p-corners at him, he was glad of the pause.

"Break it to me gently," he called across the balustrade.

She descended the rest of the way and advanced, revealed in her
complete height and all her radiant vesture. He was dazed by her
unimagined splendor.

As she gave him her hand and collected with her eyes the tribute in
his, she said:

"Break what to you gently?"

"You!" he groaned. "Good Lord! Talk about 'the glory that was Greece
and the grandeur that was Rome'!"

With amiable reciprocity she returned him a compliment on his evening
finery.

"The same to you and many of them. You are quite stunning in
decollete. For a pair of common laborers, we are certainly gaudy."

Polly came up and greeted Davidge with, "So you're the fascinating
brute that keeps Marie Louise down in the penitentiary of that awful
ship-factory."

Davidge indicated her brilliance and answered: "Never again. She's
fired! We can't afford her."

"Bully for you," said Polly. "I suppose I'm an old-fashioned,
grandmotherly sort of person, but I'll be damned if I can see why a
woman that can look as gorgeous as Marie Louise here should be
pounding typewriter keys in an office. Of course, if she had to-- But
even then, I should say that it would be her solemn religious duty to
sell her soul for a lot of glad-rags.

"A lot of people are predicting that women will never go back to the
foolish frills and furbelows of before the war; but--well, I'm no
prophetess, but all I can say is that if this war puts an end to the
dressmaker's art, it will certainly put civilization on the blink.
Now, honestly, what could a woman accomplish in the world if she
worked in overalls twenty-four hours a day for twenty-four years--what
could she make that would be more worth while than getting herself all
dressed up and looking her best?"

Davidge said: "You're talking like a French aristocrat before the
Revolution; but I wish you could convince her of it."

Mamise was trying to take her triumph casually, but she was thrilled,
thrilled with the supreme pride of a woman in her best clothes--in and
out of her best clothes, and liberally illuminated with jewelry. She
was now something like a great singer singing the highest note of her
master-aria in her best role--herself at once the perfect instrument
and the perfect artist.

Marie Louise went in on Davidge's arm. The dining-room was in gala
attire, the best silver and all of it out--flowers and candles. But