The Sunday _;ee
MAGAZINE SEC~T~ION~~
VOL, 52—NO. 52. OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 21, 1925. KIVK CKNTS
Button, Button —(§>=<. By Julia Frances Wood
Pansy Flower of Georgia Was Brand
ed a Thief; the Society Don Jnan
Proved Only a Juan, But the
“Gold Brick" Turned Out
to Be Genuine.
□HTWKKN her eigaret, her fan. and that fur tamed lit
tie trick she had of shutting her eyes before she
spoke. Mi.". Braithewaitc* flattered herself she had cion
coaled admirably the shock of amazed anger <*arrisford's
words had given her. lt
“Blit the details, dear man -have mercy upon a mere
woman—the details!” she demanded, her silver voice the
merest trifle throatier than usual. In that one second's
reprieve of lighting her eigaret -she had discarded with pas
play with my curiosity, Tony. I am only a woman and -
rather interested in \ou."
*'[ can lump the last two answers together." he placidly
disregarded the poignant pause and break in the last three
words. Her father is a parson—which speaks volumes
naturally for his bank account. Iler name is brace your
self. Meredith—it is really Pansy Flower though there
live none so brave a9 to call her so. She prcfeis to be
known ;r Palsy. She is delightfully young nfti«-iall> l!l 4*
in common sense and 11 in enthusiasms. I don't know that
one could call her regularly pretty.'*
You don’t mean she isn't beautiful!" Mis Braithewaite
was for once shocked into total naturalness
Certainly not that." he answered, enjoying her atnn/.e
merit. “Astonishing, isn’t ir when I have always wor
shiped so at Beauty's shrine." He bowed charmlngl} to
his hostess.
I'll tell you what we must do, Tony. 1 11 have her up
here to \ isii me. It will give you a chance to see her, and
give her a chance to know your world before she has
ill s perhaps whoi you s»e me up th.-ie among ill your
friend* you won'l want to marry me. and we hid better
hud that out right away, don’t you think ’ Please remem
l" i Otways the one thing I could never forgive in you would
I* weren't p ifccily frank In telling me «■ And n •
cause it would make that easier in case you should change
your mind, I don't want anybody to know besides Mm
braithewaite, who whites me that you have already told
Iter, that we are engaged or even specially interested in one
anolh'i Bet'* meet as strangers all over again up th-ie
If I come you will promise me this, won't you, Tony "’
Tout showed this letter to Mrs. ltrailIn waite with some,
tiling of the proud strut of a parent exhibiting a first horn's
new tooth. "Willing to give me a loophole of escape." lie
commented to her in dazed tones. "Can an It a creature
realty exist in this money mad world?''
Mrs. Braithewaite, than whom no one was money mad
tier, found some difficulty In assenting enthusiastically. ' I
fancy Patsy may adjust a few of her v iltn s when she lias
“ / meant to meet you— in the hall."
atonate swiftness trio garment of wounded love, one of in
jured friendship, one of mocking indifference, and had
slipped finally into just the right combination of warm, a
little reproachful friendliness. "This is a romance, I infer,
dear Tony, is it not?—not a railroad time table or a tele
gram! And remember I have been flattering myself I am
your best friend!”
"Merely that?” Tony Carrisford dared to ask her, and
raised to his lips with his usual lazy gallantry the white,
helpless hand she stretched out to him.
The gesture stirred in Mrs. Braithewnite the same obi
baffled, bewildered anger she had cloaked for two years, as
today, under discreetly lowered lashes and her loveliest
smile. For two years, with every wile a beautiful and
clever woman could possess, she had tried to whip into flam
ing action that maddenly indolent, insolent love-making of
his. And today lie dared to tell her, with no faintest tremor
of voice or eve, with even his slight, bored smile twitching
a corner of his handsome mouth, that he was going to
marry another woman.
While, before the unlooked for opening his last words
had given her, she was weighing with desperate uncer
tainty a flood of teats or a passionate avowal of love, her
moment had passed and Tony was lightly acceding to her
request.
\ tine movie romance. [ assure you, Meredith. My
tar spilled me—providentially or otherwise—only time
alone cun tell—before her hospitable gate. I was ill for
two weeks in her home. She nursed me and won me. You
have the five reels in a nutshell.”
"The roast of five counties, it goes without saying.” Mrs.
Broithewatle wrapped herself again temporarily in inter
• sled friendliness.
"Scarcely that,” he corrected. 'Only a tenth of one
county knows her, and T don't believe they toas; li?r Just
love her."
"And this tenth inhabits?”
"Tallahala, Jawgeah,” he smiled. ' I'lxm-ding Y«'liba!a
and still more Jawgeah.”
"Name——coloring family bank account! Don't
to enter it an Mrs. Tony Carrlsford. And perhaps l can
help the dear child a bit—with her clothes. I mean, and a
few little pointers like that.”
"My dear Meredith, it would mean a liberal education
for Patsy to visit you,” he told her. “ For you both,” he
added to himself with the cynical amusement women’s emo
tions were apt to arouse in him. "Anything you can do for
her will mean a lot to me. I’ve really come a cropper at
last, hardened old worldling8 that I am. I love that girl,
Meredith—bucolically, if you will, but sincerely.”
Safe upstairs in her own room. Mrs. Braithewaite let
herself rage at will at his words and the whole intolerable
situation. She had known always, to be sure, the cord by
which she held was pitifully frail and all too easily snapped
With every possible device she had sought in vain to make
it stronger. Before the world he was her property; his cars
and yacht at her service, his invitation lists for her inspec
tion. his conservatories decorating her dinners, he himself
lazily trailing her at ball and opera, yielding her beauty a
cynical, indolent homage which her hard working husband
had neither time nor inclination to question. "Tony’s ar
mor against matrimony,” one of his friends had dubbed
her. and she had chaffed furiously under the truth of the
title.
It was her vanity that wrung always hei sincerest tears.
Love. too. however, was giving its own frantic cries of pain
for the dark splendor of Tony’s look, his charm of speech
and gesture. She could not—would not give him up'
Her mirror shook her from despondency, renewed her
courage. "Not even icgularl/ pretty—a country parson’s
daughter! ’ W.hv the girl would he the very be.it foil in the
world for her! Tot Tony once see them together, away
from this environment of an adoring family and town, in
the shock <*t this disillusionment would come her most vivid
opportunity-—if the girl would only come’
After nearly a month of patient effort on Mrs Braithe
waite's part, come she did
Sh<» had written Tony: ' I have been thinking ,i lot about
r.oen more of the world," she remarked with a slight acidli*
in the perfect tones.
She had chosen, after a good deal of thought Brniihe
waite lodge instead of New York as her battleground. \\ iiti
meticulous care she had picked her house party, weighing
each member as a possible ally against the Tatlahahi foe.
The little Georgia girl could be at no crueler disadvantage
than facing winter sports without nod within, the one out
sider in a close and critical corporation of members of the
same social set. As Tony Carrisford's fiancee the gates
would have been at least ostensibly flung wide before lie.;
as merely Miss 1-Tower of Tallahala they were irrevocably
barred and barricaded Mrs. Braithewaite s much lauded
smile was for the first time in weeks wholly spontaneous
as sho held in her hand the telegram announcing tiie hour
of Patsy's arrival.
In accordance with his fiancee's instructions. Toni did
not meet her at the train; Mrs. Braithewalte. a feverish
upon the clock, carefully overcalculated the distance from
the station. The huge limousine deposited Patsy noiselessly
at the dhor of the gi st country house. One impassive
rnan absorbed her luggage, another conducted her silently
to the long, low living room echoing to a babel of voices
and gusts of merriment.
Tony saw her first: Patsy, by .foie, ..Hummed
Mrs. Braithewalte in answer leaned forward over the '- >
table, both hands outstretched, the winsome.st of smiles upon
her lips. As the solitary little figure made its way towards
her through the long gamut of appraising glumes sh
checked off with mounting relief Item aftoi item: "Boyish
figure—best contrast in the world to mine; that Xoi f"i
just suits her; brown hair, gray eyes; good enough skin
but no beauty of coloring; nice little nose and attractive
mouth; carries her head well; would pass In a crowd; but
for Tony—beside me—It’s ridiculous!" Then Patsy's hands
were In hers and she was saying aloud, caressing! 1" '
dear child! I'm so glad you're here I didn't realm,- U -
so late. I meant to meet you in the hall and bring ymi
myself.”
Tin* small i*!>>i ■ 1 hand v.liit in lici - sue tur . --1 [*-" *•
