Evening Star Newspaper, December 26, 1927, Page 14

i i | \ | | e —— The cAmazing Chance By Patricia Copyright. 1927, by Evelyn Prothero married Jim Lavdon earls n the war. Her friends say that Evelyn vas in Jove with Jim's cousin. Jack Lavdon vho was best man at the wedding The same day both men got & call to the front, wnd. a short time later. both were reported nisking in the same Air engagement. Evelyn jonned widow's weeds. but there was alwaye the_question whispered amonk_her {riends »f which it was she modrned—her husband im. of his cousin_Jack Now. ten years ith never a word from the time they ater. one of them turns up. vere first missing 3ut which one 2 se about like this: Mai. Manning. an d in the British eervice on a dark meht, \eeds help to remove 3 storm-felled tree fom the road and obtaina it from a Dea- <ant's but m the person of Anton Blum. a erelict from tie war. who has been cat Anna Bium. He ts dumb ong physicaily. and readily . but tn_doing_so ed senseless in the road. As he regal nsciousness his gaze falls on the maor's ‘ave. and he greets him suddenly with a Hullo. Monki calling him_by an_old Ma). Manning carries home. As he is reveals that he is Lavdon. Found by Anna ded and with memory gone. he to dhysical health. but it took 2o Yo hring his Mhind back At 12 12 a sere i an by Al Gniesgons on “Which o v Jaek" he i red the name of is the name of a was married to the wife of Ick after Evelyn her: iy quarreled and (Continued from Yest INSTALLMENT XVIL RS. THURSLEY had her full hare of curiosity about Lay- don. “What on earth were looking at?” Her eyes roved. “You looked absolute- v _spell-bound. Oh—"" ) Evelyn had turned and was facing em. She wore a gold dress that her hair. She wore the o Whith had been Jim Laydon's ™ searls which vedding gift. S aaid Marcia Lane. “Evelyn and Chris over there. Elizabeth, did ‘ou see them? Tommy, prepare to be Jlighted. Evelyn's over there with What's the betting you can't out of a dance?” gay laugh rang out. Her ~olor had risen. d ““Tommy, you can rely on me. Il make a dead set at Chris. He dances hetter than any one else I know—yes. Tommy, he does. If he didn’t he'd find sut that we all think him rather a t present I know he thinks we re him for himself alone; and .we don't—it's for his dancing. Some day 1 shall say to him. aris, darling'—that’ll be to_soften | ment. His voice ha Wentworth J. B. Lippencott Co. Presently the waiter returned with the menu. Chris Ellerslie had scrawl: ed “Delighted” across it In lettel about an inch high, and Elizabeth was duly triumphant. Marcia Lane found herself wonder- ing about the rather silent man at her side. She thought he was watching them all. He had a quality of aloof detach- ment whoich puzzled her. He was not shy—no, certainly he was not shy, neither was he bored. On the contrary, that there was something in the people or the situa- tion which interested him to an un- common extent, she felt convinced. She asked him if he was h keen dan- cer, and at once he countered with a | request for the first two dances. Marcia said, “All right”; and then “You didn't answer my question.” “1 was afraid you wouldn't dance with me if I told the truth.” Marcia's very blue eyes stared a lit- tle. When she looked like that they bore a certain resemblance to the round, blue, painted eyes of a cloth : her black cropped hair went with them. “What is the truth?”" “Promise you won’t back out.” “I never back out.” “Well, re “Where have you been?" Laydon's look of amuse. a tinge of iron: Farming,” he said—'‘just farming. And then Elizabeth broke in, talk- ing to the whole table at once while her ice became sirup. “It was an absolutely priceless book. I fund it on aunt’'s bookshelf. I k lieve it was called ‘The Art of Dre: Perfectly and absolutely priceles: children. No, listen—it really Giles, tell your wife I'll never speak to her again if she interrupts. There was a woman in it who for 30 vears had the reputation of being alw well dressed, and how did she do it? Ah, you may well ask.” “We didn’t ask.” said Barbara Mos- tyn with her delicate drawl, | “Tommy asks—don't you, Tommy?— | and all my really nice guests. She | did it on three black velvet gowns. Yes, they were gowns—3 in 30 years. “After about 10 years the original one descended to second best occa- sions like family gatherings and so on. The woman who wrote the book laid down the law like nothing you've ever read. You either wore black velvet, or else you had to match your hair in the daytime and your eyes at night. | “Think of me black all day and | changing into a nice dark brown for | the evening! And oh! my angel chil- e blow—Chris, darling, your danc- ng is a dream; but, vou, Chris, are a washou -inued meditatively ‘s the right word, because he does 80 remind me of i e Ly Tommy. Elizabeth waved her hands. ‘Well, vou know, you make & sketch, and then you wash it, and you go on washing it until the edges have ®one and everything is nice and wool- iy. That's what Chris reminds me of. ‘By the way,” said Marcia Lane in her abrupt way, “did I catch your name, or didn’t 1? It is Laydon?” “Yes, it's Laydon.” Her couriously bright blue eyes were rather difficult to meet. “Then are you a relation of Eve- lyn's? I know her rather well, but I ion't think she’s ever mentioned you. Are you a cousin or something? y T'm something,” Lane. Ask Evelyn what the exact con- nection is next time you see her.” Marcia Lane looked puzzled. She had been in Spain for the Winter, and had only returned 24 hours before; no echo of the Laydon case had reach- ad her. But the ground under her feet felt uncertain. ‘Relationships are frightfully com- plicated things,” she said, and turned her attention to Eiizabeth. Elizabeth was enjoying herself wick- edly—Jobbies, on her left, pink with embarrassment; Glles Mostly and his wife, agog with curiosity; Marcia, sus- picious, and Laydon taking the situi tion ironically. She was thrilled, amused and excited. | “I know,” she said. “We’ll get Chris and Evel to join us. That's Helen Temperly with them. And the back | g,y of the other man’s head is quite a nice shape. Angela, darling, he shall dance with you. Angela looked puzzled. Her at- tention was a good deal taken up with the entree. An enthusiastic amateur cook, its composition intrigued her. She did not quite see how she was t0 dance with the back of any one’ nead; and besides, she had promised all her dances to Maj. Thursley. She said in her placid, even voice; and Jobbles became pinker than be- fore. Elizabeth scribbled rapidly on a menu, held up the next course while she explained to a waiter exactly which table she wished her message 10 be taken to, apd then, as Tommy said, neglected her perfectly good food n order 1o indulge an indecent curios- ty as to just how cross ris would 0ok when he got it. “Flend'” maid Elizabeth. “Fiend in more or less human shape! He won't e cross at all; he’ll love to dance with me. Any one would—wouldn't hey, Gllex”? There! He's got it. Now teh rulie took the menu card ed it this way and that, frowned over it—"That,” explained Elizabeth, I8 because he's trying to disentangle my signature from the peaches Melba® and finally handed it to Evelyn. They saw his lips move, and the bend of Evelyn's head dren, what price Evelyn walking down Bond Street in a frock that matched her hair?” “Ripping!* said Tommy Lane with conviction. “Is it really 10 years since you danced?” | Laydon looked down at Marcia Lane in her tight, short dress. The ballroom was filling rapidly. All the women wore dresses of the same | scanty type; nearly all of them had short hair. Marcia’s dress would, in color, have satisfied the arbitrary lady quoted by Elizabeth, since it was a very bright cornflower blue, though nearly cov- ered by a shawl of black net embroid- ered all over with brilllant eilken flowers. In every other respect both Marcia and her dress would have shocked the poor Victorian lady past recovery. Laydon tried to remember how women were dressed in 1914, Not like this, anyhow. He said: “Yes, it's 10 years.” ‘How odd!" fes, ign’t it? Shall we begin?” “But look here. You won't know | any of the dances. What did you| dance?” | “Oh, one steps, Bostons—" “Oh!” said Marcia. “Well, if I'm for it, I'm for it. Come along.” | Before they had gone the length of | the room Marcia's spirits had risen. | Modern dancing does not require much knowledge of steps, but makes unlim- fted demands on a sense of rhythm, poise and balance. Laydon was holding her as only a good dancer holds his partner, with a firm lightness that promised well. When they were nearly around he a: “This is quite easy. What do you call §t7 Marcia’s suspicion flared. “Look here, are you spoofing me? Chris Ellerslie’ coming in. lined with mirrors E reflected, her dress a golden sheath, | her neck and arms as white as pearls. Marcia threw her a nod. “I'm back again. Yesterday. Layvdon did not speak. He saw Chris and Evelyn melt into the sliding crowd and Jost them there. “Where was your farm?” Marcia abruptly. party was just asked Miss Lane. I'm really not civilized at all. 1 didn’t even see a newspaper or get a letter for 10 years.'” Marcia showed that she startled and he laughed a little. “No, it wasn't penal servitude or a lunatic asylum. It really was a f rm." “And now you've come back? Doesn’t it seem strange?” “Yew, very strange.” “We must all seem queer 10 you— different 1o the people you remember Is that why you watch us?" “Do 1 watch you? “Yes, 1 noticed it at once and 1 wan then—I haven't danced for | passed the arch | yn stood there | “A little past the back of beyond, | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €. MONDAY, DECTMPER 26. 1927. wondered why. Do we seem very queer?” “You seem different, of course—all this short hair, for instance. Why do women do it?" “Because it's comfortable.” “Nev he thought his mocking glance a ctive. “Even a savage can't believe that.” She laughed frankly. “Perhaps because it's the fashion, then. Is that better?” “It sounds more probable.” “Well, as a matter of fact, and to be quite honest, 1 think people began be- cause it's the fashion, but they go on because it's comfortable. 1 wouldn't g0 back to hair for the world. But people did stare in Spain. I've just come back, you know.” They were standing out for a mo- ment and she lifted a corner of her brilliant shawl. I brought this with me. Isn't it lovely? I've got one for Evelyn when she really does make up her mind to have Chris. It's not given out yet, is it? We were expecting it every day before we went off. I can't think why she doesn't take him and have done with it. You know, Eliza- beth wasn't a bit fair to Chris at din- ner. Of course, he is rather pleased with himself, but he's really brilliant in his own w “What wa. “Well, his last book really did put him rather at the top of the tree. Of course, Elizabeth doesn't care for that sort of thing.” “Doesn’t she?” said Laydon. ‘Shall we dance?” His next partner was Barbara Mos- tyn. She was so small that Laydon | looked right down onto the top of a | most exquisitely shingled head of dark [red hair. But when they had begun to dance she tilted her face up to him, giving him a view of a little peaked oval, tint- ed to a gceenish white. Her eyelashes were heavily darkened, her eyebrows plucked to a single line and her small, close lips painted a brilliant orange. She appeared to be dressed in about half a yard of flesh-colored tulle and some beads. She felt as thin and light in his arms as a child of 6. She danced exquisitely. During the whole time that the music lasted she did not say a single word; only every now and then the black lashes lifted a little and a pair of gray-green eyes looked up disturbingly It was when they were sitting out that Mrs. Mostyn made her first re- mark: “You don’t dance badly.” Thank you.” “I very nearly didn’t risk it.” Here s}lm paused and the eyes came into play. Laydon said nothing, and after a moment Barbara dropped her lashes and said with her faint drawl: ““Have you forgotten how to flirt— or did you never know?" Laydon looked at her with complete gravity. “Which do you suppose? I am sure, an expert.” She did not speak at once. Her words at all times were few and she never hurried over an answer. She busied herself with a small gold vanity case, from which she produced a mir- ror, powder puff and lipstick. When she had accentuated the orange curve of her lips she opened them to say: “Am I an expert?” “I should imagine 80.” She pojsed her powder puff and mur- mured: I think you could learn.” Laydon laughed and shook his head. “I'm much too stupid,” he decalred. Barabara Mostyn lit a cigarette, leaned back in her chair, blew a very nerfect smoke ring and said in slow, languorous tones: “Yes, vou look stupld.” She blew a second ring right at him and added: “Very!" After which she spoke no more. You are, (Continued in Tomorrow’s Star.) | SUICIDE MARS CHRISTMAS Mother Ends Life as Daughter In- spects Tree. ST. LOUIS, December 26 (#).—While | her 4-year-old daughter was inspecting a Christmas tree downstairs, Mrs. Vir- suicide by shooting herself in the head, at the home of her father, August H. lllelh'r, president of the Bremen Bank, here. Her husband, Peter F. Smith, Jr., said his wife had suffered a nervous breakdown a vear age and had been subject to melancholia since. FOUR KILLED BY GAS. Parents and Two Sons Die After Christmas Celebration. | PHILADELPHIA, December 26 (#). ~—Gas escaping through a defective connection snuffed out the lives of Christopher Hines, his wife and two young sons, when they retired after exchangi) gifts around a Christmas |tree at their little home Saturday {nlght. A 16.year-old daughter was the only member of the family to survive This morning a messenger from the church where the hoys were to have sung went to the house to learn why {the Hines children had not reported s shouts aroused Bertha. Golng to | the rooms of her parents and brothers, | she found them lying dead on the floor. S-4 MAN TO.RE-ENLIST. Radio Operator, Discharged Before Tragedy, Calls Accident Rare. o ORT, R. I, December 2 | (®).—Roger L. Braley, who was radio operator aboard the sunken submarine 54, and who waw discharged from the service just before the submersible wis sunk off Provincetown, sald at | Wik home last night that he would re {enltst and ask for submarine wervice Braley had spent his entire first enlixtment ahoard the 8.4, | "“An accident like that may never occur again,” he sald. | X% Moses&y Sons Main 3770 Lamps Furniture F Street at Eleventh Rugs- Draparies Women’s Afcessories . . 9:15t0 6 Beginning Tomorrow Pre-Inventory Clearance Linens Luggage 13 . E&’#&‘#&%&&&%&&NATIONAL FURNITURE CO&R&ZNREZTth & H STS. N.W.Rdsmx: Pre-Inventory Sal Prior to taking inventory of our stock, we always endeavor to dis- pose of as many small and broken lots as possible, to avoid the trouble of checking. 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