Show S ROB EDEN Sally Blair eager for all the luxuries luxuries lux lux- uries she cannot have on her 20 a n week determines to have them with withIn In n a year John Warner sales manager manager man man- ager of ot the Davidson Insurance company company com corn pany where she works asks her to toto togo togo go to dinner with him She accepts and md breaks a date with Peter Douglas Dougas Doug- Doug las as a a. young oung salesman Ann Seymour her roommate thinks Sally is foolish to try to get ahead in business by dating the boss S. S I CHAPTER FOUR The night was warm the dark sky a a. great studded star-studded velvet blanket Sally was S watching it as they rode she and Warner Varner in his smart open roadster Watching it and wishing she were with someone she cared about The softness of the air as the car cut through it the gentle wind on her face faca the long straight road that hummed and sang under the wheels Grand night Sally Warner proffered proffered proffered prof prof- as he swung his car ahead Sally agreed although she didn't want him to call her Sally She had to stand it though She had no nc choice He had started it immediately imme brone- after he had called for her Sally this and Sally that On the shoulder of her thin dress his bouquet of gardenias was pinned Five of them trailed down alm almost sf to her waist White flowers gleaming in the dusk their leaves dull green against the milk mUk of the blooms She had always liked gardenias be before before be- be fore tore tonight When she saw them in florist shops she lingered to look at them hem Liked the touch of ot the petals on her face the soft brush of them against her cheek close so she could drink in their languorous scent Tonight Tonight Tonight To To- night she decided she hated them them- hated the odor that was heavy and sickly and sweet Hated the tropical trop- trop ical cal look of ot them as they clung lush I to o their stems SALLY IS REGRETFUL I When her cheek Inadvertently dropped on their petals pet she Jerked it t away quickly and wiped it of off with her ler hand Because they were Warners Warner's flowers flowers flow- flow ers rs of course Shed She'd never like gardenias gardenias gar gar- denlas again They'd always remind her of him and this ride out to the beach She was sorry now she had come ome Sorry she hadn't gone with Peter A walk in the park with him a movie would have been infinitely better than better than this S It was a night for romance romance romance-al- al- al ready eady a n wafer thin moon was creeping creeping creep creep- ing in the star-ridden star horizon half halfa a slender gold ring against the sky sky sky- and nd here she was with John Warner Her ler lips Ups pressed each other tensely Maybe she was a fool as Ann had said aid Maybe she was Be there in about live five minutes Warner remarked Sally thought of the list she had made It was in her purse now huddled huddled hud hud- died Inside the cheap pocket Things she he wanted Well she still wanted them hem but not so badly tonight They didn't seem eem so important now that she sho ho was going to the beach to dinner with John Warner Nothing seemed very ery important except to get away from rom him hinI never to see his pudgy fat face ace again SALLY SEES PETER Not fot that he hadn't been perfectly proper Certainly there was nothing that hat suggested dynamite about him yet But Sally was uneasy disgusted disgusted dis- dis gusted with herself It was all very well to decide to do something but actually dually to do it was another thing They drew up presently before a beach each inn Sally could hear the or- or hestra playing a love song could see ee the tables laid around a dance floor loor waiters watters scurrying back and forth orth with well eU laden trays Now and then the roar of the surf drowned out the music dashing up against a a. sea wall She lingered on the he broad porch looking out over the moving restless water watching the white foam as it rode along high on the he crest of the waves Far out a ship hip was as plowing through the water the he port light sending out a dull red quiverIng gleamA gleam I. I A private room Jerry Warner Varner was telling the head waiter I Fine Mr Warner Varner Id rather sit near the dance floor Mr Warner Sally protested Oh well we'll dance dont don't worry worry- and nd Warner Varner followed the waiter Sally had no choice but to go too A private room She hadn't counted on n that Was Vas that Pct Peter r sitting there at that hat table It couldn't be it be-it it was Peter with a girl talking to her Now they hey were rising to dance TilE THE GIRL WITH WIT PETER The girl was tall although not astall ns as tall all as young Douglas As she turned Sally ally saw her face Pretty she de- de Very pretty her features feature rather ather Irregular her eyes were eyes were they brown rown She couldn't determine They seemed very dark A few wisps of f dull auburn hair peeped from Under under uner un- un der er her attractive green hat The smart mart dress dres she wore was green too So o was the bag she had left carelessly carelessly care care- lessly essly on the table And the pumps on n her feet Sally bit her Up lip and walked on after fter Warner Varner who was far ahead weaving through the tables So Peer Pe Pe- ter er Douglas had asked another girl out ut Well Vell he had the right after she he had refused him But if she hadn't shed she'd be here In this other girls girl's place dancing with him Was the he girl someone he knew well and liked ked She was still pondering over the theIrl girl Irl in green when she sat down m beide beside beside be- be side ide Warner in the small smaIl dining room com glad that Peter hadn't seen her heras heras hers as s she had passed The girls girl's clothes were lovely The Th I costume harmonious and Sally knew knewl good clothes when she saw them them Inthe Inthe In inthe Didn't she look longingly At nt the shops as she went through Didn't she study them in the windows windows windows win win- dows and try her best when she purchased purchased pur pur- chased her own things to get those thos which most closely resembled th the ones she had noticed in the better stores Hard when you didn't have hav money when you had to buy a dress one week a hat hatto to match next month and shoes when the dress was al almost almost almost al- al most worn out Hard to dress yourself yourself your your- our self sel on twenty dollars a week when you loved clothes as Sally did When you wanted good materials and couldn't afford them WARNER FLATTERS SALLY Sally took infinite pains with he her clothes though She bought bough until she was absolutely sure of what wha she sha wanted If the dress she purchased purchased purchased pur pur- chased had cheap collars and cuffs she would wait to wear it until her he budget permitted her to buy others other of finer quality Time and time again she had removed careless bindIngs bindings bindings bind bind- Ings to replace them herself more mor carefully She always cut of off th the fussy trimmings and trailing panels She laid her gloves down on th the table tabe and reached for the menu list list- lessly The hunger she had felt fel earlier in hi the evening was gone then well we'll dance Well order Warner said Id rather not dance Going ou out outon outon on the floor would mean that Peter Pete would see her with Warner She Sh didn't want that that riot not now anyway Suits me mc Id I'd rather sit here anyway anyway anyway any any- way and look at you Sally His hand closed over hers softly Sh She drew It away They were alone The Th The waiter had left You know youre you're awfully pretty Sally Sally Sally- Sally smiled wanly Was Vas th the whole evening going to be like this It was She hadn't expected anything anything anything any any- thing different The waiter Interrupted interrupted interrupted Inter inter- for a moment with some crab cocktails Sally SaIly toyed with hers but bu did not eat it Warner ate his ravenously ravenously ray ray- and when he was finished pushed the dish aside placed hi his elbows on the table and looked a at her How does It happen that youve you've worked for me all these months and Ive I've seen nothing of you WARNER WANTS TO TALK The drone of music the shuffle o of feet on the dance floor The shrill piercing high laughter of or a woman The clatter of dishes The crash o of porcelain as ns It dropped Sally wanted to stop her ears Close her eyes Warner edged his chair nearer her tier His coat sleeve was brushing her arm She tried shutting her eyes but that didn't help She still stUl felt his presence even more poignantly poignant poignant- ly than she had before Why did he remind her of or a fat sleek snake Because of or his small smal green eyes His smooth soft hands hands' His round bald slightly fat head hend His breath on her cheek Oh lets let's dance Anything was better setter than being alone here Even for Peter Douglas to see her anc and know her escort Not I now I I want to talk to you Sally As 1 if iI anything he said could possibly possibly possibly pos pos- sibly interest her Another respite while the waiter walter cleared the cocktail dishes and brought In steaming clear consomme Then sal salad d and fried chicken a Warner didn't talk while he ate for which Sally was thank thank- fl fill fid But after he had finished finisher hi his coffee he began again Were going to be awfully good friends arent aren't we Sally O Of course the girl I knew you'd see things my way Did Peter Dou Douglas las know this girlIn girlin girl In green very well Was she someOne someone someone some some- one he cared about The way they danced as if they had known each other a long time danced together a good deal Warners Warner's arm encircled her waist and she drew it away Please dont the matter Bashful Were We're going to know each other pretty well Sally Sally- Then he was holding her close hugging her and she was struggling wildly His lips against her cheek check against her mouth SALLY LEAVES JOHN WARNER VARNER Stop She couldn't get away He was gripping her so tightly A Avise Avise Avise vise pinning down her arms compressing corn corn- pressing Dressing her ches chest so she couldn't couldn breathe I Youre a 0 wild devil she heard him say as he kissed her again anc and again Pretty but wild wild wild- It seemed ages until she broke away years In reality it was only a second or so A rip and her dress was torn tom She didn't stop to see where because she had to go right away Had to get away from him Snatching up her purse and gloves she wrenched the door open anc and new flew out among the tables blindly hardly knowing where to go where the entrance was The beast the shame of his kisses on her mouth the feel teel of him so near She thinking she could manage him A hysterical laugh left eft her lips as she stumbled against a chair and bruised her knee Then she was outside in the fresh nl night ht air ir away from the smoke the heat smelling the salt salty tang of the tre sea The music mocked her as she ran out to the road and sat down shaking shaking shak- shak ing ng and miserable In the dim shadow hadow of a clump of bushes It was here that hat she discovered that the der was torn from her dress She pinned tinned it up UI as best she could with trembling uncertain fingers While she waited for a bus to take her back to town she wondered what wha John Warner would say the next morning What he would do Her job Would she lose it To Be Continued A sleepless night ahead for Sally It looks as though her 20 a a. w week k is gone What Is In store for tor her |