ommented, agreeing or objecting as she felt
inclined.

It was so easy to become clear-headed about work--details became
adjusted with magical speed--when one had a gray-eyed girl with a
tilted freckled nose sitting opposite. The soft gray dress played a
prominent part, too, even if the Gorgeous Girl would have been amused
at its style and material. Besides this, there was the wood fire, the
easy-chair with gay Turkey-red cushions designed for use and not
admiration, and no yapping spaniel getting tangled up in one's heels.

Before they realized it twilight arrived, and simultaneously they
began to be self-conscious and formal, telling themselves that this
would never do, no, indeed! Dear me, what queer things do happen all
in a day! Still, it would always be a splendid thing to remember.

Certainly it was more edifying than to confront a nervous Gorgeous
Girl who had discovered that her maid had been reading her personal
notes.

"I sprinkled talcum powder on them and the powder is all smudged away,
so Jody has been spying. She is packing her things now and I shall
refuse any references. But who will ever take such good care of me,
Steve? And please get dressed; we are invited to the Marcus Baynes for
dinner. They have a wonderful poet from Greenwich Village who is
spending the holidays with them--long hair, green-velvet jacket,
cigar-box ukulele, and all. A darling! And I am going to take Monster
because he does black-and-white sketches and I want one of my ittey,
bittey dirl." And so on.

Certainly it was more pleasing than to have a shamed and confused
Trudy elegantly attired come dashing in with a jar of vanishing cream
as a peace offering, presumably to smooth out any wrinkles of grief,
and to explain hastily that it looked like a lack of feeling not to be
at the funeral but most certainly it was not--no, indeed; it was just
tending to business. She was sure Mary realized how essential it was
not to offend the Gorgeous Girl. How dreadful it was for poor Mary.
She, Trudy, had cried her old eyes out thinking about it. Did Mary get
the flowers she and Gay sent? She wished she could do something nice
for Mary. How would she like to have a black-satin dress made at cost
price? No? She wasn't going to wear mourning! Well, it was very brave
but it would certainly look queer and cause talk.... Gay's moustache
was coming on beautifully and no one at the bridge club had dared to
spoof her!

At least there was some exc