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By Root 9055 0

her a quick inquisitive cold stare that made her feel terrible. Miss Hutchins immediately went over and began talk-ing about Don Stevens and trying to get Mr. Moorehouse to cal up Colonel House right away and get him to take some action in his case. Mr. Moorehouse acted very quiet and calm and said he was sure she need have no anxiety, he was probably only being held for investigation and in any case he didn't think the courtmartial in the Army of Occupation would take extreme measures against a civilian and an American citizen. Miss Hutchins said al she wanted was a stay because his father was a friend of La Fol ette's and would be able to get together considerable influence in Washington. Mr. Moorehouse smiled when he heard that. "If his life depended on the influence of Senator La Fol ette, I think you would have cause to be alarmed, Eveline, but I think I can assure you that it doesn't." Miss Hutchins looked very cross when she heard that and settled back to glumly eating her supper. Any-way the party was spoiled. Daughter couldn't imagine what, it was that had made everybody so stiff and constrained;

-412-maybe she was imagining it on account of her and Dick. Now and then she gave him a sideways glance. He looked so different from the way she'd known him sitting there so prim and prissylooking, talking to the stout woman in pink in a low pompous whisper now and then. It made her want to throw a plate at him.

It was a relief when the orchestra started playing dance music. Mr. Barrow wasn't a very good dancer and she didn't like the way he kept squeezing her hand and patting her neck. After they were through dancing they went into the bar to have a gin fizz. The ceiling was hung with tricolor decoration; the four French officers were in there; there were people singing La Madelon de la Victoire and al the tough little girls were laughing and talking loud shril French. Mr. Barrow was whispering in her ear al the time, "Darling girl, you must let me take you home tonight. . . . You mustn't sail . . . I'm sure I can ar-range everything with the Red Cross or whatever it is.

. . . I've led such an unhappy life and I think I'd kil myself if I had to give you up . . . couldn't you love me just a little . . . I've dedicated my life to unattainable ideals and here I am getting old without grasping true happiness for a moment. You're the only girl I've ever known who seemed real y a beautiful pagan at heart . . . appreciate the art of life." Then he kissed her wetly in the ear.

"But, George, I can't love anybody now . . . I hate everybody."

"Let me teach you just give me a chance."

"If you knew about me, you wouldn't want me," she said coldly. She caught again a funny scared look on his face and a thinning of his lips over his widely spaced teeth. They went back to the table. She sat there fidgeting while everybody talked careful y, with long pauses, about the Peace Treaty, when it was going to be signed, whether the Germans would sign. Then she couldn't stand it any

-413-longer and went to the ladies' room to powder her nose. On the way back to the table she peeped into the bar to see what was going on in there. The hawknosed French officer caught sight of her, jumped to his feet, clicked his heels together, saluted, bowed and said in broken English,

"Charming lady, wil you not stay a moment and drink once with your umble servant?" Daughter went to their table and sat down. "You boys looked like you were having such a good time," she said. "I'm with the worst old set of plush horses . . . They make me tired.""Permettez, mademoisel e," he said, and introduced her to his friends. He was an aviator. They were al aviation officers. His name was Pierre. When she told them her brother had been an aviator and had been kil ed, they were very nice to her. She couldn't help letting them think Bud had been kil ed at the front. "Mademoisel e," said Pierre solemnly, "al ow me, with al possible respect, to be your brother.""Shake," she said. They al shook hands solemnly, they were drink-ing little glasses of cognac, but after that they