| Show THE TIlE STORY SO FAR Sall Sally Blair planned to marry th the millionaire president of ot the Davidson Insurance company for which sh she started to work as a 20 a week typist But before Harvey T. T Davidson know knew of ot her existence Sally was in love with Peter Douglas a poor but capable youth whose ambitious mother wanted him to marry Linda Davidson Davidson Davidson David David- son only daughter of the millionaire Insurance man Through the efforts of Peters Peter's mother and Linda Sally and EtHer ter are estranged Sal Sally sath goes ahead vengefully to carry out he her original plans to win the love o oLinda's of Lindas Linda's father She advances in n the office until she is confidential secretary to ta the president lions lons come out for the wedding o oLinda of Linda and Peter Mr Davidson de depends depends de- de ponds more and more upon Sallys Sally's s sympathy and consolation now that tha he Is 15 about to lose the only person who has been dear to him Lindas Linda's mother has been dead for years One cven evening ng Mr Davidson Da sends Sally to take some papers to Linda at the penthouse apartment where Peter md and and Linda are t to toive live Sally dreads the errand CHAPTER SEVEN THIRTY SEVEN The door t to the penthouse W was open when Sally arrived She looked into nto the foyer forer as she rang the belL No rugs gs were down dO yet and a group of was wa-s piled plIed carelessly In one comer corner On one of the chairs was flung a mink coat Lindas Linda's Sally thought as as she waited for an answer to the bell There was none nd end she had not heard it ring Again she pushed it and waited expectantly Still SUll no one came and she debated the he propriety of entering No sound came from within The place except or Linda's Lindas coat might have been de de- de Perhaps the bell didn't ring She knocked k and had no response Well she would go in and wait walt Surely Linda would come f for r her coat coaL She could give her the papers then Peering through the arch of the foyer oyer Into the living room she found that hat empty too and In much the same condition as the foyer Furniture Furniture Furni- Furni ture ure scattered here and there Rugs rolled oiled not up up not yet et put down The decorators must have gone by now From the living room which was lighted tented brightly she wandered down some ome stairs and through a grilled Iron Irongate irongate gate Into the dining room with its terrace snow cover covered d beyond How Row bare it all was How untidy The home that Linda and Peter were to o live in This was the room where they hey would dine How many rooms did the penthouse have ha Because she was curious she he wandered in the thedoor thedoor door that led to the butlers butler's pantry then hen through to the kitchen spotless all 11 finished In sunny yellow tile with Its ts huge yellow ellow electric range In one corner comer Linda would never cook here Servants v. v would prepare her meals and nd serve them Thinking she heard a step she he went out Into the living room but saw no one She was sure she had heard somebody SALLY SEES PETER Lindas Linda's coat was still where It had hadeen been een In the hall one arm of It drag thag ging sing on the dusty floor loor Sally hadn't noti noticed ed the brown leather bag on the coat before but she saw it now no and the he brown long gloves underneath She had heard somebody There was the ste step f again Someone walking walking walk walk- ing mg on the bare floor It seemed like a mans man's footsteps echoing choing through the apartment Sally coughed loudly and walked into a corridor where the sound round appeared to come from No one there and doors on all sides open the rooms empty except for the helter of f chairs and anti tables and beds A wisp of smoke came through the thedoor thedoor door at the end sailing on the still close lose air ah- curling to the high ceiling of f the hall Sally was undecided what whal to o do Should she go In and ask when Miss Davidson would be back or r should she go back t to the fo foyer er erand and nd wait walt Finally she decided to go into this room oom which was v apparently In in- in habited When she got to the door she he paused and looked In A bed- bed room very corn very large with some painted French furniture about a taffeta frilled dressing table lonely without Its s mirror its bench against one of the he walls A womans woman's room room room-Linda's Linda's Lindas probably because because the furniture was wasso so ro oma ornate tee At first she didn't see the man standing landing with his back to her lookIng look- look lug Ing ng out over the lights lights- that were Manhattan But when she did she gasped and drew back I It was Peter Douglas Hello he said without turning I around His voice olce was flat and the I smoke moke from his filled the room oom Ready Still he didn't turn around and Sally ally couldn't speak If she had known cnown Peter would be here But she he didn't know She hadn't dreamed he le would be She had hod thought she would only be seeing Linda Davidson PETER ETER IS CHANGED Months since she had seen him Did he look the same She couldn't tell ell because she was only seeing his broad road shoulders and the back of his brown hair How many months Summer ummer fall faU and now It was winter Snow now on the window ledges Beyond Peter eter the winter stars and the lights ot of f New York twinkling as the stars were rere twinkling Then Peter turned and saw her saw her standing there her gray ay e eyes es wide Ide with dismay her lips half as 1 if to speak Oh its it's you I you I thought it waLinda was wa Linda He threw his on the floor and crushed it out with hi his shoe He looked older Sally thought more mature How could a So man change so In a a few few months Something hard In his his' eyes sh she didn't understand They weren't looking at her however they had settled on the frilly dressing table all aU yellow taffeta and anCl gold lace Im looking for Miss Davidson Davidson- Mr Davidson sent me with these pa papers papers pa- pa pers for Her Her It Sally had found her he voice at last She wished It wouldn't wouldn quiver so She had lost complete control control control con con- of herself Shell Shall be back presently Peter Pete was lighting another I Could you give this give this to her And Am I Itell tell he Mr Davidson couldn't gc get getup getup up Sally held out the envelope and Peter stock it and thrust it in hi his side pocket with the merest of nods As it if she were a stranger someone he hardly knew Well she was now She had no claim on him whatever She was dead to him and he was was was- no he wasn't dead to her He never would beLike be Like the place Pet Peter r asked casually Very much much- She had t to ge get getaway getaway away from those eyes Just rent a a. year more year more than I make In two years Peter laughed bitterly Nothing to worry about about- I Even h his hoice voice oice had changed There wasn't the boyish happy lilt to i It I she remembered I PETER WANTS TO TALK TALKS S I was Just in here getting a view from my bedroom window Rather nice Isn't it Why was he talking like that th To hurt her th the more Sally was a little afraid of him as as' as she backed into the corridor Quite a fairy tale eh Poor boy marries rich girl girl OJ Don Dont t She SheT had to stop him hm She couldn't understand this mood which was so so foreign to him Why not Dont Don't bother about me Im I'm feeling badly worse today than usual and Im I'm merely expressing what I think that's all See the joint Yes All the 12 rooms Linda picked the he place out I didn't want it but Ive I've got to live in 10 ift give Miss Davidson the message Of course Youre You're not going Yes Yes Dont go Id I'd like to talk Wk to you ouI ou I haven't seen you ou for a long time Sally Months A little like his old self l once more and his eyes were softening Some of ot the bitterness gone from his voice Not all aU but some Do me a favor Sally What Just say you'll do me a favor that's hats all He laughed the old gay laugh augh she remembered Please Plea e Unless I know what it is is- is have to promise without knowing mowing He was close to her Inthe in inthe the he hall hail now and the fingers she held flat against the wall were vere trem trem- bling The same strange weakness she felt whenever she saw Peter came over her You Youve changed she said quickly having ha to tell ten him because it was for foremost most in her thoughts PETER KISSES SALLY Have I I 1 didn't know For the better Sally didn't answer and she he dared not look at him You haven't changed Sally Youre You're just the same only prettier prettier- Now she had hat to go but he was barring the wa way standing in front of her Wildly she looked for an es escape escape es- es cape but could find none What If Linda came and found them to together together together to- to gether What about the promise he asked again In a n. teasing wa way What promise Sally was hedgIng Lug Ing ng for time If she could slip sUp past him into the living room You were going to promise to do dome dome dome me a favor fa What about it Yes Ill I'll promise If she did shed she'd get awa away Hed He'd move mo aside and anti she could go What was that Voices in the foyer She couldn't tell tell ell because her brain was buzzing so roo A thousand sounds seemed to it come and go Fine Youre You're going to go out with me rue next Saturday night and were we're going to have a grand time Peter I 1 cant can't Youve promised and Im I'm going to o keep you to your Were We're I I going out t together once before Im I'm married And Anti now Im I'm going to kiss yoU yoU- ou And he did crushing her In his ils arms his lips bruising hers as h he pressed his to hers A mad wild kiss that hat frightened Sally with its fury Its ts pain When she broke away from him nm she was breathless and he was laughing Stumbling through the door she found her herself l in the foyer foer at last and then because she didn't trust herself to see anyone jet et not even the ne elevator boy she flew down the stairs hardly knowing she was running run run- ning her lips Ups aching all of ot the 30 floors down to the street Peter had laughed when he lie released released re- re leased her Laughed The laugh was rInging in her cars as she w went blindly through roSh the snow A harsh mirthless mirthless mirth- mirth less ess laugh laugn To be continued T o Is Sally cured of Peter at last He lie Is s changed and lost to her Will she forget him now flow |
