Evening star., 1923-01-21

moment on her way out every morn
ing for the feeling of sheer affluence
that it gave her to be living in an at
niosphere of such taste and luxury.
Honestly" Sara thought one even
ing in her tiny room, when you have
just one outfit it's as much trouble to
you as twins with the collie
\ Thewhole effect was lost unless the
outfit was fawlesg. The smart black
dress must be pressed every day or
two, and one bill from the Leonia
valet had been enough to warn her
against him forever. Laundry pre-
sented another difflculty. No longer
did Sara have a stationary tub and a
husky Ethiopian who knew how to
use it, arriving every other Thursday.
The cheap laundries, she quickly dis
covered. were too hard on dainty
underclothes, the French hand laun-
dries so expensive that she soon made
the eternal feminine compromise:
bought herself a ting ironing board.
which she concealed in her almost as
tiny closet, and spent her evenings at
home in washing and ironing.
Sara, be it said to her credit, man
aged well. No evidence of these sur
reptitious economies ever passed the
doorway OF her little room. She
stepped into the softly carpeted
Eeonia hall, slimly groomed. grace
full, luxurious little person.
1.-THE next week end you're in town."
she told Wheeler. you must come
and dance at my hotel. They have .
dinner dance every Saturday. Oh.
yes" very casually. 1--WE moved DOWN
town to the Leonia for awhile, any
| way. It's really much more conven-
lent
Wheeler's nod, thoroughly matter
the success of Sara's bluff. She fitted
| into the Leonia background like a
Van Dell bottle into a James painting.
1t was at the Leonia, introduced by
| casual woman acquaintance, that
Sara met Carter. Carter was very
| rich, very dull bachelor of perhaps
| forty-fve, who also lived at the
Leonia. 1t is the irony OF such things
| that Carter, after having lodged
feminine pursuers successfully for
| some twenty-odd years, should take
| to pursuing Sara, humb1y, respect
fully. Harrington wheeler soon be-
came jealously aware Of Carter; the
dull little man was much in evidence.
| why is this Carter always hanging
| around your" Wheeler demanded dur
ing one Of the Leonia's Saturday
evening dances.
1 "I really couldn't say Sara smiled
| with demure mischief. 'It may be
that he's trying to marry me for my
| money"
TT may be, at that" Wheeler
warned her. Just because a man
has plenty of money himself doesn't
always keep him from liking wife
who brings her own
''Oh." said Sara.
Then for some minutes she was very
quiet. sick understanding swept
over her. Harrington Wheeler thought
she was rich. He thought, doubtless
that she was one of the thousands OF
young women throughout the coun-
try. with independent incomes. who
are working for the novelty or inter
i est Of 1t alone. or course, Vesey
frocks, a room in the Leonia, $50 hats
these are not the common portion
of the self dependent young business
i woman.
i - doesn't always keep q
man from liking = wife who brings
her own"
| Had wheeler spoken merely In
4 generalities, or. was his statement
like most statements. founded on ,hia
own convictions and tastes? Certain
/ facts came back to Sara uneasily. He
had never noticed her at all when she
had worn her plain blue serge and
had lpoksd her own parts poor SIR
slAnxniaG ~. osva ltSteas So hl4