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Show fcj LEBBEUS MITCHELL jJ- 1 "-vViTfc-i3 am.. She'll divorce you in Yucatan, by mad, a a she did Joe Simpson." Smarting, IVeiing double-crossed, IIuiM-ty went direct to Connie to induce her to drop ,ho suit a'ain.it the Star. Ho humbly assumed ail blame for the offending libelous article. ar-ticle. He pleaded with her: "H you t pro through with this case, it will; throw SOU employees out of work men and women, Jobless, walking the street, hungry, tired and cold. It was my mistake. All my life I'll be faced with the knowledge that I wrecked 500 lives." "You're right," said Connie. "They shouldn't suffer for your mistake. They must be taken care of." In his relief, he seized her hand. "Heaven bless you, Miss Allen-b Allen-b !" 1 see to it," she added with a twu. j, "that the entire five million mil-lion goes into a trust fund for the St;ir's employees." "But . . . but . . . You mean you're yoiny ahead with the cu.se!" "I must to take care of those poor men and women." His dismay was turned to surprise ty. "Not four hours ago I heard you:' two-timing Komuo cooing svcct nothings into Connie Allen-bury'3 Allen-bury'3 ears!" "Bill told me about thai," replied Gladys sweetly. "It was technique but, of course, you wouldn't know j about that." "Beiieve me, Warren," pleaded Bill. "I'm taking the best way. The Allenburys are giving- a party tomorrow to-morrow night, and I'll be there and get Connie to drop the suit unless un-less you decide to break in again as you did tonight." "You're too obvious, Warren," commented Gladys. "Bill knows best." But Haggerty, enflamed by jealousy, jeal-ousy, fearing the paper would lose the libel suit and that he was about to lose his girl, set himself to outsmart out-smart and out-think Bill. He had printed at the head of the society column in a single issue of the Star an item to the efr'ect that J. B. Al-lenbury Al-lenbury and his daughter had bought steamship tickets for an around - the - world trip following their charity bazaar, and that Con- Pie saw how troubled she was. "What's wrong, Connie?" "It's just ... I don't know where to begin . . . It's just a question don't explain . . . Bill have you been proposed to much?" "Have I been xchut?" "Proposed to your hand asked in marriage. I'm asking . . . Bill, will you many me? Now? Tonight?" To-night?" "Tonight!" he gasped; then shouted shout-ed : "Is there a preacher in tha house." Haggerty and Gladys found them after hours of search in a hotel apartment where the clerk said they had registered not twenty minutes before. - "I hate to bust in on your littla' party, Miss Connie Allenbury," raged Gladys, bursting into their rooms, "but that man happens to be my husband." "I'm afraid there's been a mistake," mis-take," said Bill. "This is Mrs. Chandler." "We were just married in Greenwich, Green-wich, . Connecticut," eaid Connie. "Bill has our marriage certificate." Synopsis Bill Chandler, cn-aaaed. cn-aaaed. bit the .Win York Star to yua.sh a S.r, 000, 000 libel suit hronijht (ifuiitst it by Connie Allenbury, Al-lenbury, wealthy yirl it. had accused ac-cused of husband xtealiny, nails to London to return by the boat that briny x Connie and her father home. Prct endint to be a fisherman, he wins Allenbury's friendship and in invited to his Adirondack Lodye, but Connie believes him a fort':no hunter. At the lodye, E.ll r her re-yard re-yard and fulls for her. lie prevents pre-vents the H t a r's editor, and O lu d ys Bent o n, w h am he ha d married merely that she mxyht briny suit for alieyiutian of affections af-fections ayainst Connie, from reaching the lodye. Chapter Three love" with complications Bill succeeded in preventing Haggerty Hag-gerty and Gladys from reaching the Allenbury lodge, but, back at his Mew York hutol, had to defend himself vigorously as a winner of feminine hearts. As a Romeo, Oladys told him, he was a cluck. .Haggerty wanted to go ahead and file the alienation suit on the bariis that Bill had told hits loving wife that he was going to Washington and, instead, had hied himself off to the Allenbury lodge. "The set-up's crazy we haven't a chance," declared 13 ill. "Her father was there. They'd throw the guit out of court anywhere. I'm getting get-ting a real 'in' with the family It's a cinch to get an invitation t") his Ijong Island mansion." "Not a chance, Bill! She walked out on you twice. I'm printing the story of the alienation suit." Left alone with Gladys, Bill said: "If ho goes through with this we'll all be in jail by tonight." "But 'that's the plan w,e've had right along." "We haven't enough evidence. The Allenburys will smell a frame-up. And to think Haggerty would do this to a beautiful girl like you. You've put up with a lot, kid. You're one girl in a million!" "And you don't know the tenth of it!" responded Gladys, feeling sorry for herself. "You won't believe be-lieve all the things I've stood for!" "I want to hear all about it," said Bill. Later, long after dinner, as they were dancing to the radio, he said: - . - spy. . , ' a I-" , i " ''J - t'V -i . . ... : o ' , ' , ' ' 'V . ' " ' K ','" j " You double -crossed ; t ' " me lor the sake of at K - ( s newspaper!" stormed f 5 1 Gladys. "Well, marry i I i I v j.1 J , . the newspaper andk - l ( e e proud fathers 1 ' 1 of headlines" . "I hope Warren won't mind our dancing this way." Her eyes had been closed as she danced dreamily for Bill was a good dancer but now she opened them. "Who? Oh. him! A girl can certainly dance with her husband! And vou arc my husband!" Bill blinked. "Oh yes. Quite. After nil it's our last night I'll have to move out if you file that suit. I'm going to miss you." "And I'll miss you, too. You don't want to bring that suit, do you?" "For your own sake no, I don't." "Then I won't! A girl should listen lis-ten to her husband!" He pretended a headache and she wanted to rub it- Then he pleaded an insomnia that only the - sound of horses' feet beating on the pavement coidd cure, and made his escape from the apartment . . . Bill didn't return to the apartment apart-ment for several days and Gladys phoned the Star, fearing she had offended him and, wishing to apologize; apolo-gize; asking Haggerty's secretary to try the morgue. Haggerty was amazed at Gladys' interest in Bill and when his secretary suggested that perhaps Bill was working on the -wrong girl, he went up in the air entirely and was in a quarrelsome quarrel-some mood when Bill at last put in an appearance. "Pretty soft for you!" he growled. "You haven't seen Connie Allenbury for d.?vs. You talked me out of the alienation suit po the paper would pay the bill while you concentrated on the wrong girl on viy girl! I want to know what's been going on between you." Scenting an "out" from the suit against Connie, Bill played up Haggerty's Hag-gerty's jealousy. "What" did you expect? ex-pect? No man could be around a beautiful girl like Gladys and not fall in love." Haggerty raged: "She may be v"iT but she's enyayed to me! as Bill Chandler entered without 'noticing him. Bill went straight to Connie, his arms out, saying, "My sweet!" They pretended not to know each other as Connie introduced them. It came out inadvertently that Connie had been seeing Bill once, sometimes twice, a day. Haggerty's Hag-gerty's troubles took wing: Bill was there in the Allenbury home with Connie. He 'phoned Gladys and a detective, get them there and then file the alienation suit. Professing himself entirely satisfied with Connie's Con-nie's plan for caring for the Star's work ere, he made a hurried exit. Bill, knowing exactly what was in Haggerty's mind and what he planned plan-ned to do. made up a tale of having to dine with his publisher who was sailing that night and in turn beat a hasty retreat. Haggerty 'phoned to Gladys and the detective and then beat it to the Star's office to write the story of the alienation suit and have it set up in type. He was gloating over the scarehead he had written over the story when Bill and Gladys, their arms entwined, entered the office. He exploded at once. "Where have you been, Gladys?" "Dancing with Bill." She smiled smil-ed fondly at Bill. "Do you mean to say you didn't go to the Allenburys?" "No. we decided against it." "Well, what have you got to sny for S'ourselves? What happened ?" "What would you say. Haggerty, if I told you I've practically gotten Connie Allenbury to agree to drop the suit?" "I'd say you were a dirty, double-crossing double-crossing liar!" Gladys took "Bill's arm. "Come, William. I won't stay here to hear you insuKed!"- "Listcn U me!" shouted Hagger- nie's latest favorite, William Chand- I ler, would be in the party. "Do we hear wedding bells?" concluded that ! completely false item. He showed it 1 to Gladys in a beauty parlor booth where she was getting a permanent perman-ent wave. He beat a hasty retreat as Gladys' face became flushed with anger as she read the item . . . The night of the bazaar, Bill tried to get Connie to give him a promise pro-mise to drop the suit against the Star. "You'll get my answer when the last guest leaves," she told him. "You'ie a hard woman, Connie Allenbury," said Bill. "Only when I'm crossed." They had their fortunes told and Bill was paying a photographer who had snapped their portraits when Mr. Allenbury came up and led his daughter aside. "Connie, I must see you. Nevermind Bill; he'll keep." "What is it, Dad? I haven't seen you look this worried in years." "How much does Chandler mean to you, Connie? Are you in love with him?" "Terribly in love with him. More than I ever dreamed I could care for anyone. "Why, pad? You like him, don't you?" "Of course." "Then stop being mysterious. Tell me what's worrying you?" "The Van Arsdalos say he's married, mar-ried, vl've just seen them." "I don't believe, it . . . Yet it would explain so much: "Why we always al-ways met alone . . . Oh, it's hideous suspecting him!" "We've got to know ask tim point-blank " "Iet me ask him in my way. Please go now. darling . . ." She was on the terrace when Bill at last found her. When she could get the courage, she said? "Bill, there's . . . I've got something to ask you.' 1 "They're married all right!" said Haggerty, looking at the certificate. "That's bigamy! What a story!" and started for the door. "You publish that and you'll have another libel suit on your hands!" threatened Bill. "Gladys is Mrs.' Joseph Simpson. All Yucatan divorces divor-ces were declared illegal three years ago." " "I found that out too,' said Gladys, "and divorced Joe Simpson again in Reno. So now where do wo stand? Well, my husband isn't worth much to me but with all your money, Connie Allenbury, you couldn't buy him at any price! I've just been something to kick around something to protect a newspaper news-paper and another woman's good flame. There was some excuse for , Bill he was ip love with another woman, but you Warren Haggerty, are ten times worse than he is! You double-crossed me for th sake of a newspaper! Well, marry tfle newspaper news-paper and be the proud father of headlines." She flounced from the room, but mistook the door, and entered the bedroom. Connie followed her,- and at once Haggerty an? Bill came to blows. At sound of the fight, Gladys called wildly: "Warren! Warren!" Gladys ran into the room, got her arms around 'Haggerty. "Warren, darling, are you hurt?" She turned furiously upon Bill. "You must have hit him when his back was turned!" She gave Bill a blow that bloodied his nose. A joyous laugh burst from Bill's lips as he advanced, hands out. to Connie. "A second trip to Reno for Gladys, then for our interrupted honeymoon!" . 1938 Metro-CVoldwyn-M'ayer Oorp. THE END. |