The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-02
CHAPTER VIII-Continued

ter the hearts of the ladies'" and
Mrs. Macpherson beamed with ma
ternal pride.
The night was still and clear.
There would be moon later, very
late, an apricot August moon. Jim
walked through the garden. along
the drive, up to the familiar side
weranda. The house looked very
gay.
He was early. The guests had not
yet begun to arrive. The orches-
ira, five dapper young negroes in
tuxedos, was grouped about the pi-
ano in the hall. In the dining-room
one of the caterers men was mix
ing punch under Mr.. Vaughn's SUI
pervision.
Anything can do?" Jim asked.
"Taste this stuff" Mr.. Vaughn
filled glass for Jim. "Too strong?"
he asked.
"Just right" Jim set the glass
on the table.
Jim waited while Mr.. Vaughn
gave further instructions to the ca
terer's man and then went with
him into the hall. It was empty,
now. The members of the orches-
ira were out on the side veranda,
talking in undertones, joking, their
laughter discreetly lowered.
Everything seems to be all
right" Mr.. Vaughn said, standing
in the open door, looking out across
the terrace and the lawn where the
lanterns floated in still darkness.
''Looks festive, doesn't it? I want
Cecily to enjoy her party" His
glance turned to Jim. Having a
grown daughter is a tough propo-
sition," he said.
81 can neither agree nor dis
agree" Jim said, smiling. Give
had no experience"
Mr.. Vaughn made no immedi-
ate reply. 1t was apparent to Jim
that he had something on his mind.
A voice hailed them. ''Hello, you
two!"
The gentlemen looked toward the
stairs. Cecily was descending slow
ly, trailing hand along the BAN
lister, deliberately making an ap-
pearance.
Cecily was lovely tonight. She
wore slim shining cream-colored
dress which broke into cascades of
ripples below her knees. Her bright
hair was bound with a wreath of
golden leaves and golden sandals
twinkled beneath the satin ripples of
her skirt. Excitement deepened the
peach-like bloom of her cheeks and
shone in her dark golden eyes.
Above her, around her, fioated
soft radiance, a lovely luminous
glow. She came toward them, smil-
ing. Jim drew a short painful
breath.
Am I all right?" she asked, turn
ing for their approval, her arms
extended, her head turned to watch
them over her shoulder. do I
look pretty nice?"
"You'll do" her father replied,
the pride and affection in his face
discounting the brief comment, and
"Dazzling!" Jim said, having diff
Guilty with his voice.
Have you given the men in
structions about parking the cars?"
she asked her father and, "Jim,
would you mind awfully seeing that
the lanterns along the terrace are
lighted. That Ralph is an imbecile.
He hasn't one brain cell to rattle
against another"
"I'm not on duty tonight" Jim
said, smiling. But he went to light
the lanterns, taking with him lit
tie of her radiance, hurrying to-
ward the moment when he would
see her again, dance with her, hold
her silken slenderness in his arms.
The moment which he anticipated
was slow in arriving. Cecily, for
time, was occupied with the arriv-
ing guests, with greetings and in
Productions. When the music start
ed she was whirled off by the pros
pective groom and, in turn, by the
wedding party to a man. Jim
danced with languid blonde who
asked him if he didn't think that
dancing in hot weather was too ut
sNAAJ AOAA e1AlA Will PCAb Abt1C
red-head who thought the music was
too divine and that dancing out-of-
doors was too marvellous and the
lanterns awfully amusing.
Later, when he met Cecily in the
center of the floor, she asked:
why haven't you danced with
me?"
II haven't landing metz
''Want to now?"
lawfully"
He was dancing with her at last,
at last he held her in his arms,
breathed the fragrance of her hair,
felt her forehead agains: his chin.
She danced beautifully, effortlessly,
not as Dolly danced, with spirited
abandon, but with a fluid grace,
like wave, like Ale gave it up,
content to dance with her silently,
endlessly, on and on-forever.
She drew a little away, looked up
at him.
"Is it a nice party, Jim?"
"Grand."