San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-30
CHAPTER xxvIII
MAXWELL REED.

btorlee-Rredt Oues- Notd Leo ioiu'
ed her hasids il her lap and sishet
wistfully. 'That must be deep salts
faction"
Maxwell Reed tlanced at her In sly
amusement. He drawled carelessly, in
piquant contrast to the mobile glitter
of his eyes. "Yes-'tis."
She suIfeyed him frankly: "I've
never talked to real writer before.
Do you mind II ! ask how old you
The smile quirled amiably: "Twen.
ty-nine. ] suppose ! might as well be
hundred in your opinion"
"No. / don't think a person begins
to get old until about 30. I Just want
ed to kno/ at what age success is
likely to coIAe."
"Oh-so you write, tooT
Condolences.
"Why-how did you guesss I've
never told q SOUL" Her blue eyes
ishone with delight as though he had
seen the luminous gift lighting her
forehead. "Of course. I've not done
anything yet, except little bits for the
school paper. What made you know"
He found it hard to restrain his
amusement. Zone of those inexplicable
flashes. If l were woman I'd call it
my infallible intuition"
You aren't woman Halter. ]
hoper
Only periodicals."
She laughed: you're not having
that kind of a spell nowp
II am not"
so many writers are that way
like Nietzsche and Schopenhauer."
Nora Lee tossed off the names with
weary grace, that heightened the
mans amusepent.
IN THE FIRELIGHT.
They were sitting in a built-in nook
at the fireplace. Connie had dimmed
the lamps the Goals were dulled scar
let flowers, falling and glowing petal
from petal.
Only four or five couples were now
. dancing in the long, narrow room |;
Spthers passed throughthe hall, up and
down the stairs. Humming and laugh
tern chimed with a bright, Fear note
.throush the wailing thunder of the
one-step. - long the fringe of the room,
some OF them gliding in magnificent,
poetic langours, others jazzing merrily,
went constant stream fsom the gar.
dens and the machines parked along
the upper roa}
In and out among these-now in
the room, now in the garden, her
bobbed ringlets shining went Billie.
Two or three young men followed
her.
4, She stopped as Mickey Grant and.
Connie reached the bench where Nora
Lee was having this new, thrilling ad-
venture. Mickey carried the inevitable
tray, a cherubic smile under his small,
pugnacious nose.
Hello, ma Here's TO youls
Mickey, no more tonight-please.
You must do as mamma says. Con-
ME mustn't take any more. I'm
giving you orders, Mickey dear"
he ran a whimsical hand through
the crop Of sunny hair. Lord love
you, Billie, old dear, don't shift your
maternal troubles on to me. What
you can't do for your young one.
can II"
Connie laughed and took the cock
tail. Her lips twittered impudently
Run along, Billie dear. I've given
orders that everyone is to remain
within the bounds Of decorum-so
that lets you out"
"Just fancy her trying to lock rs
in q decorated attic and the full
moon out!"
Billie laughed, covering the nervous
darts in her round blue eyes. As she
went with dainty, mincing steps down
the room Connie whistled: "Poor
things! They have their troubles"
And she began to regale them with
Billie's efforts to dilute the punch; to
keep the couples from sauntering along
the road and to the machines.
THEME FOR A TALE.
She gave Maxwell Reed a chum-
my push: Move over, Max! Why
don't you write a story about Billie?
] could give you some hop that would
be scream. Modern mother tries to
stem tides Of evolutionl Like the
brave boy on the farm who hurls his
body across the breaking dam!"
THAT'S a good theme, Con. I'll
call on you for the gruesome details"
Nora Lee tapped her foot impa-
tiently, drawing her straight, black
brows toward her nose and breath
ing loud with boredom.
Maxwell Reed gave her a quick,
sly look: Didn't you promise me
this dancer"
She sprang to her feet with child
ish pleasure. "You have intuitions,
j see wish you would tell me
about the first story you ever wrote
and how you came to do such great
things. You see I'm just starting to
college, I'd like to know"
7 "Yes-it would be great help to
you, no doubt, though / haven't
done any great things as yet"
They took a few turns on the
floor and wandered toward the
gardens. He was taller than Dane,
but his shoulders were narrow and
slightly STOPPING, yet he had the
grace and the swift, quiet move
ments Of a sleek animal.
He said, amiably: Il have no ma
chine. I'm sorry"
"Tm glad!" 1t burst out explo-
sively. She checked herself with a
merry @Oh, ] don't mean to delight
in your poverty IL you are poor. ]
mean I'd rather stand here. I think
one can talk better"
He gave her soft. railing laugh,
and put his arm with n careless ease
about her whist. "You may take
rold-"
She shook her head. He didn't
move his arm. They stood in the
shelter of the house, leaning on
high gate, overgrown with ivy gern-
NUNS. They looked as from a tall
window down to the waters that
Uere now cold, with an oily black