The Washington times., 1935-11-23
CHAPTER 16

"Tell me-" said Ann later, quite
a bit later, sliding a chiffon
frock the color Of a sun-drenched
blue hyacinth over her head,
about Francine sayre. What,
exactly, is she like?"
But" protested Kipp, a little
surprised, you've seen her pic
ture. -"
ct know" Ann told him gravely,
making up her mouth carefully,
"but seem to have forgotten
what she looked like"
This wasn't true, Of course. She
remembered perfectly the exceed
ingly thin, fair-haired person in
the black enamel frame.
But she knew now that before
she went to this dinner tonight,
before she stood face to face with
this woman who had known Kipp
intimately such a relatively short
time before, she had to make
him talk about her. had to make
some attempt to find out whether
or not she was justified in feeling
frightened and insecure where
she was concerned.
She said now, keeping her voice
lightly interested: Nov that I
stop to think about it, I seem to
remember that she was quite
beautiful" And she thought:
"The feminine approach is GER
tainly different from the male.
Kipp staged scene because he
was jealous of Lewis and I'm
being beautifully polite to him
about Francine."
Kipp said: II told you that pic
ture flattered her. She's smooth
looking. Smooth clothes. But not
beautiful" He spoke honestly.
He had never thought Francine
beautiful. He found himself being
glad of this; it seemed to absolve
him somewhat for other things
he had found her at one time
or another. He was also glad that
he had been quite honest with
Ann about their relationship. =.
that he had been able to be.
She said now, in that same in
terested but nicely impersonal
voice: How old is she, darling?"
"Oh, 81 or 80. I suppose. Some
times she looks older. Sometimes
she looks 35. :" He was think
ing that these times were apt to
be late at night or early in the
morning. but he didn't say so.
He said: II hope you'll like her,
Ann. I think you will. She's got
a keen mind. :" and he had the
grace to grin a little. thinking
that this was a pretty inadequate
description of Francine. think
ing she would find it amusing her
self.
Ann said: IT shall probably
like her very much" And she
thought: Probably Carlotta is
right. probably I have been un-
duly concerned about this. =.
he doesn't think she is beautiful
and she is quite old"
But little later when Francine
came to meet them in the small
black and silver foyer of her apart
ment, Ann thought, with a dull
sickening Of her heart: ''Well, it
was nice while it lasted" And
she meant that it had been nice
thinking for a little while, such
pathetically little while, that
Francine Sayre wasn't very young
and not at all beautiful.
Because, Of course, it took Ann
only as long as it takes one woman
to look at another to know that
F1ancine didn't need to be either
Of these things. To know that
she was something much more
dangerous. A woman VINO made a
business OF being attractive to
men. And worked at it. Seriously.
They measured each other, these
two, in a glance, eyes smiling,
hands touching. They exchanged
the usual banal, pleasant courtesies
that the occasion demanded. Al
ways it would be like this. Always
they would be enemies. =. but, oh,
such gracious ones, striking out
warily, using with each other those
age-old weapons of women at war
.silken voices and deliberately
smiling lips.
It was a game, Ann decided,
that you apparently knew how to
play instinctively. despising your.
self, of course, while you played
it but realizing that you had no
alternative, that any other pattern
Of conduct would make you con-
spicuous and ridiculous %. two
things must be avoided at all costs.
Even the cost Of your personal in
tegrity, which until now you had
rather proudly refused to COM
promise.
ITO Be Continued)
Copyright, 1888. by Allsne CorlisA
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