The Washington times., 1931-03-20
Chapter 81

Dressing for Jenny's party
that evening, after the car
had taken Margaret and Doctor
Matthews in to town for their
mysterious - to Lorrimer -
amusement-Mary Lou looked
shout her room and sighed,
deeply, wondering how long
she would live in it-now that
everything had happened and
anything might still happen.
She loved her room, it seemed
especially hers. It had taken
on much of her personality, as
rooms will, it had been the
arena for many silent Strug-
gles and battles with herself,
q place to which she came for
sleep and dreams, in which the
four walls mutely reflected her
love and amaZement, her suf-
fering and her faint, torlorn
hopes; walls which knew some
thing Of the capacity Of youth
for grief, the capacity of youth
for residence, for living in the
present, for ignoring the future
and banishing the past. Her
room.
She leaned her rounded,
dinpled elbows on the smooth
glass of her dresser and stared
absent-mindedly into the face
which confronted her. White
and rose, the curling red-gold
hair in arrant, charming con-
fusion, the very blue eyes grave
as a child's, hurt as a child's,
frightened as a child's. From
the dresser a little cloud of
fragrant powder arose, and
the scent Of delicate, spring
Like perfume.
I'm awfully pale" she
thought.
After a while, fresh and
cleaning from her bath, her
face glowing from its treat
ment of first hot, then ice cold
water and a gentle massage
with a brush, she put on the
delicate wispS of lingerie which
were laid out on her bed, peach
colored crepe de chine, tailored
and sheer and fine, brushed
her hair into its halo Of soft
waves and curling tendrils,
floated a film Of fine powder
over face and neck and arms
and shoulders and finally STEP
ped into her very newest party
dress, a tight little bodice Of
peach and silver shot taffeta,
with a full, rather long skirt,
uneven in hemline, great
black and silver rose on the
shoulder for the only contrast
ing color.
A Lovely Picture
' She looked lovely. Had
never, perhaps, looked lovelier.
But a close observer might
have seen the faint shadows
beneath the brave blue eyes,
the wistful dropping of the
red mouth.
She touched the slim stopper
of a perfume bottle to ears
and hair, forced her lips into
D smile, as Lorrimer whiStled
outside her door, caught up her
wrap Of peach velvet collared
In white fox and the evening
bag of seed pearls which had
been Jenny'S Christmas present
to her, and went out Of the
room.
"If it weren't so idiotic," she
thought to herself, I'D say I
felt like ship, drifting. going
on the rocks, Sinking-well, I'll
go down with colors tlying!"
thought Mary Lou.
"GoSh!' exclaimed Lorrimer,
like q youngster, when he saw
her. You're a public menace,
Delight! I ought to lock you
up in a glass case where no
one could see you but nySelf!"
He laughed as he said 1t, but
his eyes were serious, a little
Jealous even.
Mary Lou laughed back.
aas'I'd hate that" she told him,
mo setting up exercises, no
fresh air, no galloping over a
good road and sailing over a
fence. Yes, I'd dislike it very
much, Lorry. I'd feel like q
gold fish with all it's orover-
bial privacy made :mmortsl by
Mr.. Cobb"
Lorrimer looked very well
himself, his broad shoulders
held well back, his face, which
had filled out these last months,
eager, lighted with interest. the
fine textured skin smooth and
healthy with good color. His
brown eyes smiled down into
hers as they went to the wait
ing car together and his voice
was vibrant with renewed joy
Of living.
Quite All Right
"Warm enough?" he asked
doubtfully; "I'll phone the
a.m~a~A aAL knun Cs,a.Soz