The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-19
CHAPTER VII
~HE device Of the absentee part
H. ner has the defect that it can
u - -. 100000 FOR LONGER. than

" HE device OF Lne dDSeLtSe pa l
H. ner has the defect that it can
= not be employed for longer than
ten or fifteen minutes at time, and
It may not be reported more than
twice in one evening; q single reped-
ton, indeed, IS weak, and may prove
n betrayal. Alice knew that her
present performance could be effective
during only this interval between
dances; and though her eyes were
guarded, she anxiously counted over
the partnerless young man who
lounged together in the doorways
within her view. Every one Of them
ought to have asked her for dances,
she thought, and although she might
have been put to It to give reason
Why any of them ought" her heart
was hot with resentment against
them.
For a girl who has been a belle, it
IS harder to live through these bad
times than It IS for one who has
never known anything better. Like a
figure of painted and brightlyo var
nfshed wood, Ella Bowling sat against
ths wall through dance after dance
with CLASSY tmperturbaOthty 1t was
easier to be wooden, Alice thought, II
you had your mother with you, as FL
Ia had. You were left with at least
the shred Of a pretense that you
came to sit with your mother SIS a
spectator, and not to offer yourself to
be danced with by men who looked
you over and rejected you-not for
the first time Not for the first
time; there lay a stingl Why had
you thought this time might be dlf-
ferent from the other times? Why
had you broken your back picking
those hundreds Of violets?
Hating the fatuous young men in
the doorways more bitterly for every
instant that she had to maintain her
tableau, the smiling Alice knew fierce
impulses to spring to her feet and shout
at them: You idiotsI' Hands IN peck
cts, they lounged against the pilasters'
or faced one another. laughing vague
", each one Of them seeming to
Alice no more than SO much mean
beef In clothes. She wanted to tell
them they were no better than that;
and It seemed a cruel thing Of
heaven to let them go on believing
themselves young lords. They were
doing nothing, killing time Wasn't
she at her lowest value at least a
means OF killing time? Evidently the
mean beeves thought not And when
one Of them finally lounged across the
corridor and spoke to her, he was the
very one to whom she preferred her
loneliness.
Waiting for somebody. Lady
Aucia2'' he asked. negligently; and his
easy burlesque Of her name was Ike
the familiarity Of the rest Of him.
He was one of those full-bodied,
grossly handsome men who are pow.
erful and active, but never submit
themselves to the rigOr Of becoming
athletes, though they shoot and fish
from expensive camps. Gloss is the
most shining outward mark OF the
type. Nowadays these men no longer
use brilliantine on their mustaches,
but they have gloss bought from
manicure girls, from masseurs, and
from automobile makers; and their
eyes, usually large, are glossy. None
of this Is allowed to interfere with
business; these are good business
men," and often make large fortunes
They are men Of imagination about
two things-women and money, and.
combining their imaginings about
both. usually make a wise, first mar
rage. Later, however. they are apt
TO imagine too much about some lit
tie woman without whom life seems
duHer than need be. They run away,
leaving the first wife we'll enough
lowered They are never fnten-
tionalIy unkind to women. and in the
end they usually make the mistake
Of thinking they have had their mon
ey's worth Of life Here was Mr.. Har-
vey Malone. a young specimen in an
earlier stage Of development, trying
TO marry Henrietta Lamb, and now
sauntering over to speak to Alice, as
a time-killer before his next dance
with Henrietta.
Alice made no response to his ques-
ton. and he dropped lazily into the
vacant chair, from which she sharply
withdrew her hand. ct might as we'll
use his chair till he comes, don't you
think? You don't mind. do you, old
grip
ooh, no." Alice said. TT doesn't
matter one way or the other. Please
don't call me that"
$50 that's how you feel7" Mr.. Ma
lone laughed indulgently. without
much interest. I've been meaning to
come TO see you for a long time
honestly have-because I wanted to
have a good talk with you about old
times. I know you think it was
funny, after the way I used to come
to your house two or three times a
week, and sometimes oftener-weIl. 1
don't blame you for being hurt. the
way stopped without explaining or