The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-04-16
Chapter IS
GAY PARADISE

GAY PARADISE
IRIS never had seen a platinum
i blonde before, except in a movie.
Sigrid's naturally yellow hair had
been made almost silver: her brows
and lashes had been done with the
conventional mascara. Aunt Ella
would have called her "actressy."
except for her quick forthrightness
of gesture and manner.
Pima introduced them formally.
where is Mrs. Russell?" Iris
asked to break the moments tension
"Oh. she isn't staying" Phina
said.
81 do not think she will ever be
worth the trouble Miss Pima put
upon her" Sigrid said.
She had no foreign accent. but a
slight inaccuracy about the proper
valuation of words and the right
elisions. Her intonatiOns were a
little fiat and vaguely wrong. also
but it was so intangible that Iris
could only feel that it was pity one
flaw married the girls perfection
She was so beautiful. and so OBJ
viously intelligent and charming.
She looked no more than sixteen.
IL suppose it is a part of the work.
but when fat women cry on me |
want to give them a kick in the
pants"
Her doll-like childish beauty and
high cool childish voice made her
rough words irresistibly funny.
Owen laughed out with a look of pro
prietorship and pride.
MRS. Russell is my very good
friend" Pima said, at which Sigrid
lifted black line of eyebrow mock
ingly. Fortunately dinner was an
nounced.
To plainly reared Iris it looked
like a party. The four tall candle
sticks. with yellow candles matching
yellow roses in a low translucent
bowl. the lace runners. the low glass
nut dishes matching the bowl for the
roses. But 1t was. she knew. Phina's
normal state. What might seem cas-
ual charm was careful correctness.
Iris loved beauty and order. and it
:Oothed and delighted her.
The little dining room had deep
cilver-cloth draperies. hiding the
windows and making all one wall: 1t
had odd geometric silver lights. tri
angular silver chairs. You felt as if
you were living in a pattern. not
real. tossed-about place. You wanted
to step and speak like a girl In
pageant.
The courses followed ceremoni
ously: clear tomato soup. mousse
Of fish. peas and broccoli passed in
a silver dish with two compartments.
Then endive with something curly
which proved to be chicory and a
tingling RoquefOrt dressing.
Finally for dessert dish of fruit
Iris had thought wax. 1t was so beau
tiful. which had been standing on
the odd-planed side-table: and a
choice of cheese and biscuits. passed
on a big silver dish Of sort Iris re-
called put away at home. and mys-
terry till now. Coffee in small golden
cups.
Tired, Iris?" Pima asked when
dinner was two-thirds over. 'Or do
you want to go to a show"
Theaters. as casually as that?
I'D love it,"
sect the paper, Honora-" and
Phina read down the list. discarding
this one and that. She settled on a
revue. finally. that Iris must see"
Honora telephoned an agency: it
was all arranged in five minutes.
IRIS will have to use my black vel
L vet cape and the bag with it. |
haven't her evening wraps yet"
Phina said. with more seriousness
than she had used on all the rest to-
gether. Her voice implied the deep
importance Of evening wraps and
the bags which matched them.
Sigrid. too. looked serious. Iris
thought 1t was because of their bust
ness. but she discovered later that
most women felt that way.
Honora came with Phina's gold
and fur coat and bag and long
gloves. She herself was given the
black velvet cape. short thing with
long ties. Sigrid slipped into some
thing that had been lying across a
chair: Owen was given his overcoat,
folding silk hat. gloves and cane.
They entered the mysterious door
to the elevator. and were off. II was
all pure enchantment to lris-her
first New York theater. When she
told Phina. her aunt was shocked.
"Owen. you must see to that. Make
out a list of reVivals she must see,
and buy her seats to plays she should
know about"