The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-01-08

"OP gasped Alice involuntarily. There
isn't much privacy here!'
Privacy said Barbara with a matter
OF TACT bitterness. 'Say, when a shows
finished a New York and Chicago run.
even a goiter is not considered a piece
Of personal property"
Some one across the room, possibly
Corale, called inquisitively you really go
ing to get that divorce, Earl?'
Alice Derry gave a small start. With
frowning scrutiny she looked at Barbara,
listened to her.
mo, That's off. It was never really on,
really" Barbara spoke carelessly enough.
You said"
Did I? I don't remember what I said"
You said Phil said"
90, well, threatening to divorce each
other IS our favOrite indoor sport. But
Pills all right now"
sure, y Jerred Anne. "a lot Of money"
Money nothing said Barbara. com
fOrtably. "He was all right two days ago,
1 got a letter that proved it."
Barbara beamed on Alice, who was at
t~ent1ve. And Alice was Of that ash blonde
type whose delicacy Of cOlOring is a most
indomitable mask for emotion.
You know, Pills one Of these nasty
nice men," she cOnfided. And he doesn't
like to take medicine that tastes bad and
he doesn't like to be messy. But the only
thing that viii cure a cold Of his is strips
OF bacon around his neck when he goes
to bed at night. When I'm at home with
him, / don't argue. I simply say. Phil,
put that on and don't talk He sulks but
uG EElS over IuaL. 80 Wuen j 2OL n letter
two days ago telling me that he'd had a
bad cold but he put six strips Of bacon
on the night before. 1 knew Phil was
simply dying to be nice to me, and please
me. Poor bOy!'
3 cor" gasped Alice. Involuntarily she put
2 up a hand to her eyes, as if to shut away
a picture.
But it could not be shut away-that pic
I ture of a Phil who was not the Phil she
! had known but the Phil who had some
where. some time, taken his place in a
changing world; a man, with a short stub
e by mustache. holding his neck ungraCe-
/ fully to Barbara's handful of detestable
bacon.
1T is messy sighed Barbara. medita-
S lively. With a startling swift movement,
she was adjusting a thin, sand cOlOred silk
garment.
q % repeated Alice weakly. She put out
3 a ndnd weakly, as if she had lost hold Of
something that once was securely in her
grasp, and she rose.
At the same moment a dozen other girls
= rOse-lithe with barbaric bracelets and
brown bodies. Unheard by Alice. some
signal must have been heard. Barbara flung
v back a cordial smile that seemed to NEAR
e goOd-by. Barbara's voice TO Anne flOateC
back like a carol, Lot I care right nov
when this show ends its run"
The dancing desert girls were running
out on the stage.
Alice made her way down and out, di
r. rected by an indistinguishable murmU
and two scene shifters. Past great canva.
4 walls which, shifted audienceward, becam,
# desert sand. or temple walls, or coral isles
a tenor in blue satin pumps passed her
He was saying bitterly, He says to me
Spray your tonsils with this solution an,
| said, That's what you told me las
week" a large girthed person in gold an
g purple passed, saying, "She crowds M
again in this act and you watch what ! d
q to her! Watch, 1 warn you
Alice heard, but was not interested
n Forms and voices were vague, unreal. Sh
= gained a passage leading past the bOXe
n on the right side of the house and thenc
along the shadOwy wall to the back, an
. the center aisle.
The twenty minhUCs Just passed SCENE
% kaleidoscope, unreal. So many cOlOrs ha
- whirled, but where was one that ha
seemed wool of life? SOmber enough {
wool. But somehow ~lacking-nOw!
m The floor was dark. The stage was
rainbow guide, however. She found MurG
10 tywOOd's familiar head, at side of aisl
iS The dancing desert girls whirled san
cOlOred thin silken scarfs. Barbara's fac
TO young, smiling, whirled behind the foo
of lights.
Dy Alice in the dim aisle smiled Mt
ps thought. No, wherever old impulsive Mr.
Corning was, she would not forget! Ali'