The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-07
Chapter XIII

Chapter XIII
 THE night of thej Hughes dinner Il came. was still so disappointed sbout the color of my dress that did not feel as enthusiastic about going as I might. I had put some rouge on my cheeks-for the first time-and Man vile sent me to wash it off.
 You don't need to make up,' he said, coldly.
 "All the New York women do.
 Not all. My wife does not
 When I was dressed he looked me over critically.
 Do look nice?" I hid my disap- pointment over my dress.
 "very nice. That dress is just the thing for you" I made no reply but said to myself that some time should have the kind of dress I wanted. Then he would see how different looked. would have deep oranges and crimsons, Irish greens. colors that glowed and seemed alive. Not dull, sombre grays.
 I picked up my cloak and in spirit of mischief put it on wrong side out as I had said to myself would when he selected it.
 You are putting youra cloak on wrong side out" He started to lift it from my shoulders but I had caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror with the rose against my face and pleaded:
 Let me wear it this side. It is so much more becoming"
 Don't be foolish. Wear your coat as it is intended to be worn."
 These sound like such unimportant things in the telling. They seemed so very tragic to me at the time. It is always the little things which are hard est to bear, especially when one is young. Manville was also young com paratively but some way he gave me an impression of age which I did not re- ceive when l met men whom I knew were older than he. He had been in business since he was 24. His father had died almost as soon as Manville had left college. As he was an only son he had immediately taken over the busi- ness.. That perhaps may have had something to do with his seeming older than other men of his age.
 When we arrived at the Hughes we found a gay party to greet us. They had beautiful home, and Mrs. Hughes, as well as all of the guests, looked per- fectly lovely. Dinner was served almost as soon as we arrived. A young man named Lawson Mckee took me in. He was very nice looking and about A years old. I felt at ease with him al- most at once. He was young and acted young.
 Manville had taken in a Mrs. Ruth Markham, widow about his own age, a handsome woman, beautifully gowned. She was not as tall as ], but her color ing was almost the same, trifle dark perhaps. She wore a black and orange gown that made me wildly envious as noted the effect upon her skin and eyes. I would look like that, too, if wore the right colors. But my dinner partner was so jolly I soon forgot to be en- vious. although every little while I stole a look at my husband, who seemed to be talking very seriously to Mrs. Mark ham most of the time. 1 wondered who she was and what they were talking about. would ask Mrs. Hughes all about her when l had the chance.
 You are unusually tall, aren't you?" Lawson Mckee remarked, then laughed at himself for asking the question when it was so evident.
 "Too tall for a woman. I wish l were small, like my sisters" I replied, then had to tell him of Elaine and Elsa. Talking of them seemed to make us like old friends. I felt had known him a long time. He had heard of Henry, knew him by reputation aJ a very wealthy man. He laughed immoderate- ly when told of my brother-in-law's fringe of hair, and said wouldn't have married him had he bene ten times as rich as he was.
 You are just right--L think" he