New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-12-26

"A lime squash then" he sug-
gested well be at st. Thomas
in a few hours, and l want to talk
to you before you go ashore
run along" admonished Made
moiselle. "Meester Swinburne Is
better company for me than
Meester Smythe. He is more pro-
found"
Smythe smiled.
You like profundity?" he
tainted.
Il prefer it, she retorted. ito
banality."
oh. come now" Smythe
laughed uncomfortably. You don't
really think l am banal. Mademoi-
selle?"
You make love SO stupid" she
told him. and returned, uncon-
cernedly, to her book.
Ashtoreth waited until they were
out of hearing.
80 you've made love to Made
moiselle ?" she remarked.
Il could not insult Mademoi-
selle,' he answered. by not max
ing love"
"Oh, so you think all women ex-
pect you to make love to them?"
His tone annoyed Ashtoreth.
"Mademoiselle doesn't seem to
have been exactly slain by your
technique"
smythe emptied his pipe against
the rail.
You do not understand that
woman" he informed her. And
l told you before that you should
ask to have your stateroom
changed. Well be going ashore
soon at st. Thomas, and she's prct-
ty well known down through the
islands. want to advise you very
strongly against being seen with
her"
Ashtorcth flushed uncomfortably.
She was wearing, at the moment.
an ornament Of Chinese jade on an
old gold chain about her neck.
Mademoiselle's Jade. She was
wearing. also, little green hat
that matched the jade. Mademoi-
selle's hat. And bracelets, that
tangled with small Jade elephants
with ruby eyes. Mademoiselle's
bracelets.
Mademoiselle had given her any
number o. gifts. Several Of them
We're valuable. The scarlet eve
ming wrap. for instance. embroid-
cred with threads of gold. And all
the little French night gowns.
She faced Smythe Indignantly.
Mona has been very kind to
me-" she told him. And every
other woman on the boat has been
simply wretched."
That's because you seem to pre-
fer Mademoiselle's society to
theirs he interrupted. And OBJ
riously you cannot have both.
They'd have been decent enough if
you hadn't been intimate with her
from the beginning. Naturally.
they outlaw Dc Musset"
"Whyo' demanded Ashtoreth.
Because she's beautiful. OF course
and they're absolutely consumed
with jealousy. They're simply pet
rified to have their husbands as
much as look at herr"
Ashtoreth tossed her head an
grily.
I, "a
pointed out, for you to make love
to-
We'll, naturally. Mademciselle
is a delightful person to love. But
that hardly alters her social status.
In fact" - Smythe smiled - lone
might almost say that accounts
for her social status
Suddenly he became very serious.
"There is something" he said.
greatly pathetic about Mona dc
Musset. For desire is assad thing.
and love is all we know to tighten
it. Mademoselle obsessed with de-
sire, turns. for qualification. to
love. And love. strangely. is
said to be a wicked thing"
At heart Ashto:eth was some
thing OF a Puritan. Theoretically.
she was extremely broadminded
Actually. she was as provincial as
Maize.
You mean" she gasped. that
Mademoiselle is VIGOROUSLY i'm
norsl?'
He inclined his head gravely.
And that's why everybody has
been so horrid to me-"
Exactly"
The Englishman was solemn
now.
"All the ladies on board" he
said, 1.-The fat onFs and the lean
ones-and all the stupid. ugly ones
have been tearing you and Made
lnoiselle apart ever since You APP
.. peared the first evening at dinner
4 together. They say''-he mimicked
the acrid tones of the Simpson sis
tiers - they say. Miss Ashe. that
birds Of feather flock together.
And You can tell woman by the
company she keeps
They walked for a minute in 81
lence. Ashtoreth was completely
bewildered. She had realized, of
course, that Mademoiselle's morals
might have been more or less du-
bious. But 10 learn that the girl
was actually notorious, That So
called decent women had drawn
their Nirtuous skirts aside, lest she
- who roomed with Mademoiselle
should pollute the sanctity of
their presence!
That she-Ashtoreth Ashe-had
,acceptcd the benevolences of d wo-
man beyond the pale,
Mademoiselle's Jade ornament
clicked against the buttons on her
sweater. Mona's jewelry ?