The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-11-21

tied in his arms and steadied her
| body by throwing a hand around
| his shoulder. Her golden-slippered
feet and silken expanse above them
hung lax. When she looked into
Teddy's face it was with only mock
reproof.
A woman, her voice already shrill
from champagne, cried, "Bravo!
Another echoed the cry and then a
babble of voices called out to Teddy
and to the girl. Men crowded to
the stairs, each eager to perform
some share of the task of helping
Joanna out Of Teddy's arms onto
the floor. A woman who stood be-
hind John and Brandon said to her
companion, loud enough to be over
| heard:
Zone of Teddy's best points is that
he can love a@woman as he has
carried that one, without mussing
her" Johns face grew a little
| whittier, and his fingers twitched
nervously. He saw that when Teddy
had put her down, his arm fingered
| for a moment around the girl that
| he held her close to him while he
whispered and that Joanna brushed
his cheek with the back Of her hand
playfully. The woman whom John
had overheard spoke again: Teddy
Is beginning a campaign. He always
does it with a whisper. Whoever
this girl is, and whatever she Is,
there are some people here tonight,
who will hate her-if Teddy shows
signs of following up that little
| tableauw
OHM turned to look at the
speaker. She returned his
glance and started at what
she saw in his face. Then she was
amused. She said something to her
companion, a man, who quite
evidently would not be her husband.
He surveyed John curiously. He
spoke to his companion in low
tone: Yes. You probably are right.
He's in love with the girl. odd look
ing chap, but one who would make
trouble II he felt ike II.
Both Brandon and John sought to
make their way to where Joanna
stood, the center of a throng OF
men and women, some fascinated. as
was Teddy Dorminster by her
| amazing beauty and freshness, and
others paying their sycophantic dues
to Yvonne by fawning upon her
protege. But neither reached her
dance by Lord Teddy. He surrendered
her, after few turns, to others who
pressed forward for the privilege.
Men were fulsome in their compli-
ments. The mystery of her was the
intriguing subject to which everyone
led along the route of intimate, per-
sonal things, things the men muir
INJURED softly while she swayed close
with them to the music, or whispered
so that her ears alone caught them.
1t had been decided by Yvonne that
the history of her sudden shower
of gold from an unknown benefactor
should not be told. Kenilworth and
Brandon, and the few others OF
Yvonne's intimates who knew.
agreed to keep the secret. Dormin
ster had not been taken into any
ones confidence as to Joanna s
wealth. Then men who made their
devotions to her, and the women
who were curiously pleasant, soon
gave up their efforts to fathom her
after failing in such hints as: Have
you known Yvonne Coutant a very
long time? Do you belong in New
York, or are you from elsewhere?''
The men returned gleefully to their
sentimental venturings.
When a score of toasts in punch
had been drunk to her, and she
to another in the dancing, Joanna
became conscious of an unfamiliar
quality in the murmured admira
tons heaped upon her. She had
been accustomed to the tentative
probings, Of the boys in her Ole
crowd, and their frankly said and
usually sincerely meant batteries
You're a swell girlv' was what
she had learned to expect. HeI
acknowledgement customarily was
prompt and was perhaps: as that
the best line you've got?" She knew
the danger or the threat, or the
safety, in every compliment as hel
dancing boys paid them, and usual
ly she guided them we'll away from
the edge. But now she felt that
her wits must grapple for new un
derstandings. The men who
captured her for few fleeing mo
ments sung their alterations in a
more elusive melody. The words OF
their praises seemed harmless; but
she sensed new meanings. Roddy
Kenilworth took both of her hand.
and held her a little way from him
and looked at her. All that he said
was:
You are very pretty tonight. Tha
dress you are wearing must hav,
been created just for you by reall,
great artist"
Nothing more. Yet Joanna wa
conscious that she trembled, ant
conscious, too, that she had beer
faithful to the present day mod
which required that underneath tina
dress she wear but a single gar