Evening star., 1925-02-08
THE GREAT SUCCESS s.: (! ::::! s.. y: s s

In a boudoir-dressinR room lined
with built-in wardrobes with glass
doors, Peggy stood. Her toilet table
was a, litter of gold and ivory. On a
great chaise Tongue a toy dog lay on
a satin pillow, and lounging beside
him, cigarette in hand, was Mazzari,
the tenor. Flowers and bright cush
ions, tables with lamps, photographs
in silver frames, her wedding veil
with it's coronet of orange blossoms
over the back of a chair, made lux
urious litter.
Anne sat down beside the tenor and
borrowed cigarette. eyeing me with
sort of amused defiance.
I had an impression that Anne was
deliberately emphasizing the least at
tractive side of her environment; as
If, recalling our talk in Berlin, she
was saying: You saw us then and
you see us now. This is success. How
do you. like it?'
She was not jealous, at that period
of Peggy and the fullness of her life.
She was cynical. however, and some
how disillusioned.
There was some thing in her tone to
Peggy that worried me. Anne had
changed a great deal toward her sis
ter.
/ was sorry for Anne, and angry
with her. What was it? Jealousy? I
have said that it was not. but l am
not so sure. Consider that the very
clothing Anne wore Peggy had paid
for; remember Peggy's success and
the fruits of that success; her beauty;
the clamorous crowd that overran the
house; the gifts, ranged on their long
whlte-draped tables; the reporters
and camera men waiting below; the
maid and the secretary; and Mazzari
he cit uf 10
ease on the chaise Tongue, and figura-
lively at the prima donna's feet.
But eliminate all those, and remem-
Der only that Peggy was about to en-
ter that world Anne was denied, the
mysterious realm of love.
Peggy turned to Mazzari
Run away now, Luigi" she said.
.'I am a very sad man today, my
Peggy" he said. "You should have
held it. AT. least we speak the same
language. think the same thoughts"
Language, yes. Thoughts! Don't
dare to say we think the same
thoughts
No" he said. Not the same
thoughts. My best are less than your
worst That is why love you"
When she was dressed she sat down
near me.
you've made a success of your
marriage" she said. That's why /
have this go right. How can 1t be
done? How can 1T be done?
You saw the crowd downstairs.
They didn't mix. They never Will mix.
But Jim and have got to live In
common world. He can't have his
friends and 1 mine" ..-.
Its a sort OF compromise" I said
"Of course, things are different with
US. We don't live In New York. I
don't see many literary people"
Then it Is you who have given up
your own people, the ones who talk
your language, as Mazzari said?'
NO. l can carry on my work alone.
I need them, but only once in a While.
You have to have them all the time.
Jim doesn't like them, much" she
said at last He doesn't understand
them. They; are fine and wonderful,
but of course they are different
A NNE spent the following Christ
~ mas with us. She was very smart
by that time, and Peggy's Christmas
gift to her had been a set of sables
She was living with Peggy and Jim.
and so was Harry. But Harry had
left the university and was looking
father was in Florida
isn't he working?" I asked.
Peggy allowances him.. He didn't
make much. you know. And he can't
stand the Northern Winters.
1t was from her that 1 finally got
my picture of Peggy.
I'D give a good bit TO know just
what you think of Peggy and the rest
of u.s." she said
I'm very fond of you ALL"
Not that. The way we hang onto
Just now She gets lot of pleasure
out of giving. That's not it. It's what
1t is doing to the rest of US.
Il used to be a self-respecting
human being. 1 wasn't happy, but l
was myself. Now I'm happy, II cat
on a warm hearth is happy-and I'm
nothing Take Harry, too. He won't
take job unless It's to his taste. He
doesn't have to. Do you suppose
without learning to bear up under its
Winters? Nonsense
What about JIM"
"Oh, that doesn't touch him. He
has plenty Of money. But he's not
happy. He's gone before she's awake.
If she's sung the night before, and he
says good morning over the telephone
to her. If she's singing that night,
and you've seen how many nights she
has been singing, what happens? She
has a light supper at 5 o'clock. Jim
gets home about s. She's off at Z
and whom does he dine with? Harry
and me. There are weeks when he
hardly sees her, except from the box
in the opera house.
"I suppose most successes mean
some failures" she said. "It may
work our all right. Peggy may come
to her senses and throw us out" She
moved to the doorway and stopped
there. But it's not a good arrange
ment when wife has to leave an
other woman to be her husbands
hearthmate.' She saw my face and
laughed. "Oh, good heavens" she ex-
claimed. it's not what you're think
ing. He never sees me-"
1 do not know certainly that Anne