The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-11-17

comment over settlements. Indeed,
there may have been none; If there
were, 1t Is probable the husband
were voluntarily generous. Both
had been artists at heart and were OF
the sort, who wore woman as
jewel and would continue to be
proud of the splendor that had been
theirs during their devotion to wife
of whom at least one order of the
world must ever envy them. 1t is
probable they would willingly do
| their share toward preserving the
golden sheen on the butterfly wings
that had fluttered for them.
The latter one of these had been
| Alfred Coutant the American. Long
before him, however, Yvonne
Coutant had been one who helped,
with her intense, and exotic, cos
mopolitan charm, to give romantic
color to the affairs of aspiring
American hostesses who in them
selves can provide only dullness.
Men who were without sense Of
humor fell desperately in love with
her She irritated women and they
bored her dreadfully.
$50
m ODDLY KENILWORTH might
Tx have said a great deal more
J about Yvonne Coutant than
the sum of these things if he wished
So might Brandon. OF the two Rod
dy probably had the safer knowl-
edge. He was an unprecedented OBJ
server OF women. Brandon was only
occasionally interested, Kenilworth
always. And somewhere out of his
knowledge of her Kenilworth had
acquired the power of disconcerting
her whenever he wished. She
when he came upon her in a corner
Of the little winter garden which
opened off the drawing room of her
house in one of the fashionable
cross streets that have usurped the
exclusiveness of the Avenue.
This house was another Of the
mysteries that encompassed Yvonne
Coutant. 1t had come to her from
neither of her husbands. So far as
any one knew she always maintained
it as a sort of retreat from her globe
trotting. She called it her anchor"
No matter how long were her alb
sences it was always stated with
servants, and the hot house flowers
that gave their color and perfume to
the winter garden were carefully
tended. Roddy's greeting was his
usual one: Can you make some
magic signs or recite mystic words
that will bring me a morning high
ball?"
II fancy Walker, having let you
in, has the tray already waiting"
she replied, motioning him to a sill.
yer bell on the low, marble table,
which fronted the bench on which
she had fixed herself, cross-legged
on a pile of cushions, obviously for
half an hour with a book. You
won't mind, will your" she inquired,
IF I don't straighten my legs out?
It's quite bother to curl them up
this way, you know"
She patted a cushion beside her,
inviting him to share the bench, but
he declined. propping himself on the
edge of the table, so that he faced
her.
II can never enjoy a highball
when I'm too close to a woman"
he explained. lone distracts my
attention from the other. .conse-
quently I miss something of both"
ct can't fancy you failing to ex-
act the utmost from either" she
retorted.
You f1atter my vanity and in the
same breath shame my faults. For
the moment, as Walker is prompt
in his response to the summons.
shall disabuse you of your judge
ment-as to the highball"
m HE watched him silently while
he poised the decanter over
a glass. She merely nodded
her refusal to his, Are you joining
me?" He poured his portion and add
ed the ginger ale he preferred to
soda. MY compliments" he said.
holding his glass slightly toward her.
She nodded her permission, her eyes
still fixed on him.
do you know" he observed, when
| he had tasted his drink, IT never see
a woman-a pretty woman, that is
| posed on a cushioned pedestal as
| you are, in the posture of a female
! Buddha, or the wife of some Hindu
god, that l don't wonder what sin
lister deviltry they ponder over. If
I should come across you, like that,
in Hindu temple Of gold, or be-
hind the affairs along some path of
auspiciousness, I should feel the
urge to make sacrifice to you
of a maiden widow, or a first born
girl child. or something of the sort,
to nropitiate your
The lines at each corner of her
lips deepened, and her soft, silvery
laugh seemed to blend into the win
ter garden perfumes.
Admirable, Roddy!' she exclaimed
merrily. Your overture is magnifi-
cent. 1 am all prepared for the play.
Finish your highball, pour yourself
another, fix one for me, without ice,
please, so it will be ready if l need
it, and then you may tell me the evil
you are going to accuse me Of pom
dering."
His expression didn't change. He
obeyed the first of her injunctions,
and emptied his glass. When he
had also filed it again, and another
for her. which she motioned him to