Evening star., 1932-01-24
CHAPTER XVIII.

-UNICE'S invitations. to the dance
l. had been accompanied by re-
quests that her guests wear
A% either black or white.
Judy put on a white lace dress.
Looked at herself despairingly In the
mirror. So much white made her face
appear feverishly flushed, her eyes
seemed swollen. .. She looked
She tore the dress off quickly before
Stan could see her. Substituted black
velvet. This was hardly more Of sue
cess. Nothing-Judy thought despair
ingly, could be success tonight. How
could any one with head cold look
beautiful and we'll groomed in evening
dress! The black velvet made her feel
stuffy and commonplace. 1t turned her
hair an uninteresting brown dulled the
blue of her eyes. But she felt less
conspicuous than she did in the white
lace.
Her powder wouldn't go on evenly
1t never did with a cold. Her head
ached, her eyes watered, but she was
stubbornly determined to go.
She felt cross. 1t took all her will
power to keep from picking a quarrel
with Stan when he came out of his
SHOWER anu SldILtu W III ACoo'
Stan-in tuxedo-tall and straight
and slim. Stan was at his best in
tuxedo; the severe black and white
flung his good looks into striking re-
lief. That narrow handsome head, with
its chisled features snd straight brows,
might have been the bronze head of
some classical statue, thought Judy and
there was strange little mixture OF
pride and fear in the thought.
Nervously, she dabbed perfume be-
hind her ears. Fluffed more powder on
her face. Difficult, being STAINS
wife >. Stan, so handsome that women
turned around when he came in room.
She could imagine the comments:
And that is his wife? That girl in
black. . But, really e. !"
Oh, she was turning catty. This
cold was making her Supersensitive!
Judy pulled on a black evening wrap
without another glance in the mirror.
Eunice had seized upon the visit of
a Balkan Ambassador to Lockwood, as
the excuse for ball, and this evening
she had surpassed herself.
TWO long rooms of the Wilson house
had been thrown into one; rooms
uniquely formed OF blocks Of black and
white marble for walls and ceiling
veneered with scarlet rubber.
1t was this unusual treatment which
gave Patty her idea-for to Patty War
ren belonged the credit for what be-
came known in lockwood society as
THE Scarlet Ball" Patty was proving
herself, once again, an able prime min
lister for the capricious queen.
Tonight artificial trees turned the
long space into a forest-an uncanny
forest, for each slender trunk was wrap
ped in scarlet tinfoil which glistened
like rubies in the soft light. The long
dropping leaves of the trees were
formed of black patent leather which,
concealing electric fans, stirred gently
so that they glittered and flashed as
though a restless wind stirred the
forest.
These trees bordered the floor and
scattered among them were great mush-
room couches of black velvet. A
cleared space in the center Of the long
rooms provided room to dance, and
the orchestra was half concealed In
sunken balcony lit by dim red light.
Over an ebony railing. Spanish shawls,
white, scarlet and black hung in rich
splashes of color.
Eunice had dressed for her setting.
She had wanted to wear sheath-like
affair Of glittering jet, but this, the
clever Patty had vetoed.
do you want to look like a chorus
girl trying 10 crash society!" Patty had
asked in the severe tone which she
alone dared take to Eunice Wilson.
And Eunice, wisely remembering
that Patty had the taste which she her
self lacked, had meekly resigned all
thoughts Of black jet.
nn&4-, hoJ h,,IIiad UIioico into drncc
of white chiffon, made slightly bouffant.
A dress cunning in its very ingenious
ness. In it, Eunices blond beauty had
taken on an ethereal turn. Patty had
wrested Eunice's diamonds away, per
hitting her, as a sole ornament, long
rope of pearls reaching halfway to her
knees. Her slippers relieved the cos
tune of any note of flatness. They were
scarlet satin with black heels--in-
describably effective under the long
filmy dress.
Cleverly placed eyeShadow on Eu-
nice's lids had deepened her shallow
eyes, had given a pure remoteness 10
her appearance.
The fantastic background flung her
white figure into startling relief; she
was ideally beautiful. In the course OF
the evening the susceptible Ambassador
murmured fervently: You are an
angela little white angel whose feet
alone have strayed into sin"
Stan had given low whistle when
he saw the setting. Clever! You'll have
TO hand it to Eunice for giving new
twist to an ordinary dance"
Probably Pattyl" Judy felt the
words slip out as though Of their own
volition. "She's responsible for EunlceS
ideas. Eunice has one original idea
year, she's used this years one" ;,
She was ashamed the moment IL
came out, but she grew angry at STAINS
amused look. Gosh, how you women
love each otherl Well, it's a darneo
clever stunt, no matter who pulled IT,
At least Eunice Is putting 1t over"
Judy felt murderous. She had put
herself in the wrong again. She
shouldn't have said that! 1t was true,
but it made her appear catty in Stan
eyes She felt something like despair
Eunice always bested her. Judy won
dered wildly If there was such thus
as destiny. Was Eunice always des-
tined to be the victor? Or was there
some weak spot in her own character
which foredoomed her to defeat?
STAINS face tightening up, his daTk
eyes taking on that deep, intimate iook;
as he greeted Eunice Judy trleo
not to see. 1t was just tr1ck-tnaV
fiattering intimate look, she told her-
self. She remembered back to her nIst
meeting with Stan the way sne
had thrilled to IDS searching DARK
eyes :.
She greeted Eunice-and tasted tne
edges of her owr1 smile She said some