Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-12-28
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he was claimed by other aequaint-
anees before he could reach them,
Anne looked regally handsome IN
gold colored tissue and paillettes
that gave tawny light to her eyes
and hair, and to her skin an amber
glow She held her head very
high and In spite of her mere five
Nfeetsfive, looked little less stately
than Madame Zattiany. who wore
a marvellous velvet gown the exact
shade Of her hair. Marian law
renee was small but so perfectly
made that her figure was always
alluded to as her body, and she
carried her head not regally. but
with an insolent assurance that
became her. She was very bs&1ti-
full, with a cleaning white skin
that she never powdered nor col
cred, and hair like gold leaf, parted
and worn In smooth bands over her
ears and knotted loosely on her
neck in the fashion known as Ia
Verge Her large grayish-green
eyes were set far apart and her
brows and lashes were black. She
had a straight innocent-looking
nose with very thin nostrils, into
which she was capable Of com
pressing the entire expression Of
face. She generally wore the fash
ionable colors Of the moment. but
tonight her soft shimmering gown
was OF palest green, and Clavering
wondered if this were a secret dec
lsration OF war. She, TOO, was Of
+, the siren class. and it was possible
that she and Mary zattiany de
rived from some common ances
tress who had combed her hair on
| rock or floated northward over
the steppes Of Russia. But there
were abysmaI differences between
the two women, as Clavering wei
/ knew Marian Lawrence, with
| great natural intelligence, never
read anything more serious than a
novel and preferred those that
were not translated into English.
| She took no interest whatever IN
| anything outside her inherited cir
conference, and had prided her.
self during the war upon ignoring
its existence. She was as luxan.
GUS and as dainty as cat and one
of the most ardent sportswomen in
lSAmerica. She looked as If she had
| just stepped out Of a stained-glass
window and she was hard, sub
tie. predatory flirt: too much in
love with her beautiful body TO
give it wholly to any man. She
had never really fallen in love with
Clavering until she had lost him,
and he, his Sbrief enthusiasm for
her unique beauty and somewiat
| demoniac charm having subsidized
had avoided her ever since; al
though they danced together at the
few fashionable parties he attend
ed. He knew her better now than
| when he had seen her daily. al.
! most hourly. at house party In
the White Mountains, and almost
! as often for several weeks after
his return. This was shortly after
his mistake with Anne, and her at
! traction had consisted largely IN
her complete difference from
really fine character toward whom
he felt a certain resentment for
having so much and still lacking
the underlined essential. He had
not deluded himself that he would
find 1t In Marian Lawrence. but her
paradoxesa diverted him and he
was quite willing to go as sfar as
her technique permitted. II. had
never occurred to him for aAm
ment that she was seriously in love
with him, but he had had more
than one glimpse of her claws and
he regarded her uneasily tonight.
And what were she and Anne whis,
pering about?
"You will take in Miss GOOD
rlch," Madame Zattiany had said to
him, her eyes twinkling. and he
had merely shrugged his shoulders.
He did NOT care in the least whom
he talked to; it was the ensemble
that interested him. Anne and
Marian were the only girls pres.
ens, The other women were be,
tween twenty-five and thirty-five-or.
six. Madame Zattiany would seem
to have chosen them all for their
good looks, and she looked younger
than several of them.
Mauve was the fashionable color
Of the season. There were three
mauye gowns and the table was lit
by very long, very thin mauve
candles above low bank of or
ehids. Mrs. Ruyler had disinterred
the family amethysts, but Mrs. de
Lacey and Mrs. Vane, "Polly's"
daughter-inlaw, wore their pearls.
There were several tiaras, for they
were going on to the opera and
later to a ball. The company num-
bered twenty in all and there were
three unmarried men besides Cla.
yering, and including Harry Vane.
Clavering found Marian Lawrence
on his left. and once more he caught
a twinkle in Madame Zattianys
eyes as the guests surrounded the
table.
He had not seen Anne since the
night OF Suzan's party, when they
had varied the program by sitting
on the floor in front Of the fire,
roastingS ehestnuts and discussing
rbslaaanhs,. than Y,Iaxsfpo, onIrar M,