Show I e rt u t f LAURA LOU BROOKMAN r A ArnOD QI 1930 4 NIA NA SERVICE INC CHAPTER LX A ma man man in tall taU hat and dinner clothes jostled against Dune Barney Shields and begged ed his pardon Shields muttered a. a reply and strode on Ho Jook looked d. d neither to left nor I right but shouldered through the crowd Someone knock knocked ll Ills his hat Shields caught It just in time to keep it from Crom falling Th The Tho sickening realization that Celia Cclia was lost to lost hIm him lost utterly i blinded the young young- man H Ho did not know where he wits was going Ho lie Ie did lid not care Then ho be became aware that someone someone someone some some- one w was s shouting It was was' his anic name ame they ey were calling Mr IT Shields Oh Mr Shields Barney Barnoy turned A man looking very excited was running toward oward him calling his hi's name naine Theman The Theman man man do dodged bout about a a 1 group group and and re- re 1 appeared It was Edward the but- but cr Too disturbed to find this per- per strange Shields waited alted What do you ou want ho demanded demanded de do When hen the tho butler r reached ach him Edward Edword was out of ot breath ShOB she's she's over o there therel ho gasped She Sho wants milts to see sec you She Who do do you mean Tho electric spark of ot hope kin- kin died died led arid and died Instantly Edward In Edwardas was t as gesticulating gesticulating- toward a R. figure halt half alf Ta way down tho the deck Shields was not sure sura that he saw the tho person Edward Edward ward was pointing out but hut certainly certainly it was not Celia Cclia Celia Cella was wason nowhere not on here in sight Who Vh is it It What lat does toes she want ant me 10 for tor Tho butler was ms struggling to re regain retrain re re- gain train hiS hla lost last breath and seemed In- In Incapable in incapable capable of ot replying but h ho he ur urged ed Shields In the direction from which ho had bad come For an Instant the young young- man man hesitated Then ho fol fol- fol lowed They h had d gone fone ten yards when Shields Shields' uttered a sharp tion He brushed past an nn intervening intervening inter Inter- group broke Into a n run and arid halted b before loren a wom woman in black Mrs Rogers I ho cried How did you ou set get here He lIc caught caught- the thc woman in his arms staring down at her Margaret ar t Rogers Rogers' brown liron eyes ens were wide and terrified 1 Oil Oh Darne Dar flar ne ney I Iwas was waR so 80 afraid he couldn't find you ou I camo mo as quickly n na as I could Wh What t has hoa happened Whores Whore's Celia Cclia 1 Oh I must know know- I Barneys Barney's fell feU arms arnis You came for lor Cella Cellar ho asked Of Ot course Where hero Is she sho All AllI I know is that servant said something some- some tiling thing dreadful lr had happened and you OU and her father had come to this boat Where I is she 9 Tho The young young- mans man's liP were se set Im afraid its it's too lato cn for tor you OP to do anything now nov Barney Barney- Tho The mothers mother's voice olce was wa C S S SOh Oh sho's she's here hero all aU right Sh She's S 'S Sup up on tho the next deck with wit tho the good for tor nothing she's married Her father tried to stop her but he couldn't do 10 anything Married I Cellas Cella's not not married married 1 Ill take tako you up If It you want to tosco see seo her her Oh Barney It cant can't be ot Celia Cclia m my my bab baby Tako Take mo to her Hurry Hurl Barney 1 Gay G farewell crowds were troopIng troopIng troopIng troop- troop Ing back t o r the gangplank Passageways Passageways Passageways Pas Pas- were less congested Mrs Rogers and Shields emerged on the second d deck k Tho The first person person the they met was as John Mitchell Margaret the man choked out Ho lIo looked ILS IL'S a 1 though ho could not believe c his ee eyes Where la Is' Is she John Wheres Where's Cella Mitchell mado a. a Jerking jerkin motion with his head Over there And that scoundrels with her For Gods God's sake Margaret try tr- to stop slop stopher stopher her Sho's She's throwing her life Ufe nw away Margaret Margarct Rogers Roger did not wait wal to listen She Sho hurried In the tho direction direction direction tion Mitchell l had indicated A J dozen steps and she saw aw tho the couple at tho the railing Celias Celia's palo pale face blurred In the mist which h danced before her ber mothers mother's eyes ces With a l low involuntary involuntary In cry Margaret ran forward r Celia Cclia called caned Darling oh Ivo Ive f C found und you ou If i iThe The girl whirled about Disbelief then fear crossed her face One wild appealing glance and she sho flung herself forward into her mothers mother's arms arms Oh Ohl sho o cried trIed Mother Mother l I thought you'd oud gone one The Th girl gIri clung elun- to to tho the older woman Her shoulders rose and fell rell with great c l sobs Both of ot them were wholly unconscious of ot everything about tI them m. m I Tod Ted Jordan interrupted tho the re reunion re- re union Its lla time limo for tor- everyone except ex ex- c Pt 1 passengers to leave lewa tho the ship he said brusquely roud better sa say goodbye goodbe now no- Cella Celia They'll be pulling up the tho gangplank in a minute min ml- uto ute or two tuo Celia Cclia turned But Tod Ted its Its It's my mr mother Jordan bowed stiffly ly How Itow do cio you do As I was saying there there's barel barely time to get on shore The Tho girl raised frightened eyes first to Jordan and then to Mar Mar- gave garet She started tar ted to speak but Mrs Rogers was quicker r. r Cornel Come she eWe said ald Tho The young oung man is right Wo We must go immedi immedi- at I Jordan caught Celias Celia's arm ann Youre not going ho hG said angrily n ouro 1 going to stay slay here No Tod Ted l 1 say you OU are nrc I If you think you youcan youcan can back out at the tho last minute Ill I'll fool 1001 you Margaret I eyes flashed fire ire Young roun man my daughter is coming with me But Dut she's not noU Suddenly Celia Cclia flung her het head upI up I 1 will not tay tayl she sho cried And Andu you OU u cant can't talk to mo me that way wayt Let me mo go goShe go- go I go She pulled Ij her r arm ann free tree and ran rant t toward ward the tho stairs In tho the doorway she met Mitchell and Shields Oh lather father Cella Celia sobbed Lets ct's go home Margaret Rogers followed Immediately Immediately im immediately Im- Im mediately after the girl Wed better bet bet- ter hurr hurry she said sate I think its it's nearly sailing time The They descended quickly As the they reached tho the deck the tho c cry y rang out once more All AU ashore who's vho's going ashore a frightened and pathetic rl figure ure waited on tho the pier lIe He brightened as ho saw the four tour ConIng coming com Con ing toward him Will you ou want the car now sir air he asked Mitchell Mitch Mitch- ell cli Just as though the they were In th the Gramercy park drawing room Mitchell nodded Cella Celia still clung dunS dunSto to her Iter mothers mother's arm and tho three e emen men inca followed down the tho length of 01 tho the pier vier They found Mitchell's Mitchells lim limousine and got Inside A heavy embarrassment embarrassment embarrassment em em- hung over the group None Nono of oC them understood all that had bad happened S 0 5 What Id I'd like to know Mitchell said Bald after they had bad ridden for tor n a time timo in in silence is how you OU got bOt gothere gothere here herc Margaret 1 I Its It hardly clear in my own m mind nd the woman answered I 1 arrived arrived ar rived In Baltimore this afternoon and went to the tho apartment Mrs Irs Schultz said you'd oud been tr trying ln t to find me I cant can't understand it ft John I wrote you ri before belore I went to tho the sanitarium Didn't you OU get it 1 Sanitarium T What letter I 1 sent you a Do note note- in in ina a R. letter to Celia Cclia I remember It remember it Wa was was' before her 1 birthday You ft dec iee I l' l thought you OU ought to know how to Teach reach me I hI never got that letter Neither Mitchell 1 nor Cella recalled the tho evening ore eve ning E cl Evelyn Parsons bad been left alone in the tho with message What did didOu you tou Ou say about a n. sanitarium Ivo ro geen een there Tho The doctor told me mo I had to go and Im I'm feeling so 80 mu much h better Really ReaU- Its It's wonderful wonder wonder- ful lul- lul Cella Celia looked up I I knew something some some- thing was the matter she said ald il 11 1 knew kne you wouldn't go o away uness unless un un- less ess you were tIck I Sho She caught her mothers mother hand and ana held bold It IU But Dut rm Tm not sick any any more dar dar- Uni ling ing Im I'm well A As soon as ns 1 I talked to Mrs Schultz 1 took the train And when I reached the butler Insisted I should go 0 to to that boat Edward Tard in the front scat beside ho the tho chauffeur Kept his eyes discreetly discreetly dis dis- dis forward There were few conversations cOn in tho Mitchell house on on which he hn was Wn not informed I All of oC them wanted to ask questions ques tI tins and yet nil all of them hesitated Most lost of or all nil Mft Mitchell heU was was afraid to I quiz his daughter Cella Celia had returned returned re- re turned and it Jt was Margaret who had bad worked this miracle Better leave cave the tho rest to Margaret Mar Th The Tho curious suspended feeling which Is tho the aftermath of ot emotion and excitement rested over the our four as as' 11 they stepped out of ot the car Edward hold open the tho door and the others entered the tho houSe Then Margaret took charge of ot the hc situation Celia Cella an and I r would like liko to be lie alono alone for tor a a. while 1 she said Will WUI You tau ro i leave us us please Mitchell and Shields departed in inthe tho the direction of ot tho the study Margaret Margaret Mar far garet aret sat down do on the thc davenport and drew tho girl beside her ber What is it that has happened 1 she ho asked tenderly Tell TeU mother I It w wa wat i some time before belore Celia Cclia could coule speak coherently Then Then she launched into a no recital of ot loneliness and desperation Her mother had l Her Her ta father i abe he b bleed believed le iud hud Ud turned Curried d a against at i tier her Bar Barney ey Shields no longer loved her r. When Toil Ted Jordan declared ho would make mako her sappy happy t there ero 8 seemed nothing else todo todo to do but marry him But Dut But Margaret lar began begon gripped In frozen fear Wo were g going to be he married In Havana CelIa Cella confided Tod Iod wanted to go to a n. j Justice of ot the peace th this afternoon but J I wouldn't do that I said it had bad to be a Do real wedding In a I church But my darling you OU dont don't really reali love lovo this man l No SC Margaret gathered her daughter Into her arms and held her ber tight Then you must never ne never nover think of ot marrying html him she eho de do dared Oh Celia Cclia Id I'd too late LI Listen ten darling and re remember remember remember re- re member what Im I'm going to tell you you you- Margaret paused and then In a n atense tense tenso voice she began I 1 ma married your our father because I 1 loved him 1 was wn a I schoolgirl an orphan am and three weeks after tho the day we C first met we were married Ills His mother disapproved ed and John quarreled with her The first two years cars olour ol of our married life ulo were the happiest i I have havo ever er known You were born bornand bornand bornand and we got out of at tho the habit of 01 going about together John worked hard Ilard spending more moro and more time at the theoffice office There were were trivial trivial things oh I dont don't know that know that caused I felt fell neglected and mis mis- treated Things grew worse until finally finally hero Margaret's Margarets voice suddenly suddenly sud sud- d- d denly broke broke l I did tho the most foolish and reckless thin thing a a. young oung wife could do I 1 left him Celia Cclia was v.-as watching her mother wide eyed I went nW away Y Margaret continued con con- and ho let me divorce him There was was' no en cause only cause uJ only my foolish fool fool- ish misjudgment Love ovo cant can't be bo toyed with Celia Cclia If Ie you OU cast it aside It becomes a ti knife blade turning ever turning in your our heart Time pasted passed and I 1 was lonel lonely I married Bob Rogers but the tho knife blade blado remained Oh my nay darling rm Im telling you all this so you wont won't make a a. hideous mistake You must musi ne never ner r marry without love Celia Cclia and you must never ne marry for anything elsel But mother mother mother-It If you OU still BUn love lo father so so- so 1 Hush You are arc never to men men- tion Uon a n. word I have said There was a n. footstep in tk UI room Two To pair of ot startled e tIt i glanced up into John i face Cace Margaret the man said why wh didn't you ou let tn-j tn know There was as pleading tivi rr adoration In the voice Margaret Rogers arose rose j heard she hc began bean Everything Oh my dearest t. Mitchell's Mitchells arms closed about Mar fa garets garet's shoulders For or an nn sho she clung there then raised head Their lips met and ancl at sigl of ot the joyous joyous- radiance on those two tWI faces laces Celia Cclia crept from the room She wont went out into tho the darken 4 l hallway A gleam ot of light beckon from froni the tho library Cecil Ceclia moved moneS forward for for- ward on tiptoe A familiar r pair o ot shoulders camo came In view The girl paused In the d Oil Oli Barney the she called so i Barney came Th The End |