Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20

town residence, where they would be until later
than usual that year. That night at dinner, her
eyes very bright, her voice eager and yet awed,
she explained to Jack the quality of the house,
hold to which she was going For of course.
she was going! The thoughts of the day before
had decided her at once.
The day she left with all her clothes care
fully refurbished and her new ones impressively
placed in the top of her trunk, Jack was
ridiculously gay as he took her to the station.
But just before she stepped on the train he held
her close. though their good-by was supposed
to have been said.
Gee love you, honey!" he whispered in her
ear. "And I'll miss you'll"
From the moment Nancy entered the stately
doorway of the old Suoane house she knew that
at last she was against the proper background.
And some subtle clothing of manner and be-
havior seemed to descend upon her. She ac-
cepted the butler, the white-capped maid, and
the elegance of the furnishings as If she lived
with them from infancy. She said just the
right things to Grace who had grown to look
much older and more dignified. She dressed
for dinner in a dream of excitement which
flushed her cheeks and made her admit to
herself that she really did look rather won
derful in her new lace dress Then she met
her host. Her first impression was surprise
at his youth. Why, he couldn't be more than
10 or Is years older than Jackl But in his
manner he seemed to possess all the dignity
and charm of the ages. Such polishl Such
savoir faire! And Nancy rose to the occasion
instinctively. Never had she been more ami
mated. Never had she made so many clever
comments on literature and life Her CONVERSE
ton sparkled with bright bits of patter she had
picked up her and there. She even used her
mellow speech about the play 1t was f1atter-
ingly received by Mr.. Sloane.
"Just the words should myself have chosen
to sum it all up-that is, if had been clever
enough to think of them" he added, with q
gallant bow.
In the days that followed Nancy felt herself
miraculouSly reincarnated. She lunched she
drove, she dined with the smart gay glittering
people who belonged in the Sloane's exclusive
circle people who had read everything seen
everything. And though it took some skillfu1
hedging sometimes and some hasty dips into
this that fresh Classic" she managed to
keep up her end Of the brilliant conversational
game at which they all seemed to be playing.
She wondered sometimes if they really meant
all those hard, witty things they said about
well, about marriage and love, for instance.
If Jack could hear them she would say 1t was
"the bunk" But, of course he would say some
vulgar thing like that!
JACK had sent her an absurd sketch of him
self leaning on his rake; large tears dropping
to the ground; caterpillar, June bug, and a
WORM, all greatly elongated, were weeping cop1~
ously in the path beside him. Below ran the
legend: Were lonesome without you in the
garden" Grace had seen the paper on her
desk and looked at it strangely. Nancy had
explained it to her little shamefacedly, for
Jack had drawn his denim overalls with UNI
canny accuracy. Grace had not laughed. She
had only looked and looked at the little sketch,
and then laid it down quickly and left the room
without word. Nancy wondered if she pitied
her
AS the days passed it was more and more
clear that Mr.. Sloane, who had now become
Fred, enjoyed Nancy's society. He took her
driving. He sat next her at the theater. He
spent long evenings with her in the library,
while Grace read in the living room, talking