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Show I W)I?raCrftMAB MFP)T FRANCES BARBOUR IT 111 y) 1 M M L ii i Wl W IT 12. SlU 1 I Adapted from the Metro-Oldwy-MW Motion IWire ...TT' " 4 i ' ' t . H ' '' ' . ' V "1, ' I r W - 1 ry : 1 - ' ' 1 I f ' " L : b "Excuse me but haven't we met bejorc somewhere" , "Ymi know " Mrs Dabney said pensively, "I think the reason they want you to . go is because of Claude's engagement " Raymond tottered back "You mean to say that a woman actually ensti-vho is wdhngu put up with Claude? What's she lfko?" They walked to the taxi at he S 'We haven't met her yet. I understand she's very beaut, u -well 'off-" Raymond nodded derisively and hopped into the cab. "Ah, so that's it. Wealthy spinster marries into dilapidated underwear busi. ness. Goodbye' Mother. I'll call you." . In the bar of the Sheffield hotel, Frank waddled up his face beaminf with delight. "Mr. Raymond. This is a p easure We thought you'd deserted us." Raymond grasped his hand "Good old Frank. Well, well! How are you?" A pair of fat shoulders shrugged. "Oh, we've been fairly busy, Mr. Raymond mustn't grumble. Raymond nodded. "And the wife and baby?" Frank smiled complacently. Two babies, sir." Raymond was impressed. "Really? You have been busy. Suddenly he drew a deep breath as a girl swept into the room and seated herself at the adjoining table. Her hair was a golden cap, her mouth like ripe strawberries and her figure was something to make one tremble Raymond looked at her, stupefied with admiration. Not love at first sight perhaps, but certainly, desire "Waiter a champagne cocktail," she said in a low, throbbing voice. Raymond held up a hand. "Make it two, Frank." Then he leaned over toward her. "I hope you don't mind my following your example. A cold glance blew over him. "No?" he aflked imperturbably. 'Good. Thank you." No response. He studied her intently. "Your face seems strangely familiar." r,1 ' , . ,. ,. "Yes?" she asked. "So do your manners." She glanced impatiently at her watch. Raymond chided, "Now don't pretend to be in a hurry. The Opera doesn't 'begin until eight." This really got results. "Opera? How do you know I'm going to the Opera?" Raymond's smile was smug. "You have the tickets in your hand. Elementary, my dear Mrs. Watson." (Raymond is in an adventurous mood. Will the beautiful stranftl accept hisjselj-introduction? See the next exciting episode.) . fii ''Tea will always be the beverage of the intellectual." INSTALLMENT Number One , Puffy and pompous as a pouter pigeon, Claude Dabney sipped his afternoon tea, extolling its refined virtues to his bored secretary. London was warm and balmy and Claude felt singularly fit. A fine day, he thought happily, for women to be thinking of their underwear. That would mean business. After all, the Dabney Flimsies were the standbys of the whole English market. Every true woman of Briton swore by them. The door burst open and Claude looked up. Dabney Senior, noticeably agitated, opened and closed his umbrella a few times then gasped out, "Prepare for a shock, Claude. Your brother Raymond, is out. Sentence reduced. Good behavior." Claude mouthed bitterly, "Good behavior!" Then he added with force, "Now remember father, none of that fatted calf, nonsense." He turned away. "Nice for Crystal to find we have a jailbird in the family." And in the living room of the Dabney home, the "jail-bird" was laughing down at his chin-high mother and saying, "Mum, you've gained, I think." Mrs. Dabney sniffled as she was pulled into her favorite son's lap, "I've lost six pounds." Then the tears came again. "Mother, please," Raymond protested, "your nose'll get red. Here " he took a large handkerchief and delicately held it to her nose. "There, that's better." They laughed together. Raymond said, musingly, "Jail wasn't such a terrible place. You know, in some ways I think it's been rather a good thing a new environment." "Oh Raymond," his mother protested tearfully, "Claude should have helped you. You shouldn't have had to go. If father and Claude had been more sympathetic " He squeezed her hand. "Now, let's not talk about that ..." grandiloquently, "I've paid my debt to society. There are only two things 1 want now and it wouldn't be the first time you gave both of them to me." She raised her brows. Ho laughed. "A- kiss and a hot bath." "Well, father, shall 1 change my name and grow a long beard?" A half hour later Raymond walked into his bedroom to he confronted by his father and brother. "Well Raymond," his father asked, "are you back?" Raymond meditated on this. "Not yet, but I'm expected soon. Claude swung around and snorted, "Such facetiousness. Such impudence." impu-dence." Raymond nobly restrained an impulse. to smack him on the. jaw and turned to his parent. "Well father, let's get the sermon over with." The elder Dabney swelled with rage. "A sermon you say? Do you-consider you-consider a sermon adequate punishment for your crime?" He seemed about to explode. Raymond filed his nails carefully. Prison didn't give much in the way of manicures. "Now look here father. I bought a car on credit and sold it before I'd paid for it. Granted. I expected to have the cash for the auto people but after all, it wasn't so serious " Claude strode up. "You sold something you hadn't paid for," Raymond Ray-mond said, indignantly. "But you and father spend your whole lives buying ladies' underwear on credit and immediately selling it." Claude nodded proudly. "With profit." Dabney, senior, gazed at Raymond in sorrow. "However, in spite of everything, I'm going to do one more thing for you. I shall pay your fare to some part of the world where you can make a fresh start. On top of that, I've decided to give you three hundred pounds." He pursed his lips and waited. Grinning, Raymond walked to the door. "What I want is a place where no one asks any questions and where everyone is told lies. A place where no one cares about one's past or one's future. A place full of money and full of fools a place, in fact, for civilized people. And for me that place is London." He disappeared through the door. Then finally, with his bag packed he stood at the front step with his mother. "But where are you going dear?" she asked apprehensively. "What can I do. Mother? They've shown me the door. I'll go to a hotel, I suppose. Nothing to worry about, dear. I shall get a job." |