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Show Tenderly, he picked her up and put her into bed. "Goodnight darling," dar-ling," he said, "you're exhausted. I think you'll sleep well now." The world was his oyster as he approached his apartment house a bit later. But as he was passing the Courtney-Plaza Hotel, he decided de-cided to check on Mr. Tony Barling, Bar-ling, just to make sure he was in for the evening and not on his way way to Consuelo's. He was at the desk when suddenly there was Tony himself. "Yes," the latter was saying to the clerk, "I'd like yon to reserve a room for Miss Consuelo Croyden. She'll be here any moment . . ." Terry let out a derisive whistle. Tony spun around. "Fortunately for you," he snarled, "I'm busy." "No use fussing," Terry retorted. "She won't be here." Tony turned an enraged crimson. Then his fist shot out and caught Terry on the chin. Terry fell back but the next instant came back gamely. One-two. Hia hands went out like pistons. ' . i S 'i r- - v - h ; I : , ' J ' - " . . .-. : .y 1 ." i-r . - V 1 ; ' - l- ' ' ' r ", L- . j 1 J -. ' r- i mfctou iim tinriir - .inflow k-dymiiuiiv- a-ii ti .y-.i.:,. ip Terry wai crushed. She uaj turning (o Tony once more. MEE Adapted from the Metro' Goldwyn-Mayer Picture by BEATRICE FABER CAST OF CHARACTERS Cmulo Croydm Norma Shoirt Terry Trlndal .... Robert Taylor Tony Barfing Gorg0 Sandern Chappi ChampagiM Frank McHuth Eva ..... Elizabeth Pattertoo iutf ....... Chill Will so completely. He was nothing to me, nothing. You see I was so desperate. I hired him as a watchdog to pretend to love me. It's true, true . . ." She saw Tony stiffen. Something Some-thing was wrong. She swung around. Terry stood there, a very quaint Terry indeed, attired in a pair of Consuelo's silken pajamas pa-jamas and teetering on her high-heeled mules. "Darling," he said, "the hot water faucet drips." He added, rhythmically, "Drip drip, drip drip, drip drip." SYNOPSIS: Terry Trindale, who has written writ-ten a iAt song number with his partner, Chappie, comes to Palm Beach to compose a follow-up tune. But he is sidetracked when he falls in love with Consuelo Croyden whom he encounters at the Casino Club. One evening at the gambling tables, the fascinated fascin-ated Terry dreamily loses thirty-two thirty-two hundred dollars to her which he doesn't have. Consuelo summons him to her home where he signs an agreement. For ten weeks he is to be her "cardboard lover," to pretend that they are sweethearts so that she can fight off the mag-I mag-I netic charm of one, Tony Barling, Bar-ling, whose love is a mixture of adoration and cruel neglect. Taking Tak-ing on the job, Terry finds that he must scheme in numerous ways to keep Consuelo from flying fly-ing back to the arms of Tony. This evening though she had told Terry she is cured. Tony no longer interests her. Terry though, tricks her with a telephone tele-phone call and learns that she is meeting Tony. He walks into her house and while they are quarreling, the doorbell rings. It is Tony. smiled down at her. -Well, now that we can be married right away why not here I'll let you to on a litUe secret. You know, last night after you called me and saia you were on your way, an amazing thing happened. At first I wasnt very Impatient and then little by little I began to miss you more and more. And then I realized that I needed just you for the rest ol my life." She wa strangely quiet. "Really Tony?" "Yes." Hia smile was tender. "I'm afraid you've won darling. Til meekly keep my eyes just for you from now on." He was aware that things were not quite right. Consuelo, what are you doing. She was holding up her hand-watching hand-watching it intently. "Look Tony it doesn't tremble any more. I see you and it doesn't tremble. She smiled mistily. "My dear Tony very simply I don't love you any more." Of course this was impossible-"Consuelo, impossible-"Consuelo, are you all right?" "Quite. This is a real cure. Then she was bewildered. "Oh Tont-what Tont-what have I done?" He was utterly dazed. "I'm svum I don't know." She let out a wall. 'Tve ruinea everything. All because of tha mania I had for you." It coma over her in a flood. Terry, dear marvelous Terry. "I loved him all the time and never knew it." She rushed to the door. "Oh . . . goodbye good-bye Tony." Outside, Terry and Chappie went just stepping into a taxi. "Terry, she called, "Wait." As if in contempt, the cab a gears screamed and they were gone. She thought In circles. If sh went to the airport he'd give her the cold shoulder. And there'd be; a scene. If she could only get on the plane. But she had no reservation. re-servation. Suddenly, an idea electri-fied electri-fied her. Of course. There wan only one way. She got busy. It was just a half hour later that she was back in the courtroom. court-room. ' Terry stood before the magistrate magis-trate again in a towering fury. "What is this Judge?" he yelled.! "What's the idea of yanking me off that plane? Who says I committed com-mitted grand larceny?" Even the Judge was puzzled. "Can't figure it out myself." I' turned to his clerk. "Who's ti.1 1 complaining witness?" , Consuelo moved forward. "I am, Your Honor." She hushed Terry-si bellowing outcry. "You see Your Honor, he didn't really steal my silver." The Judge was incredulous. Then he let out a roar. "Well what are you doin', makin' a mockery of the laws of this state havin' 'him arrested?" ar-rested?" Terry sprang forward. "There you are Judge. It's a frame-up." "QUIET! Answer my question ma'am." ; Tearfully, she said, "Please Judge, . he was going away. I wanted so i much to talk to him. But you see the way he turned on me. Oh, I don't blame him Your ; Honor," she went on shakily. "I've behaved very badly to him. And now I have to make him undei stand that it was only because 1 didn't know I loved him." Terry's patience was at an end "Your Honor I have a plane . tr catch and ..." He came out of the fog. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" "She said," the Judge told hiro, "that she loved you. But dogged if it makes sense to me." Terry turned to her. "Did you say that?" They faced each other, alone on a desert island. Sweet music seemed seem-ed to be wafted on spring zephyr She went to him, softly radiant. "Yes I said it darling. Right out loud. The way you said 'Banco,' and if ever again I treat you badly . . T know." Terry's voice was a silken caress, preliminary to tho touch of his lips to hers. "If ever again you treat me badly... I bi h ': you and then everything will t all right." They kissed and the Judge watched watch-ed them, once more back in his youth. Ah love. Yuh just couldn't match it for fun. ')' .'; 'f THE END. Printed ll U.S.1 Copyi-lcht 1943 by Loew'j Ire A cry escaped her. "Not this. Oh no." Tony was standing there, like a man of stone. "Terry Trindale," Trin-dale," she said venomously, "in the name of all you hold sacred tell him the truth. Tell him that right now you're playing a lying trick you'll be ashamed of for the rest of your life." Terry paled. Then he said slowly, "Mr. Barling will have to draw his own conclusions." She gasped. "No!" She threw herself at Tony. "You can see he's lying can't you?" Quite firmly Tony disengaged himself. "I've seen all I care to see." He strode to the door and banged himself out. "Tony, Tony," Consuelo cried once more. Only his receding footsteps foot-steps answered. Now she whirled on Terry. "You coward. No other man in the world could have done such a contemptible thing. No one." She flew up the stairs and called back, "And get out of my pajamas so that I can burn them." Up in her room she threw a coat on over her hostess gown. She turned around. Terry was in the doorway, once again attired in his own clothes. "Get out of here. You're not going to stop me. I'm going to him." He leaned against the door jamb. "No can do. You're going to have to stay." The argument raged from furious to wild. Finally, with a triumphant look she went to the telephone and called the Courtney-Plaza where Tony was staying. "Oh darling," she all but wept, "it's me. Yes I'll explain when I see you. No Tony. He's left. Yes, I kicked him out. I'll be there in ten minutes . . . yes dear, goodbye." She hung up and faced Terry. "I'm leaving immediately. Now do you understand?" under-stand?" He nodded. "Very well." He moved to the window. '"But the moment you step out of that door, I drop out of here." Her eyed widened. "You wouldn't. You wouldn't." "I would." He was climbing half way out. Uncertain, she backed to the door. "You're only bluffing." Immediately, he was over the sill. His toes touched the ledge beneath be-neath where he was quite safe. "Here I go," he called. At that instant, a vase from the Terrace fell to the ground. Terry popped up. "Say look Consuelo . . ." He walked into the room. Consuelo was on the floor in a dead faint. In awe Terry said to himself, "Gosh, I'm the winnah!" The fight was on. In a few moments the lobby was a shambles. A crowd gathered. One woman screamed and a man cheered. Everyone was having a grand time. Then the cops arrived. The embattled combatants of the century cen-tury were led off to jail. Early the next morning they both stood before the local magistrate, each of them trying to get in his own version of the story. Terry had telephoned Chappie last night to hop a plane and bail him out. So far though, no Chappie. Suddenly Tony burst out, "Your honor, if you knew the nerve of this gigolo. He deliberately tried to break up what, by now, would have been a very happy marriage." He was really feeling like a fool. The whole thing was all over the Palm Beach papers by now. ' "Happy marriage," Terry snorted, "that's a howl. Judge, Your Honor, here's the truth of it . . ."He broke off. Consuelo was coming in. She rushed past him like a whirlwind. "Oh Tony, my poor Tony, are you hurt?" So she had gone to Tony. Terry stood there, crushed. The Judge banged on his desk. "QUIET! QUIET! Young woman, what do you mean by comin' in here and disturbin' the dignity of this cou't? What's your name?" Tony stepped up. "She's my finan-cee finan-cee Your Honor. Miss Consuelo Croyden." Now Terry spoke. "Wait a minute Judge. Miss Croyden wasn't there, she doesn't know what happened. You've got the charges. Fine me or stick me back in the jug or whatever but why question her. As it happens she hates me and anything any-thing she says will be prejudiced." Consuelo flamed. "I do hate you but I'm not prejudiced." At this moment, a newcomer galloped in Chappie to the rescue. "Hey Terry," he yelled, "we sold the song and I got the mooly. Your Honor, what's the bite?" The Judge was sad. He hated to see this case end. It was getting to be fun. "The clerk of the cou't'll figure up the damages. Good day to ye all." Terry said loudly, "Well Chappie, glad that's settled. We're flying straight to New York. Back to work, old nose to the "grindstone." As he left with Chappie, Consuelo Con-suelo stood there with a funny tremor running through her. She was startled when Tony spoke. "Guess the show's over darling." They were in the corridor. He Chapter Three (Conclusion) Like a mad woman fighting for her very existence, Consuelo grabbed grab-bed Terry, his hat and coat and shoved him toward the back stairs. "Get up there and stay there. And if you move, if you stir, I warn you, I'll . . ." Her cheeks were flaming. "Can I breathe?" Terry asked. "No." She gave him a violent push. "Go on." He had just disappeared when Tony came in. "Tony. Tony!" She had no pride, no shame. She simply knew that it was Tony she loved. He held her off and said coldly, "This is all very well but I've been at the Harcourts sitting next to an empty chair all through dinner din-ner . . . looking a fool." He took her by the shoulders. "Now listen Consuelo, you must make up your mind, once and for all. Some weeks ago you called our marriage off for the Nth time." Her arms went around him. "But dearest," she cooed, "I've come back to you." He weakened and said tenderly, "All right then, this time let's try to make it sure." He moved away. "Consuelo, I have faults. We know that. But why not try to live pleasantly pleas-antly with my faults? Chain me up and I'm impossible. Leave me free and I think I can be rather nice. Suppose I were to flirt with another woman for instance . . ." Her lips trembled. "Oh no Tony, you wouldn't." He laughed softly and kissed her. "There we -are. After all Consuelo was broadmindpd enough about that Terry person . . ." She was really wounded. "Oh Tony that you could think such a thins of me. of me who loves you |