Nogales international., 1935-07-27

| as Sf1c couid.
"Only for my mother, years ago
--" she told the dark girl. She was
an artist, you see. She was rather
-~an important artist. You probably
wouldn't know =. I'm afraid that
even IL I wanted to pose i'll the al
together I couldn't compete with
| some of the models who go in for
figure work. My own figure" she
laughed, apologetically an d
kmoothed the dark silk til at
shrouded her knees.
Jane stopped shaking the cock
tails. She poured one for herself,
with a steady hand.
II won't offer you a glass, Ellen"
| she said at last. Il know you don't
drink. You've none Of the obvious
vices. Is it" she paused, and the
dark girl, whose name Ellen didn't
know, went On.
at is a pose?" drawled the dark
girl. "Your Elsie Dinsmore attitude?
/ If so, it's good one"
Ellen stretched her feet out in
front Of her, and regarded the toes
of her plain little black slippers.
! Call It a pose, if you want to-"
she said, at last. I'm not the type
to smoke and be catty and get tight.
One has to be dark and dramatic
to get away with that, l fear"
Margie, still draped against the
mantel chuckled.
Alta, kid" said Margie, almost
inaudibly, Margie was blonde.
Dinner was again a magnificent
jumble--all the way from the caviar
in its little ice molds to the mag
nihcent birthday cake that was car
ried in, blazing, by the butler.
Ellen didn't sit next to Tony
she sat next to Sandy, at the ex-
treme end of the table. Below the
salt" Sandy whispered to her. Tony
sat at James right.
Somebody was toasting Jane. 1t
wasn't Tony-that was all Ellen
could tell But it was somebody
with voice we'll bred and assured
like Tony's.
| Il here's nothing we can wish
her." said the voice, "she has every
thingl"
Yeah" said Sandy under his
breath, to Ellen, mot quite every
thing. We know"
Ellen wanted to slap him-to do
more, to murder himl
They danced after dinner, in the
same drawing room. When the
dancing began, Jane held out her
hand to Tony with an air so pro-
lprietary that it gave Ellen a little
kicked feeling in the pit Of her
stomach. But she scarcely had time
for any definite feelings, for she was
being whirled off in the arms of
the stout boy who, like many stout
youths, was an exceptionally good
dancer.
And then somebody was cutting
m-one of the Jacks or Jims or
Charleys who had been III Iony S
class in college.
1t was the fourth dance before
Ellen found herself in her husband S
arms-found herself being steered,
will, a complete directness Of pur-
pose, toward a conservatory that
opened out Of the room in which
they danced.
I've got to see you alone" Tony
murmured in her car. This is the
queerest situation I've ever been
mixed up in"
That" said Ellen, goes double"
Gosh alnlighty!' said Tony. Just
that.
And
II wonder why I came" Ellen
asked Of him, very seriously.
Tony's hands were holding hers
SO tightly that her wedding ring bit
into the two fingers next to it.
Have they been giving you a
buggy rider" he asked Ellen. Il
heard that they looked you over
before dinner. Margie told me"
They tried TO-" Ellen told him,
"but I can take care Of myself"
Sometimes" said Tony, Il wish
you COuluH l!
What was the idea, anyway"
Ellen wanted to know This party,
l mean. If it hadn't been for Sandy,
and for the way he precipitated me
into it, it would have all the ear
marks of being an announcement
for you and Jane of something or
other. I feel like a guilty secret"
You may be guilty" said Tony,
but you're nc secret not any
moreI To tell you the truth, Ellen"
he admitted, II don't quite get the
hang of this thing, myself. Believe
it or not-wher the party came up
that night, it was just sheer devil
ishness on James part. / realized it
at the time; 1t took me off my feet
FOR a moment. Shed said nothing
about any party to me, before. She
just said it TO get your goat. I'm
not even sure it's her birthday, to-
night never can remember dates.
wouldn't have told you this il
Sandy hadn't made her come
through in a big way When he did
l was tickled to death. It gave me
q charce to be with you again.
told dozen lies-white ones-about
how my friends would fee1-and
yours"
So that was that Ellen all along