Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-10-28
published By special ARRANGEMENT with tn
Chicago Tribune 6yndicste)
IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE


IN TWO PARTS-PART
l"HE umbrella Of the head doormal
at the Croesus was large and gayl.
i striped and he carried 1t like tn
very ori1amme OF Importance, NOV
Ing ponderously to open the doors o
limousines and taxis In the exact spo
and at the exact moment 80 that NJ
drop Of rain might touch those wit
passed into the hotel.
1t was five O'Clock and. despite TIT
rain. The Crystal room was becoming
crowded. Light from its hundreds Of iri
descent globes shown on the waxed lane
ing space at the end of the ROOM, OF
tables set with shining tea services, anl
sparkled on the brittle sugar skirts O
the candy dolls which stood on each
table as the days novelty. The doll
were a tribute to the expensiveness O.
the Croesus No two were alike. They
stood. twelve inches high. in stiff anus.
ing poses, ballet dancers and shepherd.
esses and ladies Of fashion. with para.
soils cooked coQuettishly, all master.
pieces OF some confectioner's skill.
Anne Barrett broke a piece of the rec
candy skirt Of the doll before her and
bit into it critically.
Looks better than 1t tastes" she said
to her companion.
Artificial ladies' always do"
She laughed at the easy generalization
and, leaning on her elbow, regarded the
thin odd face with its family causttc
twist OF features which his straight
glancing, clear gray eyes seemed con-
stantly to contradict.
STILL" said Anne, there's this about
it. Artificial ladies care nothing about
know they have q taste. All their little
sugar vanities are tied up in effects
There are lots Of good effects around here
today-and not only on the tables" she
added, looking around casually at the
nearby girls and m
Among them Anne looked q little ex-
ira rugged, as usual. 1t was partly due
to her loose hung, athletic body, In which
the muscles never seemed repressed, part
ly the effect OF her tweed sport dress,
but mostly because OF her face. The
features were large and we'll planned,
with eyes that had never been trained
to coquetry, but smiled and frowned and
scowled at their own pleasure. A golf
ourse or campus face it might have
been, Drowned from friendliness with
weather, a face In which nothing was
hidden or secret or mysterious and all
Of It's vitality kept constantly in use for
thinking and recording living. To-day 1t
was troubled. Miles was conscious OF its
shifting clouds Of thoughts.
She offered him tiny spiced sandwiches
and cakes, and refllled his cup with tea.
Tell me the news now, Miles. I want
to hear everything. Exactly what you
think Of the new play and what the
amazing Gwynne will wear"
"She's not going to be allowed to wear
anything that win ruin my SETS"
'Boshl" said Anne. ats the other
way around. You won't be allowed to
nave a set that will interfere with her
clothes. But tell me about the play first.
I've Just barely read It,. Dave gave 1t to
me one night, asking for criticism. and
then whisked it away next day, saying
he'd decided on It,"
And forgot about the criticism, Of
course
"Of course. But I really did see that,
in spite of obvious blunders, the play
might get by. All my objections to it
were what Dave would call literary. You
know. They've stuck in the comedy
where it wasn't needed-sob. laugh. gaze
at Gw~ynne-that's all the play is. The
man had a good idea, too. but he didn't
know how to construct a play. That
isn't necessary, Dave says. He says he
can write it over himself If it needs any
thing"
She laughed without meaning, a laugh
which seemed to acknowledge the pres
ence of humor in a situation without
sharing 1t.
Dawes getting his head, isn't hep"
Just the same" he said, II think I'll
tell Dave q few home truths n of these
days. That boy doesn't appreciate what
he owes you He's O damned bad debt,
Anne. and 1t will give me pleasure to re-
mind him OF It,"
A kind Of panic came over Anne's face.
you won't do that, Miles! Don't you
speak to him about me. 1t bores him to
death when people do. First he's OIL
them and then he's OF me-"
who cares?" asked Miles, grumpily.
But he knew, from the miserable
it enraged him.
She tried to switch the conversation
Pretty here, isn't it. in spite of gaudi-
ness? There's a kind of transcribed vul-
garity. Less money spent on the same
idea would make the place look like a
circus wagon"
Miles ignored her effort.
Dawes wife did pop of, didn't sheP 1t
wasn't just rumor?"
'Sne died." said Anne, "a year ago
cherishing her grievance"
Did she have a grievance?"
IT don't know. She was ten years or
more older than Dave, of course. She
wanted q nice, docile, plugging, young
nan and 1t Just about killed her when
Dave decided to go on the stage. She
felt hat 1t made her and the baby not
quite respectable. That was why she
wouldn't divorce him, that crooked sense
OF responsibility. 1t was more respect
able to have an absent wandering hus-
band than nor at all. This last year
when he took to making money, she
seems to have shown her first pride, or
perhaps it was greed. Anyway. she began
writing him letters ~reproaching him for
not wanting her around. If h hadn't
really been Ill, no doubt she would have
turned up sooner or later"
where's the chtldp"