I was wondering who they all are. Really I did feel a bit hurt that she didn’t ask me, as close as we’ve always been. Who are the ushers? I suppose they’re friends of the groom. I don’t know him very well. Syd was awfully secret about it all. She never dropped a hint. I was simply amazed when I found she was marrying a western man. So silly of her when she has such a nice group of friends in the east, and some of the boys were just dandy, don’t you think? But who are these people tonight? Do I know them all? I suppose the girls are just the old crowd, aren’t they? Carey Carewe, Sue Richards, Lou McHale, Bets Patterson, Fran Ferrin and Pat Nicholson. What she ever saw in them I never understood, but Syd was always that way, whom she liked she liked, no matter who or what they were. But who are the fellows? I’m simply dying to know.”
Rae looked thoughtful. She didn’t exactly like the role she was being forced to play, telling about arrangements to this girl whom she knew Sydney did not want to take into her confidence. But what could she do?
“Well, I’m not sure about them all,” she said slowly. “There’ll be Steve and Curlin Grant, I suppose——”
“Steve’s all right,” conceded Minnie with a kind of contempt in her tone, “but that Curlin I can’t abide!”
“What’s the matter with Curlin?” asked Rae in an amused tone.
“Why, he has simply no appreciation of us girls. No female consciousness, perhaps I should say.”
Suddenly Rae laughed an amused little ripple.
“What on earth do you mean by that, Minnie? It sounds rather horrid to me. Remember the Grants are among our best friends.”
“Oh, well, I didn’t mean anything disparaging exactly,” said Minnie with a shrug. “I simply meant that Curlin never senses that a girl is any different from a man. You happen to get Curlin to talk to and he never even looks at you, nor notices what you have on nor anything, just discusses any old topic as if you were a fella.”
“Why, I think that’s lovely!” said Rae. “I always feel honored to talk to Curlin. He never tries to be frivolous the way some men do. He acts as if you had a brain and as if you were a real person.”
“Well I can’t be bothered talking politics and what I think of the situation in Europe. If I happen to have to talk to him tonight, ten to one he’ll ask me about which side I think is going to win, and if he does I shall simply shriek, I know I shall. Say, Rae, what is that dress I saw hanging in the closet? Is it yours? Why did you close the door so quickly? I want to see it. Say, that’s a cute little number. I’m quite taken with that. A bit somber, don’t you think, but that’s the style today. Say, I think I’ll wear that tonight. You don’t mind, do you? I have an idea a dress like that might please the masculine sensibility. I think I’ll try it.”
“Sorry!” said Rae Silverthorn, shutting the closet door with a snap. “I shall need it myself.”
“Oh, that’s all right,” laughed Minnie, “I’ve got plenty of gorgeous things along. You can have your choice!”
“Thank you,” said Rae coolly, “I was brought up not to borrow garments. Besides my brother picked this out for me and I wouldn’t care to have anybody else wear it.”
Rae flung herself down on the bed wearily and yawned wishing with all her heart she hadn’t come so early.
Minnie laughed mockingly.
“Try and stop me!” she said brightly. “Now, I’m going in and take a hot bath. I just adore lying in hot water, don’t you? And then I’ll come out and we’ll get dressed together. Take you nap and when you wake up I’ll bring an armful of my things and you can have your choice. There’s a duck of an orange tulle, only one sleeve is torn out. You’d have to mend it, but it’s adorable. Ta-ta till I get my bath!” and Minnie slid into the bathroom and snapped the bolt.
McRae Silverthorn lay on the bed filled with wrathy indignation and for an instant couldn’t get her brain to function rightly. Her dress, her lovely dress! To have it defamed by that girl’s touch! To have it handled and discussed, and tried on perhaps! She could not bear it! She would not! But what could she do? Minnie, when she started out to do a thing, generally succeeded in doing it, all the more when she saw it was distasteful to someone. Rae knew Minnie had always been jealous of her friendship with Sydney.
Suddenly she heart the bolt of the bathroom slide back with a snap and the door was opened a crack.
“How old is your brother?” Minnie asked through the crack.
Rae’s mouth twinkled with quick amusement, but she put on a lazy voice as she answered, “How old? Oh, a few years older than I am!”
“And he picked out a dress for you? Well, he must have a girl somewhere who works in a store and he hired her to do it. No man has that good taste!”
Then she slammed the door shut again and shot the bolt.
By this time Rae was on her feet, her eyes blazing angrily.
“I won’t stand it!” she said to herself. “I won’t!”
Then she went into action. Softly she opened the bureau drawers and swept into a bundle the neat piles of garments she had just laid in them so carefully. She stepped to the closet, opening the door most cautiously. She opened her suitcase quietly and laid the garments in swiftly and noiselessly, and then as soon as she heard the water beginning to run in the tub she slipped that taffeta dress of its silken hanger, and onto the hanger in her new suitcase. Then the other dresses, a pastel pink sports dress, a skirt and sweater and white silk blouse, and a little printed silk affair, bright as the springtime. It was the work of but a moment to slip them on the hangers that belonged in the suitcase, to smooth down the skirts, and press the spring that folded them neatly and safely into place! Then her slippers, another pair of shoes. There wouldn’t be anything safe if Minnie got started being disagreeable, and she had seen Minnie disagreeable several times in her life. She surveyed the closet carefully, conscious that the moments were going by rapidly. The water had stopped running in the bathroom. Minnie might appear on the scene at any moment now if she suspected in the least what was going on.
Rae took off her robe and folded it hastily, sweeping her comb and brush in at the last. She snapped the suitcase shut, locking it, and slipped the key into her handbag that lay on the bureau.
Then very noiselessly and swiftly she slid into her dress that she had worn when arriving, put on her hat and jacket, slipped over to the door with her suitcase and set it outside in the hall.
While she had been working she had been thinking, evolving a plan that would be perfectly natural, and yet foil her enemy.
She gave one swift glance about the room to see if she had left anything behind, a regretful glance because she had anticipated a quiet hour or two by herself to read in that pleasant luxury. Then she closed the door silently and gathering up her suitcase when tiptoe down the velvet shod stairs.
A glance through the dining room door showed Thelma arranging dishes on the long table, placing forks and spoons and knives. Could she possibly get out the front door without being seen? Hardly!
Swiftly she walked over to the dining room door and spoke in a subdued tone.
“Thelma,” she said, “I’ve just remembered something I didn’t give to mother, and I’m going to run over to Aunt Harriet’s and give it to her. I’ve plenty of time. It won’t take an hour. I’ll be back as soon as Sydney is. And Thelma,” she added on second thought, “did you know Minnie Lazarelle is upstairs? She’s taking a bath in my bathroom now, and I slipped out. She doesn’t know I’ve gone!”
“The huzzy!” said Thelma with a vexed look. “Miss Sydney will be that angry! Isn’t she the limit! I had the new maid take her up to the old nursery. Now what’ll I do? I better telephone the madam.”
“Yes,” said Rae with a knowing smile. “Meantime I’m going. Don’t worry about me. I’ll take any place that’s left if that’s any