Alice Adams

d and solemn. Her hair, exquisitely arranged, gave all she asked of it; what artificialities in colour she had used upon her face were only bits of e

stems wrapped in tin-foil shrouded by a bow of purple chiffon; and on

y a vision!" she said, meaning that no other definition whatever would satisfy her. "I never saw anybody look a vision if she don't look one t

e paid a brief visit to his room to "show" him and bid him go

d he waggled a bony finger at her two

shing his nose with the violets in her ha

smell mighty sweet, and they ought to, if they're

s gaily, but with an emphasis expressing sha

ing the rather worn and old evening wrap she had placed

That I mean to have a good time to-night," she said; and as she turned from her reflectio

her mother whispered in fond emot

ance with that Frank Dowling! All I ask is for it to happen just once; and if he comes near me to-nigh

Adams answered, nervously; and she held

at it. "What

's raincoat. I thought

t need it i

ake it into the Palmers'. You can leave it in

ith Walter's assistance she climbed into the vehicle he ha

IS this, Walt

is seat beside her. Then for a time, as they went rather jerkily up the street

t's

-this

a otto

what kin

t you g

too

" said Walter. "D'you know what

, Wa

y 'bjec

placatively. "Is it yours,

I rent this sometimes when I'm goin' out among 'em.

ms very m

me some money, and this is the o

garage-

of amusement. "You'll be just as happy, I g

know who owned the car. "I joke sometimes about how you keep things to y

o, you

d, I d

got me where you want me," he jeered. "Well,

ldn't, Walter," she said,

IMINAL about it," he said. "It belongs to old J. A. Lamb himse

Mr.

the coon c

!" she

their limousine to-night-that little Henrietta Lamb's goin' to the party, no matter if her

tion, though his way of expressing regret was his own. "Well, you WILL make the folk

cular as any white man; you needn't worry about that." And as she still said nothing, he added

in a low voice-"I don't under

eople a

ured cha

sted, loudly. "Don't you know

t democratic,

n except just this silk-shirt crowd." He paused, seeming to await a refutat

illiance; long triangles of light near the ground swept through the fine drizzle; small red tail-lights gleamed again from the moist pavement of the street; and, through the myriads of little

; they were just at the driveway entra

s the

s awful ca

y,

d, vehemently. "You

Glo

an impressive machine which swerved away from them and passed on toward the porte-cochere, showing

EE us?" A

who s

ne-in that f

her as he brought the little car to a standstill beside the curbst

with a loud sigh

ack?" Walter inquired.

N

on up to the porte-cochere? There's room

, N

ct to do? Sit

ve the c

se millionaires around here'll run off with her." He got out with a padlock and chain

d it to Walter. "Please leave this with your things in the men'

out; and they scurri

he impassive man in livery who stood there. "Joke on us!" she said, hurryin

lice's account of things. Then the door was swiftly opened to the brother and sister; and they came into a marble-floored hall, where a dozen sleeked young men lounged, smoked cigarettes and fastene

suppose you want me to danc

, Walter," she

hang around fixin' up

he hall to a corridor opening upon three great rooms which had been thrown open together, with the furniture removed and the broad floors waxed. At one end of the c

t's Jazz Louie and his half-breed bunch

"We must speak to Mildred

ven't got a thing to

n't you PLE

er and fragmentary chatterings; and Alice, smiling all the time, greeted people on every side of her eagerly-a little more eagerly than most of them responded-while Walter nodded in a noncommittal manner to one or two, said nothing, and yawned audibly, the last reso

on to her father and mother, and at the same time resisting the efforts of three or four detached b

hieved; conduct would never offer her a problem to be settled from a book of rules, for the rules were so deep within her that she was unconscious of them. And behind this perfection there was an even ampler perfection of what Mrs. Adams called "background." The big, rich, simple house was part of it, and M

first, leaned forward and whispered in Mildred's ear. "You DIDN'T wear the maize georgette

ile tending somewhat in the direction of rigidity, she carried Alice's hand immediately onward to Mrs. Palmer's. Alice's own colour showed a little heightening as she accepted the suggestion thus implied; nor was tha

leave in her mind a possible doubt that he had done it. He followed her out upon the wax

ild, of the Jazz Louies and their half-breed bunches, the thin and sallow youth was a master. Upon his face could be seen contempt of the easy marvels he performed as he moved in swift precision from one smooth agility to another; and if some too-

went to dancing-school, but there isn't a man in the room who can dance half so well. I do

y through a closing space between two other couples. "You know a lot about what goes on, don't you

ughing. "Why, everybody's havin

e each other think they're havin' a good time. You don't c

They're just d

tried to whisper to Mildred to show how IN with her you were,

ean anything

le berry," Walter interrupted; adding in a cas

t forget to ask Mildred for a d

earance of his laugh, but without m

ave one left, but you

mus

e supposed to, and, in the second p

ost-intimate-friend' stuff often enough ab

. I want you to; and I want you to ask sever

ting; it'll

t you r

o buy a bucket o' rusty tacks and eat 'em. Forget it! Soon as I get rid of you I'm

Louie and his half-breeds was suddenly abated to silence,

t dance. She looked about her, still maintaining that jubilance of look and manner she felt so necessary-for it is to the girls who are "having a good time" that partners are attracted-and, in order to lend greater colour to her impersonation of a lively belle, she began to chatter loudly

! You could dance on the stage if you wanted to. Why, you could made your FORTUNE that way! Why don't you? Wouldn't it be just lovely

ing at her in

be givin' some of these berries t

lets in his face again. "You WOULD like it; you know you would; you needn't

any noisier," he interrupted, not u

e laughed. "W

he explained. "So don't ke

ed her unsisterly coquetries, and looked beamingly about her

o give contrast. These crowds of other girls had all done their best, also, to look beautiful, though not one of them had worked so hard for such a consu

interest and shocked no one. And Alice remembered that she had heard a girl say, not long before, "Oh, ORGANDIE! Nobody wears organdie for evening gowns except in midsummer." Alice had thought little of this; b

with silken cords dependent, ending in long tassels. She and her convoy passed near the two young Adamses; and it appeared that one of the convoy besought his hostess to permit "cutting in"; they were "doing it

raft they were "I can't eat dead violets," Walter said. The little wild flowers, dying indeed in the warm air, were drooping in a forl

ese long-tailed birds to take you on for the next dance? You came to have a

ispered, hastily. "Somebody'll come fo

dn't you si

isn't any one I

in the corners. What's the matter your

, Walte

e essentially biological functionings to imitate their own matings and renew the excitement of their nuptial periods. Older men, husbands of these ladies and fathers of eligible girls, were also to be seen, most of them with Mr. Palmer in a billiard-room across the corridor. Mr. and Mrs. Adams had not been invited. "Of course papa and mama just barely know Mildred Palmer," Alice thoug

ing been shaped after what seemed a Mongol inspiration. Only upon the top of the head was actual hair perceived, the rest appearing to be nudity. And even more than by any difference in mode he was set apart by his look and manner, in which t

we goin' to stand here? M

her eyes eager and her lips parted;-people had called jovially to them from the distance, she meant to imply, and they were going to join thes

can't stand it. I got to get somewhere I don't haf' to hurt my eyes with these berries; I'll go blind if I got to look

e eye she caught, smiled her smile with the under lip caught between her teeth; but

st glance. The family contour was also as evident a characteristic of the short young man who stood in front of Mrs. Dowling, engaged with her in a discussion w

over his shoulder; whereupon Mrs. Dowling, following this glance, gave Alice a look of open fury, bec

. "There's the music startin

It's all right-but come

torn himself from his family and was hastening

k Dowling!" Alice c