The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-08-18

sibility of blackmail.
Probably every servant in the
hotel knows that I am supposed to
be the Princess Vivian. If I at
tempted to bride them all to silence
as we'll as the more mercenary Of
the Minnetonka guests, I should
need quite a slice of those fabulous
40 millions I'm supposed to possess.
Sorry, well-wisherl I'm afraid
you're going to be disappointed"
She tore the foolish letter to tiny
bits and dropped them into the
waste basket. Then delicate flush
of excitement burning in her cheeks
she walked toward the elevators.
she dined, as usual, with Schuy-
Ter Smythe, chaperoned by the
watchful eyes of nearly every guest
in the big dining room. They were
both nervous, keyed up to the break
ing point, but no one observing
them, could have detected it.
The man, tall, beautifully groomed
in his impeccable evening clothes,
with a white gardenia in his button
hole, presented a picture of a we'll
bred gentleman enjoying dinner and
conversation with a lady whom he
admired and to whom he deferred
graciously.
A casual observer would have said
that Vee-Vee was beauty long ac-
customed to homage, and not more
than specifically interested in her
dinner companion.
But the man was saying behind
the mask of pleasant smile: This
is hell, Vee-Vee. We've got to dodge
this mob of self-appointed chaper-
ons somehow. Where can we meet
-alone?"
ignore me as much as you can
after dinner and in the ballroom"
she said in a low voice, her smile
arch as if she were parrying a COM
pliment.
II shall slip away from the dane
as near II o'clock as possible and go
to the far pier. If we find some one
else already there we can take
walk along the lake shore"
"All right" he agreed, smiling
broadly for the benefit of those
who watched.
After dinner Vee-Vee was imme-
diately challenged for bridge. 1t
made her blood boil to see Schuyler
ignored, but she accepted almost
eagerly. Flora Cartwright, bridge
devotee, had bullied Vee-Vee into
learning the game, but she had
never enjoyed it tremendously.
This evening she played so badly
that when the game broke up at
nine for dancing in the ballroom
she owed her opponents more than
$40, loss which meant far more
to her than any of the other three
players could have dreamed. Her
budget for hotel expenses had not
included heavy losses at bridge.
In the ballroom she was easily
the most sought after girl on the
floor. For two long hours her sup.
pie body swayed to the rhythm of
jazz music, played with mad aban-
don by the orchestra of six black
boys.
Cutting in was permitted, and
sometimes she had been in four diff
ferent pairs of arms before a piece
was finished.
For two long hours she smiled up
into eyes alight with admiration.
Fora two interminable hours she
parted compliments and questions,
evaded topics of which Vivian Gran
dali was no doubt familiar but of
which Vera Victoria Cameron knew
less than nothing.
She had arranged with bellboy,
by tipping him a dollar, to be PACED
at ten minutes to eleven. When
the boy came darting through the
crush of guests on the ball
room floor droning out his "Tel-
ephone for Miss Cameron! Phone
for Miss Cameron" she excused
herself to her partner, darted to the
chair over which she had draped
her Spanish shawl, and slipped out
OF the door just a few steps away.
Since nearly every person in the
room was dancing there was no at
tempt made to follow her, fac
for which she was almost prayer
fully thankful.
She sped down the corridor just
outside the ballroom, gained un-
noticed the stairs leading to the
rear entrance of the hotel.
She had not danced all evening
with Schuyler, had not seen him at
all since 10 o'clock, but she knew
he would be waiting for her at the
pier.
Summer dew lay heavy on the
grass but she disregarded it, scorn-
ing the winding cement paths, as
she took the shortest route to the
lake.
1t lay before her, family agleam
in the starlight. There was no moon
to speak of-just a thin crescent OF