Life — November 22, 1894 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

332 A CASE OF HEREDITARY TRUTHFUL- NESS. HEY were all gathered in Adelaide Le Roy’s boudoir, sipping iced tea, eating bonbons, and admir- ing the room, which had just been entirely re- furnished to suit Adelaide's latest whim. “It's a study in coolness,” said Margaret Dilworth, “with its hardwood matting rugs, and those odd bei I did not dream plain grass cloth could be so exquisite.” “Tt’s not plain grass cloth,” Adelaide cor- rected. “It’s that sheer, firm quality that is used by Parisian dressmakers.”” “It’s utterly delightful, anyway,” Sarah Coyle interposed. She had been studying the dainty br. “ Tnever saw anything sweeter than that valance. leaves that are painted springing up from the edge form a perfect field of bloom all around the bed, and then the ones scattered over the if they had been picked from the mass below and tossed down floor and draperies, s bed and its draperies in- tently. Those clover blossoms and spread and bolster look carclessly, just waiting for some one to come COLOSSAL STATU ATHENS OF AMERICA, THE WONDERS OF AMERICA. OF MINERVA SURMOUNTING DOME OF STATE HOUSE AT THE along and carry them off. I want one - “You may have it if you can get it,” Adelaide laughed sauci “| know where you got them, Ad,” commented Elizabeth Goff; * Josie St. Johns did them. where, and—" I'd know her clovers any- A warning look from Adelaide checked the completion of and Elizabeth smiled to herself: * No wonder Josie has suddenly found out she can take her usual trip to the mountains. Really, there would be some comfort in having one’s father fail if only to find such a friend. I i d gave her a small fortune for all those draperies. are the curtains, bed and chair covers, all decorated with those dainty blossoms on linen.” Aloud she said : * Ad, what is that particularly delightful antique rug doing on that easel?” “ Oh," laughed Adelaide, “ that’s my souvenir of the room and our set. Do you know, girls, this is our last confab this season—maybe forever, Most of.us will come back to the city engaged in the fall. A chorus of * Won't be our fault if we don’t,” * Yes, indeed,” “Oh, you blessed prophet,” greeted the remark, and Adelaide continued : “Well, you know what a straightforward, sober, truth- telling set we are, and it just occurred to me I'd give this rug (it's a real Bokhara! Papa got it from the biggest dealer in second-hand rugs in Constantinople, when he there) to the girl who for once lets her imagination run riot and tells us a tale that isn’t so and yet has the appearance of truth.” “In other words, you want a preparatory drill for the sum- mer’s campaign,” commented Elizabeth. “ Well, I want that rug and mean to try for it. So, atfendez vous.” And she plunged straightway into a tale whose telling was greeted with laughter and talk. Then, as one after another the girls followed with story and reminiscence, they grew confused and declared it an impossibility to say which was the most interesting and improbable. Daisy Boyd had settled herself at the beginning of the story-telling on a great rug divan in a corner, had pushed one of the new clover-blossom pillows behind her, and sat quietly listening to each recital, her soft. brown eyes opening wider with wonder at each impossible tale, and her quiet laughter chiming in with the others. The girls could never quite understand why the men was comicbooks.com