Evening star., 1925-12-05
Continued from Yesterdays Starr
CHAPTER XXI.
The Golden Girl.

4
hued drapes that were intended to
keep it out from whatever secret
were within their window. and made
straight for the face that was almost
lost in mound of pilloWS-pilloWs of
| exquisite lace and silk from golden
looms.
The vagrant beam Cloried in it's dis
covery, in the simmer it aroused jim
gold brown hair. in. the velvet white
and the startling youthful contours of
the face so invitingIy nestled to its
CareSS.
Brown lashes huttered under the
sun rays provocatiOn and bare
white arm velvet like the face, Crept
out from some place underneath the
ShimmerinG hair. The slender form
outlined under the weblke coverlet
that was also of a Silken lace that
may have been priceless stirred and
Strengthened, revealing the sym
| metries that were just curvtnS away
from hoyishness.
y voice that was drowsy. but not
without its note Of petulance, asked:
I wv hat lime is it,
Out Of the unnatural darkness of
rhe room made by the drawn cur
tainS another voice. clearly that of
a patient servant. answered: 1t is
quite 10 O'Clock. mademoiselle. Shall |
open the curtains, mademoiSelle.
Again the sleepy voice from the
depths OF the huge, soft bed: If you
please, Martha
Martha. very neat and prim in gray
morning earb. rose from the edge of
the chaise lounge where she had
perched silently through two hours of
waiting for the beautiful form in the
bed To stir and pulled the curtain
ropes Like a yellow flood the trans
figuring Riviera sun burst through
the nest Of broad windows that curved
out from the room in a Semi-CirCle. all
shut off together by the heavy shell
pink drapes. Bewilderinc. exotic odors
Of orange, mimoSa and clematiS lllied
the room with the sunshine, each
separate fragrance seeming to bring
up from the calm Mediterranean
down below some ineffable perfume of
March morning romance. When
Martha turned from the windows the
voice from the bed, not sleepy now,
but alert ripping:
Il ought to be dreadfully cross with
you. YOU know. for letting me sleep
so late" il said in mock severity:
but l suppose you will say that
looked so comfortable YOU hated TO
disturb me"
Martha. American from head To toe
French ribbons and rufileS looked
down on the girl in the big bed.
cleaning. glitterinc bed of Colds and
pints and blues mounted on "A dais
under "A gorgeous canopy of gold lace
against pink taffetas. Martha seemed
to hover for a moment. at the edge
of n scoldinG, but durifully remember
ed that, after all the girl i'll the bed,
whose eyes were tvinklinC ur at her.
Martha So all she said was:
"Mademoiselle did not return from
Prince Michael's until o'clock this
morning
That's So" agreed the voice. em
phatically, as if suddenly reminded.
There was an affair last night.
wasn't there? And something hap
pened. | know something happened.
because something always does when
Michael feels the urge. And Michael
was urged. last night Martha. Very
/ urged. While you run my bath VIII
try to remember what about. Maybe
it was me. If so will tell you about
it while l splash
/ While Martha busted herself with
! the taps over the pink marble pool
! in glistening shower room, the girl
! III the bed set up, drew up her knees
until her elbows could rest on them
and her chin on her wrists. Her brow
! wrinkled a little. Is If trying to re-
! member. The warm sunshine wrap
ned the cuddled figure in yellow
! splendor. Thin shadow lines from
| the diamond patterned bars of the
! clematis trellis outside the windows
! romped through the filmy, diaphonous
| chiffon of the girls paJamaS ana
( twisted about her like mischievous
! fairy arms. suddenly. the puckered
| brow cleared and laugh that was as
| vibrant as music rippled AZ red lnS'
| Martha turned off her taps, satiS'
! fod at last that the water was Just
warm enough-her mistress ever re,
/ fused TO brave cold shower-and
J went rr to the bed. a flaming yellow
! robe of transparent silk over her arm
: tiny satin houdoir mules in her hand
! While she knelt ut the bed daiS 7"
I slim tho mules on bare feet. and then
! stood to receive the slim form in the
! fold Of the robe, the voice promised:
! 'If YOU haven't made the water toe
! cold. Martha, I'll tell YOU what II
i was that happened last night as soo'
| as I'm in it. If it's too cold. YOU
! shant know Il thing.
When the robe had fallen and the
| ma iamas had been tossed. relied into
! ;. ball. at Martha s head, and t3'
! splashing in the marble pool was be
! gun. Martha was merriiv informed:
! II stole Prince Michael, Martha
Actually took him right out oi
! Yvonne's arms, almost actuallN-tha'
| is. figuratively speaking, or somelhlnI
| like that-and ran away with nm
! Mad fight over the boulevard by the
/ sea at midnight. across Monaco and
/ nm the stone road into the Alps. Ooh
! Martha, you made 1t almost too cold
i Please turn on a little more warm
| It was thrilling, Martha, that wilC
ride through the moonlight, all alcne
j with the prince-alone except the
driver, and he didn't count, of course
And Michael was in real moonlight
mood, too. Because-there, now, its
| too hot, Why don't they make watei
| just right. Because, Martha, we 'yefe
running away to be married. Mar
ried in Genoa at dawn. and all thai
back and face the Grand Duke Mich
olas in his villa at Nice. and say
/ Lo and behold. sire. If there's ever
| another throne in Russia here's ;
new princess to hang on IT,. That
what happened last night. Martha, he
cause Michael had the urge.
Martha's eyes widened and sh'
stared at the bare form splashins il
! the pool But. mademoiselle." SHE
protested lit didn't really happen
did it,
Don't be silly, Martha. One has
TO have a passport to cross the from
tier from France into Italy. cnd one
Just can't smile ones way past these
iron-minded old fogies that stand or
guard. Michael forgot all ,lbouc that
| he was so filled with me, and o
course l didn't remind INN of it.
had all the romantic thrill! of a dash
to become a bride, knowing l wouldn'
have to be bride-y at all. Now yol
may dry me, Martha, but don't rui
| roo hard I could hardly keep from