Page:Angna Enters - Among the Daughters.djvu/460

 number and end with sixteen cartwheels. Spending my life practicing for that would drive me crazy."

"I don't blame you, you'd have to be an Ilona," Vida sympathized.

"You're prejudiced against her, but Clem has changed his mind about her, he thinks she's an artist, and maybe he's right—or maybe," Lucy went on uncertainly, "you and I don't know how to be successful, maybe you always have to think of what's popular, even when it changes every day."

"I don't want to be that kind of popular, be an 'It's in the air' sniffer," Vida said truculently, jabbing and blowing at the fire. "I want to do what I can the best way I know how. There!" she said, as the logs began to crackle. "I wonder what Master thinks about your not attending his classes?"

"To tell you the truth, I miss him, but now that I'm not in a show I hate to go. I'm practicing anyway at my tap teacher's so I don't get out of practice. I like him because he understands Broadway. Master is old-fashioned, he doesn't understand anything but ballet. I wish I had started in the chorus. You come up slowly but you're more prepared for the ups and downs. Anyway, I'm glad you're back and we're together again."

After dinner Vida sat at her desk trying to remember what it was she wanted to write in the notebook kept locked while she was away from the apartment.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked, stretched comfortably on the sofa.

"I want to make a memo before I forget. I could do it at Figente's but that cataloging he wants is a big job; I have to go through the books all over again and I never can resist stopping to read, which he isn't paying me to do."

"He won't care. He likes having you there."

"But I want to get finished. I don't want to stay down there any longer than necessary."

"Well, you go on and write. Don't pay any attention to me. I'll lie here and watch."

Vida began a few scattered sentences but could not go on because of Lucy's humming 'Who, who stole my heart away' and, turning, saw her smiling at the ceiling.

"Finished?" Lucy asked brightly.

"Yes," Vida said shortly, and put the notebook away.

"I'll tell you a secret. I have the most beautiful boy, I picked him 448