Evening star., 1935-08-24
CHAPTER XXI.
RRIVING at the National
BUILDING Retsu uant inma-


A RRIVING at the National
~ Building, Betsy went imme-
~ diately to Mrs. Lancaster s
n social service bureau. It was
a bright offlce-flowers everywhere
and Mrs. Lancaster, relic Of former
loveliness, In severe black crepe that
made her eyes seem all the bluer,
her hair all the grayer. got up from
her desk with hand outstretched.
Betsy said, Shyly, taking the chair
which the older woman indicated.
You're very kind to help me, Mrs.
Lancaster" She sat there then. her
| fingers tight on her leather purse
lovely, blond little person even in
the worn sealine jacket, the black
flannel dress with its starched white
collar, and the cheap felt hat with
perky white feather run through
the ribbon at the back.
Mrs. Lancaster smiled warmly.
mot at all, my dear. Marshall is
darling. Like most women-old
and young-I find him irresistible" !"
She paused for a moment. Il see
you're looking at my walls. Those
are pictures of little girls 7 helped
| to put across during the debutante
season last year. That's Eugene
Stanford there. Yes, wearing the
white lace dress and carrying the
ld-fashioned bouquet. Sweet child.
Her fathers a commander in the
| NYoy, That x,oe tho cfopfordc' fret
year stationed in Washington and
they didn't know many people. Most
of my little girls are from the con-
gressional, diplomatic and service
groups new to the Capital"
Betsy had been looking at the photo
graphs. She had never seen so
many. The walls were covered with
| lovely, radiant girls in their debut
gowns. All were autographed with
some affectionate phrase for Mrs.
Lancaster Betsy wondered II she
charged for her services. and Mrs.
Lancaster, as II reading her mind,
said:
"I usually charge $3.50 for the sea
son, arranging teas. dinners, recep-
tions, luncheons-seeing that initial
calls and party calls are made. All
that. In other words, I do the work
and my little girls go to their own
functions just as If they were a
guest instead Of hostess. They have
nothing to worry them"
An hour later, as Betsy was leaving
the hotel after having learned how
many cards to leave when calling,
when to turn down corners. how TO
| answer invitations. how to introduce
groups and individuals correctly and
a few pointers in tact, graciousneSs
and etiquette-MrS. Lancaster loaned
Betsy a book on etiquette and told
her she must study it thoroughly
she saw Jennie Travers in her dull
red, streamlined roadster. Jennie was
caught in the late Connecticut avenue
traffic before the building and was
not accepting the delay any too good
naturedly. Betsy noticed that her
| coat was ermine and that she was
smartly groomed and gowned. A rich
young person whom working girls
stare after and envy.
Jennie pulled up to the curb and
leaned out Of the window.
Hello, Betsy! I was just down to
the hospital to see that brother of
yours! Even with his broken leg
hanging from the ceiling and his
head all done up like Turks. he is
still the best-looking thing I've been
fortunate enough to stare upon! Get
in, worm!"
Betsy, climbing into the car beside
| Jennie, remembered the afternoon she
and John Storm had been in Harpers
Ferry. Jennie had come thinking
she was involved in Raouls murder
wanting to help, and had spent the
afternoon talking to mother and
father and Terry. Terry had said
afterward: "She's a peach. Betsy. II
I wasn't so nuts about Sonia I could
bear up under a date with her!"
IT went to see Mrs. Lancaster "
Betsy said, hugging her jacket close
around her slim waist. Marshall
thought I should"
Jennie looked disgusted and missed
colliding with the car in front of her
by a split hair. Nuts to Mrs
Lancaster, the old Jesse James!" The
other social secretaries-Okie-Do
but Mamie lancaster ART!
"Why, Jennie?"
"She shakes down more girls every
| year! Socks them $3.50 and talks
them into having parties at hotels.
Then she gets a rakeof from the
florist, the hotel, the engraver, the
stationer, the God-knows-whol It's a
racket. A nice paying one, though.
May go into it myself some day. The
best people dol"
"Oh," Betsy said, softly. II didn't
know. Will she send me a bill?
For just talking with her today. I
mean?"
lone that will knock your eyes
out, my lamb" Jennie blurted out.
IT think the old gal has a word
weighing machine hidden under her
desk. She weighs her speech aft
erward and sends a bill for so many
words per pound. And I'll bet she
talked 40 tons II you were there
| over 10 minutes"
"Oh," said Betsy again, feeling a
little i'll. Mrs. Lancaster Just couldn t
send a bill! She should have asked
before going to her office, Of course.
But she had thought that because
of Marshall, Mrs. Lancaster was being
sweet. And now with Terry needing
every penny, and the bills at the
house accumulating, and her father
still out of work
who's the brunette with the heart
shaped face down at the hospital?
She ogles Terry as If she's about to
expire of love for him. I've seen her
somewhere before"
Betsy told her all about Sonia. "I
imagine you saw her, Jennie, at the
legation the night Raoul was muir
dered. She was the dancer in the
cerise brilliants."
Right" said Jennie. II place her
now. Also, I have an urge to pop
her one in her lovely black eyes. She's