The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-30
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Andrea and Dennis were looking
at the marionettes in the little the
alter at the end of the room, but
Beth was looking at Andrea and
Dennis. and her thoughts were not
the stuff of which the performance
of the Balakaika was made.
In the mirror back of her, she
could see herself in ner smart
black dress. her impudent hat, but
she saw nothing there that made
her feel elated, proud as she had
Teen that other night when Den.
mis- was alone with her. Now she
| felt herself pale shadow beside
the radiant Andrea. For radiant
was the only word she could think
Of. 1t wasn't the scarlet dress or
the sequin-sparkling pill-box that
Andrea wore far back on h +
cloudy dark hair that made her
glow; it was some inner front on
which she drew to give herself the
glow that showed in her dancing
eyes, in the warm color that ebb-
ed and flowed under her Give skin.
There was a vitality about her that
was magnetic. A vitality that
drained Beth of all she had.
She might, she thought, h e
just as well stayed home, for she
felt she added nothing to the little
threesome that had been so COM
pletely Andrea's since she came
tt ailing down the stairs moment
after Beth had greeted Dennis in
the hall at the rooming house.
Dennis. my old dear!' Andrea
rad put just the right blend of
pleasure, affection, reproach and
delight into her voice. Andrea had
lifted her cheek for Dennis to kiss
| (Which he did. with look at Beth
which she failed to see), had given
both her hands to him and said,
'Beth's told you I'm practically a
widow? Jim has gone off and left
me, and I simply couldn't resist
seing you, so when Beth suggest
ed that 1 surprise you, we'll. here
am. Are you glad?'
Delighted" Dennis had said,
and Beth wondered now, as she
watched the antics of the marion
cites out of one eye, if she had
imagined he wasn't as delighted
as he might have been.
Beth did insist, you know An
drea had gone on. Il just sit around
here night after night doing abso-
lutely nothing, out tonight we're
all going to have fun Will you
take me to that wonderful restau-
rant Beth said you took her to-
So they'd gone to the Sale du
Bots, but it wasr't the same to-
night. The other time, Beth had
felt gay and happy and rarely in
teresting. Tonight she was just the
third person.
The capers on the stage were
amusing, and Dennis laughed spon-
taneously, crinkling up the corners
of his eyes Beth thought, He's
been laughing that way all eve
ming. He didn't laugh that way the
| Cl!leI tllllG. IL UelIlS Will ALI
drea that makes him feel gay. .
She wished desperately that she
could make him feel that way.
And, wishing that, her thoughts
went off on another tack and hew-
err to it all the time that the
Gypsy Chorus was doing i t S
| turn.
The trend of her thoughts was
such that she couldn't label it her
self. She only knew that she was
suffering a let-down feeling. She
wouldn't call it jealousy Some of
pleasure, albeit limited pleas
ure, was being denied her. She
didn't want Dennis for beau, for
she was not likely to forget that
he was vas much married as he
had been when she had admon-
lshed Andrea back in the Penning-
ton days, but she had hoped there
might be an occasional evening
like the first one. Just one night
once in while to make her for