The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-12-14
BY III. l.. Gates
CHAPTER XXXVI

III vague shapes that took form
in a phantasy that slowly
emerged from a vapor of pale blue
light. Out of far background, ad-
inirably conjured by skilled artists,
spires and domes and gabled roofs of
a. conglomerate city doomed. Hum
mated windows shone DULY. Nina
ture streets, crooked and narrow,
came down out of the perspective
and converged upon an open space
before the invisible footlights-the
painted city's market place.
In the center of the square a pillar
rose, with a rim Of water troughs
at its base. Against this column, her
head bowed, shoulders dropped and
notionless body limp in a posture of
despair, leaned an unknown girl of
some warm pulsed type, her body
cleaning white through a diaphanous
drape--a girl who was fresh and
young and lovely launched before
the youthful figure three old crones
in the garb of witches ,swayed in
rhythm with the plaintive song Of the
orchestra. In the hands of each a
lantern swung, its flame shedding a
dim, colored glow.
Even as the audience gasped at
the weird symbolism of the picture
a vibrant, beautiful, unsullied girl
hemmed in by evil wholesome Of
the old crones, one whose lantern
glowed in sickly yellow, rose and, still
swaying to the music, lifted her light
so that its yellow rays bathed the
body Of the girl Across the sky over
the painted city in the background,
great letters made by invisible lamps
manipulated from behind the stage
slowly took shape and, like fantas-
tic reflection, spelled the word, mis-
UNDERSTANDING"
The letters died away. The sec
ond witch arose and danced before
the girl against the pillar. The glim-
mer from her lantern bathed the
white form in scarlet, and new let
tiers glowed in the slxy-"DIS-
TRUST
The guests of Joanna stirred in
their seats and settled again into
tense, breathless silence The third
witch danced and held aloft her
light. The figure in the market
place took on a hue of green. New
letters formed: ENVY"
Yvonne, who had stared fascinated
at the unfolding of the tableau, sud
denly was conscious of breath on
her bare shoulder. She looked around
and peered into the fixed eyes of
Brandon. Around his forehead a
bandage shone white. He stood be-
side the vacant chair into which he
had intended to drop quietly .Yvonne
watched his lips and saw them frame
the whispered words-the words he
remembered as Joanna's plant to
Eggleston, long ago, in the sombre
library of the house on the avenue
when she told the banker of the
three things that had haunted her
in her coping with the problems OF
the girlhood of today" misunder.
standing, distrust and envy
Brandon. was so tightly wrapped
IN the spell Of his memory and this
amazing reminder staged by Joanna
with her troupe of actors and act
resses especially brought from Paris
that Yvonne reached back and
touched him to bring him to a reali-
cation of his surroundings. He
brushed his hand across his eyes
and dropped into the vacant chair.
II am just in time" he remarked,
to witness the sensation she ar
ranged so secretly l fancy it will
be most interesting.
Yvonne studied him a moment and
then turned back to the scene on
the stage.
fri HE three witches danced away
into the background. Out of
k-l the crooked little streets of
the nake-believe city other shapes
were coming down into the open
space-fantastic shapes, with empty
faces pallored white with chalk,
CHASTITY. grotesque. On the small
stage it seemed as if there was an
army of them, the population Of the