The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-12-24

I know you for a gay deceiver-
mother is always using those old
expressions that were the fashion
in her-and Mary Ogden's-day.
hear you ever: made love to
our fair hostess until you found
cut the truth and then you
dropped her like a hot potato
or a cold fish. I was surprised
when she told me you were COM
ing here tonight, and asked her
ut once to seat us three together
so that Anne and I could save
you from feeling embarrassed
not that told her that, Of
course. 1 merely said we were
such old friends we would nat
urally have q thousand things 20
talk about. She didn't turn :,
hair; I'll say that much for her.
But perhaps she thinks she's
playing you on a long string
She's playing several poor fish
who are here tonight
Should he tell her? He really
could stand no more. He hadn'-
a doubt that the same rumor that
had driven Janet to her crude
attempt to compromise him and
then blast her rival with naked
words, had reached these two
older and cleverer, but hardly
subtler girls. and they had joined
forces to disencnant him and
make him feel the misguided
young man they no doubt be
lieved him to be. He hated them
both. They had that for their
pains. He'd never willingly see
one of them again.
His Desire
He longed to blurt out the
truth. But his was not the right
He glanced over at Madame Eat
Iiany. who sat in the middle of
tie tables length, receiving the
intent homage Of the men on
other side Of her and looking
more placid than any other
woman in the room It
occurred to him that the rest
were animated to excess. even
the wives Of those two men, to
whom, it was patent. they were
nonexistent. He would have given
his play at that moment to be
able to stand up and ask the
company to drink his health and
hers.
For few mor1ents he was left
10 himself, both Marian and Anne
being occupied with their neigh
bors, and during these moments
he sensed an atmosphere of hos
tility. Of impending danger. Fl
caught more Than one malicious
glance directed al Mary. and once
Il man, in response to a whis-
pered remark, burst into uncon.
tiollable laughter. Had these
women come herc-but that was
impossible. Even New York had
it's limits. They might be icily
Jude to a pushing outsider, as
indeed they had every right %
tie. but never to one Of their
own. Still-to this alarmed
generation possibly Madame
Zattiany was nothing more than
foreign woman who had
stormed the gates and reduced
them to a mere background. The
fact that she had belonged to
their mothers generation and had
abruptly descended to theirs was
enough to arouse every instinct
of seIf-defense. He quite under
stood they must hate her, but in
spite Of that common enmity his
sensitive mind apprehended.
they'd surely commit no over
act of hostility. Like all their
kind, they were adopts in the
art Of freezing out" He had
no doubt they had come here
from mere curiosity and that
he would shortly hear they had
ceased to entertain or receive her
But he wished the dinner were
over
He was soon enlightened.
Marian Lawrence leaned across
the table. "Oh, Madame Eat
tiany! Will you settle a dispute?
Harry and l have been arguing
about Disrael. Your husband
ceased to entertain or receive her.
Did you happen to be at the Ber-
lin What d'you .call-it?"
"Oh, no" replied Madame Eat
tiany. with open amusement. II
was still Mary Ogden in eighteen
seventy eight"
"Oh! The seventies and eight
les are all one to me, I'm afraid
I'm shockingly ignorant. But
we've all been saying that you
ought to write your memoirs
Thirty-four years of diplomatic
life in Europe! You must have
met everyone worth knowing and
II Un1I16 10