The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-06-11
Beauy's Daughter
en.ans.n Norris By Kathleen Norris "Hu Service.


draw shades and set the flowers
about advantageously.
"Are you going up to Helen's?"
he was presently asking. He paid
no attention to Victoria. Magda
shook her head. you're not?" the
man demanded surprised.
"My little spare tire" Victoria's
mother said, her arm about her.
"But good gracious, take her!
Comics girl must be about her
age"
NO." Magda said, gently shak-
ing her head. "Not just now, any
way. But it must be lovely up
therel I've never been there, you
know. Phyllis was telling me of
some place-the Braverman place
right on the water"
"But that's just the place l am
going to buy!" Ferdinand Manners
exclaimed. When Magda presently
went out of the room to bring him
her Spanish shawl, he asked Vic
toria if she knew that she had a
very beautiful mother. He bent his
russell head over the shawl. eyes,
that is fine shawl" he said. "What
does the man offer your"
Victoria was shocked. Was Moth
er going to sell the famous old
shawl? She saw that her mother
hadn't wanted her to know.
she offers me three hundred
Marsh. It's to be edged with fur
for wrap. They'll take all this
off," Magda ran her fine thin hand
through creamy silk fringes so stiff
that they looked like cotton.
Just a week later Victoria brought
in a great box just delivered from
Marsh's; the shawl was inside. It
had been changed into sumptuous
evening wrap with border all the
way about it of soft white fur. And
this gift her mother did not return.
She put it away in the great trunk
that always stood in her room; there
was small closet space in the apart
ment.
That same week, on another
sticky sultry night, Keith Herren-
deem came in looking tired and pale
at six o'clock, apparently more than
ordinarily wearied by the burden
and heat of the day. He sank into
a chair in the sitting room that was
also the dining room, where Victoria
was already setting the table.
II brought you a little present,
Magda," he said, his face suddenly
bright with smile. cts not much,
my dear"
It was an Emporium box; a white
linen jacket, unlined, with a smart
dark blue stripe about the collar
and cuffs. The tag was still on
it; he explained that she was free
to exchange it if she liked. Vic
toria sent a quick apprehensive
glance toward her mother. The
bracelet that had cost thousands
had been sent back, but the re-
mains of the great crate of flowers,
and fresh flowers, were everywhere,
and deep in her mothers trunk was
the beautiful shawl with its new
border of pure white ermine.
Mrs. Herrendeen stood lingering
the linen jacket. The staring $50 .95"
on a tag was in her hand, as the
fringe of the shawl had been a few
days ago.
cts very sweet, Keith" she said,
holding her tone low. But it was no
use; in a minute she was crying
convulsedly, bitterly, senselessly,
standing at the window, with her
shaking shoulders to the room.
Don't mind me-" she said thickly.
''I'm crazy. Don't pay any at
tention to mel" ......
"I'n be damned if I understand
you sometimes, Magda," Keith said
YEARLY.
It was on this night that there was
the first talk of sending Victoria to
a boarding school. Victoria's heart
rose on a bound of joy at the
thought.
This seemed to be a time of
thrilling plans. It appeared almost
Immediately that she and her
mother were going up to Tahoe to
visit Anna Brock. Mrs. Brock was
an old friend who had a daughter
Catherine; Victoria and Catherine
had known each other, not very in
timately, all their lives. They had
always rather shyly liked each 9TH
er.
dad, will you be up at all, week.
ends?"
THAT'S pretty expensive trip,
Vic"
"But once? If we can afford to
stay there, surely you can afford
to come up once?"
"I'n try"
'It isn't going to cost us very
much" said her mother. "The cot
tage belongs to Annals sister, and
our food won't be much"
ooh, are we sort of boarding,
Mother?"
Something like that"