Evening star., 1934-06-13
CHAPTER XVIII.

- ATURDAY night in Catherwood
With the farmers autos rat
ting in from the surrounding
~ countryside for dizzy whirl at
Main street. With strolling
lovers in the park that Mrs. Therrold
had given to the village. With the
Biiou Movie Palace warm, dark cav
ern. where men and girls held hands
shyly while small boys cat-called the
love scenes flashing on the screen.
With the Therrold house, on the
hillside above the town, shining dimly
quiet through the trees. With Rose
Therrold in the small. hot cottage
down by the river, dressing in a haze
of excited happiness for Larry Nor
gans party at the country club.
True to her word, Lottie had driven
into town with Mr. Mertz and pro-
cured the promised dress. With a
discernment amazing in one of her
bizarre tastes, she had selected from
the heterogeneous collection of finery
at her disposal gown that seemed
to have been designed especially for
Rose.
Above a skirt composed of countless
rippling f1ounces of black net rose a
bodice of sapphire blue MORE. From
the high necklirle in front of the
rather daringly slashed back, it
nodded the girls slender figure into
a thing of grace.
Il declare. Miz Therrold, if you
amt a pictured" Lottie was frankly
beside herself with the drama of the
situation. Beats all how these new
styles seem just made for slim little
wands like you! F 1 was to wear a
dress like that I'd look like a cat hav-
ing fit, running up a lace curtain!"
Even Larry. surveying the flushed
cheeks and starry eyes above the
fragile loveliness of the bodice that so
nearly matched the girls blue gaze,
was moved to startled comment.
Sauce pquant!" he said. with a
f1ippancy that belied the admiration
in his lazy eyes. You are a lovely
dish! A suitable wench for a mad
evening! Boy, are we going to have
fun"
1t had been a long time, Rose re-
f1ected, since she had felt just this
thrill of anticipation over anything.
Not since those first days in Shanghai,
when she knew she was making good
on her own. Not since the earliest
weeks of her marriage to Harvey.
There had been few enough instances
since that time to bring out the small
candles of excitement that had
Eindled back of her eyes tonight
Never had she seemed so vibrant, so
eager-So responsive to the moment,
to life. 1t was as though some inner
force drove her on to constant speech,
to ceaSeless, feverish movement. All
of the past seemed dim and blurred
there was only tonight and to-
She took out of its box the old
moonstone necklace that had been
Harvey's first gift, and held it against
the blue of the gown. How happy
she had been the night he had
brought it home-how young and ig-
norant and believing.
All day Lottie had been dashing in
and out of the cottage; chronicling
with gusto and contagious enthusiasm
such activities about the country club
bS SIiC COOlu slCdIl llUlll d ulSIdllCt
The caterers and florists carts driv-
ing ceaselessly to and from the club
house; the rush and rumble of hastily
passing trucks on the road the
striped awnings going up over the en-
trance, the lanterns being hung about
the verandaS.
Looks like another of them hot
nights that end in bang" Lottie
commented from the porch in her
booming, hearty voice. rs Kitten
afraid of thunder. Miz Therrold?" Lot
tie was to stay in the cottage until
Rose came home. Surprisingly, the
child had long since accepted Lottie
as substitute; resting content on
that capacious bosom with its multi
tudinous ruff1es and its aura of cheap
scent. blowing ecstatic bubbles above
her supper of bread and milk.
1t couldn't rain, Rose thought hap
PLY. 1t couldn't be anything but
perfect night. At the sound of Larry'S
f1ivver arriving at the gate in caca-
phonous uproar. she took a last swift
look at her reflection in the wavery
mirror in the little bed room. The
cascading black tulle flounceS OF her
gown. ripping in an ebony foam to
the floor seemed to need no further
establishment. 1t was the first really
formal evening gown she had ever
owned. and it filled her with childish
delight. At the tip of each shining
wave of her dark hair was a ripple
of bronze that caught the light. She
looked more sophisticated, little less
the girl, but with new dignity and
poise that gave her a fresh aware
ness of herself as woman. A sure
ness that the old Rose had seemed
to lack
Company fall out! Trot right in,