herald., 1922-02-05

\ : 4 d r
the last touch to send her over
wrought nerves into shysteria.
Clasping the pink atroclty to her
breast, she rocked 70 and fro utter
ing peal after pea1 Of mirth until
Miss Carruthers came cunning in,
her efficiency for once forgotten IN
her alarm.
It wasn't until she had caimed
down under the ministrations of
her maid and secretary and lay ex-
hausted on the couch, a bottle of
violet salts at her nose, that Jeanne
began to wonder how she could ever
explain that awfui pink hen to her
servitors.
But. despite her. nervousness, her
quick brain was functioning, and
also constructed a plausible story
about the friend who had always
declared that he could get even
with her for practical Joke she
had once played on him. 1t was
such a good story that she resolved
to show VIC, and even some of her
most intimate friends Harrison's
naive gift and let them share the
laugh she had got from It.
The Final Charge.
| By the time she had her bath and
been coifed and powdered and per-
fumed In preparation for the dop-
ming Of her wedding gown, all traces
i of nervousness had vanished. She
was her cool, collected self; a gen.
eral deftly marshalling her facul-
ties for the final charge which
would carry her across all enemy
lines into q foreign country.
Adele Parkinson came futtering
in, whirl of peach -colored draper
les with a picture hat futtering
turquoise ribbon streamers.
Tive just got a letter from Henry
Harrison" she announced. "He
said to tell you that he wished you
happiness. and was too sorry that
he couldn't come on for your we'd
ding. Did he send you
anything"
Without waiting for an answer,
she flew to the mirror and began
to dab her cheeks with a powder
nun.
| MY goodness. I'm painted UP like
an Apache! I look like the blush.
ing bride herself. Jeanne, darling,
you're positively ravishing. don't
wonder poor Dicky is sulky as he
can be. What did he send?'
Gold filigree coffee cups" re-
sronded Jeanne absently, watching
Celeste adjust the swirl Of tulIe
that changed her from a fiesh-and-
blood woman into a mysterious eIfin
thing swaying in the mist
Have you heard from Vic this
! f1,nTninp ." AdnIa
AN early telephone call. yes"
smiled Jeanne. why? Did you
think he might have repented and
decamped overnight"
| Small chance" shifted the young
widow. IF ever any man was tied
to girls chariot wheel"
She dropped the powder puff ano
came over to Jeanne. suddenly
serious. Celeste had gone out to
fetch the bridal bouquet.
Jeanne. be good to him." said
Adele.
Jeanne laughed.
Aren't you rather transpnsinr
the usual phrase? Isn't that wha,
one generally enjoins the bride
| groom
| The Pact.
Adele made an impatient gesture
Once upon a time. yes. But
| that's an antediluvian theory
Nowadays one doesn't have to ask
man to be good to his wife-if
he Isn't good to her she bats him
over the head or goes to Reno.
No. my sympathy in a large num-
| ber of instances is with the BRIDE
| pToom. He can be made awfully
Unhappy in lots of ways that only
a woman can think OF. and he has
no redress. If he resents his wife's
treatment people call him a cad and
| brute. Vic is a darling, I've all
ways had soft spot in my heart
| for him. He adores you. worships
you. has staked his whole life on
you. Don't let him wake up. ever.'
Her earnestness dispelled the
| fiippant rejoinder that was on
Jeanne's lips. She reached out a
| hand through the folds Of her tulle
veil. and the two girls fingers
clasped. Each felt that IL was a
pact.
Time to leave for the church.
Miss Dare" announced Miss Car
ruthers briskly The car is wait
! ing"
"All ready" said Jeanne quietly.
| Come Adele"
Celeste wrapped her mistress in
the ermine cloak and slipped into
her own modest coat. She was to
follow in a cab to bear the i'm
mense bridal bouquet and arrange
the brides train and veil before
her progress down the aisle.
Jeanne went down the corridor
descended by the private elevator
went out through the private en-
trance of the hotel where. never
theless. gaping pedestrians had al
ready taken up their stand.
Her day of days! And at the end
of il. a man whom she didn't love-