Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-15

BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR.

her forehead into her eyes. When she
felt SO weak that she could just stag
ger to her feet, the attendant took her
to another room, and scrubbed her
with hard brush. That was fun.
The attendant treated her just like
so much putty.
Turn around" she would say
briskly, and Nan would turn. Then
the scrubbing brush would descend re-
morselessly and Mans tender flesh
would cringe. But she felt warm and
glowing when she took her shower.
Tons Of water surging over her.
Then she had a salt rub, and after
ward she was put to rest in a room
with two blue lights at each end.
She couldn't rest. She was too
stimulated. 1t was amusing to see
the other women asleep, or pretending
to be. Thoughts kept surging through
her mind. Why couldn't she sleep?
She burrowed her head into the
pillow with no results. She was wide
awake and that was all there was to
it. She might as well so.
When she reached the apartment,
Muriel had been put to bed. Nan was
still stimulated from her bath. She
felt that she ought to exert herself to
be amusing tonight.
her
Her dresses had been delivered.
Suppose she wore her new evening
frock tonight. She was going to have
dinner with Martin, but afterward
they might go to the theater.
The evening dress was rather
lovely because it was so apparently
discreet. 1t was of white lace. or
rather q dull cream, over a flesh
colored slip. The slip had flowers all
around the hem, and they showed
through the lace. The skirt was set
in panels, and the sleeves were long
and flowing. She loved the feeling of
a long sleeved evening frock.
1t was beautiful dress. She had
known that the minute she. had tried
it on, because it was really individual.
She considered herself for long time
in the long mirror that hung in her
bedroom and decided that she was not
bad. Martin must be pleased with
her, of course, and she had grown
to dread the rather close scrutiny he
subjected her to. She kept wondering
what was going on in his mind, and
it worried her.
After Muriel was safely In bed and
because she had never had the privi-
lege Of doing it before, she prolonged
her dressing.
Lovely to dress fresh from the skin
out! Lovely to draw on silken under.
wear, and long, delicate stockings.
And her evening slippers. Black satin
with little pink rosebuds embroidered
on the toes, and silver heels.
She looked at herself in the long
glass, and wondered.
There had never been anything
mysterious about her. She had never
been one of those queer women who
complain of not knowing themselves.
She had always known her every
motive. 1t had been clear-cut, crystal
line. Was it because for the first
time in her life she had done some
thing she hadn't wanted to do that
she was different?
She hadn't wanted to marry Martin
Lee. In the first place it hadn't
seemed fair to inflict her life on him.
In the second she cared nothing for
merely material things. Like most
women, she loved pretty clothes, but
as for beautiful apartment and ex'
pensive surroundings, they meant
nothing.
She had done this for Muriel. She
had wanted the best for her baby. Al
first it hadn't been so bad, because
she had been too sick to care. But
now that she was well again, it preyed
on her conscience.
She was too clean-cut to muddle
things. For some reason Martin Lee
had wanted her, and in return for
what she could give him, he could
give her the material things that for
the present she had no other way of
obtaining.
She twisted her slim foot in its
peach.colored stocking, and low black
satin slipper. The white lace dress
beloved about her. Above the some.
what severe neckline her beautiful,
serious, childish face looked back at
her from the mirror. The eyes were
somewhat Swallowed. But the full
mouth was red and lovely and provoc-
alive. and that sweep of black hair
back from her white forehead gave
her the look Of fragile, very high.
bred princess.
This was a different Nan from the
girl who had rushed home from her
posing to get dinner for Tom. But
a far less happy one. Tom-Tom!
Continued in tomorrow's Starr
Copyright. 1927