| Show Dance Hall Lady LadyS Te Telegram Fiction S By JOAN IOAN CLAYTON Anne Ann could not sleep She Sho pre pro P pared red for fer bed she got into bed but she lic could not s sleep A A thousand times S she she he heard the of Nancys Nancy's clear childish laugh a thousand times she heard hard the accompanying murmur of Stanleys Stanley's deep voice vorce a thousand times the scene on the law recapitulated itself She was sick of thinkIng thinking think think- ing lag of remembering and could not stop S Its Us not fair aIr its it's not right she whispered over and over in the dark dark- ness Once she dragged herself from bed pulled on a negligee and went again 1 td the window Nearly morning now the house hOWie was wrapped in silence She he leaned her head on the sill and andred I stared red out at the tho bay moonlighted moon and like a sheet of silver The trees stood still sUll in inky black their shadows shadows shad shad- on the whitened grass precise I and definite the graveled paths were bleached by moonlight Katydids were shrilling and somewhere far off I a. a dog howled was silent howled The vv girls girl's heart ached ached could have changed Stanley so Her wretched thoughts returned to the summer house to to th the Stanley who had fumbled with the ribbons on her gown who had spoken so ner ner- so huskily who h had d looked down aown into her eyes thoughts Her re retraced retraced traced the evening bravely from the moment of John Flanders Flander's tion jion to the moment when she ha has had s en that different Stanley that Stanley Stanley Stan Stan- ley lost last to her on the lawn with Nancy What could hav have changed him N Nancy i cy who but Nancy Bitterly she regretted her foolishly chivalrous protection of the other girl If only she could have shown Nancy to Stanley as she had seen sen her net Nancy in the arms of Richard Graeme Grieme raeme petting in a parked motor car hetter arno-hetter no better than one of the maids Pr on the place He admired her he was Vas amused and charmed by her a a girl who had outraged hospitality who had used 1 his is home used him his mother mother their confidence in her to cloak a vulgar intrigue 5 What Wha was th the good of striving to be honest and decent Anne wondered b bitterly What was the good when the Nancys of this world smile their smiles and even m men n like Stanlcy Stan Icy ley fell feU before them Nanc Nancy with her flirts flirt's heart and soft soft- grasping baby hands why couldn't he see How Mow could he be so blind Thoroughly chilled Anne Ann flung on the bed j he fell into a fitful slumber but Nancy ancy arrogant triumphant danced through her I dreams earna made her toss sigh turn sigh again In the morning weary and languid and heartsick she crept The day stretched before I her as an endless humiliation To go downstairs to accept smilingly Nancys Nancy's snubs her unconscious patronage pat pat- to watch Stanley with Nancy to accept what crumbs of attention he might throw her way vay it was too much she much she could not bear It But she must Listlessly she selected se- se a frock to wear at breakfast One thing was sure She would leave on the noon train and put it out of Stanleys Stanley's power to lo hurt her further urther What could have changed him so Her bag packed she reached a sudden sudden sud sud- den wild decision She would leave but before she left Stanle Stanley should hear of Nancys Nancy's escapade Let him de decide Ide then whether r Nancy was the charming irresponsible child he thought her to be Let him decide Ithen then Nanc Nancy had not one drop of sportsmanship why should she Anne deceive herself by prating of sportsmanship sports manship of dignity of pride She was fighting for her very cry life No use She could not do it She was the person she was was certain certain things were right and decent other things were not If Stanley were blind then circumstances chance would have to open his eyes yes She Anne could not would not in such sucha a way make herself the arbiter of Nancys Nancy's destiny of Stanleys Stanley's of her own I S She felt momentarily better believed believed be be- even because that was what she wanted to believe that things might not be so bad as she imagined them to be Stanley had liked her he had invited her here he had been devoted and interested Might he not be be- again Somebody tapped at the door It was Joyce Joyc pretty and eyed bright In Ina a scarlet frock wondering if Anne were ready to go down to breakfast Anne was not Joyce came came on inside to perch on the bed to yawn to comment com corn com ment meat on on the weather and then unconsciously unconsciously un un- un consciously to confirm in Anne what Anne Ann had so feared It occurred cas cas- Anne was was was' in the closet picking pick pick- tag ing over her shoes when Joyce said Have you heard the dirt Anne felt elt something was coming She did didn not t turn What dirt i Nancy and Stanley have made it up up upI I Oh Ob Anne went on blindly fumbling fumbling fum fume bling among her shoes White or beige White Whit Whither White her her frock was WM white She told herself that she had known this all along that she knew it last Jast night that this was what she had ex ex- ex peeled Joyces Joyce's voice rippled along They fell out a while back Stanley Stanley Stan Stan- ley was jealous over a man roan that Nancy picked up in some night club Nancy swore it wasn't so but knowing knowin Nancy Id I'd bet It was Anyhow I 1 Iguess Iguess guess uess Stanleys Stanley's decided to forgive and forge forget S Forgive Annes Anne's voice was hoarse and strained Sure that's the dirt the row last night and what a row The night nightclub nightclub nightclub club person whoever it was was on the grounds last night I know be be- cause Celestine the maid on the floor was talking to the gatekeeper She was aU all agog this morning I suppose one shouldn't listen to servants servants' gossip gossip gos gas sip but then then then-It Joyce paused expectantly half hall hoping hoping hop- hop ing ng for some reassurance but when Anne said nothing she resumed The gatekeeper saw this man Gray or Graham or something like that reported to Mrs Bye and from what I hear there vas was hell to pay Mrs Bye has always considered herself as Nancys Nancy's second mother the two families fame fam have been een so close She was practically in hysterics She and Nancy and Stanley were locked in the library and Celestine was on the outside outside out out- side with her car ear at the keyhole She didn't hear much Anyhow Nancys Nancy's wearing Stanleys Stanley's ring this morning she just showed it to me With sudden paralyzing shock Anne understood Understood that there had been no chance no slightest chance from the first understood that she had built up from nothing the lovely tinted rose-tinted dream now crashing crash ing about her ears cars Stanley fresh from a broken engagement had been momentarily diverted by a little dance hall hail girl girl but but as for anything serious How could there have been anything serious when always in the back of his mind there had lingered the image of the other girl the girl of his own class the girl he in spite of everything Dimly she heard Joyce speak You Xou wont won't say anything about It it will you Nancy asked me rue not to tell They're keeping it ita a secret No I wont won't say anything Anne turned at last managed a glazed smile Are you sick Joyce asked quickly quick quick- ly anxious at the others other's pallor Its just that I 1 didn't sleep well Anne mumbled and fled led to the bath bath- room She was She e W was lS sick sick with jeal jeal- with disappointment with mortal mortal mortel mor mor- tal tel hurt But she did not cry Once she started crying she knew there would be no no stopping Once begun her tier tears would flow in endless rivers Sh She dashed cold her face washed her hands dried them washed them again tried to remember remember ber that she oSha must return to the bedroom bed room must go downstairs with Joy Joyce e must rally the courage to hold out until un til ill the noon train But always she was thinking Stanley Nancy Stanley Nancy Scraps of once cherished conversations conversations conversations conversa conversa- returned to torture her Stanley arguing that a woman should be sweet and pure pure- Stanley express tag ing ng his disgust at the cult of modern freedom Stanley who had known from the beginning g all there was was t to know about Nancy Nancy- Stanley who in inthe inthe inthe the last analysis simply did not care Love founded on trust and mutual respect he had talked of and had returned returned returned re re- re- re turned to Nancy She remembered the Stanley who had felt an inward shrinking from Ray who anyhow had had the cx- cx cuse of love she remembered th the Stanley who had insisted that a girl gir should avoid even the appearance o of evil This same Stanley was willing willin now eager to link his life with Nancys Nancy's eager to explain that Nancy Nanc didn't understand how things looked to excuse her on the ground of to too much money too much snuck leisure to too much freedom Were there tw two moralities one fo for girls who worked in dance halls halts i in offices in shops another for gir girls who lived d only for pleasures for par parties ties for or pretty clothes for trips trip abroad Joyce Notices When Anne reentered the bedroom her carefully rouged small face ace loo lookIng looking look look- ing out from rom the golden scallops o oher of her hair Joyce noticed nothing amiss amis Anne had herself well wellin in hand now She would see the thing through Time enough afterward for weep weeping in Now she must see sec it through Breakfast was to be DC served on th the lawn a long table was set in tb the shade ot oL a n large oak tree th the ga gay peasant h dappled with sunlight and land leaf shadow It was wa-s nearly 11 o'clock clock but the boys and girls on the lawn wn were yawning and drowsy flap flap- I ping ing their theix way through Sunday papers papers pa- pa pers ers or lying supine planning in a desultory fashion for the afternoon As Joyce JOce and Anne appeared a servant servant ant nt came out from rom the house with coffee cof cof- I fee ec and there was a general stir Anne saw Nancy She was display lag Ing ng a ring which blazed on her en engagement engagement finger her checks cheeks flushed I her eyes bright and dancing At the I Anne felt quite numb Staney Stanley Stan Stan- Icy ley ey was not in the group She watched it breaking up as couples haphazardly sought ought places at the table John Flaners Flanders Flan Flan- ders ers claimed Joyce an art Instant later Arch Sheets bobbed up at her elbow Hows to sit with me beautiful All right Where was Stanley Before he saw her er she saw him coming from irom the left veranda tall bareheaded clad in loose flannels vand and the same scarlet blazer lazer he had worn when he met her herat hert at atthe t the station He crossed the lawn moved comfortably upon pon them squinting occasionally against the ardent ar- ar dent sunlight so h handsome s so lost to o her A sudden wave of pain pam engulfed en en- gulfed h her r And still she had to speak to o himBe himBe himBe him Be back in a a minute she promised Arch When Stanley caught h her r eye he seemed to change to become another person but she went on bravely to meet him spoke steadily Stanley Stanley Joyce Joyce oyce told me about you and nd Nancy Her Keywords echoed oddly in the te air drowsy with the scent of tre trees s anc and grass Stanley looked at her quickly oddly Yes I wanted to be the first to congratulate con con- you you youl she said clearly with witha a proud lilt lift of her head nice of you Anne He wasn't even a friend this cold smiling man this polite disinterested man What could have changed him lim so Breakfasts getting cold Arch called S Comins For a J long ng moment she continued continue to o regard Stanley levelly then her lips trembled she wheeled suddenly and returned to Arch The man scowled He walked slowly to the table able crossed to 10 the opposite end am and lowered himself into the chair that Nancy fancy had for or him All through breakfast Anne kept up a light ban ban- banter banter ter er of conversation with Arch al nIl all through breakfast in puzzlement and hurt bewilderment she continued to wonder what could have changed Stanley so sol She was sure sure that hi his avoid avoidance nce of her glance w was s deli crate erate Toward the middle of the mca meal everyone one began to talk t. of driving t to the polo matches at Meadowbrook You and Joyce can come in my ca car carand carand and well we'll crowd Flanders in somewhere somewhere some some- where Arch settled Annes Anne's plans She seized the opportunity to explain ex cx- plain that he could drop her off a athe at atthe atthe the station sh she was taking the 1202 to New York Instantly he was ar S To eTo be continued Copyright 1933 by G George Matthew Adams Service |
