Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-10-09
CHAPTER VII
And Jerry Saw Prudence

And Jerry Saw Prudence
Jerry left Aimee at the entrance to
Reilly's alley, hurriedly let herself into
tha house, and started up the stairs
en- light run. She was impatient to
see the present Theresa had left for
her. She noticed no unnatural quiet
in the house. And yet when she saw
Mimi waiting for her at the top of the
stairs, lovely picture in her bright
gown with trailing tinseled fringes
she felt sudden chilling Of her eager
ness.
"Oh, hello" she said. "You startled
me little. You look like solemn
ghost in silk and fringe"
"Come into my room while, will
your" Mimi asked, and there was {
hollowness in her usually lifting voice.
"Everybody's out. You're the first one
home. l don't want to be alone"
Jerry, with her usual willingness
to please, followed along into her
sitting room in the rear of the narrow
hall, an effective room, which Theresa
found unbearably stuffy, but into
which Mimi fitted to nice perfection,
all shaded lights. with great bronze
burners of pungent incense, oriental
hangings, silken cushions.
"Sit here, dearie, in this light, 1t
just suits you" Mimi said absently,
from force of habit, tucking cushion
against Jerry's shoulder as she lad
done hundred times before. "rm
frightfully upset You don't mind my
troubling you, do you? You are so
soothing"
mot bit. like it." Jerry spoke
with truth. She loved being wanted.
But / hope 1t isn't real trouble,
just a little attack of moods"
Mimi lit cigarette and sank among
the cushions on the chaise Tongue.
putting a cloud of smoke about her.
With the light on her face, Jerry could
see that she was CHASTITY pale beneath
the creamy layers of rouge and pow
der.
TITS Theresa" Her voice sounded
almost irritable
"She works too hard" Jerry assent
ed. 1--WE must take her in hand. and
make her spare herself little
wanted her to go to the theater with
us, but she would not hear of it."
"In way suppose she could hard
~ go tonight" Mimi spoke apoIoget-
ically, the tone in which she always
tried to excuse Theresa's abruptness.
Don't mind her, Jerry. She doesn't
mean TO be rude"
II don't mind her. / think she's
wonderful"
Mimi twisted her fingers into rigid,
knotted gnarl.
"She was wonderful, but, but--she
killed herself" she said holloway.
Jerry cried out, struggled to her
feet, and then sank back white ard
Mortified among the cushions.
"Mimi-uo-oh, DON'T" she cried.
"You-mustn't say such things-you-
brighten me-"
Mimi inhaled great gulp OF ciga-
rette smoke.
"They have taken her to Miettn's at
the corner-yop know. the one with
flowers in the windows I'm fright
fully upset. lit makes wreck of
one"
Jerry's hot young blood ran cold.
a great blackness yawned before her
eyes.
''This terrible woman is making
fool of me-" she stammered aloud, in
coherently.
"She shot herself. Right In the
heart. There is blood all over the
floor. She slashed her pictures-every
one-with that little bronze dagger |
brought her from Rome. Her room is
a perfect mess. You--you don't mind
my talking about It, do you. Jerry?
l can't help it. I'm wrec..."
"N-no. of course not" Jerry STAN
mered. "Of course not" After a mo-
ment, when she could speak she asked
in such soft and pitiful voice: "Why
did she, Mimi? She was so clever.
Wasn't SIC happy?"
II don't know why. OF course she
was happy. Everyone said how bril-
liant she was, what genius. She had
lover-she gave him up. She said
she couldn't serve two masters. She
was right. l tried 1t, and made a
muddle OF both. She was quite right.
She didn't mind much-giving him up.
She worshiped her pictures"
Jerry brooded over 1t bitterly 81
could have loved her much more" she
said. "But she never seemed to want
too much"
Beautiful, unfathomable Theresa,
what tragedies had unde-Iain that
tense alertnessi derry cried a little