Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-22


awlIwardness now. only her own
antagonism and more subtly the
antagonism emanating from him.
II never forgave myself for only
just missing your last one"
Elaine's eyes in her pale set
face were bright and puzzled.
"Kay's going TO be Maid of
Honor, Ivor."
SO you told me-" For an in
slant his eyes flickered. Kay
Vineyard Maid of Honor! What
could be more apt ?" He slid his
arm around Elaine's waist.
Come. darling. your honorable
aunt will be wanting to dress for
dinner. We must leave her in
peace"
At the door ne paused, glanc-
ing at Kay over his shoulder.
That's quite a sound principle
for prospective aunts and neph-
ews, don't you think leaving
each other in peace"
THAT was a definite challenge
and Kay accepted it. Although
her plans were still vague. she
felt oddly sure of herself now.
Slipping the little green diary
into a drawer of her dressing
table, she chose a white and yell
low evening gown with jade
green sandals. She had picked
a spray of feathery blue plum
bago from a vase at the bedside
and was just arranging it, Ber-
muda style, in her hair, when
the gong doomed for dinner
After cocktails, most OF which
We're consumed by Ivor dinner
was served, as lunch had been.
in the white-walled patio at the
back OF the house. with candles
already lit in high hurricane
glasses In the fading daylight,
long shadows played across the
lawn, the air was heavy with the
evening scent of jasmine and the
sky to the west glowed pink and
gold IN prologue TO sunset.
The insidious glamor OF Ber-
muda Summer evening had en-
vcloped Hurricane House and. i'm
evitably. Ivor Drake had become
the pivotal point Of the glamor
as he sat at the head OF his own
table. lean and bronzed in his
tropical dinner jacket stiff
highball in his hand. completely
at ease with the casual arrogance
Of "A man who knows the power
OF his own charm.
The moment Kay sat down at
the table, she sensed the extraor-
binary change which had come
over the family With fVOr-S ar
rival. There was nothing tangi-
bic In fact, the Chilterns all
Of them, had assumed a sort Of
over-eXcited politeness 10 wei
come the unexpected host. And
yet beneath their smooth veneer,
like the pulsing of heartbeat,
she could feel an undercurrent Of
tension.
1t was in Ivor too IN the very
excess of charm IN this man
who never overexerted himself
without a purpose. AS the beau
tifully prepared meal progressed,
Kay was almost sure that he was
conducting this charm ensemble
for her benefit. AS the next step
IN his challenge just TO show her
how completely ne had her fam
lily eating out OF his hand
And then gradually she began
TO realize that something was
going wrong Acutely conscious
OF Tvor and his every shift Of
mood, she detected the change
first in him, in certain insolent
tilt TO his smile, a caressing soft
ness in his voice which spelled
danger,
And slowly she realized the
cause, realized that for some un-
fashionable reason the Chilterns
were no longer responding the
way he wanted them TO. Elaine.
lovely and flowerlike in a white
and rose satin dress, had slipped
into apathetic silence. Terry too
seemed remote. awkwardly out
Of the group, while even Maud in
spite of Ivor's attempts TO at
tract her interest, was with
drawn IN a reverie Of her own.
Kay felt increasingly keyed
up She knew Ivor so well knew
that lack of adulation. particu-
larly from dependents. was poi
son 10 him and that, subjected TO
IL, the paper thin layer of charm
could be ripped like a circus
hoop. She watched the danger
signals Of his mounting exaspera-
ton, waited for the flare OF al
most feminine spite which was
bound 90 come,
And il came with a suddenness
which startled even her
NTARING down the table at