| Show PA PAYCHECK 1 t By Rob Eden HERE HEBE TODAY r BEGIN Bennett had never loved any ur c. c b Ure Tom Dorin young adverb adver adver- him inti in int J manager She met store where she Department t ti salesgirl and they fell tell In love loveLi lovea Li a Sey realized it Knowing fere they r. i only iv thing that sustained wI wai the her d desperate crate struggle to sup sup- is 10 and nd her brother Paul b b eager to be married but butt butr sala waS It t r wo wouldn't burden him im with here her 11 at the e cramped shoddy apart apart- e after the luxury of Sut Sut- hard harl harle ts 1 fa 15 cis wealth and social pO-I pO vi ce e when po- po place were theirs their But it is the best rn do after the e crash that t d can the Bennett n 44 fortunes f and r r sent ran ent I Bennett to a sanitarium to reut re- re r r. remains dIscon ut Mr bits Bennett ted Sd unhappy and a constant worry She contin continually harps on Fleur fact f et that their financial mandal salva- salva KM jn Fleurs Fleur's marriage to Gary wealthy admirer Fleurs Fleur's reen relm re re- f ft ace t lm on en of Garys Gary's persistent attentions her mother and brings on a hys- hys tirade which leaves Fleur r l I S ed d brooding Dully Fleur de de- that for her family's sake she shei Gary Crewe Tom said i marry Iya a word when she broke the theto ito to bim him But she cant can't give up upi i completely so she goes to his 01 ent to see him and explain the theole Cole ole isle situation HOW KOW olp GO ON WITH THE STORY J 1 CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN you You Ou wouldn't let me talk to you youat at i night H Fleur said her voice ruing tom om Dorm Dorin n folded his arms and wed BCd d his knees Fleur thought he ted eyed stiffer more forbidding that BT ay I I think you said quite plenty It dt night I cant can't think of anything lit ce Ire you might have said except feat you did say sav You said s. you were jag toj to marry Crewe didn't you yau Yes but Well Veil if youre you're going to marry marry that thit lets me out our doesn't it it Bat 1 11 Tom I do love you your youl I always mr it He was smiling a bitter sort sert of wile we She closed her eyes to wait lUX it was gone gene but when she shel l ned them a few seconds later it ita a f Ml on en his lips likely isn't it iU Its It's true truc truer Why didn't didn t he believe 1 sl What could she say to make maken n Ii believe her I have to marry ay theres there's there's theres no other way out forI ferl for fer 1 l cf Of us nS H 91 K NOT SURPRISED 1 thought hought you'd do de something like Fleur Fleur so Im I'm not net surprised ed in ine e lent I suspected you wouldn't v ri re the courage to marry me Down your Jour heart beart youve you've been afraid all alle e time I haven't And I want to marry a more than anything in the world t 1 1 I cant ant cant can't I If they could enl only talk talka a i over sensibly If only Tom be so furious about it so un un- Arable able If he could seethen see see see- then hen he laughed a short mirthless yh ib h that began no place and Aped in midair It struck the girl girle e t a a sharp k keen cn edged knife and 1 winced This is no no laughing matter Tom Tom Tom- Tor To you no but for me me perhaps ps I was just wondering how hew I could have been such a complete fool for five months That's a long leng time you know knew to be the doddering idiot I was Im I'm ashamed of ot myself now new LISTEN TO 10 ME 1 If It If you would only enly listen to me Hyou if H you yeu could only see see see- Fleurs Fleur's hand which had been at her forehead dropped into her ber lap helplessly Oh Oh I see everything plainly only too plainly I 1 see sec now why you were so hesitant about promising to marry me mc at first You were waiting around for Gary Crewe to ask yo you and now that hes he's asked you you you- You dont don't see sec anything You wont won't Gary asked me to marry him a long lang time Ume ago and I refused him That so But that doesn't change matters natters any now new that you yeu are going to marry him Its It's been rather hardon hard hare on me Fleur for I took you at yo your r wo word d. d I thought you were going to marry meI meI me I haven't even looked at another girl since Ive I've known you I didn't want to Ive I've dreamed all sorts ol ot ridiculous dreams silly things I had no business dreaming except that you yeu gave me the right to dream them Everything Ive I've done these last five months Ive I've done for you Ive I've lived for fer you yeu Fleur but that doesn't mean anything to you And it doesn't mean anything to you either that youve you've hurt me terribly and that the hurt will sta stay on for tar a long time 1 I LOVE YOU The world sort of stopped for tor me last ast night when you told me you weren't going to marry me Stood till still but its it's going on again now new andt and it t will continue to go gO gOon on My world You'll be in it too because I cant can't get over loving you yeu in a day Im not net crying over ever it and Im I'm Im I'm not getting jetting maudlin and I wish you wish you hadn't come tonight Youve You've made everything considerably harder for forme forme forme me by coming here I 1 thought Id I'd never see you again He arose and walking to the window window win win- dow pulled aside the blind and looked out into the night When he turned to Fleur again his fingers were gripping the curtain Shall I call a taxi for fer you ou I thought thought perhaps perhaps we could be befriends befriends friends friends- 1 if he would only enly be friendly friendy friend friend- ly y if it she only wouldn't have to give him up entirely The laugh came again and his fin fingers gers loosened from the curtain He went vent to a box on the table and carefully carefully care care- fully ully chose a cigar elgar rejecting three before he made up his mind ARE YOU SANE Are Arc you ou sane Fleur I dont don't think I you possibly can be in suggesting that we be friendly You dont don't mean it do o you I cant can't give you yeu up up entirely She came over ever and put her hand on his arm Moving away he resumed his lis seat on en the couch He didn't want the he cigar after It was lighted but he held it In his fingers anyway He Head had ad to hold something If Fleur didn't go o away soon i. i I tell you yeu Tom I cant can't give you up p entirely I have to see you some some- tim times times- s- s She was sitting beside him himon on n the couch quite close You remember remember- once you ou told me it if f I lived in a mining camp and you yeu had lad to be content with a shack there therewith therewith therewith with me and marry me met Remember Even if you yeu dont don't I 1 do Ive I've thought about that a lot let lately wondering if you really meant i it You didn't 1 I know knew now new You never neve meant one thing you said to me I remember everything 1 I said to you Tom Tem And under ordinary cir clr CALL A TAXI There arent aren't any ordinary circumstances cIrcum cIrcum- stances where love leve is concerned Yo You either love or er you Jeu dont don't You can cant can't love me Fleur if youre you're planning to marry Crewe But I doIn do doIn do- do In a n way I dont don't blame you yeu Youre You're used to luxury luxury and Crewe can give i iback it b back ck to you You'll You ll have such a lo lowith lot let with him but you ou had no right Fleur making me hope and letting me mo dream on an Ill I'll call a taxi now He wen went to the phone phene and started dialing a number Wont you yeu take lake me home heme No I wont went I dont don't trust myself enough with you to take you home Fleur He gave the address quickly when his call was completed anc and picked up his hat Heres your you coat Fleur put her arms Into I it slowly without any help from frem him ALL Then they were walking down the hall together and Tom was ringing f for forthe forthe o othe the elevator Tom was glad when the car stopped at the fifth floor to pick up more passengers and Fleur Fleu was sorry serry There was still a good deal dea she wanted to say to him When they were on the steps outside out outside side waiting for the cab Fleur drew closer to him Why cant can't we be befriends befriends befriends friends We cant can't that's all Fleur and the sooner you yeu realize it the better I 1 absolutely refuse to be friends wit wIth you yelL After what has been between us do you think I could honestly wan wanto want to bea friend to you A sorry thing to be after I thought I was going to be bea a husband husband- Where was the cab Why wasn wasn't it here In another anether minute he was wa going to put his arms arms arms' around her kIsher kis kiss her tier and regret It all his life He looked down quickly and saw her face turned up to his her lips Ups waiting A yellow car slid to the Use curb Theres the cab Ill I'll pay the dri er He was down the steps opening the door She brushed by him and their hands touched and in that moment moment moment mo mo- ment he saw her white face and the lips that were waiting She was in his arms and he was kissing the lips passionately Why arc are you doing this thing Fleur I have to to- to tooh oh eb Tom dont don't let me mege go ge got gotI I Z love you love you but some day Fleur Im I'm going to hate you as much muchas as I love you now for fer what youre you're doing do do- ing He tore lore her arms away and slammed the door While he was giving giving giving ing her address to the driver and paying him he was loathing himself blaming himself for having baving weakened He shouldn't have kissed her He hadn't planned to He hadn't meant to see her again after last night Miss Lynch his secretary had been told in inthe the morning that if Miss Ben Bennett nett called he wasn't in Miss Lynch had been surprised but she sho had carried car ried rind out orders She hadn't told him that Fleur had called and he had been too proud to ask Purposely he had changed parking stations so she wouldn't know where whereto to find tind the car Tonight he had gone gene up to Hasty Prices Price's apartment to get getaway getaway getaway away from thoughts of ef her Been bored for two hours until he couldn't stand it any longer and had to leave A clean break he had decided He had to listen to Prices Price's chatter about hunting fishing when his mind was full of Fleur When she was everywhere in the room Even when his Jils eyes were closed and Prices Price's voice was droning on he saw her He He Wouldn't go back to the apartment apartment apart apart- ment where she had been He turned from the steps and walked down the street He had said ald hard cruel things to to her tonight but he had meant them He was thinking hard cruel things as he walked along There was a crisp rustle of leaves under his feet teet and the air was sharp There was a moon mean he glanced at It gloweringly blooming like a great round go golden den flower in lathe inthe the sky There was the taste of ef Fleurs Fleur's kiss klu kisson kisson on his lips bitter sweet He shouldn't have kissed her of course When he saw her in his apartment he should have left then left then there wouldn't have havel been that kiss and the melting loveliness love loveliness liness of her mouth I To be continued |
