Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-11-30
XVI tcontInued)

Elinor Goodrich. Mabel Law
renee. Polly Vane. Isabel Ruyler
Ellen de Lacey. Louise Provost.
She had been so intimate with all
Of them, not only in the school
room but when they were all in
Society together. Now only her
somewhat cynical sense Of anticipa-
ton mitigated utter boredom at the
thought Of meeting them again OF
the other six she had still wagner
memories, although she recalled
having heard that the beauty Of her
own last season. Lily Armstrong,
had married one of the Tracys.
She also was to be at the luncheon
What on earth was she 10 talk 10
them about at the table? She
could hardly tell them the story
they expected before the servants.
That would be for the later hour in
the drawing-room- would it be
in'that absurd old room of James
upstairs?
She recalled Elinor Tracy Good.
rich) and her enthusiastic admIra'
ton, which she had accepted as a.
matter-of-course and given little
beyond amiable tolerance in return.
AS she had told Clavering, she was
not a woman's woman She hoped
Nelly had outgrown "gush." For
some ten years after her marriage
she had met her from time to time
abroad, but she had not seen her
for so long that she doubted II she
would recognize her II they passed
on the street, The only one of her
old friends for whom she retained
either interest or affection waI
Jane Oglethorpe, who ten years
older than herself. with a com
manding personality unfolding rap
idly at the dawn OF their intimacy,
had attracted deeply but subtly her
own. untried force OF character and
ruthless win. Embarrassment over.
she had enjoyed their long hour to
gether, and was glad to renew their
intimacy, to find that her OLD
friends warm affection had lost
nothing with years. And she had
found her more interesting than IN
her youth
She sighed a little as she looked
back on her long hours Of almost
unbroken solitude In this old hOase
She had been comparatively happy
at irst-a blessed interval of rest
and peace in this marvelously
wealthy and prosperous city where
the poor were kept out Of sight a
ana where one never saw a gaunt
wonan's appealing eyes. or enact
atcd ragged children Those TN
troubled hours had fed for ever
and establishment, impoteut fury
md dire mental conflict had fol
lowed, hut nevertheless she had
dreamed-dreamed and been glad
of her freedom from social and all
other duties. Now. probably these
Women and many more would
swarm here.
E. Iler mouth twisted as her maid
helped her into the soft gray coat
trimmed with blue fox Ordeal
That would come on Saturday
night. No wonder she was merely
amused ana totally Indifferent to-
day!
When she arrived at the house in
Gramercy Park, purposely late, To
give her entrance the effect Mrs
Oglethorpe had commanded. she
beard an excited buzz of voices in
the drawing room as she was being
relieved OF her wrap AS she en-
tered 1t ceased abruptly and she
heard several hardly perceptible
gasps. But the pause, before they
all crowded about her, was 100
brief to be noticeable. and they
shook her hand heartily or kissed
her warmly. II their eyes were
perhaps too studiously expression
less their words and manner might
have been those Of old friends wei
coming back one who had been
tong absent and nothing more. Con.
hicting emotions, born Of undying
femininity, were not evident for the
moment Mrs Goodrich cried on.
at once how wonderfully we'll she
looked, Mrs. Lawrence asked II she
had stopped in Paris for her
clothes. and Mrs Vane if she found
New York much changed. Nothing
could have gone off better
Mrs Oglethorpe, in old pile black
relYet as usual, with front and
high-boned collar of yellow rose
poinl lace, stood in the background
Matching the comedy with frank
serdonic grin. If her guests had
been iaithless to the traditions in
which they had been bred, she
would have felt angry and ashamed.
hGi the automatic manner in which
fhey rose to the occasion and took
tae blow standing (Mrs. Oglethorpe
often ildulged in the vernacular OF
her son, her Janet, and her Leel
.oi 49,. ,ooiy NTH ei1out m irf u