Show I ITHE THE COMMON LAW Lk BY ROBERT W. W CH CHAMBERS M B E R INSTALMENT 15 1 Alice Annan laughed and glanced at Querida Cam Cameron Camerons ronS ron'S s idea was her idea of ot ol W her her brother brothel Har Harry y was was doing doing for fot a living but she wasn't sure that Querida would Wo l i th think it either flattering flatterIng flattering flatter flatter- ing or humorous I But Jose Querida l laughed too sayIng saying saying say say- Ing Quite right richt Mr lir Cameron Its Ita only bluff with us we never wont Life Is one continual comic opera pera Its It's a cinch murmured Cameron Stocks and bonds are exciting but your business puts it all over us Nobody Nobody Nobody No No- body would have to drive me t to business business business busi busi- ness every morning If It there was a pretty model in a cosy studio awaitIng awaiting awaiting await await- ing me Sandy youre you're rather horrid said Mis Miss Aulne watching him sort out the tha Jokers from the new packs and with witha a Do skillful flip send them scaling ou out t I across across' the grass grass' for somebody to pick pickup up Cameron said said- How about this Trilby business anyway Miss Annan You have havea a brother brothel in it Is the world I of art full run of or pretty models clad In ballet skirts when skirts when they wear wear anything anything any any- I thing I Is It all aU one mad joyous mel melange melange me me- l lange of highbrow conversation discreetly die dis peppered with lowbrow revelry Yes Yes' No Inform an art lover please a as they say in the Times Saturday I I 1 dont don't know said Miss Annan laughing Harry never has anybody interesting in the the studio when h ht he lets t I me t take ke tea there Rose Aulne said I saw some I photographs of a very beautiful girl in Sam Sani s studio studio a a a model What is iI isher h her r name Alice the Alice the 1 the ore one Sam and Harry are ae always raving over over They call her Valerie I believe Y Yes s that's the one one Valerie Valerie West Vest isn isn't t It it Is it Louis You know her of course Neville nodded coldly Introduce me murmured Cameron spreading a pack for cutting Perhaps Perhaps Per Per Perhaps haps shed she'd like Uke to pee ee the stock exchange exchange ex exchange ex- ex change when hen Im I'm at t my bestis best x Is ls she such a beauty Do you know her too Mr Querida asked Rose Itose RoseA A Aulne lne Q Querida erlda laughed r I 1 do Miss West is a most engaging most amiable and ard cultivated girl Irl and truly beautiful Oh Ohr They are are sometimes educated edu edo asked Stephanie surprised Sometimes they are even equipped to enter almost any any- drawing room In New York It doesn't always require the very highest equipment to do that he added laughing That sounds lIk like romantic fiction observed Alice Annan You are a poet Mr Querida Oh Its It's not often orten a girl like Valerie West crosses our path I admit that Now and then such a comet passes across our sky sky sky-or or is reported I nevel neve before saw any except this one If IOU she's as much of a winner as all that began Cameron with decision I want to meet her Immediately immediately- Mere l brokers are out of It saI said Alice Cut Cut please V I ROse se Aulne said If you you painters only knew it your stupid studio teas would be far more Interesting if it you you'd d dhave have a girl like this Valerie West to pour for you jou and for tor forus us to see see Yes added Alice but they're a avain avain a avain vain lot lots They think we are unsophisticated unsophisticated enough to want to go to fo their old studios an be perfectly satisfied to look at their precious pictures an and listen to their art patter atter Ive I've told Harry that what we want Js s to see of the real studio life Ufe and he tries to c convince me that its it's about hS as is exciting as s a lawyers lawyer's rs r's life lite when h ho dictates to his stenographer Js Is it it asked or Neville Just about a as exciting Some few business men n may smirk at their stenographers stenographers stenographers ste- ste some few painters may behave have in the same way to their models I fancy its it's the exception to I the rule in any kind of ol business businesS iSn't Isn t tit it Sandy bandy I Certainly said Cameron hastily Ive never winked at my stenographer n never ver neye Will WilI you deal Mr M Querida 1 he asked courteously I I I should think hi at at girl like that would I be interesting to know said Lily Col Col- ha who had come up behind h her her- r brother and Stephanie Swift and Swift and stood a a. hand on each of ot their shoulders listening lis ha- and looking on at the card game I f That is what I wanted to say say too nodded Stephanie Id like Uke to meet a I really nice girl who is courageous enough and romantic enough to pose for artists artists- T mean enough dont don't Yo You mean poor you you you- do do It because said Neville They don dont don't Its It's romantic It It must b be romantic work It 1 It Jsn isn't t I assure you ou Its It's drudgery and and sometimes torture Stephanie laughed I believe Its It's easy work and gay existence full of ot romance Dont Don't undeceive me Louis And I think y you youre you're ure re selfish not to let letus letus us meet your beautiful Valerie attea at attea tea teat tea Why Why not added dd d hl his sister Id 1 like to see h her myself 1 Oh Lily you you know perfectly well that oil nfl and water dont don't mix x he said with a we weary ry shrug oil oU I r suppose were we're the Rose Aulne Aulne horrid horrid smooth insinuating insinuating ing stuff stiff And nd his his' be beautiful l Valerie Is the the clear crystalline uncontaminated uncontaminated fountain of ot InI Inspiration Lily Collis dropped her hands from Stephanie's and her brothers brother's shoulders shoulders shoulders ders Do Dot Do t ask us us' us to to tea to meet her bet Louis she coaxed Weve Wave never never a a. model model- Do you want me to exhibit a sensitive sensitive sensitive tive girl as a museum freak he asked impatiently Dont Don t you suppose ose we know how to behave toward h her her- r Really Loui Louis you you Probably you know how to behave And I can assure you that she knows perfectly well how to behave toward anybody But Dut that Isn't the question You want to see her out of curiosity Y You iu wouldn t make malte a friend of or her her or or even an acquaintance And I tell you frankly I dont don't think Its It's square to hr r hrand hrand and arid I wont won't do it Women are re nuisances nuisances nuisances nui nui- in studios anyway 1 brother What a charming way your has of explaining laughed Stephanie Stephanie Stephanie Ste Ste- phanie passing her arm through Lilys Lily's Shall we ve reveal to him that he was seen with his Valerie at the St St. Regis a week ago ago Why not he said coolly b but t in inwardly inwardly inwardly in- in exasperated She's as ornamental orna orn- mental as anybody who dines there I I dont don't do that with my stenographers stenographers stenographers' called out Cameron gleefully cleaning up three-odd three in spades Oh dont don't talk to me nit Louis Louis' Youre You're a Kay gay bunch all aU youre you're youre you're qualified every one of you artists and models to Join the merry merry merryl Stephanie dropped Lilys Lily's arm with a aUght alight alight light laugh swung h her r tennis bat then continued her swift graceful pace white serge skirts skirts' swinging above h h n l' l ankles bright hair wind a blown a. a lithe full wholesome figure aery comforting comforting comfort comfort- ing to look at Come upstairs Ill I'll show yoP yoji wh where rc Gordons Gordon's shoes are said his sister Gordons Gordon's white shoes fitted him also his white trousers When he was mIS dressed he came out of the l room an and Joined his sister who was seated on the stairs balancing her racquet across her knees Louis she abe said how about the good taste of taking that model of yo yours yoth's rs to the St Regis Regis' legis It was perfectly good taste he said carelessly Stephanie took it like an angel argel mus mused d his sister Why shouldn't she fhe If It there was anything queer about it J pose nose Id I'd select the St St. Regis I Nobody supposed there thing queer queer q Well Vell then then- he demand I the row row a There is no row stephat Steph r make what you jou call to rOW t does anybody In your imme lly ilYf I was was was' merely question dom of your public the circumstances j What circumstances J His sister looked at hint hIm c The circumstances ot 0 standing with Stephanie V s understanding of years mind at least amounts to toa a VJ J Im glad yoU jou aai said sald th after a moments moment's steady hit that is the way that Step Sten you ou still BUll regard a college aft at what A what A ja jaA t A boy and girl r becomes an undergraduate and nd has bas never amounted 0 more more more- Lou Louis Louis' Is What I Dont you care for heri herz Certainly as mu much h as asu as much as she really Sni a cares for me me he answered I You know perfectly went affairs ever amount to-r to to to fm mental ever after line Inta Ija hearts almost never no more idea of it than have fond of each other neither happened so far to to thing But as soon as th thel comes along Stephanie wings winks and take flight flight- You dont don't know her W TV faithless your wretches your in makes me positively ill Inconstancy Im I'm not notI notE liD I I nev never er saw a a. girl I 1 liked b bf Stephanie Im I'm not pot like iJ I that doesn doesn't t mean that mean that I z want her her her- herFor For shame Nonsense Why do yo yen Ou Inconstancy Its It's a What is constancy in bye loye an en accident or or ora a fortunate mind To promise c cOnstant constanc cOnstantis Is promising to continue in mind over which jour a Its It's never an can can be only an honest T hoi comes and goes and no man manit It and no man is its prophet unasked som sometimes unwelcome it goes goes' unbidden reason without logic as tees x xit it came ame governed by laws has ever yet jet et understood understood- understood a To be continued d |