Evening star., 1927-09-12
CHAPTER LV.
The Dinner.

On the night Of Nau's dinner party
for Alicia, or Martins rather, for he
had selected the guests and superin-
tended everything. Nan and Alicia
dressed in opposite parts OF the city.
Alicia felt very gay, very sure OF
herself
On impulse, she had bought a new
gown for the occasion. black one
with touches Of gold. 1t brought out
the gold in her hair and made her
eyes bluer than ever. She simply
hadn't been able to resist it.
She could hardly wait to bathe and
go through the preliminaries of dress
ing. so eager was she to put 1t on
again.
Nan dressed listlessly. There was
no surge of triumph in her heart. She
looked forward to the evening as an
ordeal that she must go through, moth
ing more. 1t wasn't until she slipped
on her aress, that little thrill stole
over her.
How we'll it suited her! 1t was
white and heavily beaded. The lines
We're simple, showing her slim. child
ish figure. and the neckline, high in
the front, was cut much lower in the
back. 1t gave naughty look to an
otherwise very demure frock.
Slowly she turned before her mir
ror.
The dress seemed to change her per-
sonality.
Above the high neckline. her face
was tho color Of ivory, touched family
with color. Her eyes were mysterious.
A little thrill of excitement surged
through her as she gazed wide-eyed
into the mirror. In this dress she
didn't feel like herself. 1t was as II
she had donned new personality.
In the living room, Martin was mix
ing cocktails.
"A she advanced toward him. his
heart contracted. She was like a
slim. white princess from another
world. The lines of the dress seemed
to give her additional height. He had
never seen her look so beautiful.
During dinner it was the same. He
found his eyes straying down the
BILE toward her, and wondering what
George Pollock was saying to make
her respond so radiantly. Beside him
Alicia was even more gorgeous than
usual, and as the guest of honor she
managed to monopoliZe most Of
Martins conversation. Only that he
found himself talking small talk while
his thoughts wandered. Tonight ne
was going TO speak to Nan. He was
going to offer her her freedom. He
had made up his mind definitely to
that.
He knew quite we'll what she would
say. but somehow he could not bear
to face the look of relief that would
leap into her eyes. Once he had seen
that look. then he would know that
it was all over.
She had flashed across his horizon
for a brief time, but he hadn't been
able to hold her. Why? Why?
After dinner two tables Of bridge
were started.
Nan had had two cocktails and
some wine. She felt curiously elated.
Alicia's manner did not CRATE on her
so much as, usual and she moved
about among her guests with more
assurance than she had felt in weeks.
1t amused her to feel like this. and
she blamed it on the dress. She had
never worn a frock that had given her
so much morale.
The listlessness that had been hers
during the early part Of the evening
had vanished. She felt gay now and
yet mysterious. 1t was so easy to
say just the right thing to every one
| in a mood like this. and for Martin s
sake she wanted the evening to be a
| success.
For Martin, in spite of the fact that
the dinner party had been given at
his instigation. the evening dragged.
His eyes kept turning to the clock
Bridge usually stimulated him: he
liked the game. But Nan wasn't
playing, and in spite of himself his
| eyes kept following her about the
room. He kept thinking OF what he
was going to say to her afterward.