The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-12-09
CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT
TINE two girls faced each other.
Il Dana said, ooh, Nancy, I've
never seen you look so sweet"
Nancy, still standing in the door
way, hesitated. Than she said
brusquely, Cut the compliments. I
suppose you haven't looked at your
self?"
do you like me, Nancy2" The
question was anxious.
The other girls eyes narrowed APP
praisingly, taking in Dana's beauty.
Yes, grandmother had done darn
good job. If knocking Ronnie
Moore cold with beauty would win
proposal from him, the trick was
done.
We'll, what do you Think"
Nancy asked, avoiding direct an
swer to her sisters question. IT'S
a nice dress all right-on you"
Yours is exactly like it,"
oh, know. I'm not complain
ing about the dress. If it had an
other face and figure inside it, the
dress would probably make a hit"
Nancy'S voice was dry and mechani-
cal, but Dana guessed this was only
a disguise for emotion.
You're being silly" she said. eff
yU4 only know how you really look!"
How % I look?" Nancy asked
Dana thought, She's isn't exactly
pretty, but there's something aw-
fully attractive about her. Some
thing exciting. It's as though you
were looking at a volcano, about to
explode. No, you couldn't possibly
overlook Nancy in crowd"
Aloud, Dana said, You look like
a charming elf that has been tan
gled up in cloud and then come
floating down to earth"
Your fairy-tale lore is a little
mixed" Nancy told her. Elves
don't inhabit clouds. They are, or
were supposed to be, very earthly
people, and don't recall they had
any special charm or good looks.
But you look like the beautiful fairy
who appears on occasions to dazzle
folks"
CHE turned then, and was gone.
ODana, alone, felt bewildered and
troubled. Perhaps what she had
said had been unfortunate. The
wrong thing. But, we're two grown
girls" Dana told herself. Not
children. And we're both nice
enough looking. Who cares about
looks anyway, as long as you can
dance and swim and have some
fairly bright ideas circulating in
your head?"
Why had Nancy started all this
foollshneSS, anyway, when the mu-
Sicians downstairs were beginning
to play foXtrot? And it was time
for both of them to go down. With
grandmother such a stickler for
etiquet, it would be dreadful to have
guests arrive before they were ready
to receive them.
Dana was sure it was going to
be a lovely party. The cakes Hat
tie Washington had been molding
so cleverly all afternoon were beau
tiful with their huted edges and
dainty flower decorations. At night,
with the crystal chandeliers blaz-
ing down, most of the drabness of
the big reception room was con-
cealed, and the shining surfaces of
fine old furniture were revealed.
The worn rugs had been removed
for dancing and flowers from the
garden had been brought in abund-
antly, adding color In Dana's
mind tho ro--v had just one flaw.
She had hoped to invite the attrac-
tive young doctor to this party,
but her grandmother had turned
thumbs down on the SUGGESTION
so vehemently Dana had been
surprised.
Scott Stanley's been away so
long he's almost stranger here"
Mrs. Cameron had said. He has
q long way to go if he's going to
amount to anything as doctor.
Besides, I can't invite every Tom,
Dick and Harry in this town."
That had been that. Still it was
going tn be lovely party
Dana touched the orchids on her
shoulder caressingly. Her first or
chids. 1t was thrilling to be wear
ing them She thought of Ronnie
with little glow at her heart.
DANA, whirling from the arms OF
~ one partner to another, felt
she was moving in a dream. This
was not Paris, where the social life
of her school friends had been SUI
pervised so rigidly Nor was 1t like
those parties, tinged by Bohemian
ism, in which her father had par
ticipated occasionally after her
mothers death-parties from which
Dana had been carefully excluded.
Everything here Was bright, cheer
full, colorful and informal. Girls
and boys of Dana's own age, laugh
ing, talking, ain. )st drowning out
the bands playing at times. They
were all the right young people"
her grandmother had made plain.
They all belonged" Their fathers,
or uncles or cousins had member
ships in the Country Club.
Moving about as she had in her
childhood, always living in different
houses, Dana had given little
thought to such things as clubs.
Here in this southern city, they evil
IDENTIFY counted for great deal.
Grandmother had said: "Ronnies
only "a. But he has his own men,
bership in the Country Club. He
is member of The Maskers,' and
if you play your cards right that
will mean another big party for you.
He belongs to the College Club, too,
and smart dinner group"
1t was funny for grandmother to