The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-30
MARY was suffering an attack

4VA of intense loneliness of spirit
Since she had rushed out of Mr..
Jupiter's presence to hide her tears
at his remarks about her brother
it had been coming on.
And when Dirk turned to go, for
one terrifying instant she had felt
utterly alone in the world. Dirk
had turned back, just in time to
bring the breath back into her
lungs and set her heart to beating
again. But that one instant had
taught her lesson.
She had loved Dirk before, but
never like this. Whatever she must
do to keep him, she would do-for
if she lost him, nothing else mat
tered.
ooh, my dear, I've so much to
tell you," Cornelia burbled breath
lessly to Mary during one of the
silences that fell like a blight on
the dinner table.
1t was ostensibly an aside, but
since pin-fall could have been
heard in the room, she might have
been speaking into a microphone.
"The grandest man, my dear!
Ethel met him, and she introduced
him." The two girls exchanged en-
chanted glanceS. Hes a marquis
or something, whatever it is they
have in South America. Handsome
and $3.50 brutal!
HE has what they say Peggy
Hopkins Joyce's fascination is, only
the other way round, of course-he
looks at you as if you were the
only woman in the world"
Ethel nodded confirmation. 'You
know it's line, but you swallow
it-and my dear, you love it! Posi-
tively!" She sighed blissfully.
NORNELIA'S yelled eyes helc
~ dislike, Mary was sure. The
strain of playing up to Ethel was
wearing on her, and no wonder
Vivacity was not Cornelia's manner
and she did it badly.
She abandoned it suddenly anc
turned on her friend with one o.
those quick changes of feeling
which were characteristic of her.
''Sre'S ga-ga about him. Simply
gone" she smiled wryly around the
table, her eyes lingering on Dirk
Il can't say as much myself. After
all, he's stony broke and he wa;
once a dancing teacher, or some
thing, wasn't he? Well, imagined"
But he gave it up!" Ethel pouted
HE said the strain of holding ur
drunken debutanteS was too hare
on him. SO now he just sits II
night clubs and sulks."
She seemed to have run out Of
breath, and to be waiting for COM
ment.
Mary was only half listening. Sht
had a funny, far-off feeling as i
she were not quite present, or WERE
dreaming.
She was senSitiev to every move
ment, every expression of Dirk's-
the rest was merely a backdrop fol
her own love drama.
Mrs. Ruyther dutifully made con-
versation. you might have brought
him along tonight. I should like
to have met him." she remarked
surprisingly.
"Oh, he really doesn't rate that
Cornelia laughed. IT think he's a
gunman. There's something rather
sinister about him"
Heavens, thought Mary, he's
probably just some little gigolo OF
the SpeakeasieS, some collegiate
'sheik" with fair for dramatic
ing himself.
Had she ever been as silly as
these two girls now seemed? She
was exactly Cornelia's age, but she
felt much older-more like settled
matron, nowadays.
He can't he broke if the night
clubs take him in" Mr.. Ruyther OBJ
served.
"Oh, well, rot stony" Ethel re-
buked Cornelia's description. She
shrugged a sulky shoulder at her
friend. "She only says that be-
cause she's got bucketfuls herself
BE just like her to step in ano
take him, just because she can, anc
leave POOR little me out in the
cold"