Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 216, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 January 1923 — Page 8

8

ALICE ADAMS by BOOTH TARKINGTON Copyright, 1921, by Doubleday, Page & Cos.

Begin Here ALICE ADAMS hart always believed herself an intimate friend of the wealthy MILDRED PALMER, but realize* at the Palmer's dance she i* not of their Hasa and cannot conceal the fact that she is poor. Nevertheless, she makes foolish attempts to gam recognition and is sharply rebuked by her brother. Walter, who brought her to the party against his wish, and i9 noticeably bored in the presence of the “frozen laced berries.’' as he calls the guests. After having hart the first and second dance with bis sister, he refuses to dance again and goes to the smoking room, leaving her alone. Some degree of relief finally comes to Alice in the. pudgy torm of Frank Dowling. who, against his mother s wish that ho dance with his unpopular sister, breaks away from them to tell Alice he would rather dance with her than any of the other girls there. Because of his poor dancing. Alice consents to sit with him in the corridor through the next dance. Go on with the story. ASSENTING cheerfully, Dowling conducted her to a pair of easy chairs within a secluded grove of box trees, and when they came to this retreat they found Mildred Palmer just de parting, under escort of a well favored gentleman about 30. As these two walked slowly away, in the direction of the dancing floor, they left it not to be doubted that they were on excellent terms with each other; -Mildred was evidently willing to make iheir progress even‘slower, for she halted momentarily, once or twice; and her upward glances to her tall companion's face were of a gentle, almost blushing deference. Never before had Alice seen anything like this in her friend's manner. "How queer!” she murmured. "What’s que ?” Dowling Inquired as they sat down. "Who was that man?” "Haven’t you met him?” “I never saw him before. AVlio is her’ "Why, it’s this Arthur Russell.” “What Arthur Russell? I never heard of him.” Mr. Dowling was puzzled. _ “Why, that's funny! Only the last time I saw you, you wore telling me how awfully well you knew Mildred Palmer.” “Why, certainly I do," Alice informed him. "She's my most intimate friend.” ’ "That’s what makes it seem so funny you haven't heard anything about this Russell, because everybody says even if she isn’t engaged to him right now. she most likely will be before very* long. I must say It looks a good deal that way to me, myself.” "What nonsense!” Alice exclaimed. “She's never even mentioned him to me.” The young man glanced at her dubiously and passed a finger over the tiny prong that dashingly composed the whole substance of his moustache. “Well, you see, Mildred is pretty re served,” he remarked. “Tills Russell is some kind of cousin of the Palmer family, I understand.” “He is?” “Yes —second or third or something, the girls say. You see, my sister Ella hasn’t got much to do at home, and don't read anything, or sew. or play solitaire, you see; and she hears about pretty much everything that goes on. you see. Well, Ella says a lot of the girls have been talking about Mildred and this Arthur Russell for quite a while back, you see. They were all wondering what he was going to look like, you see; because he only got here yesterday: and that proves she must have been talking to some of ’em, or else how —” Alice laughed airily, but the pretty nund ended abruptly with an audible intake of breath. "Os course, while Mildred is my most intimate friend," she said, “I don’t mean she tells ine everything—and naturally she has uther friends besides. What else did your sister say she told them about this Mr. Russell?” "Well, it seems he's very well off; at least Henrietta Lamb told Ella he was. Ella says—” Alice Interrupted again, with Increased irritability. “Oh, never mind what Ella says! Let's find something lielter to talk about than Mr. Russell!” "Well, I’m willing," Mr. Dowling asserted. ruefully. “What you want to talk about?” But this liberal offer found her unresponsive; she sat leaning back, silent. her arms along the arms of her chair, and her eyes, moist and bright, fixed upon a wide doorway where the dancers fluctuated. She was disquieted by more than Mildred's reserve, though reserve so marked had certainly the significance of a warning that Alice’s definition, "my most intimate friend,” lacked sanction. Indirect notice to this effect could not well have been more - emphatic, but the sting of it was left for a later moment. Something else preoccupied Mice: she had just been surprised by an odd experience. At first sight of this Mr. Arthur Russell, she had said to herself instantly, in words as definite as if she spoke them aloud, though they seemed more like words spoken to her by some unknown person within her: “There! That's exactly the kind of looking man I'd like to marry!” In the eyes of the restless and the longing. Providence often appears to le worse than inscrutable: an unreliable Omnipotence given to haphazard whimsies in dealing with its own creatures, choosing at random some among them to be rent with tragic deprivations and others to be petted with blessing upon blessing. In Alice’s eyes, Mildred had been blessed enough; something ought to be left over, by this time, for another girl. The final touch to the heaping perfection of Christmas-in-everything for Mildred was that this Mr. Arthur Russell, good-looking, kind-looking, graceful, the perfect fiance, should be also "very well off.” Os course! These rich always married one another. And while the Mildreds danced with their Arthur Russells the best an outsider could do for herself was to sit with Frank Dowling—the one last course left her that was better than dancing with him. "Well, what do you want to talk about?” he Inquired. "Nothing,” she said. "Suppose we just sit, Frank.” But a moment later she remembered something, and, with a sudden animation, began to prattle. She pointed to the musicians down the corridor. “Oh, look at them! Look at the leader! Aren’t they funny? Some one told me they're called ‘.Tazz Louie and his half-breed bunch.’ Isn’t that just crazy? Don’t you love it ? Do watch them, Frank.” She continued to chatter, and, while thus keeping his glance away from

herself, she detached the forlorn bouquet. of dead violets from her dress and laid it gently beside the one she had carried. The latter already reposed in the obscurity selected for it at the base of one of the box-trees. Then she was abruptly silent. “You certainly are a funny girl,” Dowling remarked. "You say you don’t want to talk about anything, at all, and all of a sudden you break out and talk a blue streak; and just about the time I begin to get interested in what you’re saying you shut off! What's the matter with girls, anyhow, when they do things like that?” "I don’t know; we’re just queer, 1 guess.” “I say so! Well, what’ll we do now? Talk, or just sit?” "Suppose we Just sit some more.” “Anything to oblige,” he "I’m willing to sit as long as you like.” But even as he made his amiability clear in this matter, the peace was threatened —his mother came down the corridor like a rolling, ominous cloud. She was looking about her on all sides, in a fidget of annoyance, searching for him, and to his dismay she saw him. She immediately made a horrible face at his companion, beckoned to him imperiously with a dumpy arm. and shook her head reprovingly. The unfortunate young man tried to repulse her with an icy stare, but this effort having obtained little to encourage his feeble hope of driving her away, he shifted his chair so that his back was toward her discomfiting pantomine. He should have known better, the In stant result was Mrs. Dowling In motion at an impetuous waddle. She entered the box-tree seclusion with the lower rotundities of her face hastily modelled Into the resemblance < f an over-benevolent smile—a contortion which neglected to spread its intended geniality upward to the ex i.sperated eyes and anxious forehead. “I think your mother wants to speak to you, Frank,” Alice said, upon this advent. Mrs. Dowling nodded to her. "Good evening, Miss Adams,” she said. “I just thought as you and Frank weren't dancing you wouldn't mind my disturbing you ” "Not at all,” Alice murmured. Mr. Dowling seemed of a different mind. "Well, what do you want?” he inquired, whereupon his mother struck him roguishly with her fan. "Bad fellow!” She turned to Alice. “I’m sure you won’t mind excusing him to let him do something for his old mother. Miss Adajns.” "What do you want?” the son repeated. Two very nice things.” Mrs. Dowling informed him. "Everybody is so anxious for Henrietta Lamb to have a pleasant evening, because it’s the very first time she's been any where since her father's death, and -)f course her dear grandfather's an old friend of ours, and ” “Well, well!” her son interrupted. “Miss Adams isn't Interested In all this, mother." “But Henrietta came to speak to Ella and me, and I told her you were so anxious to dance with her ” "Here!” he cried. "Look here! I'd rather do my own ” “Yes; that’s just it," Mrs. Dow i;rg explained. “I just thought it was such a good opportunity; and Hen rietta said she had most of her dances taken, but she’d give you one if you asked her before they were all gone. So I thought you’d better see her as soon as possible." Dowling's face had become rosy. “I refuse to do anything of the kind.” “Bad fellow!” said his mother, gaily. ”1 thought this would be the best time for you to see Henrietta, because It won’t be long till all her dances are gone, and you've promised on your word to dance the next with Ella, and you mightn’t have a chance to do it then. I’m sure Miss Adams won’t mind it you—” “Not at all,” Alice said. “Well, I mind!” he said. “I wish you could understand that when I want to dance with any girl I don't need my mother to ask her for me. I really am more than six years old!” He spoke with too much vehe mence, and Mrs. Dowling at once saw how to have her away. As with hus bands and wives, so with many fathers and daughters, and so with some sons and mothers; the man will himself be cross in public and think nothing of it, nor will he greatly mind a little crossness on the part of the woman; but let her show agitation before any spectator, he is instantly reduced to a coward’s slavery. Women understand that ancient weakness, of course for It is one of their most important means of defense, but can be used ig nobly. Mrs. Dowling permitted a tremulousness to become audible In her voice. “It isn’t very—very pleasant—to be talked to like that by your own son —before strangers!” “Oh, my! Look here!" the stricken Dowling protested. ‘T didn’t say anything, mother. I was Just joking about how you never get over thinking I'm a little boy. I only—” Mrs. Dowling continued: “I just thought I was doing you a little favour. I didn’t think it would make jou so angry.” “Mother, for goodness’ sake! Miss Adams’ll think—” “I suppose,” Mrs. Dowling interrupted, piteously, “X suppose it doesn't matter what I think!” “Oh, gracious!” Alice Interfered; she perceived that the- ruthless Mrs Dowling meant to have her way. “I think you’d better go, Frank. Really.” “There!” his mother cried. “Miss Adams says so, herself! What more do you want?” “Oh, gracious!" he lamented again, and. with a sick look over his shoulder at Alice, permitted his mother to take bis arm and propel him away. Mrs. Dowling’s spirits had strikingly recovered even before the pair passed from the corridor; she moved almost bouncingly beside her embittered son, and her eyes and all the convolutions of her abundant face were blithe. Alice went In search of Walter, but without much hope of finding him. What he did with himself at frozenface dances was one of his most successful mysteries, and her present excursion gave her no clew leading to its solution. When the musicians again lowered their instruments for an Interval she had returned, alone, to her former seat within the partial shelter of the box-trees. She had now to practice an art that

DOINGS OF THE DUFFS—

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TILK.M DAI S IS GONE EUKEYER—

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affords but a limited variety of methods, even to the expert; the art of seeming to have an escort or partner when there is none. The practitioner must imply, merely by expression and attitude, that the supposed companion has left her for only a few moments, that she herself has sent him upon an errand; and, if possible, the minds of observers must be directed toward a conclusion that this errand of her devising is an amusing one; at all

OUT OUR WAY—By WILLIAMS

THE OLD HOME TOWN—By STANLEY

events, she is alone temporarily and of choice, not deserted. She awaits a devoted man who may return at any instant. Other people desired to sit in Alice's nook, but. discovered her in occupancy. She had moved the vacant chair closer to her own, and she sat with her arm extended so that her hand, holding her lace kerchief, rested upon the back of this second chair, claiming It. Such & pre-emption, like

THE INDIANAFOLIS TIMES

that of a traveler’s bag In the rack, was unquestionable; and, for additional evidence, sitting with her knees crossed, she kept one foot continuously moving a little, in cadence with the other, which tapped the floor. Moreover. she added a fine detail; her halfsmile, with the under lip caught, seemed to struggle against repression, as if she found the service engaging her absent companion even more amusing than she would let him see

Open for Encra.e;eTnents

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Strike This On Your Ovmbals

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when he returned: there was jovial Intrigue of some sort afoot, evidently. Her eyes, beaming with secret fun, were avterted from intruders, but sometimes, when couples approached, seeking possession of the nook, her thoughts about the absentee appeared to threaten her with outright laughter; and though one or two girls looked at her skeptically, as they turned away, their escorts felt no such doubts, and merely wondered what i

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—By BLOSSER

OUR BOARDLNU HOUSE—By AHERN

importantly funny affair Alice Adams was engaged in. She had learned to do it perfectly. (To lie Continued.) < Hides in Armor; Nabbed PARIS, Jan. 18. —A thief seeking to rob an antique dealer, climbed into a suit of armor to hide. The dealer discovered him. He tried to flee, but the armor impeded lUflg. Police, jail sentence, prison.

JAN. 18, 1J23

—By ALLMAN

—By AL POSEH

Gretna Green I loomed? ANNAN, Scotland, Jan. 18.—Local I authorities/are planning to do away ►with the famous blacksmith’s forge at Gretna Green here where thou sands of eloping couples have been wed. The name “Gretna Green” ha.-, become so well known that it has been applied to "marriage mills” all over the world.