The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-02

you, even If it were true?" she de-
manded, striving to make her voice
seem gay and careless.
y
IIER eyes fascinated and fearful,
IL did not leave his face, but
there was not the slightest change
in his expression.
well, be mysterious" he re-
marked, laughing again,
He moved away and began to set
up a wobbly card table and to fish
paper doilies from the box where
they were kept.
He was removing the oiled paper
from desicatessen sandwiches when
Ellen slipped into the dressing room
and changed the full-skirted taffeta
evening gown for her dark blue
dimity street frock. She was tying
the cherry ribbons at the elbow
when she heard the doorbell ring.
She though it was Myra and Bert,
returned early, until she heard the
voices. A mans voice and a worn-
ans, voices different and strange
to her ear, voices which slurred
syllables oddly and were stamped
with the stamp of fashionable
schools.
Larry had had no guests during
the evenings she had posed there.
The possibility of meeting people
from that other world of his-to-
night of all nights-struck her with
dismay.
The walls of the dressing room
were thin and she could tell from
the conversation that Larry, too,
was annoyed.
$50 you've hunted me down,
Lona," he was saying Grossly. I've
told you and Bob often enough that
when I'm working I don't crave
callers"
where have you been the last
three years or SOP" demanded the
cool soprano, undiSturbed. "I
thought you were due at the Car
penters' house party.
I'VE all looked and looked for
you, sending hourly searching par
ties out into the shrubbery lest you
might be lost there"
"I've been working" said Larry
shortly.
"Snubbed, by God! don't for a
minute believe you're telling the
facts. I've heard tales"
ELLEN had a premonition that
T. something unpleasant was
coming. She hastily kicked off her
silver slippers.
She made as much noise as pos
sible and partially succeeded in
drowning out the voices. But a
moment later as she pulled on her
patent leather pumps she heard a
Squeal of excitement from the So
prano voice.
Larry, you dogl" exclaimed the
voice in malicious delight. cit must
be the little pickup, the taxi-dancer,
you're painting. Look Bob-quick!
That's the little charmer we were
planning to warn Elizabeth against"
Scarlet-faced, Ellen stuffed her
fingers into her ears. AS she did.
she heard the scratch of the rings
as Larry jerked the curtain across
the portrait he had been doing of
her.
The girls heart seethed with rage
and shame and anger. Iona had
been quelled. There vas no more
of the hateful voice. But already
Ellen had heard too much. Enough
to understand that Larry'S crowd
had discussed her as the little
pickup" had threatened gayly to
inform or him.
Iona and the others considered
her an eccentricity of Larry's, only
a girl with whom to pass the time
away.
That she had feelings too, feel
1ngs that could be hurt as easily as
their own had not occurred to them.
What did they care for her, a girl
from a Broadway dance hall?
Certainly Iona did not care. Ellen
felt perfectly sure that Iona would
not consider it in the least i'm
portant that her cruel words might
have been overheard.
The girl went calmly enough
about her dressing. But all the