The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-05-02

thought She changed the subject,
jumping at the next thing in her
mind. She had wakened this after
noon to a delightful world; she
wanted everybody to be as lucky as
she was
Camilla, why do you wear
glasses"
Camilla jumped, then said, "Why
l-why-to read with"
Then why don't you leave them
off except for reading. and carry
round the funny bone kind that
never look as if they belonged to
you, instead?"
Because I'm awkward; because
it doesn't matter how look. I've
been told ever since l was born [
was uglier than hedge fence-not
that ever saw one." Camilla spoke
quietly, but flush covered her face.
$50 ! simply haven't tried. Mothers
given up trying to make me-"
"You aren't. It does matter how
you look. You do care, you do want
people to like you. Do let ME help.
Camilla"
do you carer" said Camilla, in
blank establishment. 1t was a new
idea to her, evidently, that anyone
could.
"Of course I do Camilla-I'll tell
you'll have a wonderful idea! Let's
fence and tap dance together. 1t will
keep mine up for me. You can't feel
awkward when you do that! And
Owen said you wouldn't be plain if
you didn't think So"
did he? Did Owen say that?" The
girl lighted so that for the moment
she was really pretty. 81 could drive
over from our place to Woodlands
easily. There's big gym in the base
ment. we all used to go over there
before everything happened, when
Georgia was engaged to Jim. don't
think Georgia should be so proud
because Jim drowned himself for
her sake. do you? And yet" said
Camilla wistfully, sit would be won-
derful to have anyone care that
much"
Iris had never heard the story as
directly as this. She gave little
shiver.
"No, don't. l think it's horrid.
But I'd love to have you do it."
The end of it was that Camilla
went away aglow. with her glasses
in her handbag, and her shoulders
straight.
IRIS had kissed Camilla good-by in
that glow of affection for people
which always came to her when
she'd been doing things for them.
Only one thing worried her: and
she'd straighten that out with Phina .
"Phina, she came straight out
with til don't want to be an old
fashioned. prim Miss Prudence as
Allan Beckley calls me-but-they
brought me up in the uld-fashioned
way, I'm little at sea.
Pima was tired and eye7ringed;
she was lounging and h1ving a
whisky and soda before dinner.
which wasn't like her. Phina guard
ed her health very carefully.
"You mean," said Phina sharply,
'how far to let men go? There isn't
any rule-except, don't lose your
head; and remember men don't like
things they get for nothing. On the
other hand, don't be prim. unless you
can make it an interesting part of
your line. I'm not Dorothy Dix! If
a girl knows how to handle men,
she knows; and if she doesn't, she
doesn't"
81 see." said Iris slowly. But she
did not see at all; except that Aunt
Pima and she did not talk the same
language.
But she had found out one thing;
that to this strange gay brusque
fastening world with the half.
guessed rules she was charming and
she could. if things went as they
were going. play a principal part.
She had been a minor character at
home. where her father had been
the hero and her aunt the leading
lady. This was a world where the
young had the leads. She mattered-
frighteningly-delightfully. All her
youth and daring rose to meet the
part Pima was giving her a chance
to play.
1t did not seem incredible to her
that this was happening. She was
young. and when you are young the
best seems only natural. But she did
wonder a little why she was so
lucky; and things people had said
began to drift through her head in
answer. A phrase of Dicky's-"You
got new line. You make man feel
all liked and set up" And Georgia's
bitter. unwilling tribute:
"Phina knew her onions when she
imported you. Just the background
and scenery to make a hit with a
lot of people who were tired of jazz
and modernism. The old-fashioned
romantic damsel, complete with &C.
complishments and dialogue out of
the arch eighties"
'PThey do like me! They do think
I'm charming!" she exulted.
Copyright. 1856. Margaret WiGdsmsrl
2. f91 ~ IL.
Monday Iris gets a curtain leo.