Evening star., 1924-03-23
WASHINGTON C.
The Box Office Girl
BY ARNOLD BENNETT
What Caused Elaine Edar to Choose Her Husband?

Ter HUSBAND!
teriously happy, too, somehow up
lifted.
Who is Carly?" she murmured to
Rachel, and Rachel by a discreet turn
OF the head indicated a young man
who stood behicsd Fedora, against
the wall. Elaine started and flushed
1t was the nightly visitant for whom
she reserved stalls. The word exotic
in the tiny mouGl of Fedora had al
ready exercised Elaine, who could
not comprehend how anybody could
regard her as deserving of such an
adjective. That the nightly visitant
should deem her exotic, and should
have said So to a high goddess like
Feodcra, almost disturbed her while
enchanting her. Rachel beckoned to
the nightly visitant, who approached.
Mr.. Lyeskov,'' said Rachel. Miss
Edar. l think You have met"
She laughed Mr.. Lyeskov blushed.
The next moment Elaine became
aware that her hand had been kissed.
y unique experience. Hand kissing
was, of course, foreign" and some
what foolish, but it was surprisingly
delicious, even fiattering. So this was
the young man who. while paying
for stalls from which to worship Feo-
dora, had found time to examine her
self and to decide that she was ex-
otic. Yes, disturbing! Disturbing.
He now asked her to dance. Could
she refuse? How ridiculous, Unfor-
tunately, in the dance she could not
think of a single thing to say to him.
He was a fine dancer, but scarcely
cleverer as a talker than Elaine. They
just danced, yielded themselves to the
music and the movement. 1t was
exquisite.
You are a natural dancer. You
have the gift" he remarked. She
smiled She knew that she was a
natural dancer. She had no more
learned to dance than she had learned
to breathe: she rarely danced, and
only in suburban resorts with one or
two dull acquaintances: yet she knew
all the steps and never erred. never
hesitated. They danced two consecu-
tive dances. AS he restored her to
the table he asked if he might dance
again with her very soon. Fedora
called to him.
How did you get on?" Rachel de-
manded of Elaine, with a peculiar
glance.
"oh, splendid. He's asked me for
another dance"
And did you refuse?'
Ought IT,
Don't be silly. Can't you see he's
mad about you? Why do you suppose
he comes to get tickets Off you every
night? Why do you suppose he got
Fec to ask you here tonight? And
let me tell you, he may be French
Russian. but he's very serious and
very rich. He didn't lose anything in
the revolution, he didn't. Pity he's so
shy, isn't it,"
ELAINE's face burned again. The
i fact is, she was overwhelmed as
she realized bit by bit that Carly"
came nightly to the Rotunda not TO
worship Fedora, but to worship her.
It was staggering. She was glad
when a male performer in Feodora's
troupe invited her on to the floor
She did not care for his face, nor for
bis manners, nor yet for his dancing
how different from Carly s"i-but he
enabled her to escape from Rachel
Gordon's enigmatic scrutiny. AS she
went round the room with the pro-
fessional dancer something happened
to her, and she half stumbled and
turned wholly pale. 1t was a night
of sensations, bushes and pallors,
such a night as she had never before
known. The dancer looked at his fall
tering partner inquiri1gly, but said
self. No one knew, no one could
guess, what had happened to her. And
after all il was naught.
She had only caught sight of Ned
seated at a table with another man,
and he had seemed to be somewhat
unprosperous and defiant in his shah
by evening dress. And he looked
older thinner, worn.
Ned was the one man who had en-
tered into the private life OF hers,
the existence of which none of the
patrons of the Rotunda could visual
ize. 1t was six years ago, when she
was twenty-one, and before her con-
nection with the life of music halls.
Ned was an advertising agent and
lots of things besides; he had had a
hand in promoting one or two of the
earlier dance clubs. He was up one
month and down the next. He had