Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

~ could bear. It was nearly tim
now. Some one was announc
Ing that the favorS were in the English
room, and men and women were tur,~
ing In that direction. 1t was the great
moment when the dowager could be-
come Bo-Peep. the hour when false
mustaches and comedy spectacles de-
stroyed the dignities and inhibitions OF
age and wealth. the chance for the
socially lost soul to become coy and
bold behind paper parasol and frilled
paper bonnet. Daphne saw Mrs Ellery
grabbing the last one of the dropping
hats with pale green plumes of cut
paper. and Hal Gayley tying the strings
Of dunce-cap under the chin of some
girl. 1t seemed to her that she had
seen the same thing for hundred
years, although after all, since she was
only 81, that was extreme hyperbole
But she was sure that she had seen 1t
long enough.
Where her husband was. she had no
Idea. The way to meet the new year,
according to the traditions of Daphne S
crowd. was with boot. Why she had
turned so viciously on tradition she did
not know. Yet all day the new year
had been almost impersonated to
Daphne. She saw it as grave. as ques-
tioning. Not as a quasi-cupid with no
clothes. not at all infantile. 1t was a
very school-maSter of a new year,
grading her on her past IL months,
admonishing her as to the tasks before
her. She wanted to be docile and
worthy and begin it we'll. But paper
costume, a blaring horn, a random,
anonymous kiss when the lights went
cut, as they would at midnight, was
not the way.
The crowd poured past her She
knew nearly every one, for the New
Years party at the club was a closed
7ffair. Nice people, good people, very
ubstantial ones, of enterprise and sue.
cess, silly women who had married
lever men and been carried along
automatically, silly men who had mar
red rich women, young mothers. old
mothers. boys home from college, all
10 hilarious to care how heterogeneous
he mix-up was. They were all bent on
ne same thing, to make q cabaret out
# the advent of the new year.
And maybe they'd be dead before an
cher year came in, thought Daphne,
f'arkly suspecting tragedy. Wasn't there
ne in the lot who realized that life
las serioyT?
OF course, she knew what was affect
-g her point of view. Nick. He was
Il her mind as a specific problem, as
I'll as husband. He was in the same
vt she was; and. besides. he was fiirt-
g with Marcia Watts. When she had
,lggested to him that she wanted to
now new people and different people,
had mentioned the fact that he
.nted to give dinner to the clerks
l his ONCE.
Il mean interesting people, said
>aphne-"people who struggle and
ve."
Those clerks struggle, believe me-"
cswered Nick; and Daphne. seeing
.?at he didn't understand, let it go.
They had been celebrating the week
they had done for the past eight
ears, and much as both of them had
one separately before that. They had
zen out for dinner four times and
me to five dances. Even the per-
7nnel around them hadn't changed
:-eatly. There were few new widows
I'd widowers, few social spaces made
2cant by bankruptcy or scandal, a
eat many babies in the young mar
ed background; but, on the whole, life
as cut and drying. If not completely
lied. At 81, and with husband 80,
she saw herself approaching the time
''hen, like Mrs. Ellery, she would grab
for the best paper hat and spend the
;'ext afternoon at bridge-table dis
Kissing who was at the party and what
-ear, when she felt that elsewhere the
ear was beginning in all sorts OF
ascinating ways, good or evil. but. at
,ast, not as stupidity as this. She wasn't
ICING to spend all her time with the
-ame old people-or, worse, with the
;ame young people. Nick had said that
- didn't blame her bit. and added
nat she must be tired. But Daphne
new better She was not tired. She
had been up late, but she had been
~esting and walking every day. Rest
ing and walking, to come to this sort
Ct performance In the evening!
AS clock somewhere struck 1880
she went to the dressing room,
where q maid found her coat in the
middle Of racks of brocade and fur.
Daphne drew it around her and es-
capped. She did not have a formed
destination, but she had a car key
Of her own, and she determined not to
isten to the stroke Of IL In the usual
way.
She Unanswered the car from be-
tween a gray limousine and re-
9plendent coupe and sped down the
street. The New Year was being cele-
brated here and there. Groups OF cars
before private houses marked the
chosen places, and, as she reached the
hotel and business district every pub
'ic place of amusement blazed with
lights. There was no doubt in Daphne's
mind that interesting things were all
around her. The dificulty was one OF
penetration. She couldn't go to a
'lotel and crash In on a dance. Be-
-ides, she didn't want to dance. She
didn't know what she wanted, except
% declare her independence by enlarg-
'ng the scope of her living at the very
brink of the New Year.
A lunchroom caught her eye and be-
gan to interest her. Who would begin
me new year in a lunchroom, sitting
IN a stool and eating a ham sandwich?
IT was a respectable place. she knew
for, while she had never been there
she knew that decent crowds went IN
md out of it at noon. She parked the
-ar along the curb, looked coolly at
policeman who seemed to be more wor-
lied about her than he was about the
two singing gentlemen coming down the
street, and went in.
Two boys in white coats were in the
Enclosure between the counters, serving
sandwiches and refilling cups. Daphne
blazed against the door. She remem'
bered. the moment she entered, tina
she was wearing in her hair the banc
Of tourmalines Nick had given her fol
Christmas. because she was letting hel
hair grow. Tourmalines on SHINING
hair, a munificence of silver fox ant
rold brocade. make an ensemble tina
requires poise, when it has no othel
escort 80.
Daphne mounted a STOOL and with
little backward thought at the jam a
he club, which was no doubt goini
through its usual antics. began to en-
oy herself as she looked at the MEM
on the wall and at the people about her
They varied and except for one weary
looking girl in the corner they were a.
men A street car conductor was Sill
in uniform; rather well dressed ant