| Show I r GUILTY GIU fj I By LAURA LOU BROOKMAN Author of Mad Marriage 1 and Heart Hungry t. t Copyright 1931 by v N. N E. E A. A a i. i J BEGIN HERE BERE TODAY Pretty Norma Kent year old z secretary marries Mark Travers son of ot F. F M. M L Travers millionaire real estate dealer In spite of ot the fathers father's threats to disinherit Mark The I story opens in Marlboro middle mid mid- die dle western metropolis Mark sells his ex expensive roadster to get money f for r the honeymoon and he and arid Norma Norma Norma Nor Nor- ma go to fashionable Blue Sprin Springs s. s After two weeks their money is gone partly due to Marks Mark's gambling With borrowed borrow the couple return to Marlboro Mark sets out on a round I of seeking pleasure instead of ot hunting hunting hunt hunt- ing ng work When their funds lunds dwindle again he and Norma move to a cheap apartment Mark gets one job and loses it Then he becomes a floor walker in s 's department store In spit of ot poverty the young couple are arc e happy After Alter a few weeks Marks Mark's father for him offers to take him back into his business organization organization organization tion if it Mark will prove he hc can make good His first task involves a business business busi busi- ness trip to France Norma Nonna is to remain remain re re- main at home She Is frightened and begs bees him not to gO co but in spite of ot her protests he departs Norma treated rudely at her fa la- la laws in home slips sUps away leaving leaving leav leav- ing no trace of her whereabouts She takes a room in a cheap lodging house and tel telephones phones her former roommate Chris Saunders When Chris Chris' leav leaves s' s the office in which she works Norma meets her NOW GO ON WITH THE TUE STORY Chapter r Chris Saunders twisted the ring on on her finger linger It was an oddly engraved engraved engraved en en- graved band set with jade Chris al always always al- al ways wore the ring She had worn it ever since Norma had known her When she looked up all Chris said was Well Well Well- He He H he didn't say anything Norma Norma Norma Nor Nor- ma went on hurriedly Oh it was I terrible that first night when I knew he hc recognized me mel I 1 tried to tell Mark Id I'd Id I'd tried to tell him before but he wouldn't let lct me Mark knows him Chris He and Stone are some sort of ot cousins Mark didn't guess that Td rd d ever seen him him before though The other girl straightened Her eyes meeting Normas Norma's quite levelly were a 8 mark Listen Chris said youve done nothing to be ashamed of If I were you rou ou Id I'd save my worrying until I had something to worry about Something Something Something Some Some- thing real Dont Don't lose your head Norma Tell me what you expect todo todo to todo do during the next four weeks I haven't thought it all out Til ru have to get a job somewhere I 1 su sup sup- pose The money I have wont won't last Anyhow Id I'd rather be doing something something something some some- thing thing- Again Chris was absorbed In the ring I understand why you rou ran away she said slowly but it might have been better if you had nad stayed stared Oh I couldn't Do you think Id I'd accept anything from people when I know they hate me I just couldn't couldn do It it Chris Mark woul wouldn't nt vant want m me mc meto to stay there if it he lie knew I made u up my mind before beLc he left that I would woul not stay in that house I couldn't tell tel him because he hc was counting on th the trip so If hed he'd known how I felt fel about it he wouldn't have gone I wasn't willing to stand in Marks Mark's way But aBut dont don't you see dear running away like this is going to make trouble trouble trou trou- ble bitt Normas Norma's chin lifted but her lips lip trembled I I thought you'd be willIng willIng willIng will will- Ing to help me Chris she said aid I 1 didn't know you'd feel fecI this way about abou m iti See here infant of ot course I wan wanto want to help you youl Im I'm just trying to think what's the best thing to ta do do that's that all I 1 wont won't go back to Marks Mark's fa fathers father's tather's ta- ta ther's house I r tell you I wont won't Chris sighed Well she said that settles that thaU As I said I dont don't blame you much If It you ou wont won't go goback o back I 1 think you'd better go to work Why didn't you come to my place last night instead of going to that tha rooming place You know youve you've no room now Dorothys Dorothy's with you Always have room We can double double double dou dou- ble up No I dont don't want you ou to do that You see things are different now Chris Ive I've got to stand on my own feet lect It helps to tell you ou about things to talk them over and feel theres there's one person who understands Oh I dont don't know what Id I'd do without you But Im I'm not going to be one more to impose on your generosity It Silly Wh Why that's ridiculous Maybe Anyway that's how howl I feel fee about it This place Ive I've moved mo to i is isaIr all aIr allright right Ill I'll want to see sec you often Chris but Ive I've paid the rent for a week and I 1 think Ill I'll stay there Suit yourself o I suppose you'll youl come to dinner some time Love to Tell TeU me about Dorothy What's she like Oh Dorothys Dorothy's all right We dont don't pal around the way you and I did but she's O. O K as a roommate Say Say Say- Chris Chris' dark eyes ees flashed lashed with a sudden sudden sud sud- den inspiration Why didn't I think lof of it Why didn't I think think S I Think of what What are you talking about A job for you Dont Don't know what wha Jt it pays pas but it would be a lot better than nothing Dorothy was telling me about it last night A girl she knows who works for a literary agent on the same floor were we're on is going to quit Saturday Getting mar mar- ried ned I dont don't even remember the girls girl's name though I met her once Lucille Lucille Lucille Lu Lu- cille something or She was going Joing to tell her boss about it today Its It's ten to one they haven't hired anyone else yet a literary agent What kind of a job is it Oh the job wouldn't be hard Just regular secretarial work Stuart is the mans man's name Frederick Stuart People wh who write articles for lor magazines magazines magazines maga maga- and stories send them to him He finds linds someone to buy them Dorothy Dorothy Doro Doro- thy says hes he's one of the best in the city Do you think hed he'd hire me Why Thy not Youre You're a good secretary Here Here r I tell you what Ill I'll do dol Il Ill I'll get Dorothy to go o In and see thIs thi girl in the morning and if it nobody's nobody taken the job Ill I'll call you to come right down Hows How's that Fine Say that'll be great Chris ChrisI I i couldn't very well go to Brooks Welliver and ask for a tion when I left them the way I Idid Idid Idid did did did- didWell Well get Lucille to recommend you personally Shed She'd do that for Dorothy Im I'm sure Ten minutes later they left the restaurant res res- Each boarded a different street car Chris urged Norma to spend the evening with her but the younger girl made excuses It Il was nearly 8 o'clock when Norma Norma Norma Nor Nor- ma unlocked the door of her newly rented room The first flash lash of the electric light was startling Everything Everything Every Every- thing looked strange and different Shabby in the glow of ot yellow lamp light She closed the thedoor door behind herand her herand herand and took oC off her hat Across the room tacked to the faded faded faded fad fad- ed wallpaper Norma saw a calendar She had hadnot not noticed it earlier in the day The calendar bore the name o oa of ofa a coal company printed in large lare lettering lettering lettering let let- and beneath this the head o oa of ofa ofa a flirtatious young oung woman dressed in red The calendar had evidently been added to the room as a n decora decora- tion No one had bothered to remove the November sheet from the pad Swiftly Norma crossed the room and tore off the antedated leaf Yesterday Yesterday Yes Yes- had been the second of De De- cember She counted down four weeks That brought her to the Four weeks weeks but but it might be five Painstakingly Norma drew a circle about the numeral 30 It occurred to her for the first time th that lt Mark 1 would be away on Christmas For a long time she sat and stared at the calendar Then she arose drew drewa a large cross over the day that ha had just ended There would be 27 more crosses to draw before she could hope to see Mark again Twenty Twenty- seven more crosses From childhood and Sund Sunday lY school Norma remembered a h hymn mn about abou crosses No she told herself vehemently vehemently vehemently it was not sacrilegious to think of such things Every day away from Mark every 24 hours represented represented b by a cross upon her calendar was a literal cross to be borne on her shoulders Oh what good could telling hersel herself herself her her- self sel to be brave do What good could anything do Norma was 20 years old She was very cry much in love desperately unhappy un- un happy and lonesome So as might have lave been expected of any young girl jirl In a similar situation she cried herself hersel to sleep Morning when it came caine was gray and dreary A sunless December dc threatening snow which which did did not falL faiL Norma did not go out for breakfast break break- lk- lk fast She dallied through the routine of dressing made her bed and rearranged rearranged rearranged rear rear- ranged a bureau drawer At she was summoned to the telephone Chris' Chris voice at the other end of the wire said brightly Every thIngs thIng's arranged Youre You're to come comedown comedown comedown down as soon as you can and DorothyU Doro- Doro hyll take you to Mr Stuarts Stuart's office oUke How low soon can you make it Half Hal an hour I guess Ill I'll start right awa away Then step on it The jobs job's as good goodas as yours now Chris was a dear For her sake Norma forma tried to se seem m more enthusiastic enthusiastic than she felt riding downtown on n the street car later meeting the unknown Dorothy and being led by I her to the unknown Frederick Stuarts Stuart's Sturt's Stu- Stu arts rt's office way Half down the corridor Dorohy Dorothy Doro- Doro Dorothy thy hy stopped Wait a minute she said aid abruptly Youre not feeling so high ligh this morning arc are you Need a little rou rouge e. e Here Here lets lets let's see what we wean can an do do- do They went into the wash room From her own vanity case Dorothy Doroth produced reduced rouge and a pinkish pad with which to apply it Five minutes of f artful ministrations and Norma emerged merged the color in her checks cheeks notably brightening her appearance It isn't too much the other girl assured her The whole building has artificial light today The lettering on the frosted glass before them read Frederick J. J Stuart Authors Author's Representative Dorothy opened the door and they entered A slim girl taller taBer than Norma with ash blond hair arose to meet them liem Hello she smiled at Doro Doro- thy hy Is this Miss Travers Yes And this is Miss Fenway Miss Travers She's come to see about the job Of course Mr Stuarts Stuart's In now Shall I ask him if he can see you r I know it will be all right Norma said she would like th the intervIew at once The slim sUm girl disappeared dis dis- dis- dis appeared She returned and with a nod Invited Norma to enter her employers employer's era cm- office Norma passed through the door marked private The man at the desk ook looked up Miss Travers he asked asked- Yes sir I understand you need needa a secretary and Ive I've come to apply for or the position Stuart straightened back He was a dark man and he wore large I rimmed dark spectacles The hair over ver over his temples was rather thin He o looked Norma thought exactly like ke any business man and this was something of a surprise Diml Dimly she had lad envisaged a a literary agent as a sort ort of poetic creature with wavy hair lair Windsor tie tic and affected slouching slouching slouch- slouch ing ng garments Frederick J J. J Stuart looked essentially practical Sit down Miss Travers he s said lid Miss Fenway tells me youve you've had considerable experience Take dic- dic tation I suppose Yes sir Most 1 of my experience has las been in a law office Ive I've had practice taking letters in shorthand and also on the dictaphone I r see Well lets let's have a try at it t. t Ask Miss Fenway for a notebook notebook note- note book book- Norma went for the notebook For hat half an hour she took dictation at high ugh speed and afterward transcribed transcribed tran- tran scribed the notes Her fingers seemed clumsy as she hit the typewriter keys but ut her shorthand was accurate It took ook longer to write the letters than thant it t should have but when finished they hey were perfect Stuart studied the letters care- care fully ully He chewed the end of a cigar that hat was not lighted Presently he hethe broke the silence Report for work Monday morn morn- lug Ing please Miss Travers Nine Norma hesitated lt d. d About the salary salary salary sal sal- ary ary- ary she b began gan Yes yes Of course Twenty-five Twenty dollars I l was earning 30 on my last job Well well we'll make it 2750 Raise you after the first of the ye year lr Hour if ii your our works work's satisfactory Right The girl eirl nodded Its all right She left Frederick J J. Stuarts Stuart's office In a bu building Idin six blocks away F. F Is U. U Travers shifted to a more comfortable comfortable com corn position in his comfortable desk chair He w was s holding the French telephone to his C ear lf that Travers exclaimed Youve found the girl Yes of course I want to go through with it Take a cab and come over here right away T To J Be Continued ed |
