Page:Angna Enters - Among the Daughters.djvu/477

 After a lunchless day of coping with women demanding chameleon changes of her mood for each special requirement, Vida looked forward to seeing Lucy after finishing work, relieved by the vague information that she had left Hugh. Then, just before closing, Beman came in with a young woman she recognized as the debutante at Figente's Christmas party.

"You take them, dear, I'm exhausted," Hector said.

She put on her professional expression of welcome and exchanged preliminary greetings with Beman, who was surprised to find her there.

"Miss Allwood is going to be in the Cravenes' new play and I want something spectacular for her to wear in the first and third acts, but nothing to clash with Tessie."

With a fixed smile she watched Miss Allwood, a passable reddish blonde who acted as though she were a great beauty, comb her hair, pull on or toss away Hector's creations as if they were Woolworth's crepe-paper souvenirs. It was Beman, she knew, who had started an increasing trend in the theatre, to have society girls, untrained in the craft of acting, enact in their well-bred college manner the most decadent roles.

"By the way, how is Lucy?" Beman asked idly while they were waiting.

"Lucy who?" asked Miss Allwood abstractedly.

"Claudel, the première in my last show. No, I don't think that beige will do, and you'd better have a platinum bleach," Beman said, thinking of Tessie's red hair.

Their combined indifference infuriated Vida. "Lucy is wonderful. She had a terrific success in Palm Beach at the new club, The Crocodile. She's just back and trying to catch up on rest." She remembered Lucy said "resting" meant no job. "In fact," she extemporized, "when she's rested, she may go to Paris. She has had an offer to star in a show there from that big French manager, I can't remember his name, who saw the Laurencin ballet. He wants her to do it in his new revue."

She could see Beman's fish eyes open at "Palm Beach" and pop at "Paris."

"Really?"

"Yes. I thought you knew her recital was merely a tryout for 'Les Jeux des Filles Méchantes.' Did you see Mark Gordon's review?" she said, casually. Rh