Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-29


cupidity, and to the neighbour
hoods deep resentment, to Shir-
ley Wilson Theobald, was planted
in the very heart of old and conserva-
tive Burlingame.
Society had decided, with an instant
frmness that needed almost no words,
that Shirley was not to be forgiven
Matrons Of Mrs. Cuttings type would
not even discuss her.
Shirley must be ostracized; ostractzed
! all the more definitely because she had
shown so callous an indifference to the
possible censure of her own old friends.
Margaret, watching the Ferguson house
being put into order for the new
tenant, wondered wondered-Wondereo
what sort Of a woman this Shlrley
could be.
But Mrs. Theobald kept closely to
the house for many days, seeing no.
! body but her sisters and few intimate
and loyal old friends, and there ap.
peared to be no immediate question OF
lust how she should be treated at teas
or at the club, for the excellent reason
that she appeared at neither.
Margaret was deeply amused to note
the effect of this line of conduct upon
the other women. Curiosity about
Shirley deepened steadily, and when 1t
was known that the very important
Elise de Vilbliss was going to see her
almost every day, there was SENSATION
in Burlingame unequaled even by the
original announcement OF Shrleys
coming.
Shirley used to walk up past my
place simply because it's the lonenest
road anywhere about here ana Sne
didn't want to meet any one" explained
Elise, land she used to cut across tne
shrubberies-she thought l was IN
europe. I walked right into her one
dav and I was so glad to see her
she's lust the same dear old thing!
she's simply crushed. She says she
mt up with enough from Cuyler Theo-
bald to get a hundred divorces. Oniy'
she said, Elise, I'm the one woman III
the world that won't be forgiven 1or
making a failure!"
land there" said one of the women
who listened, later, to Margaret, tneIe
YOU have Shirley! She woulont VASE
time on the rest of us-not sne. on aVi
goes straight for Elise, ana ELISE WIZ
be having her up for one OF tne pa "a
becue suppers-youA see'-oe4oAe '--0
Summers over" -....,
One day Margaret and Mrs. Cutting
were at the magnificent Randolph place.
where the strawberry fete was III pfos-
Mrs. Jessop. who had been Fan Ran
dolnh and who was now stout, plaIl'
rather hirsute, intelligent and seli-saC-
isfied woman Of so, had onereo tlie
place for the fete, and this was tei'
hv her enthusiastic friends to be al
most enough in itself to insure nnan-
cial success. From that momenC
everything. needless to say, nao peen
nisrnanaged consistently and expen-
siyely. The newspapers had Deen an
taponized. the villagers had been az
fronted, the tickets had not oeen prnlC-
ed correctly or in time, the program
had suffered many and violent changes
The stately old grounds were naiio
heartedly draped with Wllteo puntllle
and with CHINESE paper lanterns tnat
had run in the morning Jog from plal-
ing Oriental scarlet to mild ana StreaKy
mink: Intellectual barriers had been placed
here and there, and exploring groups
Swarmed over them and surprised
resentful cook grinding ice cream lot
the family dinner in the Kltchem yaro.
BY o'clock accidents OF all SoTts
and a general sense OF having prougnC
forth from a mountain of labor a mouse
of result were making the middle aged
matrons somewhat acid, d1sheVeIed ana
disheartened.
Mrs. Jessop and a group Of her as
sociates sat upon the demorallzeo Sloe
porch, exhausted and disguised:
Margaret was serving the tired Wom-
en- with tea and sandwiches When Elise
de Vilbiss, stout, magnlncently oresseo'
and with her PekingeSe unoer ner arm
arrived at the fete. Mrs. Jessop her
selr arose, with glance at the deserted
booths. At least they could show dear
Elise the decorations and perhaps she
would buy the dreadfully uninteresting
$4,000 jade tablet that Carter Emory
had donated.
With Elise was a pretty, fluffy-head-
ed woman, slender and smart IN Wnite.
She looked delightfully."- fresh in this
group of faded and rumpled women.
Margaret noted the exquisite clear COM
plexion, with peach color on the babyish
cheeks, and the golden tints in the
thick, soft hair. The stranger had the
manner of a person always the center
of her own world.
Its Shirley Wilson-it's Mrs. Theo-
bald,'' Lily murmured. in answer to
Margaret's questioning glance. Mar
garet felt her heart give great plunge,
her mouth filled with salt water, she
felt weak Fortunately nobody noticed
her, for the arrival of the much-de-
bated Shirley had thrown all the worn-
en- present into an intense Self-con-
seriousness, and every one, in her sep
arate way, was attempting to deal with
the situation.
One or two, to their later complacent
self-congratulation, Immediately grasped
the bull by the horns. and briefly and
swiftly departed. But Mrs. Jessop and
Mrs Pullen and Mrs. Wylie were al
ready actually out of pocket through
the strawberry fete and they saw in
Elise a power too great to be disre-
check, and If she had had the poor
taste to bring, Shirley Theobald with
her, then, 4odt.the moment ct least,
Shirley Theob&ld must be accepted.