Evening star., 1925-11-30
JOANNA'S DEBUT.
CHAPTER XVI.

II is only IN the great capitals or
The world tnat one may witness. or
participate in. gathering such as
Tvonne Coutant delighted occasionally
SO preside over in her town house off
fhe avenue. They are not uncommon
in Paris, where a prince of India may
at any time transform a miniature
IalaCe in the Bois into an exotic
Ssiryland for a wild. barbaric fete.
THEY we're brilliant punctuations in
the Bohemian calendar of old Vienna
and in London. occasionally, a regnant
beauty, perhaps g mannequin newly
married TO a duke, or young duchess
divorced from one, will celebrate by
turning one night into enough extrava-
Eance to keep Mayfair gossiping for
O. month.
In America they are rarely accom-
plished. The demimondaine OF Paris
and the diplomat from London are
not unaccustomed to ignoring the bar
Ter between them when occasion
arises. 1t is an extraordinary hostess.
bring together all grades of society.
not rich and poor. so much, as the
good and the not so good.
NVonne Coutant was one of these.
She had no scruples when she opened
her house, as to who came into il.
She demanded only beauty, external
grace, and willingness to be an ap-
propriate picture for the shining. gold
en- frame she provided.
One simply cannot afford not to to
be in on one of Yvonne'S affairs, -
Mrs. Brownley-Smith of the Polo
crowd repeatedly said. "One's hus-
band is sure TO be there, and 50 is
Lis favorite of the moment. I always
go in order to discover who Toms
n ~. -vN1,
have of checking up on the f1uctua-
t!ons of his taste
fvonne's own latest former hus-
band, Alfred Coutant. the novelist.
never missed her entertainments. II
get at least four chapters from every
one of them" he would explain. She's
awfully good to let me come-sort of
pally like, you know"
SO it was that an interesting COM
rany moved about among the roses
and lilies and daffodils that filled
every corner Of the spacious house,
with fragrant baskets of thick, fam
ing carnations relieving the paleness
of tbs throatS of women. And so it
was that Joanna stood. arms out
stretched that she might realize the
line and symmetry Of them before
the long mirror in her dressing room.
upstairs. The slim body of her was
eagerness for the night. In her eyes
were all the ecstacies. Strewn around
her were the things from the shops
more gorgeous things from more
gorgeous shops than she. alone, ever
could have discovered. 1t was from
them she had made her choice---or
fvonne had made 1t for her-and she
stood. before the glass. a soft, mel.
low vision Of lace and chifTons fash
ioned by deft fingers and cunning
brains to emphasize that beauty Of
girlhood that only a sculptor could
display more alluringly or frankly.
ON the dressing table before her were
spread the souvenirs Of an hour with
Yvonne in the great jewelry store;
wristlets of diamonds, rubies and sap
phires; necklets Of platinum chains,
as thin as the sheerness Of lingerie,
with shining gems in their delicate
pendants.
From all Of these Yvonne had chosen
single ornament, a rope Of simmer
ing pearls that wound once around
tho slender, pertly poised neck. Miss
Twenty.seven of the Silks" had com.
pleted her transition and awaited her
summons into the magic world below
tho magic world where money
bought smile or kiss bought pearls
like hers.
While Joanna stood before her mir.
ror. Andrew Eggleston sat at the
long, carved table in the somber-toned
library of his house-which was not
OF the avenue. but still on it. stub
born ghost Of the days when the ave
nue. was Jealous Of its exclusive rank.
Joanna's eyes caressed the loveliness
her mirror reflected; a liveliness that
epitcmized. as in alabaster dust. all
the pretenses of her kind Her toes
Tlng}ed with the promise of adven-
lures. Dimples danced their provoca-
ZION about her mouth. Through the
tilmy web of chiffons youthful limb
lines Knocked at the cunningness of
the couturiere's mask for them; gold
brown hair, hugged close to the rest
less head, delicately arched eyebrows
SNAPPED as only a painter could con-
ceiye then-lips and arms and bare
shoulders made marvellous ensemble
OF enticement.
Andrew Eggleston. in the heavy
library room. also eyed a vision
also the figure OF a girl, and of
Joanna's age-but Of a long time ago
the girl the banker watched looked
down at him from a canvas, held in
its massive frame over the great fire.
place. There was no dancing in her
eyes, but a wistfulness that seemed
TO reach out to the man who gazed
like quavering beam of mellow
radiance. The lips We're blood red.
nnd full, and shaped for a kiss, but
they were not scarlet, nor voluptuors.
They were as if there was no such a
thing as a lipstick. The hair was
brown. shimmering. as Joanna's, but
It was not bobbed-but piled In glori.
Gus opulence.
me banker. who would have been
.Eoung when this girl in the gold frame
was young. passed his hand across
his brow. TO break a spell with which
the girl in the painting encompa ssed
him. Then his attention fell to bits
of paper spread before him like the
Jewels on Joanna s dressing table
ono by one he picked them up and
read them-read the Cancelled checks
which signified the purchases Joanna
had made that day. checks that had
been hurriedly cashed so the girl
might take her purchases away with
her. They totaled thousands. many
thousands. At the jewelry store alone
Joanna had spent more than a tenth
Of her million dollars. 1t was all
totaled in the Cancelled checks
The play begins, 1t is to be a
comedy, after ALL
II was said quietly, evenly, but
there was just a nuance in the tone
What might have been repressed exulta-
zion. The speaker stood behind the
banker. a figure in faultless evening
clothes, silk hated. white gloved.
About his lips played the wrath of
a smile-a cynical smile. In his eyes
there was amusement. Just at that
3Soment an ancient butler appeared at
7he library door and spoke:
Your car has arrived, Mr. Bran
dom
Eggleston started. You will be see.
ing her, tonight, them" he asked
calmly.
Yes. She will be plunged into the