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Show 34 ISHI:l1Rose anl:l Silver 1l !!Sfmpte looking around appreciatively. "I hope the 1J)cloby dinner will be good." "I 've never known it to be otherwise," Rose assured her. "Am I all right? Is my skirt even?" "You are absolutely perfect, Aunt Fran-cesca." "Then play to me, my dear. If my out-ward semblance is in keeping, please put my mind into. a holiday mood." Rose ran her fingers lightly over the keys. "What shall I play?" "Anything with a tune to it, and not too loud." Smiling, Rose began one of the simple melo-dies that Aunt Francesca loved: ~:':~; ::::·; : ~ ;;r;t;r f r; : Ube IDotce of tbe 1Jltoltn Suddenly, she turned away from the piano. Her elbow, falling upon the keys, made a harsh dissonance. "Isabel, my dear!" she cried. "Aren't you almost too gorgeous?" The girl stood in the open door, framed like a portrait, against the dull red background of the hall. Her gown was white net, shot and spangled with silver, over lustrous white silk. A comb, of filagree silver, strikingly lovely in her dark hair, was her only ornament except a large turquoise, set in dull silver, at her throat. "I'm not overdressed, am I?" she asked, with an eager look at Madame. "Not if it suits you. Come here, dear." Isabel obeyed, turning around slowly for inspection. Almost instantly it was evident that Madame approved. So did Rose, after she saw how the gown made Isabel's eyes sparkle and brought out th~ delicate fairness of her skin. "You do suit yourself; there's no question about that, but you're gorgeous, nevertheless." Thus Rose made atonement for her first impulsive speech. Mr. Boffin came in, with a blue ribbon around his neck, and helped himself to Aunt Francesca's chair. Isabel rocked him and he got down, without undue haste. He marched over to a straight-backed chair with a cushion in it; glared at Isabel for a moment with his inscrutable topaz eyes, then began to purr. The clock chimed seven silvery notes. Ma- 35 '"Jlvu'rt I!OrG(OUI" |
