Show f. f a t i BEGIN HERE Margie Carver Garver is an interior dec dec- dee I with the thc Colton Construction of or Detroit She has been way on a two weeks weeks' trip to Califor- Califor ila la and surprises her friends partial partial- ily Vic Wilson and Vera Blakely y iy returning two days daS before her va va- atlon tion time is up Vic Vie had been largie's fargie's favorite swain before the alifornia trip but Margie le meets two ore nore ore interesting men while away no ne of them Jack Carrol from New Nework fork ark she describes to satisfy the curl curio Ity of Vera who is her roommate jut t Jack doesn't m matter to Margie as nuch rich ch as does docs Dennis Killian D Dennis was on Maggie's Margles s 's train west mc IC c was vas taking a honeymoon alone ather rather than face the thc friends who knew at Zinna Keating had changed her Ind about marrying him He Hc told argie Margie Kind that he was all through with Zinna but when he rushes back from California by airplane and then fails to keep his promise to 10 telephone her Margie makes up her mind that he hc Is back worshiping at the thc same old trysting place Without t telling Vera what is on her mind Margie Margic walks her past the Whittier apartment where Zinna lives to see sec the cream cream- colored Pierce Arrow Pierce Arrow parked before the door Dennis drives that kind of ofa ti a car and Margies Margie's stepmother Edith Garver Carver has told her that Zinna is the kind of girl from whom men never recover recover CH CHAPTER PT THIRTEEN Maurice Stone had seemed delighted delighted delighted de de- lighted to see Margie when she re rev returned turned to the office that Monday Monda Maury was a grave contemplative person about 40 Although younger than Margies Margie's father the two had been great friends Margie had long ago recovered from her youthful infatuation infatuation infatuation in in- for lor r Maury but his serious handsome face piercing dark eyes and courteous manner were still attractive attractive at at- to her Since her fathers father's death the thc previous year she had found herself hersel turning to Maury for counsel It was Maury who had advised her herto herto herto to leave the money she had hac inherited in trust Their business connection made it easy for her to see sec ee him whenever whenever whenever when when- ever she wished to consult him and andnis his nis unselfish kindness had never failed her Walking home from the Whittier that night Margie Margic wondered if it would be be- advisable to tell Maury about her meeting with Dennis and andl hear icar his expert opinion He Hc might be beable beable beable able to tell her more about Dennis I She craved hearing bearing about him from someone else who knew hind him Yet for or some reason she couldn't bring herself to mention Dennis Killians Killian's name NOT IN LOVE Several times that day she had wanted to say as she had to Edith Oh by the way I met a man you ou know But she couldn't quite dp do it Maury was divorced His wife lived in Philadelphia with her parents and their year old child spent the winters winters win winters win win- with her mother and summers at Camp Interlochen at Interlochen Mich The fact that he had been married made Margie feel that Maury knew more about life than the unmarried men of her acquaintance She could imagine herself asking If It you were a girl and wanted to take a man away from someone you were sure wouldn't be good to him how would you go about it But she couldn't do that either It would be bc almost as bad as ns writing to the lovelorn column Vera complained that Margie had I insisted on her coming for a walk then wouldn't even listen while she asked her a question What did you ou say Vera I 1 was thinking I didn't hear you Thinking about what Youre You're terribly terribly ter ter- ter self absorbed since you came back Arc you in love Margie Margic Me Mc Of course not Dont Don't be silly What about this man from tram Ne NewYork New w York Vera persisted Jacks a darling but Im I'm certainty certainly y not in love with him Margie told herself she wasn't in inlove inlove love loye with Dennis either It was just that she had hoped to save him from marr marrying ing a girl who would probably hurt him over and over again MEETING ZINNA Yet after all what did she know about Zinna except what Edith and Dennis had told her Mar Margie ie went to bed thinking if it only he would keep his promise to tele telephone phone and see her once in a while they might at least be friends It was was' his friendship which was so essential to her He had called her his paL If Jf he would care enough to continue that brotherly impersonal al relationship perhaps it wouldn't matter so much if he were engaged to Zinna She lay awake for a long time wondering wondering won won- dering if it had been his car in front of the Whittier Perhaps she was borrowing trouble He might have been too busy to call today But he would telephone tomorrow She slept at last with a hopeful smile on her face dreaming of ot another another another an an- other day But Dennis did not tele phone A week later on Monday morning Maury said be working on those apartments at Six Mile Road today wont won't you When Margie said she would he continued I have a prospect tenant who wants to meet you ou there this morning What time Margie asked About 10 The name is Keating Miss Zinna Keating Margies Margie's face must have reflected her astonishment Do you know her Margie Her 1 parents have a summer home at Lake An Angelus gelus Ive I've heard Edith speak of her I Margie answered briefly Ill be bethere bethere bethere there whenever she comes i She was measuring wall spaces for various pieces of at furniture on the second floor when she heard light I rapid footsteps in the bare hall down down- down I stairs Margie went to the top of the stairway stairway stairway stair stair- way and called down Did you wish to see about an apartment It was Zinna Although she had lever seen her before Margie knew her instantly The tall lithe figure the coal black hair the narrow gray gray- green eyes set et too close together beneath beneath beneath be neath straight brows the seductive passionate mouth Zinna wore a sport costume of black and white but even in fn this the languorous lines of her figure were plainly visible The kind men lose their heads about Edith had said frankly Margie could understand why Zinna had a foreign exotic charm I which emanated from her like the perfume she used used used-a J ed-a ed a heady eadY Oriental perfume perfume smelling of jungle grass or East Jast Indian incense Her narrow tapering hands were bare save for tor a 1 single emerald which she wore on her left hand Im Zinna Keating she said in alow a alow low ow husky voice I presume youre you're Miss Garver Mr Stone told me you would be here Margie answered briskly Yes Iwas I Iwas Iwas was expecting you ou If you'll tell me which apartment youre you're interested in Ill I'll be glad to explain my plans for decorating Zinna said it was the one on the sixth floor with two bedrooms Following Following Fol lowing her up the stairs the elevators not working yet Margies Margie's mind was humming busily She certainly wouldn't select It alone if she is going to be married Perhaps she is going oin to share it with another girl Or perhaps perhaps per per- haps Dennis was wrong and there is another man after all About the time Margie had reached this cheering conclusion Zinna stopped the progress upstairs to speak Im going to be married in September Will it be b ready by then It should be bo ready in a month Miss Keating fine I like it much better than anything Ive I've seen It has such sucha a marvelous view Yes hasn't it Margie agreed brightly She forced herself to explain the details of her plans for fot decorating and furnishing with the he same enthusiasm en en- she would have felt il U it had been someone else Zinna's ns n's eyes swept wept approvingly over the thc bare polished floors of the thc empty rooms That sounds lovely Im I'm quite sure well we'll want it she said How much longer will you be here herc Miss l Garver Until noon It Then Ill I'll drive down town for tor Mr Killian Gillian We may as well decide on it t now Then you can go ahead with your plans Zinna Zinnia went back down the thc stairs and Margie thought stricken panic I I wont won't stay I cant can't meet him again I before her I DENNIS GIVES IN It was then as she stood b by the thc window and watched Zinna drive away that Mar Margie ie realized the thc truth She was in love Hopelessly and futilely fu fu- m in love with a man who in in- tended ended to marr marry another girl Whose t s- s apartment Margie was going to have to furnish I 41 1 wont won't do it it she decided Ill resign first Tears were in her eyes but she brushed them away Oh no you wont won't You'll furnish it and you you'll 11 never let anyone anone suspect t that It lOa matters Hers She was still standing by the thc window win win- dow feeling faint and ill when Zinna returned with Dennis Margie saw him lim jump from the car How happy h he ie looked His face had come to life Hise yes eyes were alert and shining And he caught hold of oC ZInna's arm m pOSt os as they entered the apart apart- All the way up six flights of stairs Margie le could hear them laughing Shen Shell She 1 never r have another chance chance at me mc Dennis had declared Yet here lere he was vas less than three weeks weeks' later ater planning to marry Zinna in September To Be Continued l Copyright R Register and Tribune Syndicate 1 |