Evening star., 1932-12-12

hands had been missing for 15C years.
But it was an imposing bed for all OF
that and had been listed in the inven-
tory of the big pink marble house on
the edge of the BoiS de Boulogne as 'un
lit tres historique, ancient propriete de
Doge Venitian XIV sieclss."
The battered gilt cupid was naturally
the first object upon which Alacia's eyes
rested on awakening, and each morning
he leered at her as though mocking her
solitude Whereupon Alacia, who in
sisted upon sleeping with her shutters
wide open, was won't to throw small
lace pillow at him; nicely aimed pillow
which usually stuck on his outstretched
bow and kept the sunlight from glancing
off his rotund figure into her eyes.
On a certain exceptionally fine morn
ing IN early Spring, Alacia performed
this rite with her accustomed vlgor and
then, yawning enjoyable. examined the
little jeweled clock at her bedside
Twenty minutes to z. Good! she thought,
undismayed by the earliness OF the
hour, there would be very little trafflc
on the Versailles road and she could
make excellent time! A pair OF Whlte
feet with red enameled toes swung over
the edge OF the Doge's imperial bed and
carried her across to the open window.
in young leaf and alive with sparroWs,
noisy. exultant sparr0ws whose presence
greatly enhanced the curiously rural at
Inosphere common to Partisan gardens.
The trees were luXuriant, with moist
black trunks, and even the tulips which
outlined the beds in brilliant futurlstlc
colors had a richness, an almost rank
quality which was beautiful without be-
ing, somehow, quite wholesome. In tnlS
most pretentious and expensive OF neigh
borhoods the nearest houses showed
only diScrete chimney pots, mounting IN
a stately fashion among yet more trees;
private trees in private gardens, Whefe
sometimes very dull and very private
garden parties would be held during the
season if the rain held off. Even from
this baek-window view of them one
sensed the rather uncomfortable ele-
gance of French living, even among the
rich. and as she gazed over the neigh
borhood Alacia felt as always slight
sense of being marooned in this house,
which was still so much less her moth
er's than that of the MarQuisc de Ia
Taurnadelle, from whom it had been
bought complete. Mrs. Sayers had
raVed about the place when purchas-
ing it.
TITS Just perfect" she declared.
Don't you change thing, please, Mar
quise I'd never be able to give 1t this
Frenchy touch myself"
= And against her will Alacia had
blushed for her mothers expression.
Sometimes the girl felt that all she had
got out of her Eastern schooling was
the capacity for gauging her mothers
lack of culture and an ashamed sense
OF superficial superiority. which, while
it made her feel petty. she found her
self unable to Danish. For in important
matters Mrs Sayers had proved herself
of no mean capacity 1t had been her
fearless and surprising business iudg-
Tfent which had insisted upon holding
on to the French automobile manufac-
turing company her husband had
financed, and this insistence. which her
directors had bitterly opposed, was re-
sponsible for the enormous wealth that
had eventually found suitable express
sion in the largest house in the Bois
de Boulognc, the most splendid feet of
private automobiles in France, and the
unlimited credit which suddenly made
Rue de la Paix dressmakers matter OF
course and the most expensive Jewels
trinkets instead of responsibilities. The
Europa, called the worlds finest auto
mobile, which old man Sayers had
backed with sound American dollars
when his friends had laughed at him
for throwing away his money on a wild
cat scheme, now had great plants in
America as well as in France, while the
word elegance and Europa had become
synonymous. And the stubborn, fat,
ugly little middle-aged woman, Alacia's
mother, was reaping the incredibly
golden harvest. Yes, the daughter
thought apologetically, it really was of
small Importance that Mrs. Sayers had
retained the untutored jargon of the
small Midwestern town from which
they had come and where the Sayers
had entered the automobile world
through the humble doors of tumble
down service garage belonging to Mrs.
Savers father.
Alacia, beautiful. young, with a poise
of unlimited wealth had enough of her
fathers clear brain and sense Of JUS
tice to appreciate her situation in its
exactitude. She understood why her
mother had not attempted to buck
social barriers in America. but had in
stead slipped swiftly and easily into
those Paris circles which while neither
exclusive nor stable, we're frequently
touched by Americans of distinction,
who excused themselves for their Paris
acquaintances on the grounds that anv
Partisan friendship was necessarily only
temporary. Thus Savers had some dis
tingllished friends: friends too OF un-
known backgrounds, sometimes of too
we'll known backgrounds. and eny num-
Der Of loridly titled acquaintance. 1t
was a society wherein properly cut
suit of clothes constituted a gentleman
and the right hats lady. Nobody
asked too many questions, their social
register was the daily column headed
Americans in Europe" in the pages Of
the Paris Herald. and behind this
shifting group of gay inconsequentials
1oomed the permanent gray mystery OF
the real French aristocracy," fixed
society Of unknown quantity into which
individuals of the Anglo-American
crowd claimed to plunge occasionally.
On the whole, it was a pleasant and
amusing enough little world. without
embarrassment for the newly rich.
All this lay Subconsciously in the back
of Alacia Sayers' mind as she bathed
and dressed in the historic mggniflcence
of her suite pausing at last for her
petit deieuner of American coffee, Jam
and brioche. The restless oisccntent
which would not let her slesp late. COM
bined with natural vigor and whole
some longing for the country, was
driving her toward the open. Her
bright hair was quickly tucked into a
small beret. & loose tweed coat with
ample pockets was slipped on over a
surprisingly shabby old dress, and
Alacia was ready. At the door CT her
sitting room she encountered Ernestine,
her mothers maid, standing in front
of a closed door across the hall, an un-
touched tea tray in her hands.
IF my mother asks for me when she
wakes up" said Alacia, tell her I've
taken the new car for tryout on the
Versailles read and viii be back early"
The elderly French woman seemed en-
barrassed.
"Mais, pardon mademoiselle, she re-
Piled. 1T would appear that madame
has not yet come home" Alacia check
ed with difficulty the involuntary ex-
clamation which rose to her lips as she
remembered. OF course! The Smedleys
had arrived in France the day before,
and naturally, that would mean an
oil fnIlF u