about Gertie and me----" He was
repentant of his irritation, and said to Gertie, who was intimately
cuddling her arm into his: "Adelaide's an awfully good kid. Sorry she
had to go."

Gertie jerked her arm away, averted her profile, grated: "If you miss
her so much, perhaps you'd better run after her. Really, I wouldn't
interfere, not for _worlds_!"

"Why, hello, Gertie! What seems to be the matter? Don't I detect a
chill in the atmosphere? So sorry you've gone and gotten refined on
me. I was just going to suggest some low-brow amusement like tea at
the Casino."

"Well, you ought to know a lady doesn't----"

"Oh, now, Gertie dear, not 'lady.'"

"I don't think you're a bit nice, Carl Ericson, I don't, to be making
fun of me when I'm serious. And why haven't you been up to see us?
Mamma and Ray have spoken of it, and you've only been up once since my
party, and then you were----"

"Oh, please let's not start anything. Sorry I haven't been able to get
up oftener, but I've been taking work home. You know how it is--you
know when you get busy with your dancing-school----"

"Oh, I meant to tell you. I'm through, just _through_ with Vashkowska
and her horrid old school. She's a cat and I don't believe she ever
had anything to do with the Russian ballet, either. What do you think
she had the effrontery to tell me? She said that I wasn't practising
and really trying to learn anything. And I've been working myself
into----Really, my nerves were in such a shape, I would have been in
danger of a nervous breakdown if I had kept on. Tottykins told me how
she had a nervous breakdown, and had me see her doctor, such a dear,
Dr. St. Claire, so refined and sympathetic, and he told me I was right
in suspecting that nobody takes Vashkowska seriously any more, and,
besides, I don't think much of all this symbolistic dancing, anyway,
and at last I've found out what I really want to do. Oh, Carl, it's so
wonderful! I'm studying ceramics with Miss Deitz, she's so wonderful
and temperamental and she has the dearest studio on Gramercy Park. Of
course I haven't made anything yet, but I know I'm going to like it so
much, and Miss Deitz says I have a natural taste for vahzes and----"

"Huh? Oh yes, vases. I get you."

"(Don't be vulgar.)----I'm going to go down to her studio and work
every other day, and she doesn't think you have to work like a
scrubwoman to succeed, like that horrid Vashkowska did. Miss Deitz has
a temperament herself