Show i W W l V 1 d 1 CHAPTER i mR NINE NINE WHAT HAS liAS GONE BEFORE Nan Hardy brilliant young newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper woman is in love with Harry Gordon star reporter on the News nut u she slie is troubled because he de declares declares de- de clares he will never marry mam Jocko Jacko Weltman eltman a cub on the Uie paper is also alson n love with Nan Nm Jocko gets a big bg scoop coop and incurs Harrys Harry's Jealousy Harry Barry gives a party apparently forthe forthe for forthe the purpose of baiting Jocko in Nan Nans Nan's s presence Nan grows angry and to punish Harry declares she is going to marry mam Jocko Jacko FRO FROM I FRYING PAN TO FIRE Nan felt very silly as soon as lS she had t announced that she was Planning planning plan plan- ning to marry Jocko Jacko June Rathbone Rath- Rath hone bone gave a little shriek the others looked incredulous then laughed Is UIs this supposed t to be a joke Jack ack Barnes Bames inquired bluntly Nan had been absorbed in watch- watch Harry His f face e had darkened n 1 scornful smile was on his lips Was be scornful of her or of himself that fco had brought this thing about She dreaded looking at Jocko It Itras was ras such a presumptuous thing she the had done But at last st she faced him To her relief his Ws countenance was quite impassive Surely he understood under under- stood why hy she had done this and didn't mind She was sorry at what she had I done but determined since sh she had so 50 much to carry the thing on and nd punish Harry soundly So now she hc 00 answered Jack Barnes her eyes on Jocko This announcement annO is a little sudden sudden sud sud- den for Jocko I really should have consulted him first She remembered remembered rather contritely that she had made a similar statement of their Int in intentions intentions in- in t to Harry some time earlier when Jocko was even less informed of or her attitude t toward ward him Jocko surprised her She had ex expected cx- cx him to back her up but hardly in so chivalrous a manner He took her hand with all the gallantry of a courtier and raised it t to his lips Then holding her hand In his own he spoke with perfect sincerity and dignity You do me great honor Nan I had hardly dared hope You know how happy you ou have made me He stood there beside her a defiance to anyone anyone anyone any any- one who would think the affair a Joke Oh he was a dear deaf The other guests still did not know know- how to take the incident A few tried t to smooth over the situation by bj facetious congratulations and toasts But the rest were ere embarrassed and made excuses to leave early Harry had not spoken to Nan since her ber declaration When she left left on on Jocko's arm her arm her eyes met his squarely as she made her adieus It was a lovely party Harry We enjoyed it a lot His eyes looked back Into hers Im Im glad you did cUd Ill I'll ha e to put up liP a a brass tablet to mark the spot Where a romantic event too took place Oh just an X will do do- do doNan Nan replied gaily The honors for Jor for the evening were about even she thought She bad had punished Harry for punishing Jocko but it was a hollow triumph I shouldn't have done that Jocko ocko she said repentantly when they had said sald good nights to the others and were on their way to her apartment I owe you jou an apology Harry Barry ma made e me so angry angry- So that was it I thought for a minute when you resented his attItude attitude attitude atti attI- tude so much that perhaps you you you- liked me just a little I II do like you a a. lot Jocko JOtko That's why hy hy Im I'm sorry sam I embarrassed ed you ou that hat way You didn't embarrass me You made me mc very happy Youre sure His hand tightened tighten cd on her arm ann She had not the heart that night to say any more And when she left Jocko Jacko she was still stUl engaged t to him She hardly noticed that he did cUd not offer oHer to kiss her Nans Nan's heart was very ery heavy in the theda da days s 's following Harrys Harry's ill fated par par- ty tj She loved Harry and arid was en engaged engaged engaged en- en to Jocko whom she did not love lo but who loved her Harry despised her lier she despised herself Jocko Jacko did not despise her but he would be better better bet bet- ter kr of off l if he did But she was most wretched because of or the state tate she and Harry seemed to have reached They had hafl quarreled eo so much It seemed Impossible for them now to keep from hurting one another What was the matt matter r Was he to blame The present trouble no doubt could be mended with time But what next Would something else come between them estrange them Was Vas it the strain of her feeling that he should ask her to ro marry him Was Vas she ruining everything e between them by this old fashioned notion And yet jet it was stronger than she was L Harry did not ignore her now In Instead Instead Instead In- In stead he hc was scrupulously friendly and poli polite in the office But he did not try to see her outside June Rathbone Rathbone Rathbone Rath- Rath bone went to 10 lunch with Nan one dayI dayI dayI day I suppose youve you've been seeing what's going on June was not one oneto oneto oneto to beat about the bush r I hope my news sense isn isn't t falling failing fall fail ing Nan returned But maybe you'd oud bett better r specify I mean that Harry has been hanging around the society department department department depart depart- ment lots since you staged that last fast fastone one at his party part NO ONE REALLY KNOWS Are Arc you ou trying to tell me that you are taking him away from me me- me Not me mc darling But haven't you seen our latest importation Doris Ware the blond beauty who collects personals and about once a a. week a Do areal areal real society item m Oh so Harrys Harry's gone In for that I INan Nan smiled loftily I hadn't noticed but I haven't been noticing Harry much I think that he means for you to notice That's wh why I told you ou Its a shame then that I 1 didn't with Harry going to all that trouble trouble trou trou- ble bid Nan was very airy And Indeed Indeed in indeed In- In deed she felt scornful of Harrys Harry's choice A girl no prettier than Nan and about one half of 1 per cent brain power It was only too plain that he was tr trying ing to give Nan her own medicine He needn't think he could hurt her that way But now that June had warned her Nan could not be blind to the way Harry gravitated continually t toward ward the little cubbyhole where held forth the society editor and her assistants And every noon he and the thc blond sauntered through the editorial room together on their way to lunch Nan usually was very busy when she happened happened happened hap hap- to be there and n managed not notto notto notto to see them If she had to she nodded brightly It seemed quite natural and logical that she should fill in her empty hours with Jocko It made him happy happy happy hap hap- py or seemed to and when she was with him she did not feel the thc ache about Harry quite so o much For when she thought of Harry it was with a great deal of pain He seemed to find it so 50 easy to put her herout herout herout out of his mind it was so hard for her to dismiss him Wm from hers She maintained her gay flippant air No Noone Noone Noone one should guess that sh she was hurt But she was hurt deeply In her own unhappIness she ceased to tl think very cry much about what Jocko Jacko might be feeling He was a godsend to her A pleasant companion who could be silent or playful never de demanding demanding demanding de- de manding anything from her Harry was a true city cUy product unhappy unhappy unhappy un un- un- un happy away from the restaurants and theaters the cabarets and such night nightlife nightlife life Ite as the city afforded When Nan had been with l him m it had been a aroUnd around round of dancing dining and thea thea- An evening with nothing doIng doIng doing do- do Ing would have bored him But Nan found that Jocko while dutifully playing the host whenever she would allow him to loved an evening evening evening eve eve- ning in h her r apartment and that on these occasions he t talked excellently She regretted that when they were with other people he had little to say She began to want people t to know how much there was to this competent competent competent compe compe- tent quiet fellow Their relationship was as a strange one No one had referred t to their engagement since the night at Harrys Harrys Har Ear rys Nan felt decidedly uncomfortable able about it H It and she felt that perhaps perhaps per per- per per-I haps Jocko cUd did too But they were much together like Ie an engaged coupie couple couple cou cou- pie and Nans Nan's friends now were be beginning beginning beginning be- be ginning to include Nan and Jocko in their plans quite as a matter of course Nan was very ery grateful to Jocko that he did not make malc their anomalous relationship an excuse for caresses He never touched her indeed unless to help her out of or a car or across a street The passing of or da days s 's did not de decrease decrease de- de crease ease her longing to have Harry friendly again Nor did cUd he cease to flaunt the blond beauty Doris Ware Sometimes when Harry was wao talking talking talk talk- ing to Doris in the office with every appearance of hanging flatteringly on her words Nan would catch him looking at her out of the corner oi of his eyes To- To see To-see sec how she was taking it it of course He lie no more cared for the blond than she did for Jocko It was his way of bringing her to time One day June summoned Nan very mysterious Have lunch with me I Ive I've got thrilling news The girls sought their favorite tearoom tearoom tearoom tea tea- room and ordered the lettuce salad which was the approved luncheon for or ladies ladles wishing to retain their cUes ettes June was plainly in a flutter chatterIng chattering chat chat- excitedly about nothing Now Nov she broke her news Jim and I arc are going to be mar mar- ried ned Tomorrow Honestly How marvelous Has your jour father consented at last o No They still cant can't see Jim fo for anything Father doesn't like th the wa way he wears his hat or something and he simply wont won't listen t to reason Im I'm tired of waiting for them to d do the decent thing so EO I told Jim wed we'd take the fatal step Tomorrow I. I A I 1 can hardly believe beHe it myself Jim thought there was no sense ense in inputting inputting putting it off so long but I Just had hado to o get a few clothes to be married in in Junes unc's pretty face glowed with happi- happi ness ess Nan although she had her own secret ecret doubts about Jim could not but ut be happy for herI herI her I want you to go with me mc Will Willou you ou Why of course darling June hesitated a minute Now you rou ou may not like this Nan But Jim wants ants Harr Harry He doesn't know Jocko very ery well Would you mind very much if it Harry was the other witness witness wit- wit ness ess Nan caught her breath Continued Nan acts as bridesmaid with a strange range e effect on her own romance |