San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-12
Mickey Tells Nora Lee Of
g His Distaste for Life
He's Leading.
CHAPTER Nv.

When Richard helped
Nora Lee with her wrap he
ran his hand down her long,
bare arms. She flung from
him with a sharp, Hurry!
Get my gloves!"
The imagined presence of
Dane Herrick moved before
her. 1t watched with hot,
scorning eyes.
She was tormented and unhappy.
What had Mickey told him? Why
must she watch out? Was he com
ing tonight, a Lochinvar, to gallop
away with her at his side?
She laughed with a soft bitterness.
Oh, IL there were men who loved like
that! II he we're only one of them
if he had but sense to know that
she grew weak at the murmur Of his
name! That she was waiting with
famished and aching heart for him to
call, "Come back, Nora Lee"
HOLLOW PLEDGE
Before the living warmth of Danes
image reckoning, she forgot Rich
ard. Her pledge to him was stark
and prepostcrous. She stole glance
at his neatly chiseled, pleasant fea-
lures and was overcome with shrink
ing sense Of falseness and unrcality.
She slid the great diamond back and
forth on her finger. She took it off
and considered dropping it in Rich
ards palm with a quiet, I'm sorry,
but can't go through with this.
You'll have TO take the ring back"
Yet when Richard swung her to
the floor for the first dance-whcn
he whispered with his lips close TO
her ear, "You're the most notable
woman in the room, Nor. Lee. In
ten days MINE''-when he said this,
she blushed faintly and nodded.
She would 90 through with 1t, OF
course. Nothing would prevent it.
Least OF anything in the world, would
Dane Herrick come rushing back to
claim her. She belonged here with
this bright, light-hearted throng; this
throng of girls and men who danced
and drank; kissed and joked, making
the nights ring with their high pleas
ure yaiety.
LIES SCINTILLATION
She glanced at dozen sleek, mar
cclled heads; dozen girls in white
satin and rhinestones. They were a
dozen duplicates of herself, out for
hlarity and the sparkle of life. Even
their dress and the whiff of ex-
pensive perfumes proclaimed them her
kin. In another mood she would have
reioiced in the blithe association; in
another mood she would have laugh
cd gleefully at the audacity OF the
entertainment offered.
Tonight she bristled with resent
ment. The whole scene she found ir-
ritating and offensive.
The dance was in honor OF prohlbl-
ton. Jeffrey Bowles, one of Rich
ards most intimate friends, was the
host. He had an old house in the
hills OF San Mateo. An immense hall
on the first floor was fitted up as
bar. Along one entire end ran
counter and a shiny foot rail. Behind
the counter were shelves stacked tight
" with hundreds and hundreds OF
bottles. On the ground were huge bar
reIs Of steam beer. And in one corner
were many small tables and n heavy
sprinkling of sawdust on the polished
boards.
Bottles with alluring labels deco
rated the walls and hung from the
chandeliers. Some OF the younger
girls came dressed as old-fnshioncd
bar maids. And they were now act
ing their parts with realism and
flavor.
HAPPY DAYS"
They carried bottles to the tables
they sat on the laps of their GUS
toners and raised the glasses prcttily
TO faded lips.
Jeffrey, in white linen coat,