The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-11-07
cuApTER TBIRTY-FIVE

n y
~ ing's happiness during the Gays
that followed Joan's return nome.
That was the way in which ner
daughter refused to be paraoeo De-
fore their friends.
Mrs. Waring would have hkeo 70
walk along Main street and ABOUT
the stores, having people stare
thinking Of Joan's success and CLAM
orous adventures in New York.
The mothers triumphant man
nor was like a banner proclalmlng'
This is my daughter. She mas
been singing at the most popular
night club in New York." She coulo
not have been prouder If Joan had
sung at the Metropolitan.
But Joan refused to be shown
off" She had come home wearing
the same suit she had worn when
she departed. There was an I'M
impressive array Of frocks In the
closet of her bedroom. The beau
tiful costumes she had worn when
she sang had been packed IN a
heavier trunk to come later.
There was nothing whatever
about Joan's appearance to suggest
the brilliance and glitter OF the
life which had so recently enveloped
her. She was content to sit at nome,
preferring TO be there.
She had drifted easily into the
homely round of duties and seemed
to find pleasure in such mild eX-
citement as challenging Benny to a
game of croquet, going to the IL
brary with him, attending a movie
or discussing household plans with
Mrs. Warning and Sara, her sister
in-laW.
Happy as she was to have her
daughter at home, Mrs. Warning I'M
consciously sighed for a little OF
the reflected glory she thought
might rightfully have been hers.
THEN, too, Joan fatty refused
i to capitalize her accomplish
ments. She had declared her In
tentions of staying home forever
and ever
She had said this fervently, al
most childishly. She would find
some work here in Memphis, she
declared, perhaps teaching a class
of vocal students.
We'll. there's nothing like strik-
ing while the iron is hot" her
mother counseled wisely you
wouldn't have any trouble getting
pupils now while everybody is talk
ing about you"
NO" Joan said. IT hate that,
Mother. I don't want pupils who
are Just curious to see what / look
likel In a~mOnth no one will even
remember that I've been away.
Then I'll organize my class
This attitude was beyond Mrs.
Warnings comprehension. Things
we're hard enough in this world
without deliberately setting out to
make them harder!
But if Joan persisted in this
course, Mrs. Waring found vicarious
thrills in reading Pats first letter.
It was filled with eXtravagant
phrases. Pat sent a glowing &C
count of the sea voyage. beginning
with the first night on the ship
when the captain had invited Pat
and Barney to sit at his table.
There were interesting people on
the boat-a fabulously rich Indian
prince; a gray-haired, distinguished
foreign counsel; a charming woman
whose husband had developed the
resources of some of the more re-
mote islands; some attractive Eng
lish people; and a movie star who
thought she was travelling incog-
nito.
Always and inevitably Pats lavish
adjectives led up to Barney, who
was simply perfect. Pat wrote that
she loved the ship, the deck sports
at which they spent their mornings,
the lazy afternoons on the cool,
wind-swept decks, and the glamor-
Gus nights when she wore pretty
frockS and was sure that all the
other women aboard envied her as
they saw her dancing with Barney.
The enthusiasm that was so charac-
teristic of Pat colored every word
of the incoherent but vivid account.