Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29

1SSIE went out a great deal
M That Winter. Her invitations
wv Wre stuck into the edge of her
4 4 mirror, sat on the mantelpiece
Adelaide chaperoned her, eat
ing enormously, bouillon, creamed oys-
tiers, chicken pates, salads, ices. Some
times she struggled away little iced
cakes, to eat in her room later. She
grew stouter. She had a new air OF
dignity, a vicarious maternity. Missile
would lay her favors in her capaciouS
lap, and Adelaide would watch and
count them. When nearby lap con-
tanned more than hers she would grow
watchful and anxious. And this hap
pened rather often.
For Missile was never belle. She
had a sufficient number Of partners
but no clamoring circle of mustached
young males ever formed about her
Once in while she sat out dance
or two, and to cover the awkwardneSs
she and Adelaide engaged in Sprightly
conversation. On such occasions, how
ever, poor Adelaide would jerk more
than ever, and one after another the
favors would fall to the floor.
Sarah would be awake when they got
home. Missile would take in her
mirrors, fans, sachet bags, and Sarar
would sit up in bed and handle them
with her delicate old hands. The next
day she would write to Lambert:
"Marcella is having wonderful sea-
son. Her room is filled with cotillioII
favors, some of them idiotic, but al
showing that the child is popular. ]
think she will make a good marriage
hope so for your sake, and as things
are with me now, hope 1t will bt
soon. am grieved to know that your
new company has got into difficulties
and incloSe-"
On the evenings when she was al
home Missile listened for the doorben
Surely now he would come. He hac
kissed her and she had let him do II
Men and girls only kissed when they
cared for each other. He know nov
that she cared; she had as much a:
told him so. When she had been out
she would say to Ishmael the next
did any one call last night?"
'No, Miss"
Perhaps he was waiting for q wore
from her. She lay In bed at night anc
thought Of that. There was a telephone
in the house by that time. One only
had to turn a handle and call num-
Der and there he would be. But al
though she knew the number by heart
she never called it. Mrs. Macdonald
was full Of stories Of forward girls Wht
called up young men and were laughed
at for their trouble. Surely, the frs
move should come from him. She haC
let him kiss her. She
One night, going to a dance, she saw
| him. She hardly knew him at first
| He was in a uniform standing near thu
old armory evidently waiting for {
street acr. She felt again that sicken
ing breathleSSness, that frantic yearn'
ing which the mere sight Of him Away
aroused. But what could she do? AIDE
laide was beside her, breathing hard II
| her tight clothes, the white feathers II
her hair trembling as she twitched
Missile bent forward, waved hand, bu
he did not see her.
She stopped asking Ishmael, but sh,
took to lying awake too many nights
She grew thin; her color began to fade
She would come home from her parties
hang up her dress, put away her slip
pers listlessly hang her favors arounC
her dresser or set them on the mantel
put on her long-sleeved, high-necket
crawl into her bed to lie awake loni
after Adelaide had sunk into stertoriou
sleep across the hall.
She had no one to talk to. Ellel
had been furious when she had not re
| ceived an invitation to Missiles "comint
out" and had definitely broken OF thei
relations.
"You live your life and I'll liv
mine," she said, standing over Missi
with her baby in her arms. "If tina
Stodgy old crowd thinks it's the onl.
society in this town, I'm out to shov
them something different. There ar
people here who could buy them out
lock, stock and barrel, and never mis-
the money"
1T wasn't meant that way, Ellen"
Then what way was it meant?"
"They have their own friends. Som
Of them are quite poor"
Did you ask her to ask us?"
Missile heSitated. "I did mention n
but I couldn't say a great deal.