The Lambertville record., 1923-09-21


remember detail of her dress; mex
pensive, II would be that. The care
of her mother must absorb most of her
salary.
He had spoken of her good taste.
exercised in the direction of special
ties for automobiles; that was splen-
did, but 1t wasn't her best quality; she
was principally remarkable for the
energy of her mind, her energy and a
quality of determination. of--of cour-
age. But, at last. she was showing
the effects of this; or. as he had said,
perhaps she was only tired. He would
make her take a rest: he'd shut the
office. close It down. he thought ex-
travagantly. II he couldn't get her
away by other means
As II was, he paid Miss Conifee as
much as he could get her to accept
She had positively refused a further
raise. He wished. vaInly, that Nsnine
and Miss Conlfee might be closer to
each other, as close as possible
but on Nanlne's account. This desire
suddenly recalled to him the startling
fact that Miss Conifee, except, once
when he had been Ill. to take dicta-
ton, had never been in his house. The
Conifees. mother and daughter, had
rooms In the congested city, but his
house was In a suburb. where It was
restful. quiet and green.
His customary train of late after
noon carried him for forty minutes
through the city to its outskirts and
the development of which his home
was part. Eldreda was outside, in
a deep wicker chair, absorbed in
magazine of the moving picture world.
She was nineteen, had large, appeal
ing eyes. a spectacular pile of natu-
rally blonde hair, and she had taken
third prize in a beauty contest con
Quoted by Just such magazine as
she was reading.
The photograph of her upon which
this triumph had been based, greatly
enlarged, hung prominently on the
wall IN the living room. In 1t her frm
shoulders were draped In a precari-
ously Informal seeming piece Of silk,
her hair was dressed TO It's utmost ef
fectiveness: and the celebrated, the APP
nealing, eyes regarded the world with
an Innocent and tender surprise. Her
mouth the photographer had softened
In shadow.
She nodded TO her father, and in
stantly returned TO the page before
her Eldreda, he knew, was cross be
hn I,,fs HnI
mia in order TO complete the success
so ausplclously begun. Sending her
He went on into the house. and up
TO Nanine's and his room. His wife
was reclining on couch. Since she
had grown so fat she found II nee
essary TO rest great deal That fat
ness had come upon her so overwhelm-
ingly that any vestige Of struggle had
heen doomed from the first. She had
simply expanded until she resembled
an inflated earieature Of Eldreda.
There you are" she said languldly
YES. here am" he agreed; "I
thought, maybe. Nanine, the evening
was SO fine we'd all take little ride
after supper"
at blows my hair she answered.
without interest, "and that back seat
is too short To say nothing of FL
dreda's complexion"
"Now look here" he cried, i've
heard enough about that back seat
and Eldreda's complexion and your
hair. There's nice l,Trle limousine
fixed up and the owner can't pay for
Well I can get il right and I'm going
TO buy IT for you girls How's that
heyi"
at might be good and then II
mightn't" she told him; at depends
If It roars inside. II II does 1t will
hurt my head"
I'D hate to think over the times my
heads been hurt through roaring" he
retortcd. with display Of spirit "and
there is another thing | got to speak
of--that's Eldreda. I'm not going to
give her three thousand dollars to 60
to California with, and she might as
well stop posing and posturing !
amt a camera, amt director, and
It'll get her nowhere"
"Sooner or later" Nanine asserted
"What do YOU mean?" he demanded
heatedly.
Genius win Re justified" she
added emphatically.
Suddenly he felt absolutely helpless
nothing he could say would move, af
feet his wife, nothing touch his daugb-
ter. II might be wiser Ia give Eldreda
the money at once, TO speed her into
the West, TO the acclaim and fortune
so surely--in her estimation and her
understanding for her,
"Now If was West could get
about more" Nanine asserted The
weather there, they say, ls elegant.
This was new phase Of the western
project and he was startled at the pos
sibIIitles II opened Did she mean that
she would GO out with Eldreda, he
asked Nanlne did He could spend
the winters with them.
"Who would run the business, pay
for so much?' This question. very
silently, he answered for himself Miss
Conlfee She could. very nearly, al
most, do just that But not quite; II
was the combination Of Miss Conlfee
and himself that was so potent
The memory of the WEAKNESS he
had discerned in his secretary came
back to trouble him. She had grown
visibly older In the past year The
day had stayed warm into evening
and they. NanIne and Eldreda and he,
were seated on the porch. There was
an illusory glimmer Of moonlight, at
Intervals there was a faint star in the
locust trees along the sidewalk, and
the ingratiating subdued ripple Of n
piano. At irregular intervals Eldreda
sighed exploslvely. agonized with the