The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-09-28

: so vaguely made II seemed to hel
and to wear 1t at all she had to dives
herself altogether of the upper par
!. Of her coarse underwear. Then
/. seemed to her startlingly inadequate
. even as an undergarment. However
the robe did go over 1t, and she drew
that close and belted 1t in. 1t wal
provided with long sleeves and fel
to her ankles. She thrilled at the de
: lightful clinging softness Of silk stock
fngs and for the first time admired
her long, round ankles and shapely
feet. The Chinese slippers amused
her, but they were beautiful, all en-
broidered with flowers and dragons.
She felt she must look very queer,
indeed, and went to the mirror. What
she saw there surprised her because
1t was so strange. SC different. Pierre
had not dealt In compliments. His
woman was his woman and he loved
her body. To praise this body, sur
rendered In love to him. would have
been impossible to the reverence and
reserve of his passion.
/ Now Joan brushed and coiled her
hair. Then, starting toward the door
at Wen Hos announcement of Din
ner, lady" she was quite suddenly
overwhelmed by shyness. From head
70 foot for the first time in all her
life she was acutely conscious of her
self.
On that evening Prosper began to
talk. 1t was Joan's amazing beauty
as she stumbled wretchedly into the
circle of his freight, her neck drawn
up to its full length. her head crowned
high with soft, black masses, her lids
dropped under the weight of shyness,
vivid fright in her dIstended pupils,
scarlet In her cheeks-Joan's beauty
of long, strong lines draped to advan-
tage for the first time in soft and
clinging fabrics--that touched the
spring of Prosper's delighted egotism.
He told anecdotes, strange adven-
lures; he drew his own inverted NOR
ais; he sketched his fantastic opin-
ions; he was in truth fascinating, a
speaking face, a 1.-THE, brilliant pres
ence, a voice of edged persuasion. !
She drew herself up straight In the I
big red-lacquered chair. slipped her
coffee in dainty imitation of him, gave
him the full, deep tribute of her gaze,
asked for no explanations and let the
astounding statements he made, the
amazing pictures he drew, cut their
way indelibly into her most sensitive
and preserving memory.
Afterward, at night, for the first
time, she did not weep for Pierre the
old lost Pierre who had so changed
into torturer, but, wakeful, her brain
was on fire, she pondered over and
over the things she had just heard,
feeling after their meaning, laying
aside for future enlightenment what
was utterly incomprehensible, arguing
With herself as to the truth of half
speeches-an ignorant
,hild wrestling with a modern philos-
'phy, tricked out in motley by !
eady wit
He gave her pretty things" whole
Quantities of them, fine linen to be
made up into underwear soft white
nd colored silks and crepes, which
oan, remembering the few lessons IN
ressmaking she had had from Maud J
Ipper, and with scme advice from
'rosper, made up not too awkwardly, q
ccepting the mystery OF them as one ;,
{ Prosper's magic-makings. And. In :
ne meantime, her education went on. :.
rosper read aloud to her, tutored her, .
,olded her so fiercely sometimes that =
Dan would mount scarlet cheeks and
pen angry eyes. One day she fairly G
ung her book from her and ran out r,
the room, stamping her feet and a.
ieuoing tears. But oack she came 81
'esently for more, thirsting for knowl-
lge. eager to meet her trainer on
ore equal grounds to be able to an Q,
yer him to some purpose. to contra of
ct him. to stagger ever so slightly til
e self-assurance Of his superiority. di
And Prosper enjoyed the training
his captive leopardess, though he
metlmes all but melted over the ct
thos Of her and had much ado to w
ep his hands from her unconscious IN
ung beauty. pl
M
It was a January night when Joan,
r rough head almost in the ashes, 20,
d read isabella and the Pot of ON
sill by the light of flames. 1t was 40
March. a gray. still afternoon. when,
king through Prosper's bookcase,
3 came upon the tale again. op
Prosper was outdoors cutting a tun- ac'
!. freshly blocked with snow. and ne
IN, having finished the Life of ca,
linl," a writer she loathed, but
ose gorgeous fabricatlons her mas
had forced her to read, now hur- uel
to the bookshelves in search Of cit.
nethlng more to her taste. She had OF
gay air Of a holiday-seeker, re- pip
ned "Cell;ni" with a smart push, ,
|, kneeling, ran her finger along the
nmes, pauslng on a binding Of
yht blue-and-gold. 1t was the color VII
I had pleased her and the fat, oo'
are shape, also the look Of fair &