The Washington times., 1923-12-13

himself. Her initial revelation
had left the deeper and more per-
sonal part in him stunned, and
he was listening to her with
certain detachment. So far she
had revealed little that Dinwiddie
had not tol him already, and
as he knew that this brief re-
capitulation of her earlier life was
not prompted by vanity he could
only wonder If it were the sug-
gestive preface to that secret
volume at which Dinwiddie had
limited more than once.
AS she continued silent, he got
suddenly to his feet. "I'll walk
up and down a bit, If you don't
mind" he muttered. I'm rather
-ah-getting rather cramped."
DO" she said indifferently.
please go on. am deeply
Interested"
She continued In a particularly
level voice while he strode un-
evenly up and down: "Of course
the time came when ugly memo
ries faded, my buoyant youth as
serted itself and wanted love.
And when a woman feels a cry
ing need to love as well as to be
loved, her whole being a peremp-
tory demand, unsatisfied romance
quickening, she is not long find
ing the man. I had many to
choose from. I made my choice
and was happy for a time. AL
though had been brought up in
the severest respectability-
recall Jane Oglethorpe, Mrs. .Vane.
Mrs. Ruyler, and you will be able
to reconstruct the atmosphere
several of the women I had
known as a girl had lovers, It
seemed to me that American
women came to Europe for no
other purpose, and was now
living at the fountain-head of
polite license. Not that I made
any apologies to myself. I should
have taken a lover If had
wanted one had virtue been the
fashion. And the contract with
my husband had been dissolved
by mutual consent. The only
thing that rebelled was my pride.
hated stepping down from my
pedestal"
FOrtificatiOn
Clavering gave a short barking
laugh. "Your arrogance is the
most magnificent thing about. you,
and that is saying moro than
could otherwise express. I'll
fortify myself before you proceed
further, If you will permit" He
poured himself out a drink, and
returned to his chair with the
glass in his hand. pray go on"
She had not turned her head
and continued to look into the
fire. She might have been
posing to a sculptor for a bust
that would hardly look more like
marble when finished.
II soon discovered that I had
not found happiness. Men want.
They rarely love. I realized that
1 had demanded in love far more
than passion, and received moth
ing else.
Il am not going to tell how
many lovers had. 1t is none
Of you business"
"Ah"' Clavering, staring at her,
had forgotten his first shock.
everything but her living pres.
ence; forgotten also that he had
once apprehended something of
the sort, then dismissed it from
his mind. He split the whiskey
over the arm of the chair, then
sprang to his feet and began to
pace the room once more.
She went on calmly: "Disap-
pointment does not mean the end
OF seeking They gave me
little that wanted. They were
clever and adroit enough in
the prelude. They knew how
to create the Illusion that in
them alone could be found the
fulfillment of all aspiration and
desire. No doubt they salts.
fled many women. but they could
not satisfy me. They gave me
little I did not find in the mere
society Of the many brilliant and
accomplished men with whom
was surrounded. l had a rama.
cious mind, and there was annie
satisfaction for it in the men
who haunted my salon and were
constantly to be met elsewhere.
European men are instrJits.
They ara interested IN every vital
subject, intellectual and political.
despite the itch Of amor, their
deliberate cult OF sex. They like
to talk. Conversation is an art.
My mind was never uncompan.
ioned. But that deeper spiritual
rapacity, one offspring of pas
sion, as 1t NAV be, they could
not satisfy; for love with them is
always too confused with animal