Evening star., 1925-12-06
Continued from Yesterdays starr
CHAPTER NNlI.
Gossip.

Gossip.
The dressing Of Joanna Manners
each morning when that young per
son CondeSCended to put herself III
the hands of her maids was an I'M
portant ceremony. 1t was not a mat
ter for Martha alone. Martha had
never ceased TO be the eNer-depend-
able. ever-patient personal SefNltol.
Capable fingers We're required lof the
toilet rituals OF one VINO was nov "
regnant beauty.
,-,en riding tocs needed Celeste and
Nfarn Celeste knew every wave ana
curl and vagranCy of the ShlmmerlnS
brown hair and the precise point AT
which the red lips must arch ana re-
treat Marie was an encyclopedia oi
what went with what and when the
ensemble was worthy OF lis detdlls:
Between the preCiSionS of hoth "i
them their mistress found ample uile
each morning 10 scan hef uillA POI
lion of mail.
\lwaNs of course. there We're cards
from touturierS from jewelers., mllli-
ners and florists To he purNeEof
TO the needs of the Mademoiseile Jo-
anna was along the Riviera some
thing like patent from royalty. II
was Marie's duty 10 put all bills IN a
bunch. when her mistress mad
glanced at lntIll, anu SUI" IAN'ii ="
the bank in New York.
Celeste watched over the engage
ments her mistress made and was IN
- hopeless mess over them. once,
when she was in such dismay that
she pleaded with her mistress Tor
help, Joanna told her: You must
learn. Celeste, that / am not to be
asked to do anything ! say III DO. II
would be thoroughly impossible
II ,,e,Yaa
some place on the spacious ground OF
Villa Annette. Celeste and Marie pre-
pared her for her riding togs ana
Joanna ran her mornings post
through her fingers. Only one letter
interested her. When she came 10
this one she dropped the others INTO
a tray held by Marie and put the one
onto her dressing table. Then. Celeste
having finished with her eyelashes.
she closed her eyes.
Through all that lapsed year Joanna
watched each morning for the en-
yelope that bore the familiar legend
of the bank in New York. 1t came
10 her regularly before she lett New
York with Yvonne for London; during
the long months in England, where
Teddy Dorminster had plloted her,
With Yvonne remaining in London. 10
the country homes of many or MS dls-
wild revels in Paris. Each time she
recognized il among her letters she
carefully went through set ritual.
She would put il aside until her
maids were finished with her or untli
( she could dismiss whoever was near
at the moment. Then she would ciose
her ewes and sit very sull. ier lhii'u
would leap backward and out OF hel
memories summon a PROCESSION OF
4 IN.,,
very careful in her marshaling OF
this parade. She omitted nothing. IN
erarv letter she received with that
mark of the bank Oh the OUTSIDE she
feared there might be the Wlplhs
away of all the mystery Of her money
or perhaps, its explanation. She
knew, although Eggleston had not
encourage her in this belief. that the
exnIanation would come some day.
And always she wanted " NC
pared for 1t.
brandon still a sinister shadow
vtho had ever been in the back srouiiu,
had toyed with her i'll New \ ork' hau
smiled ironically whenever She re-
n,Ised him. and gradually had wrap
ned some sort of net about her
which almost strangled her. hehil-
worth had been devoted TO her-seh
1imental. brooding, sometimes earnest
hit Rrandon had never lost his head
Kenilworth had said. that first night
in New York. that he was going 10
.-play for her" She had accepted tne
challenge. He had ceased playing ana
was frankly struggling to break
through her battlements.
But Brandon controlled her. Inns
she must always admit in the end.
Once or twice she would remember
haI
drawn upon every item in her store
Of artifice and had gambled her lure
against his mastery and eacn tlme
she had almost been the victor. Bolh
times she had brought things into his
eyes that were revealing and too dan
serous for her to fight against. HIS
obscure but seemingly malicious
power dominated her again because
she would not risk tempting him.
When she had measured herself
through the passing of the year and
weighed the meaning of each step and
its influence upon her she would open
rfer letter and read 1t.
AS usual, what she feared was not
in the one that Marie had handed her
while Teddy Dorminster waited some
place out on the grounds. 1t included.
however, paragraph when She real
over and over again.
All these letters from the bank were
dictated by Eggleston himself. lie
was always the same-cold. precise,
formal Invariably he began Dear
Miss Manners She read:
'I inclose herewith a statement OF
your account as of thu date. sepa-
rated, according to Your instructions,
into two divisions. Perhaps YOU Will
check the longer one. which includes
items paid by your order. | have care:
fully checked the expenditures llseed
on the second statement and find them
Correct.
.'You will notice that with these
statements your account would be Sc
1iously depleted, but | am to inform
YOU that your benefactor has notlhed
me that a substantial further deposit
will be made to your credit. You may
assume, therefore, that any require
ments you may have will be met
promptly. I remain.
Very truly yours,
"ANDREW EGGLESTON.
When she understood the meaning
of that last paragraph, that she need
ed more money and 1t was being given
her by the same unknown. and in the
same unexplained way, Joanna hastlly