Sunny Slopes

by Ethel Hueston

  CHAPTER XIV

  NEPTUNE'S SECOND DAUGHTER

  "Chicago, Illinois.

  "Dearest Carol and David--

  "Carol, dear, an awful thing has happened. Do you remember themillionaire's son who discovered me up the cherry tree years ago when Iwas an infant? He comes to see me now and then. He is very nice andattentive, and all of my friends have selected the color schemes fortheir boudoirs in my forthcoming palatial home. One night hetelephoned and said his mother was in town with him, and they shouldlike to come right up if I did not mind. I did not know he was intown, I hardly knew he had a mother, and I was in the act of shampooingmy hair. Phyllis was making candy, and Gladys was reading aloud to usboth. Imagine the mother of a millionaire's son coming right up, and Iin a shampoo.

  "'Oh,' I wailed, 'I haven't anything to wear, and I am not used tomillionaires' sons' mothers, and I won't know what to say to her.'

  "'Leave it to us, Connie!' cried my friends valiantly.

  "Gladys whirled the magazine under the bed, and Phyllis turned out theelectricity under the chafing-dish and put the candy in the window tofinish at a later date.

  "Did I tell you about our housekeeping venture? Gladys is a privatesecretary to something down-town and gets an enormous salary, thirty aweek. Phyllis is an artist and has a studio somewhere, and we aregreat friends. So we took a cunning little apartment for three months,and we all live together and cook our meals in the baby kitchenettewhen we feel domestic, and dine out like princesses when we feellordly. We have the kitchenette, and a bathroom with two kinds ofshowers, and a bedroom apiece, though mine is really a closet, and twositting-rooms, so two of us can have beaus the same night. If we feelthe need of an extra sitting-room--that is, three beaus a night--wedraw cuts to see who has to resort to the park, or a movie, or theice-cream parlor, or the kitchenette. Our time is up next week and weshall return modestly to our boarding-houses. It is great fun, but itis expensive, and we are so busy.

  "We have lovely times. The girls are--not like me. They are reallysociety buds, and wear startling evening gowns and go places in taxis,and are quite the height of fashion. It is a wonder they put up withme at all. Still every establishment must have at least oneCinderella. But let me admit honestly and Methodistically that I doless Cinderelling than either of them. Gladys darns my stockings, andPhyllis makes my bed fully half the time.

  "Anyhow, when Andrew Hedges, millionaire's son, telephoned that hismother was coming up, they fell upon me, and one rubbed and one fanned,and they both talked at once, and in the end I agreed to leave myselfin their hands. They knew all about millionaires' sons' mothers, itseemed, and would fix me up just exactly O. K. right. Gladys and I arethe same size, and she has an exquisite semi-evening gown of Nile greenand honest-to-goodness lace which I have long admired humbly from mycorner among the ashes. Just the thing. I should wear it, and makethe millionaire's son's mother look like twenty cents.

  "Wickedly and wilfully I agreed. So when the hair was dry enough tomanage, they marched me into Gladys' room--the only one of the threecapable of accommodating three of us--and turned the mirrors to thewall. I protested at that. I wanted to see my progress under theirskilful fingers.

  "'No,' said Phyllis sagely. 'It looks horrible while it is going on.You must wait until you are finished, and then burst upon your ownenraptured vision. You will enchant yourself.'

  "Gladys seconded her and I assented weakly. I know I am not naturallyweak, Carol, but the thought of a millionaire's son's mother affectedme very strangely. It took all the starch out of my knees, and thespine out of my backbone.

  "By this time I was established in Gladys' green slippers withrhinestone buckles, and Gladys was putting all of her own and Phyllis'rings on my fingers, and Phyllis was using a crimping iron on my curls.I was too curly already, but Phyllis said natural curliness was not thething any more. Then Gladys began dabbing funny sticky stuff all overmy fingers, and scratching my eyebrows, and powdering about twentylayers on my face and throat. After that, she rubbed my finger nailsuntil I could almost see what they were doing to me. I never thought Ihad much hair, but when Phyllis got through with me I could hardlycarry it. The ladies in Hawaii who carry bushel baskets on their headswill tell you how I felt. And whenever I moved it wabbled. But theyboth clapped their hands and said I looked like a dream, and of courseI would have acquired another bushel had they advised it.

  "I trusted them because they look so wonderful when they arefinished,--just right,--never too much so.

  "Our bell rang then, and Phyllis answered and said, 'Tell them MissStarr will be in in a moment.'

  "There is a general apartment maid, and when we wish to be veryperfectly fine, we borrow her,--for a quarter.

  "When I knew they had arrived, I leaped up, panic-stricken, and divedhead first into that pile of Nile green silk and real lace. Theyrescued me tenderly, and pushed me in, and hooked me here, and buttonedme there, both panting and gasping, I madly hurrying them on, because Ican't get over that silly old parsonage notion that it isn't good formto keep folks waiting.

  "'There you are,' cried Gladys.

  "'Fly,' shouted Phyllis.

  "Out I dashed, recollected myself in the bathroom, and--yes, I did thatfoolish thing, Carol. Your vanity would have saved you such a blunder.But I tore myself from their blood-stained hands, and went in to meet amillionaire's son's mother without looking myself over in the mirror.

  "When I parted the curtains, Andy leaped to his feet with his usualquick eagerness, but he stopped abruptly and his lips as well as hiseyes widened.

  "'How do you do?' I said, moistening my lips which already felt toowet, only I didn't know what was the matter with them. I held out myhand, unwontedly white, and he took it flabbily, instead of briskly andwarmly as he usually did.

  "'Mother,' he said, 'I want you to meet Miss Starr.'

  "She wasn't at all the kind of millionaire's son's mother we have readabout. She had no lorgnette, and she did not look me oversuperciliously. But she had turned my way as though confident of beingpleased, and her soft eyes clouded a little, though she smiled sweetly.Her hair was silver white and curled over her forehead and around herears. She had dimples, and she stuck her chin up like a girl when shelaughed. She wore the softest, sweetest kind of a wistaria coloredsilk. I was charmed with her. It could not have been mutual.

  "She held out her hand, smiling so gently, still with the cloud in hereyes, and we all sat down. She did not look me over, though she musthave yearned to do so. But Andy looked me over thoroughly,questioningly, from the rhinestone pin at the top of the swaying hair,to the tips of my Nile green shoes. I tried to talk, but my hairwabbled so, and little invisible hair pins kept visibleing themselvesand sliding into my lap and down my neck, and my lips felt so moist andsticky, and my skin didn't fit like skin, and--still I was determinedto live up to my part, and I talked on and on, and--then, quitesuddenly, I happened to glance into a mirror beside me. There was someone else in the room. Some one in a marvelous dress, with awhite-washed throat, with lips too red, and cheeks too pink, and browstoo black, some one with an unbelievable quantity of curls on top ofher, and--I turned around to see whom it might be. Nobody there. Ilooked back to the mirror. I was not dreaming,--of course there wassome one in the room. No, the room was empty save we three. I turnedsuspiciously to Mrs. Hedges. She was still in her place, a smilingstudy in wistaria and silver gray. I looked at Andy, immaculate inblack and white. Then--sickening realization.

  "I stood up abruptly. The atrocity in the mirror rose also.

  "'That isn't I,' I cried imploringly.

  "Mrs. Hedges looked startled, but Andy came to my side at once.

  "'No, it certainly isn't,' he said heartily. 'What on earth have youbeen doing to yourself, Connie?'

  "I went close to the mirror, inspecting myself, grimly, piteously. Ido not understand it to this day. The girls do the same things tothemselves and they look wonderful,--never like
that.

  "I rubbed my lips with my fingers, and understood the moisture. Iexamined my brows, and knew what the scratching meant. I shook thepile of hair, and a shower of invisible hair pins rewarded me. Ibrushed my fingers across my throat, and a cloud of powder waftedoutward.

  "What does it say in the Bible about the way of the unrighteous? Well,I know just as much about the subject as the Bible does, I think. Fora time I was speechless. I did not wish to blame my friends. But Icould not bear to think that any one should carry away such a vision ofone of father's daughters.

  "'Take a good look at me please,' I said, laughing, at last, 'for youwill never see me again. I am Neptune's second daughter. I steppedfull-grown into the world to-night from the hands of my faithlessfriends. Another step into my own room, and the lovely lady is goneforever.'

  "Andy understands me, and he laughed. But his mother still smiled theclouded smile.

  "I hurled myself into the depths of self-abasement. I spared no harshdetails. I told of the shampoo, and the candy on the window-ledge, themagazine under the bed. Religiously I itemized every article on myperson, giving every one her proper due. Then I excused myself andwent up-stairs. I sneaked into my own room, removed the dream of Nilegreen and lace and jumped up and down on it a few times, in stockingfeet, so the girls would not hear,--and relieved my feelings somewhat.I think I had to resort to gold dust to resurrect my owncomplexion,--not the best in the world perhaps, but mine, and I am forit. I combed my hair. I donned my simple blue dress,--cost four-fiftyand Aunt Grace made it.' I wore my white kid slippers and stockings.My re-debut--ever hear the word?--was worth the exertion. Andy's faceshone as he came to meet me. His mother did not know me.

  "'I am Miss Starr,' I said. 'The one and only.'

  "'Why, you sweet little thing,' she said, smiling, without the cloud.

  "We went for a long drive, and had supper down-town at eleven o'clock,and she kept me with her at the hotel all night. It was Saturday. Islept with her and used all of her night things and toilet articles. Itold her about the magnificent stories I am going to write sometime,and she told me what a darling Andy was when he was a baby, and betweenyou and me, I doubt if they have a million dollars to their name.Honestly, Carol, they are just as nice as we are.

  "They stayed in Chicago three days, and she admitted she came onpurpose to get acquainted with me. She made me promise to spend a weekwith them in Cleveland when I can get away, and she gave me the dearestlittle pearl ring to remember her by. But I wonder--I wonder-- AnyhowI can't tell him until he asks me, can I? And he has never said aword. You know yourself, Carol, you can't blurt things out at a manuntil he gives you a chance. So my conscience is quite free. And shecertainly is adorable. Think of a mother-in-law like that, pink andgray, with dimples. Yes, she is my ideal of a mother-in-law. Ihaven't met 'father' yet, but he doesn't need to be very nice. A mancan hide a hundred faults in one fold of a pocketbook the size of his.

  "Lots of love to you both,--and you write to Larkie oftener than you doto me, which isn't fair, for she has a husband and a baby and is withinreaching distance of father, and I am an orphan, and a widow, and astranger in a strange land.

  "But I love you anyhow.

  "Connie."