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

wasn't consulted. really. And they've
been so kind. :"
Ellen stared at her.
You're like your father" she said
cruelty. you even look like him. But
ever did. He never fooled me for q
minute, running around with other
women while nom was sitting at home!
You've got bad blood in you, Missile
Colfax. You'd better look OUT
So she was cut off from Ellen. Now
and then she saw her name in the
paper. Mrs. Thomas Wilkins enter
tanned the Neighborhood Eucher Club
at her residence, on Glen avenue, yes
terday afternoon, Handsome prizes
were awarded and refreshments were
served later. Among those present
were 1t widened the gulf be-
tween them that Missile recognized none
of the names.
And, although she occasionally went
back to Grove street. for she had more
liberty now, she found that the street
was constrained with her. It was of no
use to try to bridge that gulf, either:
the glamour of her life, the account of
her debut, all had passed into history.
She was romantic aloof figure and
she saw that when she tried to be
friendly they thought she was merely
patrontzing. Amazing that they could
think that, incredible that they could
not see below the surface to her real
heart hunger! She would leave the
carriage and walk, and Mrs. Wilkinson,
an old neighbor on whom she some
times called, would note it at once.
You're not riding today"
Il like to walk. It's exercise"
She gathered that Mrs. Wilkinson
might resent her having a carriage to
ride in, but that she enjoyed the pres
tige of having it standing before her
door,
But it was when she tried to talk of
Stella that she met real obstruction.
You'd better forget all that You're
young. What's gone is gone, I say"
DO you remember when we moved
In how happy we all we're? often
think about that first day. The men
carrying in the furniture and NOM
mother-so excited"
Yeah" said Mrs. Wilkinson, non
committally. And now tell me about
yourself. I suppose you'll be marrying
rich man now. Missile, and getting
yourself family"
II don't want to marry really"
tut, tut"
She would go home again, with a
sense Of a door, an old familiar door,
closed In her face.
One night in Lent-it was typical of
him to wait until Lent to do his court
ing-Wesley Dexter came to call.
She was rather f1attered He was in
the library, in dinner clothes, and his
manner conveyed that an evening call
from Wesley Dexter was no small mat
ter, that it had Importance, social value.
He bowed deeply over her hand. kissed
it lightly. He had learned that this was
being done in Washington and New
York, and he was starting vogue for
1t. BY and large. before the prosaic
new century killed 1t, Wesley and his
cohorts had thus saluted a number of
bony blue FLOODED hands and not few
young ones.
He talked easily mostly about him
self; but his eyes roamed over the room.
By his own efforts he had put himself
into the position he held. He had
worked and plotted since those long
ago years when he had sold newspapers
He was 35 now. Nobody knew he had
ever sold newspapers. He was prosper
Gus In small way, with more to come
But he needed background, Solidity
What did 1t matter if it was trifle
musty, more than little stodgy?
He had no illusions about himself
OF that flesh which was to become I'M
wieldy corpulence in his fifties. The un-
broken round dances Of the period
found him short of breath, perspiring
He carried two extra collars with him
to balls, and sometimes, leading some
agile figure of the cotillion, he was
aware of his bulk, of his lack of grace
Tor which he substituted an impeccable
dignity.
So he sat, In old Williams sagging
chair in the library, and eyed the room
rather than missile hnrgalfa
He left early, but he came again
Soon it was known that Wesley Dexter
was paying attention to Marcella Col
fax. Occasionally they drove out in his
trap, behind housekeeping cob.
Missile did not know what she felt to-
ward him. Not love, certainly, If what
she had felt for Harry was love- Some
times he bored her, occasionally he
frightened her.
One night he came over and sat nm
Williams leather sofa beside her. The
weight Of his heavy body on the springs
threw her toward him and she hastily
drew herself away.
you're a stand-offish little thing
Missile" he said. Maybe that's whv I
like you. A man doesn't like his women
too approachable, oh?"
Sometimes she tried to think about
him, to wonder what she would do if he
proposed to her. But she could not
think; all feeling seemed to be dead in
her. One thing is certain, She never
encouraged him; often he wondered lust
what in her had attracted him: and
later on she was to find that the very
qualities which had seemed to allure
him were the ones that ANNOYED him
most, her simplicity, her candor and q
sort Of native honesty. She had never
heard OF consolidating position.
It was ABOUT that time that old Sarah