Evening star., 1925-12-13


~ shaped room at the Ritz is per
"A Naded with 4 subtle melody
i A the light Clat-Clat of one lump,
two Jumps. into the cup, and
the ding of the shining teapots and
cream pots as they kiss elegantly in
transit upon a silver tray. There are
those who value that amher-lighted
hour above all other hours, for now
even the pale, slight toll of the lilies
who inhabit the Ritz is over, and only
The singing decorative part of the day
remains.
On the slightly raised horseshoe bal
Cony you might, one Spring afternoon,
have encountered young Mrs. AL
phonse Karr and young Mrs. Charles
lIemple at trim table for two. Mrs.
karr and Mrs. Hemple We're 23 years
old, and their friends said that they
had done very we'll for themselves.
I'or a wish either might have had the
limousine waiting at the hotel door,
hut both of them would much prefer
TO walk home (up Park avenue,
through the April twilight.
Luella Hemple was rather tall, with
faxen hair. Her skin was Il flower
petal. and she had no business putting
anything on it at all, but in Difference
TO an antiquated faShion-this was the
year l92O-She had powdered out its
high roses and drawn on ii new
mouth and new eyebroWS-Which We're
no more successful than such med
ding deserves This. of course, is said
from the vantage point of 1928. In
those DAYS the effect she gave was
exactly what it should have been.
I've been married three years. she
was saying as she squashed out a
cigarette in an exhausted lemon.
Then raising her eyes. she looked at
Mrs karr and heSitated.
shall | tell you something shock
ing"
Try" said Mrs I<arr eagerly.
My baby rather horeS me. That
sounds like an unnatural remark, Eide,
hut it's true. He doesn't begin to
I'll my life. I love him with all my
heart. of course, but when l have him
10 take care of for an afternoon,
get so nervous that l want to scream.
After two hours | begin praying for
the moment the nurSe'll walk in the
door"
"It may be because you-you don't
love Your husband" ventured Mrs.
I[arr, flushing 4 little.
But / do, | hope I haven't given
YOU that impression with all this
talk" Privately she decided that Eide
I[arr was rather stupid. It's the
very fact that | do love Charles that
complexities matters. | cried myself
to sleep last night because l know
were drifting slowly but surely to-
ward a divorce. It's only the baby
really that keeps us together"
Eide karr, who had been married
five years, looked at her closely to see
if this was merely pose, but Luella s
lovely eyes were grave and sad.
And what is the trouble? Eide in
quired.
It's plural" sighed Luella. First,
there's food. I'm Il vile housekeeper
and | have no desire or intention of
turning into 1t good one. | hate to
order groceries, and | hate to go into
The kitchen and poke about to see if
the iCeboX is clean, and l hate to pre-
tend TO the servants that I'm inter
eSted in their work. when really |
never want to hear about food until IT
comes on the table. You see. | never
learned to cook. and consequently u
kitchen is about as interesting to me
as a--aS a boiler room. It's simply "a
machine that / don't understand. Its
easy to say. Go to cooking school, the
way people do in books-but. tell me
the truth, Eide. in real life does any
body ever change into a model haus-
frau unless they have to-
"Go on" said Eide noucommittally.
"Tel me more"
We'll. as a result, the house is al
ways in a riot The servants leave
competent. | cant train them, so we
euced, they hate Il house where a
1nnS,a'f "a n int lI1f or