The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-03-16
Copyright, 1893, NEA Service, Inc.

throat and fitted sweetly over her
shoulders and full young breasts
Picking up the cherry bag, she
went out into the crisp air, swift
", before her heart failed her.
Daimler's was only five blocks
from her apartment. She decided
TO walk and let the cool air fan
her tear-fevered eyes.
Before she reached the canopi-
ed entrance to Dalmler's, she be-
gan to feel, in spite OF herself, Il
definite pleasure in the fluid rip
nlc of the soft fur above her an
Ties. It was nice to be well dress
ed, even when you heart was
breaking.
Daimlcr's was the most eXpen-
sive restaurant in the city. Con-
stance had gone there sometimes
with Derek 1T pays to go
where YOU can be seen by the
first PEOPLE," Derek had said
when Constance had suggested a
more modest place.
Constance knew that the
alacrity with which the doorman,
who looked like a glorified rear
admiral, sprang to attention 1t
her approach was an involuntary
tribute to the plutocrite eX,,
clusiveness of the gray coat ana
cherry accessories .
When she spoke her name TO
the girl at the reservation desk
lust inside the door, the girl
smiled briefly and said, Miss
Maidwell? or course. Mrs. Major
sent Il note for you.
She handed Constance a square
cream envelope. Constance sat
down in Il tapestried armchair to
read the note.
"My dear Miss Maidwell;" Mrs.
Major had written, 81 am so sorry
to be unable to keep our appoint
ment today. ] am, as it happens,
unpleasantly confined to my bed.
However, although | am un-
able to be present, | hope you will
still be my guest. You will find a
table reserved; and the maitre
d'hotcl has instructions to serve
you whatever you care to order
for lunch.
Now as to the object of our
meeting. My health seems to de-
mand' that | relinquiSh. my actlV-
tiles in the Associated Artists
Show to other hands. But Miss
Taft has spoken so highly to me
of you that ! am passing on your
name to my successor, the present
chairman of the committee, and
suggesting that she get in touch
with you.
with best wishes for your sue
cess, i 20 am very sincerely yours,
Marcia Major"
Constance sat for moment,
turning the note over aud over in
her fingers =. 81 am passing on
your name suggesting = y.
with best wishes-"'not too prom
ising'! Well, Constance decided
a little grimly, Limight. as we'll
get a lunch out of, it,, anyhow.
She had eaten lightly that
morning-pattly because there
had been no room in the black
mood of those first waking hours
for interest i'm food, and partly
because Mrs. Majors invitation
had seemed to dispose Of the food
problem for that day.
The Daimler dining room was a
large semicircular chamber with
small brightly lighted stage on
the side opposite the entrance.
The walls were done in huge
frescoed panels, each framing an
autumn landscape as between pill
lars of a creamy portico so that
the painting seemed to make one
single vista of woodland about
the room. 90
This was the busy hour--but
Mrs. Major had reserved a table.
As Constance looked about her
for the maitrs .d'hotel, a round
dark little man with q Vandyke
beard caught her eye and signal
ed her towards an empty table
near the edge of the stage. .
No doubt the girl at the desk had
signaled him that Mrs. Majors
guest had arrived.
Moving toward the table, she
found herself halted by the lei
surely progress of a smartly-
dressed young, woman in the aisle
ahead Of her. CHANGING at her,
Constance was surprised to see
that she was wearing q long vel
vet dinner dress with a silver
cocktail jacket. 80.
Doesn't the girl know it's still
midday? Constance thought. Oh,
well, ] suppose it's new, and the
poor thing just had to wear it
somewhere.
As she stood waiting for the
girl to finish a brief conversation
with someone at the table ahead,
she glanced with some compla-
cence down at her own eminently
correst ensemble.
Looking up, she caught the eyes
OF a man fixed upon her from a
nearby table. There was some
thing vaguely familiar about the
man; he was youngish and broad,
with sandy hair inclined to be
red, and-of course! He was the
man who had almost knocked her
over outside Derek's studio the
day before.
His Singularly alive brown
eyes, new cody amused, said as
plainly as words, "Well, well! The
little girl rather fancies herself in
that get-up, doesn't she?"
Constance was furious with her.
self for flushing.