The evening world. Newspaper, January 7, 1922, Page 23

eenippenr qe pig e THE EVENING WORLD'S PICTION SRCTION, SATURDAY. JANUARY 7, 1908, ee i. your mother. Is there any one clse?” The name that passed through Maizie’s mind in that moment was “Joe Davis,” but she did not speak it. “How long?” she asked. “How long will I"—- “Five or six weeks,” the woman ad- mitted. “We're so awfully sorry. But we'll do everything we can to make it pleasant for you—-everything.. My brother is just sick about it—just sick!" “It's all right, Maizie said. my own fault.” “No, Dlorace shouldn't have been “It was driving so fast on a wet pavement, He recognizes that.” § “It’s all right," said Maizie. “Oh, 1 do hope you'll tell him so. He feels so awfully guilty.” Maizie smiled. The woman came closer, “Tm Eugenia Van Blarcom,” she said. “It was my brother Horace Van Blarcom--he was driving when we struck you.” “It's all right," said Maizie. Maizie Maynard had not yet learned to read the New York papers. She did not revognize the name of Horace Van Biarcom. She did not know that of all New York's weformers he was the youngest and most earnest and most regularly defeated. But when Miss Van Blarcom had left her alone, and Maizie examined the brown old ‘na- hegzany in her room, and the brocaded hangings, and fingered the nightgown of crepe de chine in which she found herself, she guessed very near the truth: she guessed that the Van Blar- ers were millionaires, file next morning Miss Van Blar- com came in with a b@éd-jacket of dia phanous green silk trimmed with fur. “L tried,” she said, “to fina some- thing that would be becoming with your beattiful hair.” Maizie’s hand involuntarily “sought her back hair, but it was braided in a pigtall “My hair is red,"’ she said stupidly “The most beautiful red I ever saw," said Miss Van Blarcom., Maizi« looked at Miss Van Blarcom, Maizic had always thought of her hair as ugly, and on her mother’s advice she lad always chosen colors that would as nearly as possible match it in or- der to tone it down. Miss Van PFlar- com was incapable of not being seri- ous. She now helped the nurse ptop Maizie up in bed and put on the jacket, and tilted the mirror to the Maizie regarded herself with interest. It was becoming. It must have cost $40 or $50. “The jacket,” she said to Miss Van Biarcom, “is beautiful." “But your hair—your hair is simply glorious; it is like a flame—it is beau- tiful!’ Miss Van Blarcom spoke with the enthusiasm of a connoisseur, “Tf don't like red hair,” said Maizie flatly. “Oh, how can you say such a thing!" Miss Van Blarcom beamed = on Maizie, “And now—won't you let me intro- m angle. duce my brother?” "S "* Maizie hesitated. She had been about to say “Sure!’ and that abiupt word seemed somehow out of place in the Van Blarcoms house. “I should be very glad,” she amended hastily. Mr. Van Blarcom was a tall man with a small mustache, so shy, so clumsy and so kind that Maizie felt an odd impulse to put him at his esse. “How do you do?" she said, and ex- tended her hand, Mr. Van Blarcom took tt in his, “If there is anything I can do for you"-~—— he began. “You're doing—enough,” said Matale, “IT want you to Nave everything,” he answered, “I want you to stay here until you're just as well as you ever were—and as long after that as you wilk-as our guest. And I know that —well, you see'’-—- “It’s all right, said Maizie. Mr. Van Blareom dropped her hand and walked back and forth. Suddenly he looked up. “What I'm trying to say is that I have infured you, and the only way— the only thing I have to give is money. But I've got a lot of that, and you are entitied to damages — considerable damages. But ‘we'll settle all that later.” “That's all right,’ said Maizie. Mr, Van Blarcom looked at her quiz- zically, “Eugenia is perfectly right,’ he said. “T beg your pardon for, saying so--but you are beautiful. [ shall begin to think that IT ran you down on = pur- pose.”* Maizie did not know what to say, ELLE LL OEE LEY NOLL LOLs LTS TCE i NI 0 OE tec me we might send her a telegram, and to as- sure them that she would Rave the best care in the world. ° Lil interrupted the steady Sow of Belle’s words, “He sald: ‘Dr. Foxcroft has set her leg—Dr. Ernest Foxcroft.’ ” They all laughed. il and Belle paused on their way out, and Lil stepped back into the room. : “Joe Davis sent hi regards, honey," she said, “and he said to tell you that when you got ont you were going to learn to dance if be had to teach you MAIZIE EXAMINED THE PUMP ON HER RIGHT FOOT AND WIGGLED HER TOES. and so she raised her eyebrows. ‘May I come again?” he asked, “Surely,” she murmured. Maizie lay still, enjoying herself in the mirror, and wondering idly what mannér of man Mr. Van Blarcom was. His clothes were not at all elegant; they were of some very rough stuff and quite unpressed. He was very strange, but he was nice—at least he meant to be, Maizie was not in the least afraid of him. Toward evening Lil and Belle ar- rived. They greeted Maizie in whis- pers. “Shut the door,” said Maizie. Belle obeyed, “Now,” said Maizic, “you can talk.” “Now whatdya think, Maizie,” said Lil, “there’s a footman at the front doorina blue coat and silver buttons!” “Look at Maizie!" cried Bella “Look at that jacket!" She leaned over and fingered the fur and the silk. ‘It must have cost $100," said LIL “It cost nearer $200," said Belle, “Did she lend it to you?” “She gave it to me,” said Maizie. “Oh, Lord,” groaned Lil in mock pain, “and here we all thought you were unlucky!" HEY sat on the edge of Maizie’s bed and, both talking at once, told her how Mr. Van Blarcum had come dashing up the staira at 9 o'clock the night of the ac- cident to tell them where she was and to get her mother’s address that he himself—and he's sone swell dancer, believe me.” Maigzie went off ty slrep, thinking she wasn't so unlucky iiier all, In the morning there was a letter from her mother and a set of lvory toilet things from Miss Van Blarcom, a set so complete that Maigie did not know the uses of half the pleces; and a bunch of violets imbedJed in tinfoil and tied with a purple gxuze ribbon. “There's a card with the violets,” the nurse said, Maizie seized it. It was Joe Davis's card. And on the back he had writ- ten: “When are we going to sing some more hymns?” Maizie wore the violets the next. that day, and But before the first week was up she settled down into u monotonous routine. Belle and Lil came in for a few minutes every day or two; the doctor came every day; the nurse was always there; Miss Van Blarcom brought her some sort of present every day; and Mr. Van Blarcom came in and smiled his quizzica) smile, and of- fered to read aloud to her, But it was very lonely, lonelier thin Sharon, and very tiresome, Mauaizie counted the days unti) the cast on her leg could be removed. When the time came, Miss Van Blarcom appeared with a maid and armfuls of things. “Tve been studying you.” she an- nounced to Maizie. “And I do hope I've got some things you'll like.” There were undergarments of lus- trous silk, and stockings, an" prmpa, and a curious dress of Chinese green ‘I's a negiigeo, and yet .'s pew- feclly s.itable to wear anywhere," Miss Van Blarcom assured her. Maizie got into the things with the aid of the maid and ghe nurse and many exclamations from Miss Van Blarcom. There was no lace on them, and they wee ivory white; but they were wonderfully soft and shimmer- ing. It occurred to Maixie that Miss Van Blarcom might have got more for her money—more frills, And pink would have been nicer. [ut after all they were eeally lovely, Maizie examined the pump on her right foot and wiggled her toes. (Her left leg was still in splints.) She did not like the pump; it was not patent leather but soft dull kid, and the heel was hardly more than half an inch high; aml it seemed awfully long. She did not like the stocking, either. Maizie liked sheer stockings, and th@ one was of the heaviest silk. “Does the pump feel ull Miss Van Blarcom asked. “It is comfortable,” said Maizie. “T hoped it would be—and it's really very smart.” right? “It is all right,” said Maivie. She was not going to hurt Miss Van Blar- com's feelings by owiticising her taste. “And now the dress!” The maid slipped it over Muizie’s head, Miss Van Blarcom stood off and ree garded it with a frown between her eyes, “It hangs very nicely,” she decided. “A Polret dress always hanes. Maizie looked at her reflection in the mirror, It was a curious sort of dress, almost straight. There was nothing to it. And the color was strange, the embroidery even stranger, Maizie looked very strange to herself, Miss Van Blarcom flutteeed about while the maid worked with Maizie'’s hair. Maizie might have been a piece of sculplure from Miss Van Blarcom's own hand, a piece of sculpture that had suddenly and amozingly come’to life. Maizie watched the coil gradually shaping itself in the mirror. The maid was doing it high. Maizie did nof like it high, ‘I always do it low,” she protested. She made the gesture of coiling @ heavy lock over one ear. The maid paused, “But, my dear, please,” begged Miss Van Blarcom, “please let us de it our way this once, If have a vision of you that I want to come true.” Maizie acquiesced. What else wa@ there to do? HEN the maid had finishe Miss Van Blarcom clasped her hands. “My dear,” she sald, “you ure lovely, perfectly lovely!” ‘Um awfully pale,” Maizie suid, © need to be made up.” “Oh, no-0-0-0! You are so beauthe fully pale,” “And I haven't any corsets.” sai@ Maizie. “Everything ts so loose,” “But that is as it should be,” Miss Van Blarcom cried. “You are so slen- der—you are like a flower You are perfect,” Maizie ceased to armrue, There was no use arguing with Miss Van Blare com, She was really, Maizie reflecte ed, an old maid, and she did not know what fashion was, and she wes pere haps a little bit crazy besides. Maizie was resolved to humor her They wheeled Maizie into the library and put her in a low chair of red moe rocco with cushions two feet deep, be- fore an open fire, and guve her teas and Mr. Van Blareom came in, and said she was a vision. and he hoped she would never teave them, and in- sisted On reading asoud to “her from a volume of poetry, Maizie was half asleep when Joe ealled, Mr. Van Blarcom threw down the poems and jumped up “Shall I send him up lete?” he asked “Would you please?” Muaizie saasked, Her cheeks felt hot , jeorway, Joe regarded her from thi “HeNo!" sald Maizie, Joe advanced toward he: We had a box of chocolates in his hand. "Ciee,” said Joe Day 1 look good to me.” ‘Do 1?” asked Maiz« “You sure do, [ don’t think f got how pretty you were that day we sang hymns together. I was so elad to find somebody who kmow the songs Order Your Evening World in Advance « } » a Bewer ewe aes