Evening star., 1934-06-14
CHAPTER XIX.
ri LIKE dancing with you," said
- George beaningly. 1T must
be your streamlines. Bessie"
Il he added bitterly, represents
CHAPTER XIX.

IIlC NIOQIlu 14APPC1o W
America! What she did to my fee
Just now" He brooded for a mo-
ment in silence.
For over an hour now Rose hac
been dancing. With Larry. With Bill
Price. With Larry again-and nov
with George McCloud. Dancing with
all of her consciousness pivoting about
that small table in the alcove, where
sao the Therrold party and their
friends.
All about her others were dancing
or sitting at small tables; the women
chatting in the arrogantly low-pitcheo
voices of their kind, the men talking
interminably of bridge scores, OF
there was only that one table In the
alcove-with its unfung ribbons oi
laughter, so decorously gay, the dis
Greet fitting of silver pocket TASKS
the deferentially bent heads OF the
men, the f1lmy tinted gowns of the
women After the first startled glance
no member of the Therrold party had
noticed her. But that first glance
when her eyes had flashed past Bar
bara's and become locked In jeffrey
Therrold's disconcerting gaze had left
her shaken and subdued. At the mo-
ment, above the clamor of her senses
she had been conscious of nothing
save an amazing and dramatic Ella
ton.
Bill Price, cutting in just as the
music came to stop, led her through
the French windows to the terrace
The air outside was pungently aro-
matte. An odd sort of hush brooded
over the landscape. The moon had
gone, only few ragged clouds scud-
ding across the sky.
Bill Price. surveying the lovely face
glowing above the blue bodice, the
strange gray eyes shining between
their dark laShes, blew a thoughtful
ring of smoke.
"oh, laughter-loving little Pierrette,
A sob in her throat-and her blue
eyes wet"
he quoted softly. What's the matter
aren't you having a good time?"
Rose lifted her gaze from the spec
tral beauty of the garden, where the
warm, dark bowl of the sky seemed
pressed down against the waiting
earth. It had been so long since she
had been part of any scene-oeen
anything but one of the mummers
who danced for her dinner. How
could she explain?
Its just-that it's all so lovely, "
she said softly.
You're lovely!" Bill Price said sud-
denly, with a vehemence that sur
prised himself
Like my girl?" Larry, coming up
behind them, put a hand on Roses
arm with hint of possessiveness that
startled her. The taint aroma OF
whiskey on his breath brought wor-
ried light to her eyes. Larry had been
drinking pretty steadily all evening
but, then, she thought sensloly,
who hadn't? Certainly Bill Price had
done his share. 1t seemed to be
the accepted thing. 80.
"Oh, help thy brothers host across,
and 10! thine own has reached the
shore!" sang George, arriving as
though invoked by her thought. Come
on, boys and girls! Mother ILL drink
won't do us any harml We'rc simply
got to get organized"
George, Rose told herself, had been
organized long since Georges wife,
coming up with her catlike tread,
seemed to coincide with the thought
''Either stop acting like something out
of the funnies, or we'll 60 home" she
said coldly. you've had enough.
my WIFE" said George, addressing
nobody in particular, SIS one OF these
here crystal-gazers. Always looking
at her watch. Relax, m'dear! Relax!
What YOU lose on the bananas you
make up on the coconutsl LOOK at
me. Everybody toasts mel Just like
loaf of bread-am I right?"
Bessie's was not a particularly loud
voice. But it had a curious hoarse
resonance which pelted against the
walls of ones consciousness. Audlole
to almost the entire room. Certainly
audible to the party in the alcove. .
For the past half hour Rose nao
been burningly conscious OF the
scarcely yelled glances of the men IN
the Therrold crowd. OF the spurts OF
sudden malicious laughter and whis-
oered comment of the women. Bar
bara- Therrold, turning contemptuous
shoulder, seemed absorbed in her own
pursuits. Big Bill Prentiss, under the
watchful eye of Ursula, stammered
and blushed his way through the con-
straint that had followed a faux pas
he had made earlier in the evening
D.. Bill, simple soul, made no secret
of his curiosity regarding the pres
ence within these sacred walls OF the
wife of Harvey Therrold. Through
it all, Jeffrey Therrold had sat as one
craven from stone: the wine in the
little glass before him lay untouched
upon the table,
"Larry-come dance with me?"
Larry, who had been steadily and
quietly drinking while the others
danced, rose at once and led Rose out
upon the floor.
Have you got a note from your
rnother?" he asked with mock gravity
Invitations of this sort should be &C
companied by one or both parents
. How's it going, Rose? Having a
good time?"
All evening Larry had been pos
sessed of a wild hilarity. an ebullience
that had carried the others along on
tide of ridiculous ana exnauStlle
gayety. Bessie, frankly overcome, had
been reduced to helpless gasps.
Larry danced well, with an effortless
grace that bore Rose easily along
through the crowd. Doggedly he
avoided the corner where sat the
Therrold party; seemingly unconscious
Of them-yet Rose had a feeling that
he staggered little, and for an in
slant wondered why. CoVertly she stole
q glance at Jeffrey Therrold's rigid
uncompromising back. Irene Fleming,
bending forward, laid a posSeSs1ve
hand on his sleeve.
Suddenly Rose found herself study
ing this other girl with feeling oddly
akin to resentment. And as suddenly
she knew what it was that had been
troubling her all evening. 1t was Irene
Fleming,s dress. That crisp lemon
yellow organdie, with its smartly flared
hounces, was so right, SO utterly ap-
propriate for the scene in which 1t
moved. Unhappily she surveyed
the other women in the party. Saucy
v,ir ~, laIf 70 rtol fi,,fe