The Washington times., 1935-11-05

"AV4 SAAHA'
Ma used to call it affected"
when she tied a ribbon around her
head, but since there was no one
to see her, anyway.
She tied it carefully, the perky
little bow at the top, let her dark
hair curl around it.
Affected" if you felt that way
about it, but flattering! Anyway,
there was no one to see her. She
was just pleasing herself.
She wished Stephen Bennett
could see her. If he thought she
was "disturbingly pretty" in plain
little office clothes, when she was
all worn out with worry over that
miserable Holden affair and had
dark circles under her eyes and
everything else, he'd certainly
think so now.
If things had been different, if
shed met him at a place like this
anywhere but in an office,
where he was boss and she was
Stenographer.
Well, there's no use starting
that "it might have been" It
wasn't-and that was that. And
here she was, all dressed up and
nowhere to go!
1t was getting dark now. She
could go out and sit on the
Veranda without being seen.
She arranged her ruffled skirts
in the deck chair, settled herself
to enjoy the sweetness of the
night. She thought, I'm like Gin
derella-only I lack the prince to
take me to the ball!
The moonlight had turned the
lake to silver, and all about her
was the velvet blackness Of the
night. Hidden shrubs setn up
their faint, spicy sweetness, the
bobbing lanterns turned the dis
tant lodge to fairyland.
This is really the way to enjoy
dance music. having it float to
you over the water, through the
trees. The dancers couldn't hear
the lap, lap, lap of the water
against the lake-shore, as she
could. They couldn't hear the
little night noises, the rustling Of
the trees, the crackly stirring Of
fallen leaves. =.
Oh, what's the use Of fooling
yourself?
She didn't care thing about
the beauty of the night-she
wanted to DANCE!
There wouldn't be any harm
In walking down to the pier.
Everyone was over at the lodge,
dancing.
Nobody'd see her.
And if Janet's silly husband was
looking around for her, as he had
threatened, or Jamie should just
happened to be taking a walk, she
could say that she'd just come
down to the lake for a little row.
The pier was little nearer the
music, but that was about the only
advantage it had over the cottage.
So lonely. how do people en-
Joy things, alone? Don't they hon.
estly want someone near them?
Can they just love beauty for its
own sake?
Oh, it was mean of them
MEAN, MEAN, MEAN not to ask
her! She wouldn't treat her worst
enemy that way. and how would
she ever stand it, just going on
and on, never having any fun?
Careers are all right if you like
them, but personally she'd rather
60 to one good dance.
Someone was coming. She
moved behind a pile.
II don't mind your making love
to Caroline Won Hess" Vesta Todd
was saying in her unmistakable
Vestaish voice-"but her husband
does. So please try to control. {. &.
ahem. jamie, dear, is that Janet
over there by the boats?"
II don't give darn who. =.
why, it's Mary I've been looking
all over the cock-eyed plantation
for you"
"Oh, hello, jamie! Good even
ing, Mrs. Todd. II was just go
ing for a row!"
cts lovely night for it, Miss
Shannon. Come, Jamie-we must
be getting back, dear"
She walked ahead.
Walked ahead, like a jailer, ex-
pecting the trusty to follow.
Well, II that was all the sp&As
Jamie had left.
Mary began to unite one of the
boats. Perhaps she took a little
longer than necessary, fuSSing
over the knots, looking for the
right oars.
At last she had them adjusted
In the oar-lockS.
She didn't care what he did-it
was nothing to her-and she de-
Spised him already. But Yesta's