The Washington times., 1936-12-28
NOW READ ON
RY MAY CHRISTIE

There was q pause. He regarded
her steadily. "Often it can do a
good deal Of harm"
"Such ASP" she ventured, very
curious now as to what was really
in his mind.
what about young Gordon
Gavin?"
So that was it? Hes nothing
in the world to me but an old
friend I've known and danced
with, since my nursery days"
Her tone carried conviction.
Still he doubted her sincerity.
What about that charming
role of Juliet you've been playing
tonight2"
"Juliet? What do you mean?"
Haven't you read Shakespeare?
The balcony act?"
She flushed hotly. incriminat-
ingly.
"Is there anything wrong at a
dance about going out for a mo-
ment to have a breath Of ARP"
"Not if it rested at that. You
know, sometimes one has to be
cruel in order to be kind. and
flirtations can have far-reaching
results. It strikes me that the
boys work is suffering. because
he's suffering. That's why I
called you La Belle Dame Sans
Merci.'"
She said soberly: '"That's very
unjust. If you only knew it. this
evening I've been urging Gordon
Gavin towards another girl. I
don't accept his invitations. but I
do want him to make good in his
work, because he has ability, and
now that he's lost everything
father, home, money-he needs his
job as badly as need mine"
Then you don't believe in fall
ing in love. Ann?" gently he asked.
do your"
sometimes one can't help it
even if one fights against it. Love
makes fools Of us all. big and
little"
"Why the word fool? Were you
to fall in love, would you consider
yourself weak idiot?"
She had to risk putting these
questions to him. She simply had
to find out!
He stared straight ahead Of him.
The music of the next dance
started, rollicking tune.
IF love meant peace, If one
could safely rest in it," he said
slowly, "it would be the most Won
derful thing in the world, surely
But there's always living, and liV-
ing is conflict. Add love to it and
there is even greater conflict. Bust
ness and love, Ann-it's too much
they simply don't go together!"
X X
In the drug store across the
street from Barclay & Weiss sat
four feminine executives at their
light noontime snack.
Light for Renita Parrish. that's
to say (she had an appalling hang
over after the party) light
for Brenda SELF because she was
dieting (and also full of venom) -.
light for Gerry Shellfish (she must
keep her girlish figure for Max
Furchheimer) and light for
that usually hearty eater, Cora
Schwartz, buyer of Costume Jew
elry, because something that
Brenda had just told her about her
beau, the Art Director, had taken
away her appetite.
But he danced six times with
Cora. Didn't he, Cora?" said Miss
Shellfish, the peacemaker.
Twelve, with the encores." In
Cora's china-blue eyes, slightly pro-
tuberant, was the pathetic look Of
a dog that has been hurt.
But" triu1nphed Brenda, che
took Ann Delafield home at mid
night and he was gone split
hour"
He was the Art Director, who
for the past year had squirrel
plump Cora to many functions.
HE told me he ran over to the
hospital to see his mother who's
sick in bed"
"Tell that to the marines!"
sneered Brenda. "He was tight as
a tick when he came back, and
spent the rest of the evening in
the bar of the hotel. You should
know that! You're nobody's
fool"
Ann had no one to see her
home. The hospitals on the East
Side close to where she lives. He
just dropped her off on his way
out of Kindness" Miss Shellfish
explained.
Kindness my eye!" snorted
Brenda. Mark my words, that
girls an Al trouble-maker. It's
my belief she'd flirt with the ele-
Vator boys in the store. or the ice
man, if he was good looking! AS
I was telling Renita, Paul Bradley
and I walked right into Ann Della