Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1912 — POMPADOUR SISTERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POMPADOUR SISTERS

By Martha McCulloch- Williams

(Copyright, nil by Awoclated I.Horary Proas.) “The Pompadour Sisters! Horrors! Elise, you know I can’t wear pink! With my red cheeks and red hair It makes me a blowsy peony! And j?ou are angelic in pale blue,” Peggy said discontentedly, flinging herself back on the sofa. “But you will! Just this once!” Ellse entreated, her eyes sparkling. “For my sake! You know my one talejftt— my gifted feet. I can’t sing— VjmMbt a bit clever—l have never JklKanywhere but home and to But I can dance. Do help me ißphow it! For a special reason. 1 — BFwant to show I’m worth while.” r “So you’ll be a-sked again?” Peggy

“Poor cbick-a-biddy! Is this house party really bo much to you?” “What would It be to you. If it was your first—and yob;had never had a chance to jnpig, er have fun?” Elise aske.dN#p>st fiercely. “If you had to stealth—up in the garret, with Nobody to see—and all the music, what you could make on a comb?”

“Tell me—how did you ever hit on this frilly cakewalk? To think of the Pompadour as godmother to a cakewalk!" Peggy commented, smiling.

Elise looked puzz!ed. “Was there ever a Pompadour?” she asked. ”1 thought it was just a name —for the way you Wore your hair—and pink and blue together That’s vhy I said we’d do the Pompadour Sisters.”

Peggy explained, betwixt laughing and sighing. She had a pink frock, fine and straight from Paris, but she did not want to wear It. Aunt Margaret had sent it—Aunt Margaret had not seen her since she was nine, so knew nothing of the high colors which, properly subdued, made tier niece so pretty. Pink unquestionably exaggerated them to the degree of disfigurement. Rut Peggy, the stful of good nature, agreed at last to put 'her

vanity in her pocket, and'serve as a foil for her luckless stepcousin, Eli so She was sorry' for Elise, whose life ran sluggishly between drab walls. It had taken all her own mother’s tact and diplomacy to compass Elise’s being where she was, Peggy had been a little worried at Hirst —Elise had so few social accomplishments, and though Peggy was kind she hated carrying dead weight. Rut, by and by, when there were evening exhibitions of drawing-room accomplishments, Elise had shown such grace, such lightness, such rhythmic harmony of motion as to redeem herself But she had never yet done the cakewalk, save in the privacy of their own chamber, a bjg. airy ahd secluded one, high up in the tower, Peggy had practiced if with her, enough to make sure they “would not fall She had thought rather proudly of the sensation they would make, quite eclipsing Marie Dene, straight front Paris,’and still affecting the airs of her Parisian training. It took her all aback, though, to thinks of dapci-.ig in-such guise a,s would make her a fright. Notwithstanding, she agreed generously to put herself out of the question, partly through ‘ indolent good nature, partly also through the impelling of something under the surface which she felt in Elise.- t

She did not sense the hidden thing until they came put for their turn. The big house party had turned itself into a vaudeville company, by way of passing the two days of a drenching August storm. The house, oid and rambling, but luxuriously remodeled, lent Itself admirably to such uses. The library, four steps higher than the pig parlors, upon which it gave widely., made a fine stage. It was only a little trouble to supply electric 'footlights, screens tor wings and backgrounds, and a gorgeous drop of Cretonne bed curtains. A phonograph orchestra Was supplemented by Miss Ball, the governess, at a well-am-bushed piano. But the glory of it all was the stage director—in private life George Augustus. Belden, Esq., but in’ the mouths of everybody about him, Georgy. - , "

A man, and manly modest despite riches, and much pampered. Peggy had played with him In short frocks, learned to dance in the same -class! and grown up to regard him as at onc« the model and measure of man-

hood. She had never thought ot him as a sweetheart —for one reason other young fellows had not given her Aline Being an heiress, with a wide and wise family connection, If she married the wrong man It would certainly be in the face of light and leading She had liked several suitors well enough to consider them, but it had never gone further. At twenty-two her heart was still virgin, more truly virgin indeed than that Qf poor skimped and thwarted Elise, who had bestowed her affections silently upon this or that manikin, of knew no more than the whom she had turned into hero, knight or demi-god with the drapery of a girl’s fervid fancy. '

, She forget them—forget they had ever been, the minute she had looked up and found George regarding her with whimsical intentness. “Do they know you have run away?’’ he asked. “Those elders? if they come to take you back home, you shall climb into my pocket and stay snug till they go We can’t spare you.”

She was indeed wistfully childish, withal full of woman-ionging for life and love. Her mouth set hard whenever she thought of going back to the drab home life at the end of this marvelous fortnight. She would not do it —she could not- There must be a way out. At first she dared not think ol Georgy as the way out, but ot late he haunted her, awake or sleeping—her king, her hero, her deliverer

This Peggy read as In a lightning flash, when she felt the tremor of Elise’a slim fingers as Georgy, coming behind them, spoke, pretending to rebuke them for keeping the stage waiting Elise was humming over the dance music—a plantation air she had caught from her nurse, and twisted into something rather wonderful. Miss Ball had a fine ear —she caught it quickly-—still that took a minute or sq. Moreover Elise did not mean to dance in view until the music was in full swing.

... Singing, her voice fiigh and sweet, and thin, she swayed out on the stage, bowed right and left, then lifting their joined bands higher than their heads, she guided Peggy through a performance truly marvelous Up, down, back, forth, with intricate swings and side steps, and wonderful small shuffles, the two of them swept .the stage, the audience 'applauding madly Decidedly the Pompadour Sisters were the hit of the evening. Peggy smiled happily, thinking in what request Elise was likely to find herself. She looked half angel, half nymph, her face deeply flushed, her silky hair beautifully disordered. Peggy knew she herself was showing scarlet through the veiling made up—she had subdued her color with grease paint, but it was no longer effective. Still she footed it lightly, consciously making of herself mainly a support tor Elise —Elise whose secret she had surprised, and thereby surprised herself even more.

She was not indifferent to Georgy. Rather in him lay the root of her indifference to the others. wondered if he—with a catching breath she stole a> glance at. him, where he stood watching the dance,’ and particularly the chief dancer. As the curtain ; down after the third encore he ght Elise under the arms, ahd tossed her up, as one might toss a child, saying: “1 must! Tp find out if you u.e mortal or fairy. No,” as the applause rose madder than ever, “you mustn’t go back—l could look at you all night —but you have „ done enough. RunP outside and sit down now—just as you are —but don’t drink than seven lemonades —nor let more than nine fellows propose at once.”

Elise obeyed without a word. Georgy busied himself getting ready for the next turn. Peggy was stealing away—he had not spoken to her—when he wheeled and caught both her hands, saying: “Peggy —my love didn’t bat an eye over seeing you in pink—and you were a fright sure enough. So 1 think you ought to reward it Let’s set the day tomorrow.”

”But -Elise!" Peggy gasped, though her head swam with happiness. Georgy looked carefully over her head. "Pit attend to that,” he said in her ear. “She thinks of me as-r-Opportunity. We will see to it, she has many and better opportunities.” “Impossible,” Peggy said, turning away her face “Rut we will see that she is happy—almost ,as happy as ourselves.”

“Was There Ever a Pompadour?”