The Washington times., 1928-12-18

Some other day--toInorruw-H
she tsmporixed. 'sIris probably
wouldn't think ii so much. any
way. And it's most likely the only
time I'll ever be q heroine. Even
if I never told her 1t wouldn't
make a lot Of difference for shed
he bored with It in q minute or
/. two. :"
~ So it was merely d feel for ro-
nance which kept Mary silent in
the beginning. Afterward when
she wanted 10 speak, when she
felt that safety depended upon her
1 setting forth what had happened
that early morning, her silence
had gained momentum, rolling
up on itself like q SNOWFALL till 1t
had become q great, unwieldly
thing. To have tried to break it
then would have seemed absurds
Perhaps 1t couldn't have been
broken.
Thus began the strange affair
which reached seeking arms into
high places and dragged sons
who lived there down and which
went searching the depths and
lifted up at least one. Grotesque
and improbable, a romance of
two worlds.
Now Mary leaned on an elbow,
helping herself to the chocolates.
and her whole being came alive
with admiration for this beautiful
relative whom she hardly knew.
She had seen plenty of hot-house
flowers during the brief duration
of her VISIT in New York; delicate
blossoms, roses so fragile that it
seemed they must wither at
touch: graceful. slender buds
shading from rich cream to the
faintest pink.
& Iris was like those, she decided;
quite as alien. az wonderful. An
object to fill the eye, but not the
heart. No fragrance, Daddy Bill
would object to that, Mary pom
dered, watching the smoke from
her cousins cigarette curl upward
in slow spira1s. He liked some.
thing more coIorfuI. He would
more admire her own rather
plump self. she knew.
Compared with Iris. Mary placed
herself as a field flower; one of
the gold and brown daisies which
grew by the Michigan roadsides
late of summers Not rare but all
eagerness. all a keen delight in
living.
She suspected sleep approaching
when this fancy stole upon her
since it sounded like a dream.
Such hours as these New Yorkers
kept Iris. dear" she began
drowisly, "Why don't you and
Cosmo get on? Don't you really
intend to marry f1im?'
"Oh, 1 suppose some day. Every
body expects it and Dad would
throw fit If at least one of his
kids didn't come through. It's a
sure thing Junior won't. Besides,
husbands aren't as permanent as
they were"
my dearp'
''You naive darling! But I ex-
pect no one bothers with divorces
out in the Michigan wilds. They
Jump over a broOmstiek or some
thing like the Indians when they
marry, don't they. and just say
good luck when they're through"
OF course Iris was laughing at
her again but heat blazed through
Mary's veins. She sprang up.
small brown fists clenched, eyes
aflame, and stamped the soft little
brown slipper. Iris Ring! You
---oh, think you're terrible! We're
d lot more civilized back home
than New York is with it's jazz and
popping corls and temporary mar.
riages and nobody caring a thing
what happens TO anybody else.
Anyway we're honest and guess
that's something!"
"Try to be calm, or youu get
crows feet. OF course I'm sorry"
But the gray eyes shone with
amusement and Mary felt sud
den resentment for the too small.
too white hands dipping into the
chocolates. Idle hands, the nails
dyed crimson and polished like
jewels. I'm going to bed" she
snapped. Good night"