The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-20
ELEVEN

way it always was when she was
there. Long, cool, sweet sleep,
Bright mornings, Molly fussing over
her, brushing her corn-silk hair, low
ingly caring for her clothes. Dance
frocks in the scented closet. Uncle
Mark and Aunt Edna waiting up for
her whatever hour she came IN.
Cookies and milk at three O'Clock
in the morning in front of the IRE
in the library or in Uncle Marks
study. Gossip about the party.
The dances. The same faces. The
high-ceilinged rooms and the col
ored boys playing waltzes back OF
the ported palms. Miss Kate and
Miss Viola Lee in their lavendar
laces and painted shawls. The Cos
ling girls still beau %snatching. The
elderly "eligible bachelor who had
courted her mother and was paying
the same compliments to her. The
laden banquet boards and the rich
buffets. The big, pale pink hams
and hot breads. The wine cups and
steaming toddies. The baked oys-
ters and fried chicken. The tinkling
laughter and slurred voices. The So
cial south that eve changed.
Those were her nights, one after
another.
There were the days. The morn
ing rides - hard, fast riding over
swept turf, over the first light
snow, for now it was December.
Rides on fresh mornings that
cracked with energy and ended in
no%thingness.
Back to Nicky's or James or some
one else's and a highball before
III. h. Lunch that lasted into the
afternoon hours. Home to change.
or on to someone else's house in
riding clothes for cocktails and talk
about horses or other people. And
beaux, young and old, for, seeming
ly, no man in her set in that part
of the country did any work.
The days and the nights with the
sameness and gaiety that Fabienne
felt must be forced insomuch as it
had never changed, began to pal
upon her and restlessness to which
she had never before been pray, fel
upon her.
She took to proving the lanes on
foot, avoiding the telephone, finding
herself in the grip of a deadly en-
nui.
Sometimes, looking at the sky
and noting the shifting light that
marked the hour, pictures came te
her.
Now it is four o'clock. The chill
dren's games are noisy in the west
wing Of Willoughby house. Her
own little class would be rehears
ing the play she had directed.
Six O'Clock. Another girl would
be clearing the desk in the children's
clinic. Ellen Chapman, thinking Of
her evening date with Bill Mallory
everywhere at once. Busy, happy
working.
But Ellen Chapman wouldn't b.
called for in a Rolls towncar. Eller
wouldn't have a new white and sill
yer gown to veal at a dance in {
ballroom that had seen three presi
dents dancing there.
Fabienne was putting on thu
white and silver gown when Moll.
brought up the evening mail.
She pulled the dress over hel
head and, without waiting to hool
it, sat on one of Fabienne d.
Courcy's little spindle-legged chair
and ran through the pile Of letters
There was one from Paris. Tha
would be from Gertrude.
Fabienne slit the tissue.thin en-
velope. Her mothers neat, small
handwriting covered four sheets.
re-. I don't think I shall com
over for Christmas, after ALL" Ger
trude wrote. "Tve been invited t
Nice with some amusing people
And 1t isn't as if you were all chill
dren and needed me to have a hap
by holiday. The twins"-the twin
had been put in school in Switzel
land - "are reluctant to miss tn
winter sports and wish to stay o
at school. Dick writes me that h
is gong to fly to California for tn
holidays. Do you think he is intel
ested in the Haviland girl? I do hop
so. Her family, you know, W mos
Of the western railroads. Dick ha
got to make a good marriage no
that he hasn't any money outside {
the pitiful income from his trus
fund. I do worry about my chi
dren."
Fabienne shifted in%delicately an
continued her reading:
I'm so happy that you have d.
cided to give up that odious worl
I can't tell you how you hurt n
doing that, Fabienne; but I forgi1
you now and knew that you'd CON
to your senses. I should have il
sisted on your coming to Par
with me, but I know that you al
happier in Maryland. And I ais
know, whether you realize it yet
not, that you are only happy wit
Nicky. You've practically sper
your lives together, darling, an
that counts for a great deal. ~
often thought that the reason VIII
my two marriages were SO disastrou
was that I didn't know either Of m
husbands long enough before "
were married. I always married fl
love that was nothing more than ir
fatuation. I'm afraid that's whs
you're looking for. But 1t is {