Western High School - Westward Ho Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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WESTWARD H0 11 llMiss-ABowenfl said the younger Jessica quite distinctly, if with effort. tIYou little preciousV Of a sudden, inex- plicably, Jessica remembered a remark of Kit- tridge Ellthorpels that she. had at the time classed as clever and discerning. IIBlatant, in- ane fools who squeeze babies and reminisce? He had been talking about the usual run of people-ettthose canaillej, he called them,eand she had applauded. Yet here she was, she, in- tellectual, superior, artistic, squeezing a baby very hard indeed, and enjoying it. Chilton Hargrave appeared at that instant to break the startled reflection. He was almost comically surprised at seeing her; as he phrased it Ilknocked flat? Uessica Bowen! Well of all the fools luck P IIDo you mean mine, in being herePIi she asked demurely, and amused him quite as much as if she had said something really witty. HHere, I say, come off a fe110w! But straight, Jessica, 1,111 pleased as Punch to have you. I mean it? IIAnd for a week, Daddy? crowed Babbie from the davenport. IllVIaybe I wont put their eye out when I get to school tomorrow!u ttBabbieV It was Kateis eternal remon- strance. Jessica enjoyed the dinner at which Chilt Har- grave pressed food upon everyone and glowed; at which Kate, lowevoiced at the foot of the ta- ble, directed the saffron maid and corrected Jun- ior; at which Junior blushed and gulped and squirmed; at which the small Jessica laughed a good deal and behaved most beautifully; at which Barbara talked endlessly, without one final ' gfi Afterwards they sat rather stodgily in the living room and said the same thing many times. Bar- bara waved a Latin book at them as she vanished up the stair. ItWish me luck; Iirn goini up and wrestle with Cicerofy she explained. liCicero lit He and his book seemed very, very far behind to Jessica, butecloser tonight than he had been for years. It was only after she had gone to bed that she had time really to think. And her thoughts were such a riotous set. Impressions of that shock- headed scrap of impudence called B'abbie, the boom of Chilfs hospitable voice, Katels chatter, the perfect little Jessica. Sometime or other she absolutely must paint that baby-sometime soon, in case she should outgrow her loveliness. What a shame she had only a week! A shame? No, that was funny! Only this morning she had been gazing with despair on those seven days ahead. And Lrnore than likely she would be bored to oblivion before they were done, calling Kate and Kateis family all the inane idiots her friendseher Other friends-might have considered them. Her other friends. The Hemmingway Castletons and Zanchia Maroffski and the DyEnseignes and Kit- tredge Ellthorpe. Jessica found her brow creas- ing at the thought of him. Sooner or later, if she went to Florida, she was sure she would mar- ry that man. And, after all, why not? He was her sort, the sort she had elected to beusuccess- fully artistic, rather scornfully superior, opulent- ly Bohemian. Such a union would be logical, nat- ural. 3iutebuteJessica strained at those buts. They had always existed, but tonight they seemed to have doubled power. She was still struggling with them when she fell asleep. The presence of the saffron servant girl in her room waked her. IIMiz I-Iahgrave said yol wanted yo, breakfast at ten? the yellow dignitary explained, Itso I brung it up. Is they anything else ?il Ith, she shouldnt have bothered! Why didnlt she call me with everyone else? No, thank you, this will be quite all. Is Mrs. Hargrave busy ?li Jessica sat up and pulled the proffered peignoir about her shoulders, little lines of consternation between her nicely-arched brows. But gratifica- tion was there, too. NNo, she isn't bust said Kate, putting in her head at the door. HShe was just wondering whether or not she might come in? ItPlease do! Kate, you wretch, you shouldn't have done this. How did you know I breakfasted in bed at tenPlt HBabbie knew. of her magazines? W'ell, its just perfectly wonderful, but I can't have you doing it. Honestly, I'm quite over- whelmed. I suppose all your family has de- parted? nYes, even Jessie. Chilt and I had an awful argument about sending her to kindergarten. He wanted to have a governess at home. So we sent her? Jessica laughed rather immoderately at that. ItOh. Kate! How like you! You could always make me do anything you liked? Come, thatis hard on me; I didnt know I was such a selfish brute. But then I suppose I am- By the by, Jessica, are you quite rested ? Rested? I wasn,t tired. Why ?i, III thought if you liked weid go down town for a biteto get your things, you know, and look about I de love to. I went down yesterday, but it was no fun, all alone. So I came out to see you? ITm mighty glad it was no fun. then. Per- haps it will be better today. Tonight the Drakes and the VVyatts are coming to dinner, and 1,11 t'phone Jim Emmond theis unattached, and so I I suppose she read it in one

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IO WESTWARD HO ITd hate to think I was. But I cant fancy why you want me to play-eyou who hear art- ists every other day? Jessica could think. A Kate at the piano would necessarily be a speechless Kate, able to be studied, as she wanted to study her, to pick out the Changes, to ruminate a little. This Mrs, Hargraveethe title seemed odd- was forty, Jessica knew, but her years sat light- ly upon her. One might logically have esti- mated her five-or even ten-years younger. The golden lights that just saved her hair from taffyecolor were untarnished, and her figure was conventionally slim. Her dress was fash- ionable, but not individual; so, indeed, was all of her, from her waved coiffure to her shiny slippers. Just smart and comfortable and cheer- ful andethe adjective was recurrenteusual. Jessica found herself wondering hard what on earth had been the attraction between them in those distanteor were they distant?eschool days. For she had been the same aloof, par- ticular Jessica, minus only her sophistication, Kate the same sweet commonplace frivol; yet they had been bound tight to each other, and if anyone is here to say it was not love, let him be silent. Perhaps it was the thing called tritely attraction of oppositeseperhaps. At any rate it was something, and Jessica knew suddenly that it was a very pretty something. There was all at once a clatter outside: feet and rather shrill laughter. Kate closed her music with an air of finality and said, ttTherelre my infantsV somewhat joyfully, Jessica thought. Presently they came in, snapping electric switches all the way. JeSSica, whose eyes. had become accustomed to the modest glow of the piano lamp, found it difficult to make anything of the blue-and-white blur that had, instanta- neous with its arrival, burst in a torrent of amazing speeel . tt-gettin, romantic or somethiif, Mums? Look so cute sittinl'here playinl to yourself- oh, excuse melt, ttDonit talk so much? said Kate, good- humoredly. nMiss Bowen, this is Barbira. Barbira, wherels Junior ?u He and Jess went into the kitchen. dlyou do, Miss Bowen? Oh, I say! arenit t, Her mother laughed. IKYes, Babbieg', The tone suggested triumph. uI told you shed the awed to death? she added to Jessica. IiOh! Oh, Miss Bowenlll Babbie paid very slight attention to her mother. ItOh-eMiss BowenV, llHow do you do, Barbara? Jessicals clear- ing gaze swept the girl. There was nothing How You of Kate about her. She had, rather, her father's fiery hair and red-brown eyes; his stature, too, in its compactness and firmness of limb. She wore her red hair rakishly short, and her pink mouth was sweet and sincere and gay and mocking. wIlm-Iimejust thrilled to a peanut, she said naively and without embarrassment. UMothers always talkinl about knowinl you, but I never dreamed yould ever come see us, beinl famous and everything? ltBabbieV Kate sounded warning. llWell, you know itls sof, nIlm afraid Ilm horribly lax as a correspon- dent? said Jessica, Hbut Illl try to make up for it now, in person. But please get over this famous-and-everything idea, because I'm not, reallyfl nYes, you are? Bablbie was positive. ITve read all about you in the magazines. Pleasee how long are you stayiif? Ages, I hopeft ttOnly a week this time, though Ild love to make it longer. But where are the rest of the family? Ijni perishing to see them, too, you know? tjunior and the baby? Oh, Illl go get em. Guess maybe theylll be petrified or somethinl when I tell lemlli HThen yould better not, I suppose? Jessica chuckled, watching her go. tIOh, Kate, is she unique? Shels the first one of her I,ve ever come across? Unique? Oh, great heaven! She fills the house with dozens of her doubles. Its 21 won- der there arenlt a couple of them here tonight. There usually are, when 51165 home. But she hardly ever is. That school! Jessica, did it keep us forever in the afternoons ?l: tTm sure I dorft remember. 'W'hyeoh, your babyli, She stopped a little breathlessly, al- most startled. Kate,s youngest daughtereher namesake, by the way!ehad made her dra- matic entrance, late as is meet, andethe per- fectly beautiful little thing! More than beau- tiful: friendly and soft and sweet. mad and elhn and gay, the light of Puckis own mischief in her eye, and the tiniest tilt of the coquetry of Columbine already about her baby chin! Jessica, who had looked unmoved and bored upon scores of pretty children, was captivated. Being captivated, however, she felt extremely surprised at herself. The bOy was just the ordinary youngster of eleven, red-headed and freckled and wiry and very inarticulate with shyness. Jessica smiled graciously but briefly at him, and held out her slim lovely hands to the little girl. tISO this is my goddaughter-by-proxyl you know who I am, darlingPti Do

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12 WESTWARD HO obligingy, and we'll have some Mah Jongg. You play, of course ?ll t'Nofl said Jessica, thinking of the things Rose Hemmingway Castleton said about insipid little parlor games. NIlve never learned? Oh, it's heaps of fun. Ever so much nicer than bridgeeIlm sure yotfll love it. And to- niorrow is Nancy Drakels tea; youlll have to go and be exhibited. The next day's Thursday, isnt it? There is something, I'm sure. Oh, certainly! Rhoda Blair is having cards and dancing in the afternoon, and the Manning reception is in the evening. I think we'll send regrets to the Man- ning thing. Theyire horrible bores. But Rhoda -I couldnt possibly. And Fridawariday I thought of having some people outegirls we knew in school, you knoweGrace Billings and Dorothy Wilde and Anabel Mercer andkand Genevieve Connings. You do remember Jenny Connings, dont you PH HCan I ever forget that giggle? But see here, dear girl, I can't have you going to all this bother for me. Indeed ll nIndeed nothing. Most of its stuff Ild have to do anyway, and your being here will just make it interesting. Wlhat, yOLfre going to get up? I daresay youyre dying for want of your personal maid, arenlt your'w tlIeniiss her? Jessica admitted. llVVell, I never had one, or pretended to have one. We arenlt elaborate, Jessica. As you've seen, we dont even make an attempt at dressing for dinner and all that sort of thing. lVelve a cook and a maid and a laundress. I suppose youlre used to more? III dont know: I never thought about it? nYou dear! You haven't changed much after all, though I thought at hrst you had. with those little foreign gestures. you know. Don't I prattle? Illl go presently. Shan't Queenie draw your bath? Yes, the niulatto jewel is Queenie. I've had her over a year, b'lieve it or not! She laughed and went away, leaving Jessica to rise yerv good-humoredly at peace with the world. That week was, for the most part. an unmiti- gated success. Once she had thought it impos sible, but now Jessica knew it undeniableeher liking for the women of Katels circle. They were so friendly and interested, so cheerful and trans- parent. Pose? Of course they posed, as all self- resoecting women do. But such harmless. unde- ceiving little assumptions, pardonable, and just a little funny. tZanchia Maroffskils exhibition tantrums ll iVloreover, they were sufficiently sin- cere, which is to say they were more sincere than anyone .Tessica had known for long. Then the men. From a pattern. too: iovial. careless. toler- ant, courteous; no affectation there. Oh. Jes- sica Bowen liked them, liked them all! She penetrated the mazes of Mali jongg in time, and distinguished herself by learning to count the score. Her dancing was classed sev- erally as incomparable, divine, and a knockout; all of which was gratifying, if accepted in the proper spirit. Her Clothes-she loved the women for being ever-so-slightly catty about her clothes! But more than her social activities she enjoyed the trips down town with Kate. On the very first of them, that second day, she was drawn ir- resistibly into one of Park Avenue's little art shops, where she went mad among the tubes and canvasses and sent homeewhat was she to say but Ilsent home'y?ea ridiculous, glorious amount of everything. Her first free moment thereafter tthey were astonishingly fewy she employed in sketching the baby girl. However, the pose did not please her, so ultimately she discarded the at- tempt. It was of some value, nevertheless, in that the brief session was the occasion of her hrst glimpse into :labbiels highly. interesting and strangely operating mind, tlSay, Miss Bowen? Ilabbie had said from the hassock on which she reposed, her elbow. on her knee, a fistful of tousled red hair gripped tight, tiyou do paint great, don t you ?'i Jessica smeared orange on her palette and grinned. She was conscious of it as a grin. llConie, Babbie, you make me blush!H ttOh, you know you do. Just look at that, would you! Gee-Miss Bowenlll ltYes ?,i ttYou know flocks of artists, I s'ipose ?ll KiHardly Hooks; I know some? hAbout how nia11yPI'l ttOh, good heavens, I never counted them! :lesides, you know, my idea of an artist and yours inightnlt coincide.U lISounds like geometry. But sure, I know what you mean. I think they do, thougheour ideas. I End out about yem in the magazines, and the same magazines that have you in 'em have them. I just love readin about people like that; better than anything, next to gym. And they sound so darn interestin'll Are they reallyP'i lthell, youlve met me in the flesh. reallyf'm llMiss Bowen! grape-fruitls eyebrows! Dr. Becker said that once, at an assembly. He was talkinl about a girl named Edythe-but 111 tell you about that some other time. I mean the queer, wildish ones ll ltI-Io, ho! At least Ilm not queer and wildish VI like Mrs. Castleton. You know they say a drooping lily of a woman, given to moods and flashes of telling wit, and with cool, jeweled hands made for the music she creates, Is she like that, honestly? AmI You know I think youlre the