Nogales international., 1935-05-18

Her circle Of friends is small, artists and TWO
three gil models. NOW GO ON WITH THE
STORY.
How he asked, a trife gruffly,
"about love? Doesn't that enter into
your scheme of things? Doesn't it, at
all 7"
Ellen met his eyes with chill little
expression of withdrawal.
mo, Dick" she said. 1T doesn't.
Not at allp
The mans hands dropped quite
suddenly to his sides. He turned
sharply away.
"It's the party of the year, The Six
Art BalI' Sandy had told Ellen. few
DAYS later. "The one mad reyel Of
twelve whole months. l don't know
exactly. why Pm asking you, either,
Ellen. Gay is much madder to revel
With!'
Ellen had spread out two slender.
careless hands.
"Take me or leave me, Sandy" she
told the young man, inditferently.
And if you don't take me, get it out
of your head that I'll spend the eve
ming home alone, bending over the
washtubs."
Sandy groaned. 1t was stage groan.
That's the desperate point of the
whole thing" he told her. IF I don't
take you, some hated rival will And
I'll have to watch you as you have
good time, instead of being the guy
who's giving it to you-the good time,
I mean Really, l don't know why I
want to give you good times. Ellen. or
why anybody else does, for that
matter. Except Dick, who is, OF course,
an idealist. You never give anything
in return. Not even friendship. How do
you get that way, child?"
Ellen was posing for an Illustration.
She was. in the illustration, young
mother. Sitting before a fireplace,
rocking baby. The fireplace was
real one-Sandy's studio was de luxe.
But the baby was round-headed, fat
faced doll. Holding it, Ellen looked
like small girl playing house But
she didn't sound that way, when she
spoke.
Il play a system, Sandy" she said
"a system that I'm beginning to think
is fool-proof. | take everything that
comes my way, and give the least pos
sible OF anything back. If | find that
anyone is too interesting to me, ] cut
that person off the list. The fact that
I'm willing to go to the Six Arts with
you, Sandy, shows how you stand in
rny-slall we say, affectionso"
Sandy Sketched deftly for moment.
Sometimes, baby" he said at last,
I'D like to smack you Other times |
have wild desire to take you up in
my arms and kiss little warmth into
you It might as we'll be ME, you know.
1t will be somebody. some day."
Ellen thought back to her talk with
Dick Thought back to other talks,
with other men. Thought back to a
lost hour, in a garden. And then
answered
1T won't be somebody, some day !"
she answered, and her mouth was
cl9mped into a firm, straight line.
anyway" he said, after quite a
long while, you'll go to the Six Arts
Ball with me Won't you, darlin'? 7"
Ellen sat down again in front OF
the fireplace, and lifted the doll in her
arms, and laid her soft cheek against
the round top of its hard porcelain
head Over that head her eyes sur
veyed Sandy almost somberly.
But she nodded her assent. For,
after all, it was a good party-the Six
Arts Ball, Il good party!
Streamers of coiored silk and snap
ping balloons, and hurrying walters
their black suits standing out, like
blots of ink, against the .vividness of
the crowded room. The steady, savage
thud of the jazz bands-two of them
at either end of the long dancing
space. And slender girl bodies in cos
tunes of fame and rose and green and
yellow. Houri and Apache, Columbine
and Civil War BELLE. Spanish dancer
and Russian peasant All jumbled to-
gether in noisy, rhythmic, barbaric
composition.
Here an author-known for his gift
of laughter-sat in a box. There
great painter. Making the world, and
himself, forget that he had once won
the Prix de Rome. Here woman
whose voice raised in song brought
tears to the eyes of thousands. There a
6nancier who could toss off