Show HE green glass thing gleamed like an eye as olli la took it from its holly paper wrap pangs and looked at it ruefully she had been excited and hopeful about this christmas gift from aunt matelde and it was disappointing a bit of green glass gnarled and unlovely olivia had never seen her aunt who was childless wealthy and altogether a likely star in the horizon of a vigorous young artist of a niece certainly it was surprising to have received this gift at all tor the aunt and the artist niece had heretofore known little of each other but olivia gathered up the tinsel cords and papers and pranced to her shining kitchen today was the day of her great chance for draheim decorator of homes beautiful was coming to take tea and she was looking tor a junior partner olivia had joys prepared but the green glass thing was a problem it matelde s card had not promised a visit on day of days the way might have been easy although there were few hiding places within the little flat but now the gift must be displayed in all its discordant greenness everything else was perfect the silver twinkled softly in a polls lied heap bes 1 d e carefully folded linen serving trays were ready with a emart array of nuts and candled violets and fruits and creams almost an entire kiy checks worth the salad sub aly suggestive of opulence was cool ing properly in its mold of aspic jelly and the rolls were heating piping hot in the little glass willed oven the boy left the ices in the hick entry and tipped his hat respectfully very olivias chin went a trifle higher quite without her knowing and the worried little lacy across her fore head suddenly turned somersaults she lau glied she fingered the purse lu her pocket doubtfully three pen ules exactly pay day yesterday and the nest one when everything was expensive but the green thing still grinned on he mantle piece olivia had a swift disturbing vision of this aunt whom i ie had never freen and she made a little grimace at the picture oh that draheim and aunt matelde should not have to meet olivias rooms were in exquisite taste soft aarm browns with dashed of chinese reds and blues that shone on old mahogany and teak an etched brass bowl on the table a real maxfield barrish on the wall between the window and the green glass thing on the mantel three cents in pocket she regarded the glass ornament thoughtfully and wondered it it might have been smashed in the mall and decided no olivia was not a good liar she considered a headache or a broken leg and thought of the alb let salad and the pickled cantaloupe the borrowed maid had not arrived but madame draheim bad olivia knew by the positive well behaved way in which the doorbell jingled what can I 1 do interior decorator I 1 with a green glass thing like that on my mantel piece yea draheim will be impressed very the doorbell rang again insistent suddenly olivia knew what she would do and she would get the coveted position dornhelm decorator of homes beau had bright little beady balue eyes that lev cled at once fiercely above her flitting quail of a body they ap proved energetically of the chinese reds and blues and the polished mahogany and teak of the etched brass bowl and the parrish picture and then they fell on the green glass thing it had never grinned BO boldly from ot the locci room au ugly mask la a gallery of olivia quaked as she studied the expression on dra helms shrewd little face it was halt disgusted halt gratified with an appraising impersonal antagonism about it olivia swallowed the lump in her throat and straightened her shoulder for the battle she forgot the salad and the pickled cantaloupe she forgot the little niceties of hostess courtesy she and draheim were two individuals unclothed by a world of manners measuring each other tha green glass thing between them they seemed conscious of nothing more olivia broke the taut silence it doely it hat madame draheim s heap ing was excellent its odd a rare piece you ule to see it closer ill get it 0 o 1 I beg your pardon there was a hint of interest in Dra helms inflection this time and a relief from mono syllables 1 I suppose its very old with a shade of sarcasm olivia was glad she bad made dra helm take the offensive aso she answered and was silent hat then very new 1 I thought so there was no insolence in madame draheim s tone sh simply you re not a good liar ore you olivia was suddenly calm NA she said then why I 1 supposed you d bide it or break olivia xi as off her guard for a moment she scared openly tt hat 1 I said I 1 supposed break tb thing hy you ita plain of course ou enow its hideous there was a penetrating keenness la lier bird ule eyes bihla felt it this was her test she had no time to wonder that would come later very carefully she chose her words but there was no cogges alon of uncertainty of confusion in her manner im afraid you are mistaken maharne dornhelm or perhaps I 1 am I 1 be aeve that you were interested in my green blasg decoration which was a gift to me and the value of which can scarcely be named perhaps you thought I 1 wished to sell it to you I 1 am sorry you misunderstood me ill ghe you fifty dollars for if olivia could have laughed and cried with the knowledge of her power sh had done the impossible she bad succeeded in selling the green glass chlor to madame draheim Dra helm better she hald made draheim buy tt if she had done that she could sell her services she knew the position was hers suddenly the green glass thing became very precious to her no she said 1 I wont beell it Is there anything else I 1 can do for you yes eyes with mirth now without appraisement the test wai over you can be n niece to bour aunt matelde draheim Dra helm the firm a resourceful young 5 woman olivia laughed at the green glass thing and it grinned back at her it was a merry merry christmas pres ent truly 6 HIT atra |