Show Woman One Oinie Man Main By VIDA HURST BEGIN HERE Margie Garver Carver is in love with Dennis Dennis Dennis Den Den- I nis Dennis is engaged to Zinna Zinna Zin- Zin na Keating Margie is Js spending the fourth of ot July week-end week at Interlochen Interlochen Inter- Inter lochen having driven up with Maury Stone and Jack Carrol of New York Jack has proposed to Margie but even knowing kno how futile her love bye for Dennis is Margie cant can't accept Jack yet Dennis and ZInna are also spending spending spend- spend ing ng the Fourth at Interlochen Dick Crawford an aviator arrives and Zinna immediately devotes her time timeto to him Dennis jealous follows Margie Margie Margie Mar Mar- gie about abouL While horseback riding one morning Margie admits to Dennis Dennis Den Den- nis that she Is in love with him He seems touched and sympathetic Suddenly Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly they see Dick Crawfords Crawford's plane plunge into the lake Dennis believes that Zinna is in the plane They ride quickly back to the lodge and when Dennis hears that Zinna had been taken to the hospital unconscious he rushes away quite oblivious of Margie Mar Mar- gie CHAPTER 21 This settles it forever so far as I Iam Iam Iam am concerned thought Margie The look on Dennis Killians Killian's face the white-lipped white panic which had driven him to his car without a word to the girl who had admitted that she loved him less than an hour before before before be be- fore seemed flaming naming signs that he cared for no one but Zinna Margie escaped to her own room flung herself on the iron bed and buried her feverish cheeks against the cool pillow If anything should happen to her now hell he'll hate me she wept Oh why did I tell him I should have let him think it was Jack Looking back she could not Understand understand understand un un- her own temerity I haven't even any pride where he is concerned she moaned In the back of her mind had been the mad maci desire to make him see sec the difference between Zinna and a girl who really loved him Instead she had only made herself ridiculous He had kissed her but no rio doubt the sole emotion in his mind had been pity The kind of thing she felt for Dick ANYTHING BUT PITY It was unbearable for or him to pity her Shed She'd rather he had laughed or been unkind No man had ever kissed her for such a reason before Yet at atthe atthe ithe the time it had not occurred to her that he was sorry for her She had felt Celt he was quite as affected by that kiss as she was Well theres there's nothing I can do about it now thought Margie hope hope- lessl lessly If she had held her ton tongue sue on or that unfortunate ride sh she would be free tree now to sympathize with him As It was he would think her unaffected and insincere if she even said she was sorry Margie felt as if wheels were spinning in her head There was a knock at her door Margie I Yes Maury Interlochen Interlochen Inter Inter- Im going over to Camp loch lochen en now Want to come along She struggled to make her voice sound natural No thanks Im I'm going to rest for fora a while I III j just st telephoned the hospital and it wasn't as bad as we thought Both are suffering from slight concussions and Crawford Craword has broken his wrist but otherwise 0 O. K v good Im I'm glad it wasn't serious Maury went away and nd for a long longtime longtime longtime time Margie lay upon the bed perfectly perfectly per per- motionless She was so glad that Zinna wasn't seriously injured Sh She would not wish to win a husband by another girls girl's death It If Dennis had hadnot hadnot hadnot not sense enough to see for himself that Zinnia didn't love him he deserved deserved deserved de de- de- de served whatever happened FILLING IN TIME Margie told herself she ought to despise the man for or being so blind But try as she might it was as useless to attempt to rouse a contempt she could not feel Love came and wrought its magic spell upon Dennis as it had on Mar Margie e without regard for the fact that the beloved one did not feel the same If yo you loved someone someone someone some some- one you loved him Having arrived at this unhappy conclusion Margie took ot off her rid rid- tag big clothes wrapped a dressing gown about her and scuttled down the hall ball halla for a bath She came down to luncheon luncheon lunch lunch- eon con looking lookin serene and later went with Jack to sit in the open-air open auditorium auditorium auditorium audi audi- to listen to the orchestra orchestras When the concert was over it was time for a swim Put on your our bathing s suit uit Margie Ill I'll race you to the raft laft Jack was a gay companion His lithe body flashed through h the water vater at nt n a sneed she found difficult to fol fol- fol ol- ol low They swam s to the raft and back Lets hire n a launch and LInd take lake a arIde aride aride ride Jack suggested He shook the water from his wet hair nair looking like a Greek god He was really the best looking man she lad had ever known And as understanding understand d lug ing and companionable as he was handsome So far Margie couldn't find a single essential quality lacking lacking lacking lack lack- ing ing in Jack Carrol Dripping wet they took their places in the launch and sped away Margie's Margies Margies Margie's Margies Margie's Mar Mar- gies gie's curls blew about her face The sun was setting between a clump dump of pine trees The hidden hushed solemnity solemnity solemnity sol sol- sol sol- of the woods lay in dark shadows shad shadS across the quiet lake BROKEN IDOLS Margie darling I love you Jack said She smiled at him Have you been thinking about what I asked you he questioned turning off the motor Yes Dont you care for me at all begged Jack with almost the same words Vie Vic had used on the launch at Lake Angelus But this time Margies Margie's answer was different I care for you a great deal she said honestly I would like to marry you You have everything to offer that I have always wanted in a hus hus- band Then why not It wouldn't be fair to you she faltered altered I dont don't love you ou the way I should Jack laughed Foolish little Margie what do you ou I Know now of ot love Anyone can see that your our experiences have skimmed only the surface A kiss here and there in the moonlight perhaps But youve you've never given any of your real self have you Ive I thought I was in iii love several times she insisted it exactly Youve You've thought you were in love but youve you've always recovered before you were hurt You have never tasted the dregs o oi of disillusion sion Never seen the idol of ot your heart crashing to pieces about your feet A PRACTICAL PROPOSITION His voice was so bitter that Margie stared in astonishment I certainly haven't felt that she admitted Well I J have I 1 have loved a girl who proved herself hersel utterly unworthy I have gone through hell trying to give her up Have gone back to her with contempt at my own w weakness and left her again with murder In my heart THAT my dear is love in its most hopeless stage sInge But Ive I've managed managed managed man man- aged to come out of it It too and I have learned that no woman is worth suf suI fering over That's why I intend to marry only a girl I can both love and respect I want you Margie because you are in every way the type of woman woman woman wo wo- wo- wo man I wish to make my wife wile She looked at him curiously In other words you are using your jour head instead of your heart I am using both he corrected I fell in love with your sweetness and youth but my mind tells me that you also have those other qualities which are even more essential to marriage Such as Loyalty a sense of ot humor and courage You s see sec e I didn't ask you OU to marry me without considering it selfishly selfishly self self- from every angle But Jack you wouldn't want me to marry you unless I am in love with you would you After all what is love he de de- de- de You have admitted that you like the things I have to offer I dont don't think it is necessary that you should be madly in love with me now I flatter myself that will come conic afterward after alter ward If you ou are willing to take a chance Im not afraid she said meeting his eyes with her own serious blue ones I didn't think it would be fair to you Jou that was all MARGIE SAYS YES He leaned nearer to take her het- hand do it it then A grent great silence seemed to have enveloped her heart If It you JOU want me under such conditions conditions con con- yes I want you any wa way I can get you Ja Jack k answered promptly Ill be beso beso beso so good to you OU darling it wont won't matter mat mat- ter whether you ou are in love with me menow menow menow now or or- not You see sec see he d. d I have unlimited confidence confidence in m my own powers At that moment she had unlimited confidence in them too She held her lips to his as ns trustingly as a child And he kissed them reverently Youve made me so happy I J feel as ns if I could get out and walk on the water Dont tr try it it she warned We Were re going to bo be late for supper as it Is As they the climbed from the launch Jack took the hand he held and pressed It against his lips Dennis was standing on the steps of af the hotel an nn indifferent witness Margie stopped to say Im glad Zinna wasn't seriously injured Dennis smiled Yes wasn't It lucky Shell She'll have to stay slay in the hospital has hos pital a few days but thc they assure me mc meshes meshe's she's going to be quite all right rIcht It Il was plain to see there wasn't room ir in Dennis Killians Killian's mind for anyone one else To Be Continued Copyright Register and Tribune c Syndicate |