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Show H Tlie Married Life of Helen and Warren II H T).. T T A "RTTT Originator of "Their Married Ly lLWHlL, Life." Author of "The Jour- - HERBERT URNER nal of a Nelected Wife" "The h It Woman Alone," Etc it U i 1 HELEN IS CONSPICUOUSLY AWKWARD AT A FASHION- ABLE ICE-SKATING RINK g i 'o'.'yv-ht, V.fii, by tno MrClure Newspuuer fcjyinjujate.) ! , , K, Vv:;"" V" :p ' ''Lift your feet don't slide 'cm ! And relax." instructed in-structed Warren. "You're stiff us ;i ramrod. Try to sway from your hips." "Dear me, my ankles ache so ! Lv.t rno sit down-just down-just for a second." sec-ond." "You'll never while li'iires Ilyim; over the ice under I llie glowing Japanese lanterns and the clear .star-pierced sky. I 'l'hi! glass-protected orchestra throbbed an accelerated waltz, as Christina swayed, leaped, cavorted, her l'ur-cdged, pink-lined skirt swirling straight Willi her dizzy toe spins. As a triumphant linale, Ilofmann held her aloft, while he executed a daring figure, ending in a mad whirl. The exhibition over, the applauding audience swarmed back on the ice. "Oh, not after that," protested rtelon. P.tit Warren dragged her out and put her through another ten minutes ol persistent, rigorous coaching. I!y this time she was chilled through, with reddened nose and wind-blown hnir. Warren, relentless, would not let her stop for repairs. "Never mind your hair this's no beauty contest. You're learning to skate." "But my ankles are giving out I can't " "Way to strengthen them. Come on, now take longer strokes." "Hello, Curtis 1 What're you doing here?" a tall, shaggy-coated man bore down upon them. "Didn't think you'd fall for this skating craze." "Jack Wheeler!" beamed Warren. "Well, it's made a lot of the old-timers get their skates out of camphor. How're you making out?" "Little stiff in the joints. Nearly broke my neck out there on an inside back three." "That always was a nasty turn. Have you met Mrs. Curtis?" "Dear, I've had enough," conscious of her reddened dishevelment. "You skate with Mr. AVheeler I'll go -in." "Oh, no, you're not through yet. Got to get our four bucks' worth. You rest here while ! I take a turn with Wlieoler." As they spun off, Helen glanced longingly long-ingly toward the exit. If only she could get into the dressing room to fix her loosened hair. She would have to go half way around the rink on the ice. Dared she risk it? Gingerly she rose, dug her skates into the ice, and holding to the railing, minced toward the steps. Just then two women, skating together, to-gether, lost their balance and lurched heavily against her. They did not go down, but Helen, knocked from her Insecure footing, fell sprawling. The next second a man was lifting her to her feet, while others gathered up her vanity bag and its frivolous contents, scattered over the ice. Helen had just regained her footing her hat awry, her face crimson with mortification, when Warren dashed up. "What the Sam Hill are you trying to do?" "Oh, don't don't talk I Tust get me in !" With perfunctory thanks to the gentleman gen-tleman who was still holding her, Warren War-ren helped her to the exit and half lifted her up the steps. Prom there, without a word, Helen hobbled into the ladies' dressing room. "Take these skates off quick!" to the maid, as she dropped into a chair. Deftly the maid unlaced the skating skat-ing boots, loosened the clinging silk stockings from under the toes, and buttoned but-toned on Helen's trim shoes. "Haven't got your skates off?" Warren War-ren appeared at the door. "Why, it's only ten. We've a whole hour before thov close up." "Do you. think I'd go but there again?" flauntingly. "Why not. Can't learn to skate without a few tumbles. Be a sport 1 Come on take another crack at it." P.tit Helen's self-consciousness was too acute. After her humiliating fall not even Warren's insistence could hire her back on the ice. A light buffet supper was included in the two dollars admission to the roof, and now, with a disgruntled growl. Warren, still on his skates, led the way to the glass-inclosed restaurant. restau-rant. The head waiter seated them at a table facing the rink, and only a few feet from the skaters as thev whizzed by. "Who's that girl Wheeler's with?" Warren leaned forward. "By jingo, she can skate. Didn't pick up that ; br:'.'-';et turn in any three lessons." Vitr brooding envy and a distinct feeling of being "out of it," Helen watched the graceful figure in the moV-'rlmned suit. "Oh. I could never do that!" wistfully. wist-fully. "You could if you thought more about the way you set your feet and less about the powder on your nose. It's your Infernal conceit you think everybody's watching you. Next time we go skating it'll be on a country pond, and you'll not doll up. You'll wear a good thick sweater and ear-muffs ear-muffs and I'll put you through some stunts." "Anything to drink, sir?" "Yes, a Bronx and bring it quick." Then, as the waiter hurried off: "Need something bracing after carting you around. Talk about dead weights you were about as supple as a mooly cow 1" MisbolUcmenUrner "'lirn to k;lle 1 you Hunk down every five minutes. Here," us the orchestra or-chestra struck up, "now try to catch the swing of this. Take even strokes." Her feet numb with the unaccustomed unaccus-tomed weight of the skates, Helen struggled around the rink, leaning heavily on Warren's arm. The roof garden of the Astor-Ititz, ronverted Into an outdoor skating rink, was crowded with devotees of the new craze. It was a fashion show on ice. "Warren I cant I can't go around again!" With a grunt of disdain he let her sink on one of the benches. Then, free from her incumbering restraint, he Hwttng off to the center, where a few of the more skillful were doing figures. ; Warren, who at college had been captain of the hockey team, was an expert skater. With a thrill of pride Helen watched him glide through he inost Intricate figures with easy gruce. "Keady?" again he swooped down upon her. "No, you're not going to sit khere ! The only way to learn to skate i is to skate." ' "My feet are numb. It's these shoes , they're laced too tight." I "That's all right, you want 'em tight. Bend your knees I Keep your feet under you don't let 'em slide off to the side." Trying to remember all these instructions, in-structions, Helen floundered on. "You're clumsy enough, but, thank heaven, you're not fat ! Look at that tame hippo ! Jove, I'd hate to have to steer her around." A grotesquely stout white-furred figure fig-ure just ahead was clutching her escort with wabbling insecurity. "Huh, thought she was a goner that time," Warren chuckled. "Oh, dear, I don't believe I'll ever Jearn," wailed Helen. . "Nonsense ! Strike out make some 'effort ! Lift your left foot. That's it ! (No, don't bend forward. Keep your feet together." ! "Then get me an instructor," desperately. des-perately. "You tell me too many (things it only confuses me." "All right. I'm not keen for the job," and, piloting her to a seat, Warren War-ren left the rink and stamped into the Cflice. When he came out one of the uniformed uni-formed instructors was with him. i "Mrs. Curtis hasn't much confidence," confi-dence," by way of introduction. "This Is only her second time on the ice.'" Then, with the air of having shed a hampering burden, Warren glided off, leaving Helen in the hands of the instructor. in-structor. no was a blase youth, with light hair and a blotched complexion. With a bored expression. he chewed gum and guided Helen around the riuk. "You ought to have flatfoot skates," it was his first remark. "How'd you come to get rockers?" "Rockers? Why, Mr. Curtis bought them for me. Aren't they right?"' "Take you twice as long to learn," indifferently. ; For the next ten minutes he piloted her along in languid gum-chewing silence, si-lence, not troubling to direct her awk-jward awk-jward efforts. "Do I lift my feet enough?" determined deter-mined to force some instructions. "Oh, that'll come. You can't do much the first lesson." ' To Helen the intimate closeness of skating with this blolched-face, gum-phewins gum-phewins youth was most repugnant. When for the second time, with a bored olr. he g'anced at his watch, she flared put an Indignant: "You needn't finish the lesson. I've find quite enough. Floase take me back to the bench. Send Mr. Curtis to me." : With an astonished stare he accepted accept-ed his dismissal, skated over to Warren, War-ren, delivered the message and left the rink. ' "Well, how'd you gnt on?" demanded Warren. "Time un?" "Oh, he was horrid ! He didn't even try to help me. Put he did say one thing that I ought to begin on flat skates." "Flat skates!" with a snort. "Well, you'll learn right or not at all." "But, dear, anything to make It easier now while I'm learning." "Clear the ice for an exhibition!" roared nn attendant. There was a general scurry as a white-costumed couple stepped out. "Christina and Adolph Hofnmnn, from the Ice Talace of Stockholm," was the shouted introduction. With dashing speed they plunged Into an exhibition of spectacular skating. skat-ing. It was a picturesque scene, the |