"

The Gorgeous Girl was slipping matronly looking rings on her fingers
and adding an extra dab of powder. She took another chocolate, hugged
Monster, gave orders about sending back the lingerie, remarked that
she must send her photograph to the society editor for the next day's
edition, and she thought the one taken in her Red Cross outfit would
be the sweetest; and then kissing the tip of her aunt's right ear she
sailed downstairs and into the closed car to be whirled to Alice
Twill's house, a duplicate of the Gorgeous Girl's. There she was
enthusiastically embraced and there followed a mutual admiration as to
gowns, make-ups, and jewellery, and a mutual sympathy as to being
desperately tired and busy.

"My dear, I haven't had time to breath--it's perfectly awful! I'll
have to drop out of things next winter. Steve will never allow me to
be so overburdened. I can't sleep unless I take a powder and I can't
have any enthusiasm in the morning unless I have oodles of black
coffee. Of course one has had to do serious work--thank heavens the
war is over!--but you can't give up all the good times.... What a
lovely centre piece! And those cunning little gilt suitcases for
favours! A really truly gold veil pin in each one? You love! Oh, let's
have a cocktail before any one comes in. It does pick me up
wonderfully.... Thanks.... Yes, I had breakfast in bed--some coffee
and gluten crackers was all, and aunty had to stay in my room half the
morning trying to be pensive about my wedding! No, Markham didn't make
my travelling suit half as well as he did Peggy Brewster's. I shall
never go near him again.... And did you hear that Jill found her
diamond pendant in her cold cream jar, so it wasn't a burglar at all!

"Yes, Gaylord Vondeplosshe is going to be an usher.... Well, what else
could I do at the last moment? Wasn't it absurd for a grown man like
Fred Jennings to go have the mumps? Gay knows everyone and I'm sure he
is quite harmless.... Oh, Steve is well and terribly busy, you know.
He is giving me the most wonderful present. Papa hasn't given me his
yet and I'm dying to know what it is, he always gives me such
wonderful things, too.... There's the bell. I do hope it isn't Lois
Taylor, because she always wants people to sign petitions and appear
in court. It is Lois Taylor! Why didn't you leave word to have all
petitions checked with wraps?" Giggles. "Good heavens, what a fright
of a hat. Well, are you ready to go down?"

F