The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-17
HEY stood near one of the wild

they had stopped. Other
couples, everywhere Joined
one another, forming vivacious
clusters, but none Of these groups
adopted the brother and sister, nor
did any one appear to be hurrying IN
Alice's direction to ask her for the
next dance. She looked about her,
still maintaining that jubilance OF
look and manner she felt so necessary
for it is to the girls who are having
a good time" that partners are at
tracted-and, in order to lend greater
colour to her representation OF a lively
belle, she began to chatter loudly,
bringing into play an accompaniment
of frolicsome gesture. She brushed
Walters nose saucily with the bunch
of violets in her hand. tapped him on
the shoulder, shook her pretty fore
finger in his face, flourished her arms,
kept her shoulders moving, and
laughed continuously as she spoke.
You naughty old Walter she
cried. Aren't you ashamed to be
such a wonderful dancer and then
only dance with your own little sis
ter! You could dance on the stage II
YOU wanted to. Why, you could
made your fortune that way! Why
don't YOU? Wouldn't it be just lovely
TO have all the rows and rows OF
people clapping their hands and
shouting, 'Hurrah! Hurrah, for Walter
Adamsl Hurrah! Hurrahi Hurrah.'
He stood looking at her in stolid
pity.
"Cut it out" he said. You better
be givin' some OF these berries the
eve so they'll ask you to dance"
She was not to be so easily checked,
and laughed loudly, flourishing her
vioIets in his face again. You would
like it: YOU know you would; you
needn't pretend, Just think! a whole
big audience shouting. 'Hurrah! Hur-
rah! Hur-
"The place II be pulled if you get
any noisier." ne interrupted, not un-
gently. Besides. I'm no muley cow
"a cow" she laughed. What
on earth"
Il can't eat dead vioIets," he ex-
rIained. so don't keep tryin' 70
make me do it."
subdued her; she abandoned her un-
sisterIy coquetries. and looked beam
inglv about her. but her smile was
more mechanical than it had been at
first.
At home she had seemed beautiful;
hut here. where the other girls com
peted. things were not as they had
been there. with only her mother and
Miss Perry to give contrast. These
crowds Of other girls had all done
their best, also, to look beautiful,
though not one of them had worked
so hard for such a consummation as
Alice had. They did not need to;
they did not need to get their
mothers to make old dresses over;
they did not need to hunt violets in
the rain.
At home her dress had seemed
beautiful; but that was different, too,
where there were dozens Of brilliant
fabrics, fashioned in new ways-some
Of these new ways startling, which
only made the wearers centers Of in
terest and shocked no one. And Alice
remembered that she had heard a girl
say, not long before, "Oh, organdie
Nobody wears organdie for evening
gowns except in midsummer" Alice
had thought little Of this; but as she
looked about her and saw no organdie
except her own, she found greater
difficulty in keeping her smile as
arch and spontaneous as she wished
it. In fact, it was beginning to make
her face ache a little
Mildred came in from the corridor
heavily attended. She carried a great
bouquet of violets laced with nlies-Of
the-valley; and the viOlets were lusty
big purple things, their stems wrapped
in cloth of gold, with silllen cords de.
pendent, ending in long tassels. Sh.
and her convoy passed near the two
young Adamses; and il appeared thai
one of the convoy besought his hostess
to permit cutting in they were do
ing it other places" of late, he urged
but he was denied and told to console
himself by holding the bouquet. at in
tervals, until his third of the sixteenth
dance should come. Alice looked du
biously at her own bouquet.
Suddenly she felt that the violetS
betrayed her; that any one who looked
at them could see how rustic, how in
nocent of any florists craft they were
Il can't eat dead violets," Walter said
The little wild flowers, dying indeed II
the warm air, were dropping in {
forlorn mass; and it seemed to hel
that whoever noticed them would
guess that she had picked them her
self. She decided to get rid Of them
Walter was becoming FESTIVE. ''Lool
herer' he said. Cant you flag one
O. these long-tailed birds TO take yoJ
on for the next dance? You came tC
have a good time; why don't you get
busy and have II? 1 want to get out
and smoke.
You mustn't leave me, Walter
she whispered, hastily. Somebody
come for me before long, but unit
they do"
well, couldn't you sit somewhere
No. no! There isn't any one J
could sit with
We'll, why not? Look that those
ole danes in the corners. What's the
matter with your tyin' up with some o
them for a while?"
Please. Walter; no.
In fact, that indomitable smile OF
hers was the more difficult to msI-
tain because of these vA'SS elders to
whom Walter referred. They were
mothers of girls among the dancers.
and they were there to fend and con
trive for their offspring; to keep them
in countenance through any trial; TO