The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-01-23

T SSU vSToIOu pIO0ASSS ~ '~s
Countess Zattiany.
Gertrude Atherton
Success Is q great healer. More,
over. she was woman Of strong
and indomitable character. and
very proud. She consigned the
man. who. after all, was the au.
thor Of her phenomenal success. to
nethermost oblivion. You cannot
sell three hundred thousand copies
OF book. receive hundreds OF let.
tiers from unknown admirers tell.
Ing you that you are the greatest /
novelist living. see your name con.
stantly in the news" be besieged
by editors and publishers. and be.
come q popular favorite with So.
phisticates, and carry around
lacerated heart. The past fades.
The present reigns. The future rs
rosy as the dawn. Cora Dwight
was far too arrogant at this period
OF her career to love any man even
had there been anything left Of her
heart but pump. Her life was
full to the brim. She was quite
aware that the present rage for
stark and dour realism would pass
the indications were to be seen
in the more moderate but pro.
nounced success Of several novels
by authors impervious to crazes-
but she was too fertile for appre.
hension on that score. She had
many and quite different themes
wandering like luminous ghosts
about the corridors Of brain sin.
gularly, free from labyrinths, ready
to emerge. full.bodied. when the
world was ready for them.
The last time Clavering had sat
opposite q woman by g. log fire
both had enjoyed the deep luxury
of easy chairs and his hostess had
seemed to melt into the depths I'm.
til they EMBODIED her. But Miss
Dwight never lounged. Her back.
bone appeared to be made Of cast.
iron. She sat erect today on q
hassock while he reclined In
chair that exactly fitted his spine
and enjoyed contrasting her with
the other woman. Cora Dwight
had no beauty. but she never pass.
ed unnoticed in q crowd. even II
unrecognized. Her-oval eyes were
a pale clear gray. cold, almost sir.
lister. and she wore her mass Of
rich brown hair on top Of her head
and down to her heavy eyebrows.
Her mouth was straight and sharp.
ly cut, but mobile and capable Of
relaxing into a charming smile.
and she had beautiful teeth. The
nose was short and emphatic. the
jawbone salient. 1t was. altogeth.
er, disharmonic type. for tina
head was long and the face short.
broad across the high cheekbones:
and her large light eyes set in her
| small dark face produced discon.
| certing erect on sensitive people
| but more often fascinated theIK
Clayering had been told that in her
California days she had possessed
a superb bust. but long years OF
unremitting work in France and
England had taken toll Of her flesh
and it had never returned: she was
very thin and the squareness OF
her frame was emphasized by the
strong uncompromising bones. But
her feet and her brown hands were
long and narrow, and the straight
lines Of the present fashion were
very becoming to her. She wore
today a gown OF dark red velvet
trimmed with brown fur and a
touch Of gold In the region Of the
waist. 1t was known that she got
her clothes at the best houses"
She was curious mixture. CLAW.
ering reflected. and not the least
contradictory thing about her was
the way in which her rather sullen
face could light up. exactly az II
some inner flame leapt suddenly
behind, those uncanny eyes and
shed its light over the very mus.
cles Of her cheeks and under her
skin. The oldest Of her traits was
her apparent pleasure In seeing q
man comfortable while she looked
like q ramrod herself: and she was
the easiest Of mortals to talk to
when she was in the right mood.
She was morose at times. but her
favorites were seldom inflicted
with her moods. and Of all her IA.
vorites Clavering reigned supreme,
This he knew and took advantage OF
after the fashion of his sex. He told
her all his troubles, his ambitions.
which he believed to be futile-he
had. written plays which his own
criticism had damned and no eye
but his own and Cora Dwight's had
ever seen-and she refreshed and
stimulated his mind when his daily
column must be written and his
brain was stagnant She also knew
Of his secret quest of the one wo.
man and had been the repository
OF several fleeting hopes. And
never for moment had shs
thought him saturnine or disillu.
stoned. Not she! Cora Dwight
had an extraordinary knowledge OF
men for q. woman to whom men
did not make love. But If she had
neither beauty nor allure she had
genius: and a father confessor
hardly knows more about women
than q nurse about men. More.
over. she had her arts. little az
men suspected 1t. Long ago shs
had read an appraisement Of