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Show tlme nor the Jncllnatlon to take off the part of Cleopatra." Mockingly, he stood back and looked at her through half closed eyes "What I don't get," he said slowly, "is -what a wren like you is doing so far from the sidewalks of New York." It was an insult smack between the eyes and for a moment Malsie was speechless. Then she leaped at Skeeta furiously. furi-ously. Her handbag was raised like thaCt1Ubbackr Sten Ml3t6r' y0U f,," r?aved with la"e&ter at the h f-vher -d tied up her flailing hands. "Uh, uh. Vel- XlL P&7al he chuled. Then he released her and grinned. "Just re-member re-member what I said honey. Stick to your act, whatever it is." She sputtered with fury. "You'll ?f.6, h?tlt is and good too. rSttHIy oClass- BiS "me. Drop catch itthffShad.y Lawn HoteI an catch it if you're sure it won't lv y,& & i 1 v x i- ! 1 I .4 t tVrw- " j I'"" ' v V- X , s E L , v . v .I n v - 1 u v'v . i rrs n I "Ltslcii Mister, you tulie that back!" Chapter One Msisie stood there on the road .T watched the train receding. i thnnelit of the inhuman cou-S"et0r cou-S"et0r wlS had signalled the engi-l engi-l and put her off, merely be-" be-" e she didn't have a ticket .' "uh " she told herself, "I wouldn't soil1 my lips with, fie c. name o you." She pie.:-d up iki- bag and started valiantly down the road. "And from now on, I travel bAsPlusual, tough luck had been ,vi5uing her. For three weeks she S"d put up with being tossed sround by super jitterbugs at the rame a Dance Elysian Glades. But Sen one Rug Cutter had thrown her the length of the floor and almost al-most broken her spine, she had '"fi'ien Vic her agent, had told her n,ic inh Ht the Shadv Lawn wrenched open the door of the station wagon, hopped out and grabbed his sleeve. "Listen Foul Mouth," she blazed, "he offered offer-ed me a lift in a gentlemanly gen-tlemanly way and I took it. But if I'd known they keep a mongrel dog around here to bark at strangers I'd have-declined with thanks." She marched back to the wagon, grabbed grab-bed up her suitcase and started for the road. A moment later, Terry came tearing after her. "Please Miss Ravier," he pleaded, "don't be mad. That was just a misunderstanding. misunder-standing. I'll take you to the hotel in half Adapted from the Metro. Goldwyn-Mayer Picture by BEATRICE FABER CAST OF CHARACTERS Maisie Ravier Ann Sotherri Skeeti Maguire .... George Murphy, Terry Dolan .... Robert Sterling Virginia O'Brien . . . Virginia O'Brien Cecelia Reardon . . . Natalie Thompson Mr. Dolan Margaret Moffat Chotsie .... Maxie Rosenbfoom Ricky Du Prex lack La Rue v' "Rags" Ragland Conductor Oscar O'Shea Peaches ...... John Indrisano Jitterbug ....... Roy Lester! Terry was all sympathy but Skeets said dryly, "You certainly run through jobs quick don't you? Through before you start" At this moment a waiter summoned him to a long distance call and he rose. "Excuse me Miss Ravier. I'D be right back." She barely looked at him, "Don't hurry." When he was gone, Terry said worriedly, "Miss Ravier, what are you going to do now? I'd sure like to help you." She tried to pull herself out of it. "Oh listen, don't bother about me. I'll be all right.' Now Terry TSegan to speak intently. in-tently. He had a plan all worked out. Tomorrow was Sunday, his day off, and he was driving back to New York in the station wagon. He was going to stop off and spend a couple of hours with his mother. All Maisie would have to do was come along and that way she wouldn't have to worry about train fare. "Now about a room for tonight," he said quickly, "I fixed it up." His eyes twinkled. "Sure. This hotel always treats an artiste right even when they fire her." He pat-, ted her hand. "Honest Maisie it's all right. And ' if you want to we'll just call it a loan." Her voice shook just a bit. "Gee, it sure means a lot meeting someone some-one like you just when t was thinking the wolves had taken over the world." At that moment, Skeets returned and stood there, looking at them both coldly. He and Terry were about to leave when he said, "You go back to camp and get to bed Terry. Send Chotsie over here with the car for me. I got some business busi-ness to do." The moment Terry was gone he said grimly, "I want to talk to you." He had her arm in a hard grasp. "Outside." Wheii they had reached the lawn he released re-leased her. Now he didn't smile at all. He was her enemy, cold, implacable. im-placable. "What are you trying ;o pull?" he demanded. "I beg your pardon?" she sa.o with hauteur. "I have to hand it to you." He was icy with anger. "I saw Terry at that hotel desk a while ago. You sure" work fast. The room in the I hotel and what's the plan for tomorrow? to-morrow? Is he taking you for a ride in the beautiful, beautiful country?" She tried to hang on to her temper. "Thank3 an awful lot for your interest in my business Mr. Maguire but . . ." Skeets cut in. "As far as you're concerned I'm only interested in one thing. That's Terry. He's Kk a kid brother to me. And I'm shaping shap-ing him up to be champion and nothings going to get in his way. Nothing." Maisie was genuinely puzzled. "Meaning what?" "Look babe," Skeets ground out, "this isn't Terry you know. I'm the wise one and I'm wise to your game. Big money. Easy pickings. But I handle his dough so it's no dice on the shakedown." Maisie was so paralyzed with surprise sur-prise and anger that she could hardly speak. Finally, her voice came. "You close your mouth," she said shrilly. She was shaking like a leaf. "I've earned my living since I was fourteen years old and I never did a crooked thing or took one cent I didn't earn. If my dear mother was to come back from her grave today I could look her right in the eyes and not be ashamed of anything." With lazy, insulting superiority he nodded. "Okay sister, okay. Maybe May-be I'm wrong. But just try to pull anything and you get it right across the knuckles." Abruptly, he turned and stalked off. Shaken to the core Maisie stared after him. "Oh!" she cried and then it was all too much for her iangled nerves and weary bodv. Covering her face with her hands she burst into wild, frantic tears. (In Terry, Maisie has found i friend but Skeets seems determined determin-ed to make things difficult for her. Can she possibly win him over to her side? Don't miss the next amazing episode.) Printed In tr. S. A. Copyright 1941 by Loew'i Ino. Eoid in Cedar Lake as pa. u r to Pickv du Prez, the Apache c.anser. V. tr.e last minute though, her landlady had grabbed her train f-re for overdue rent. She had slowed away on the train but that awi'ul conductor had caught her. Now here she was fifteen miles from nowhere and not a vehicle in sight. All at once, a young man in sweatshirt and trousers came running run-ning out of a side path. He stopped stop-ped short. "What's the matter Miss? Are you lost?" Warily, Maisie replied. No. Is somebody chasing you?" He laughed. "This is road work. You see, I'm a fighter." He hesitated. hesi-tated. "Where are you going? Maybe May-be I could give you a lift. My trainer will be along in a minute with the station wagon." Maisie nodded thankfully and explained ex-plained that she was headed for the Shady Lawn Hotel. He extended his hand. "My name's Terry Dolan but I fight under the name of Young O'Hara. My training train-ing camp's just over the hill. When I get back I have to spar a few rounds but after that I'll take you on over to the hotel." Maisie introduced herself and then a broadly smiling oaf named Peaches brought the station wagon tip. The ride was short and they tad just stopped before the lodge of the camp when suddenly a voice shouted, "Hey, what's the idea?" A scowling, well built young man approached. He looked at Maisie as if Terry had brought home a toa constrictor. , Terry turned around. "Oh hello Skeets. Miss Ravier, this is Skeets Maguire, my manager. You see, Skats, I'm going to run Miss R?vier over to the hotel . . ." Skeets gave her a piercing look then turned to Terry. "You rode back. Riding in cars when you've got a sweat up! What do you want to do, get lumbago?" He started away but sent a contemptuous look at Maisie. "Pickin" up yellow haired hair-ed mice when you ought to be doing your rnad work." Maisie had had enough. She an hour like I said. Come on, please don't be sore." "I'm not sore at you," Maisie explained like a little lady. "You been more than nice throughout. But Gargantua is something else." Terry sighed. "You see," he said gropingly, "Skeets always has had his way about what I did. I let him because he was most always right." Terry's eyes gleamed with spirit. "But he was wrong just now. I promised you a ride to the hotel and I want to make good on it."" Her chin lifted and a wicked little smile played about her lips. "Okay pal. Let's show him." She was still seething though as she walked back to the station wagon. "Yellow haired mice, huh?" she muttered to herself." Sniffing a little, she walked into the big Lodge and sauntered over to the water cooler. Her hand was outstretched for a paper cup when she saw Skeets working at his desk. The water went "Glub" as she filled her cup. Skeets looked up. Then his face darkened. He rose and slowly walked towards her. Still holding the cup Maisie looked look-ed at him with provocative defiance. de-fiance. Just let him say anything to her. Just let him. "What're you doin' in here?" he demanded brusquely. She spoke with mincing gentility. gentil-ity. "I am having a drink of clear, cold water." He was furious. "Then finish it and wait in the car." She gave vent to a brief laugh. "And what you say goes huh? Well mister, when I have more time I must tell you about Abraham Lincoln. He was a wonderful, wonderful won-derful man. And guess what? He freed the slaves." Skeets looked as if he wanted to shake her. "Listen sister this is your first visit to this camp and your last. So if you're getting any ideas, drop them now." She flared up wildly. "Ideas o what? You listen, tall dark bad-mannered. I got no designs your fighters. I have neither sweep you off your feet, you bein' so susceptible. He was still laughing. "Managers don't train baby. I might drop over at that." Maisie was in her dressing room that night hooking up her Apache -costume when suddenly the door opened and in walked Ricky du Prez, dark and smug, a pool room Valentino. "Hi sugar. How about-cha? about-cha? Stand up and lemme see you in the dress. Mmm. Say,, you look better in it than the other girl. You fill it out fine." "Thank you," she said impersonally. imper-sonally. The music could be heard outside. out-side. He took her arm ad squeezed squeez-ed it. Now his voice was low and intimate. "You know, it's gonna be a fine summer. We're gonna be a great team. Know what I mean?" She pushed away from him. "Now look Ricky I got nothing against you personally. I like you fine, all the longer I've known you, but I just don't play around." He began to burn. "What do yuh mean? I ain't good enough huh?" "Now Ricky," she said winning-ly, winning-ly, "don't get sore." "Yeah?" he sneered. "Well, here's how I am. Dames who think they're the Queen of America, gimme a pain." He flung open the door and called the band leader. "Listen "Lis-ten we don't go on tonight. This dame is the worst I ever see. And she goes back tonight. And no expenses either." Maisie stood there rooted to the floor. "Now I have seen everything every-thing . . . dancing bears, waltzing elephants and now a skunk who does the adagio." The waiter came to the door. "Miss Ravier, Terry Dolan's out front. He wants you to join him as soon as you're through." She laughed hollowly. "And I'm through right now. Ha-ha. Funn-coincidence." Funn-coincidence." OulMde, at the table Maisie found Terry and Skeets. Briefly, she ex-Dlained ex-Dlained that she wouldn't be danc-tonight, danc-tonight, "for reasons too per-1 per-1 to discuss." |