Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
ill., norror A Mystery Story
lily W@SSCE By Mary Dahlberg
Copyrisht. 1890. by Dunaeld and Company.

Jacks transport sails tomorrow nlgntT
Dagger gasped.
so soon."
st thought you should know at once"
he said regretfully. Come, my dear.
well find the car and carry you home.
You are. tired, and you must have Q
chance to rest, for We have had 10 ask
a number of relatives and intimates or
the family to dinner tonight to meet
you. You see, Jacks time Is so short.
This is the one opportunity OF pre-
Senting you as couple.
Dagger'S head was in a whlrl. Events
had come fast in the last few weeks.
Presently they were crawling through
the traffic of Forty third street. ana
Dagger was made conscious OF the
city'S overpowering mass. She was re.
lieved when the car halted In front OF
a wide brownstone house facing Cen
trail Park; the vista of lawns and trees
| pretended to at least Semblance OK
| independence Of the surrounding hulks
Of steel and stone.
I'VE are putting you in your old
rooms, Jack" said his mother. "One
of the guest rooms has been thrown
in with 1t. I hope you and Alexandra
will find 1t comfortable"
Bewildered and more disposed 10
loneliness than she had been yet, Dag
ger followed Jack in silence through Q
q door at the end Of the hall; but be-
wilderment and loneliness faded when
he took her in his arms.
at all seems very new, doesn't 1t.
honey?" he murmured in her ear. But
remember. this is home to you just as
much as to me-"
"You are going tomorrow night" She
exclaimed, with a little catch in her
voice.
"Well, we've got tonight and tomor-
row." he assured her. kiss me! Again!
Again! Now, what d'you want to do
f1rst?"
She dressed with precise care. Her
brown hair was parted in the middle
and knotted fatty behind her small.
shapely head. Her ivory-brown skin
was guiltless Of rouge. Her frock was
beige, cut simply and not very low.
When Jack burst in upon her again,
he caught her in his arms and Rugged
her until she begged for mercy. He
was more loving, more appreciative
than he had ever been, she thought,
walking downstairs and into the draw
ing room beside him.
| His pride in her went far to n1iti-
gate the strain of introductions to a
dozen guests, all relatives or family
friends, whose names were representa-
tive of the best known elements in New
York society; hard-featured women,
beautifully gowned, off-hand in man.
ner; sleek, well groomed men.
One or two attempts to patronize her
she Squelched, quietly, and then the
men. discovering that she could talk
intelligently and knew how to handle
herself, combined to encourage her. The
women, on the contrary. couldn't quite
forgive her youth and differentness.
Kitty, alone. was bluntly friendly.
II like you, Alix," she called across
the table There isn't a woman here
who wouldn't talk her head of If she
had flown an aeroplane."
Jack spoke:
!. "It won't be long now before women
will be doing everything that men do
from voting to cutting their hair"
This drew several quips from the
other men. and likewise focused Kitty's
attention on her brother.
"I say. Jack" she exclaimed, you
aren't drinking!"
"On the wagon" he returned.
Promised Dagger"
Good work, AliX," applauded Kitty.
But Mrs. Vaneering thrust back her
chair.
IF you will give me your arm. Jack,
we will leave the gentlemen to their
coffee"
AS Dagger rose with the other women
she overhead her mother -in-law say:
What do you call your wife,"
Dagger. It's nickname. You see,
there's plant"
I'm not interested further" Mrs.
Vaneering cut him of. TT has muir.
derous sound"
Continued tomorrow