Show The Love Masque By BARBARA WEBB A VERY EFFICIENT MAN IAN Phyllis Yes Yes Mr Gage Youve called me John for lor a long Jong longtime longtime time now Why revive the formalities formali ties He came Into the room and sat Ina in ina ina a chair by the window where he could watch herVery herVery herVery her Very wen well then what do you OU want John To answer some of your questions Some of ot my questions Phyllis was frankly frankl bewildered I thought they had all been answered There Isn't a thing really for you to explain to me now No Oh talk sense Phyllis commanded command command- ed cd him and not riddles Ill admit that Ive I've answered all the little unimportant qu questions he said but the bi biggest gest and most m m. m one of all aU we haven't even touched on Phyllis sat tense and silent Hent There was a question she wanted to ask a question that shrieked aloud for br an answer But if he thought he was going to bully b her into asking it he was wag mistaken Im thinking of getting married he said presently Phyllis stiffened So I understood You know to lo whom Was that mock surprise in his voice I think so vt An S Suddenly he stood up Well wen drop the nonsense now he announced but it is S fun to tease you Phyllis your color comes and goes so nicely The question you want to ask me is about my apparent interest in Adele Rogers isn't it Phyllis flushed to the roots of or her hair That is Ss hardly any of my business is it I rather think it is Why Because youre you're in love with me yourself T THE E WEAK LINK Phyllis whirled on him Oh I 1 think youre you're unspeakable she cried Im not the least bit in love with you I I-I I I think youre you're beastly mean to come in here like this I want you OU to leave and I dont don't want to see you in ever O And Aid id- id Im I'm going Joing to explain to you OU r about Adele he went on ignoring her outburst Come Phyllis let me medo medo medo do things in my own way You'll understand understand un un- un everything presently You'll know Ive I've never liked women that's one reason old Silas Pentland liked me because he felt he could trust Marjorie with me Now of course youre you're very like Marjorie In appearance appear ance but temperamentally youre you're miles apart Youre You're self reliant and courageous and calm where she's timid tim tIme id and hides from things and goes to pieces She's a wife to take care of oC and shield and protect and you'd be bea a wife to take along side by side Thanks Well when we organized this masquerade masquerade mas mas- there was just one weak link linkin linkin linkin in it and that weak link Jink was Adele Rogers She had visited for a week weel at the Pentland ranch about a year c r I ago and had met the real Marjorie Marjoric She is naturally a suspicious person fond of ot gossip and scandal I it my particular business to watch her and after her very first meeting with you she confided to me mc that there was something very strange abut abou you that you had changed out of al nU all reason since she had seen you in the west vest She was curious too about the fact of your supposed disappear disappearance and asked me innumerable questions about it oh it-oh oh I wasn't the only one she talked to but I was the one that tha listened with the most interest I saw immediately that we would have tobe to tobe tobe be on our guard where she was vas concerned con con- and the thc only wa way in which I could get her attention away li-am li you was to center It elsewhere On yourself Phyllis accused himOn him On IOn myself he admitted calmly and Ill I'll tell teU you OU now that it was the toughest part of the whole assignment assign assign- ment so tar far faras as Im I'm concerned It wasn't fair Ph Phyllis ms said PRETTY COCKSURE Listen to me Phyllis I dont don't pretend pre pre- tend about things It was necessary for the successful carrying out of our plan and you will vill learn that I am a aman aman aman man who sees things through when he starts them That ma may sound like boasting to you but it Its It's a simple statement of fact I be began an as asa asa asa a poor boy Ive I've worked myself up by being ruthless where I had to until SI I have n Q small fortune of my own and an important position in the world Im I'm not heartless I serve and serve well veil on various charities and Silas Pentland can testify to my honesty But if you think I was going to let leta a sill silly vain little girl stand in the way of my putting over a delicate plan youre you're mistaken She got ot exactly ex cx- what she asked for a good warm flirtation and that's all aU Moreover she he knows that Its It's all over so far a aIm as asIm Im I'm concerned She went to Palm I Beach last night and she took with her the knowledge that she could look elsewhere for lor a n husband I see And now Im I'm going to say to you what I have never said to another woman in my life I love you He was standing looking hard at al ather ather her his chin thrust out in so determined deter determined mined a way that Phyllis lau laughed gently At that he flushed a deep burning red Maybe you ou have a right to J laugh ugh at me mc he said in the first humble tone one she had ever heard him use Iwas Iwas I Iwas was pretty cocksure about you you but but but could you OU care a little bit for forme forme forme me me Phyllis held her face tace up to his Im not riot really laughing at you John dear its it's only that you you that that YO you you you- There was wa no chance for for her to finish fin fin- ish sh the sentence She was wa swept into his ils embrace and kissed into breath breath- u r But Hut what shall we do she asked I him a little later Ive really got to togo togo I Izo go zo away for a while We wouldn't I dare be married and stay here in New NewYork York York and and Marjorie herself will be bein bein bein in California Oh Ive I've arranged all that he told her You have Of course when course when I booked that thai sailing on the Eastern Star I didn't didn book jook it for Phyllis Wood I booked bool ed edIt It for tor Mr Ml lr and Mrs 1 John Gage Gage If This time Phyllis' Phyllis laugh rang out loud and clear Whatever are arc you laughing about asked a voice from the door wa way Marjorie stood there Count Slavin at her side Im laughing said Phyllis happily Im lau laughing hing at the thought of the very ery efficient husband Im I'm about to marry The end |