The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-07-09
Elizabeth Harmon disappear In
favor Of Luana Watersl
CHAPTER TX


It was a sparkling blue-gold
morning such as often comes to
New York in early spring, with a
salty tang Of the sea in the air.
Elizabeth was astonished to find
herself so exhilirated. She had
turned a new page. What would
be written on it?
Principally hard work. Lots Of
It. She wanted, more than any
thing in the world, to work 50
hard there would not be a single
moment for brooding on her dis
aStrous marriage. She absolutely
must succeed. She would. She had
no one back Of her. She felt deep,
inexhaustible wells Of courage
bubbling UP in her.
Here on the sixteenth floor, the
noise Of traffic in the streets rose
like a hymn Of battle. It was like
some powerful giant striking on
his anvil and jubilantly singing to
high heaven. There was a note Of
triumph in it, of boundless cour.
age and achievement. She heark-
ened to this rhythm Of the city.
She was part of it.
Luana Waters that she now
was would present herself today
for the first lap of the beauty-cum-
fashion contest in the appointed
place on Madison Avenue. =.
She bathed, a d Shampooed
her hair. Then she went down to
the hotel beauty parlor. She had
a finger-waVe, and a facial, and q
manicure, not because she felt she
was any longer vain, but because
beauty was the main essential for
the coming battle.
my dear, did you ever see
such mobs of females?"
The speaker was a slim, sleek
haired, effeminate looking young
man. He had a plaintive voice.
with a pronounced foreign accent.
His companion Of the opposite
sex flicked the ash from the end
Of her cigarette into a fern tub
that seemed the only likely re-
ceptacle in this crowded room.
She smiled into his eyes and
shrugged nonchalantly.
GSE11% N7NVY HTyoVa%A( - NAN@aA WV
dear Ramon!"
"Only because you did"
Hearing this, Luana-incurable
romanticist that she still was, de-
spite her avowed intention to
put romance behind her-was in
tereSted at once.
The woman was rather tall,
and slight, with a kind of willowy
gracefulness. She was beautifully
dressed in black-a shimmery, ex-
pensive black swathed with yards
of silver fox fur. Her hair was
Titan red, her skin milky. She
had sleepy eyes of some indeter-
inmate color. They glinted under
heavy lids that were fringed with
amazing long lasheS.
Luana thought the woman's
face was like some pale, exotic
flower under the small black
velvet hat that simply screamed
Paris!
A faint, exquisite perfume eman-
ated from her.
"She'S stunning looking"
thought Luana, who had been
here a full hour without anyone
taking any notice of her what
ever. She forgot her chagrin, and
her grim necessity Of getting
immediate employment, in the
fascination of watching this
woman.
She had long pale hands, which
were the only things about her
that really seemed alive. That
and her eyes, perhaps, although
the lids dropped so with utter
boredom that one could hardly
say what they expressed. Between
beautifully manicured fingers she
held her jade cigarette holder.
The other hand toyed with a long
string Of jade that hung from her
throat.
Yet with all her air Of languor,
1t struck Luana forcibly there
was something primeval here.
Like some beautiful animal of the
jungle that relaxeS before a foray.
Under the calm, a fire. Some.
thing that stirred one oddly,
thought Luana, whether Of re.
pulSion or attraction she did not
know.
Ito Be COntinued)
copyright. 1885. by King Features