Show e l X 1 ears omero CHAPTER I I Autumn came and October was nearing its end Life in the Holt household had become adjusted to toa toa toa a form of routine Although It may not have been the most satisfactory mode of living It at least answered its purpose Fannie and Larry had reached a casual even amicable I sort of ot relationship and if each felt an occasional pang of regret at the distance that had grown between them neither of ot them would have admitted it to the other They met only at dinner now and their conversation conversation conversation con con- during that meal was desultory desultory if if there was time for talk at all They did not stay at home evenings and the evening meal was usually a hurried affair Larry always seemed to be in funds and he was more than generous Fannie lannie had plenty of spending money and she was careful not to tobe tobe tobe be too inquisitive as to its source Whatever Larrys Larry's business deals with Joe Criswell might be Fannie decided they were at least lucrative for Larry She had never been able to overcome her dislike of ot the Cris- Cris wells but she managed to conceal her distaste when it became necessary necessary necessary sary to Invite them for an occasional occasion occasion- al dinner or evening at the apart apart- ment Fannie annie had been surprised to discover discover discover dis dis- cover that Viola Criswell took rather well In the towns town's society The younger crowd generally liked her and copied her extraordinary slang ang with gusto Fannie could not account for Violas Viola's popularity al although although although al- al though she was forced to admit that the young woman was entertaining entertaining entertaining enter enter- in her gamin way but only as a music hall artist might be found entertaining All of the towns town's gay set looked forward to the Halloween b ball 11 that was to be held at th the Country club the the biggest event of the season A famous dancing team Just re returned returned returned re- re turned from Europe had been engaged engaged engaged en en- at a fabulous price and one of Americas America's greatest jazz orchestras orchestras orchestras orches orches- tras would furnish the music with rotund Carl Blackman himself wielding the baton Fannie thought the planned long-planned- for night would never never come but it did and she was in a fever of ex excitement excitement excitement ex- ex as she arrayed herself In her fancy costume Ada helped her herand herand herand and the little maids maid's delight and ad admiration admiration admiration ad- ad at her mistress' mistress appearance appearance appearance appear appear- ance was not the least unpleasing to Fannie For the love of ot Pete arent aren't you ready yet Larry stood in the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and frowned at the two wom wom- en He swaggered a little feeling no doubt that he must be In character character character char char- acter for Larry was not Larry Holt bond salesman this night No there was not even a trace of that well-groomed well young youn man A thy-skinned thy swashbuckling pirate he was and handsome I I I My MY you look ferocious ferocious' exclaimed ex exI exclaimed ex- ex claimed Fannie She glanced coquettishly coquettishly coquettishly co- co at him him- How do I look He regarded her with a a critical eye A young lady who might have stepped out of the pages of history the the history of the empire an adorable young woman without a doubt The simplicity of the high- high waited gown cut low at the neck revealing a white expanse of bosom and the tiny sleeves displaying displaying dis dis- dis- dis playing white rounded arms was most becoming to F Fannie nnie The heelless heelless heelless heel- heel less slippers the slippers the poke bonnet through which Fannies Fannie's heart heart- shaped face peeped as through a lovely frame how frame how demure she looked How do I look she repeated All right Fine Larry replied quickly Pretty slick Come on lets let's go A few months ago go Fannie would hav ha have hae e e been wounded by this lack of rightful admiration Now she only tossed her head and turned again to her mirror It was a grand soiree Masque balls are all more or less alike and to describe one is to describe them all aU It is the little personal dramas enacted at these affairs that one would be interested in if it one could but know of them Light flirtations flirtations flirtations flirta flirta- a meeting of clandestine lovers hate jealousy jealousy intrigue intrigue The gamut of all the emotions and anda a thousand and one sighs words follies lollies deceptions secret admissions and heartaches and heartaches will have had their little hour before the night is over Dane Tucker by an odd coincidence coincidence coincidence dence or was it if appeared in a costume corresponding with Fannies Fannie's Fannies Fannie's Fannies Fannie's Fan Fan- nies nie's own A gentleman of the Empire period as suave and Perfectly Perfectly Perfectly Per Per- turned out as those polished gentlemen who once bowed in Napoleons Napoleon's Napoleons Napoleon's Napoleons Napoleon's Na Na- court Sonia Redfield came as a sinuous sinuous ous ous harem lady and Ted Shaw was a sheik An observer might have noticed that thata a swaggering pirate was uncommonly uncommonly uncommonly taken with the oriental lady who melted into his arms so obediently in the dance The lady and gentleman of the Empire seemed also to find satisfaction In one another's society Cant Cantwe we get away for a while asked the pirate of the harem beauty Cant we steal away for a few moments asked the Empire gentleman gentleman gentleman gen gen- of ot his lovely companion The hour was late Two couples stole from two hidden corners of the terrace through two different entrances Into the t Brightly lighted ballroom Larry Where the devil have you been It was Ted Sha Shaws Shaw's ws w's voice Larry wheeled and confronted confront confront- ed his friend Why what do you want to know for he asked gruffly Because Ive I've been looking for you for ne nearly an hour that's why Shaw answered The maid at your place has been calling up here ten times for tOr you Its It's something something something some some- thing ab about ut your father Good Lord muttered Larry See If it you can find Fannie Shaw shrugged Been looking for her but Its It's like looking for a needle In a haystack haystack haystack hay hay- stack he said Is that Fannie over there by the side door It is I Soon they were were flying over the thee I road In Shaws Shaw's speedy car as silent a trio as you could hope to find Larry was white under his tan and Fannies Fannie's hands were clenched In Inside inside inside in- in side those thos of her husband A weeping Ada met them at the thedoor thedoor door her starched cap awry her white apron wet with tears What Is It Ada cried Larry What has happened Oh Mr Holt replied the girl between sobs Ive been trying to reach you for an hour Its It's Its It's Its It's about your our father He was taken very sick with pneumonia all of a sudden and and and andOh Oh Ada cried Fannie Stop that blubbering and tell us what has happened The girl swallowed hard And the doctor just phoned that the poor gentleman Is dead she walled wailed Will Will the death of Larrys Larry's fath father r bring this young couple together again Read the next chapter of ot this great human novel Copyright ht 1927 John F F. Dille Co |