Show BUYING BARBARAl BARBARA l' l By Julia Cleft Cleft J Synopsis yn Mark crue cruel bit ter but gifted as as an artist sends a curt telegram w to his fiancee Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara Quenntin demanding that she come to him The telegram is in in- intended intended tended to hu humiliate Farrell Armitage Armitage Armi Armi- tage the millionaire who is financing Marks Mark's London career Farrell Farrel hopes that when he has made the arrogant artist suc successful Barbara will no longer pity him and will vill jilt Mark for tor Marks Mark's benefactor Barbara Bar Bar- bara telegraphs Marks Mark's mother who wh replies that Mark does not need her CHAPTER 35 MARKS MARK'S ULTIMATUM 1 Barbara told herself that she would write to Mark and explain that she suspected only a mood in him Then if It i j were more than a mood he could send his call again She made her way to her own room and lit her lamp Jamp amp There was an old Venetian mirror here which she had delicately She lit the he candles that flanked it and looked at her reflection reflection- Candlelight light was certainly flatter- flatter ing ng It made her hair the pale delicate delicate deli deli- cate gold of at the gilding gliding and under each wave it it- placed a shadow hadow It gave darkness t to her her her- hera a e eyes y cs s the the lex lex- ture bf white velvet f io to o her er C skin mys's mys mys- tery to the line s oV hEt throat She felt as though someone stood at her shoulder whose v gaze gaze 1 lingered n red u upon on her Not not NotMark not Mark rk not Mark- Mark She blew t out the ca candles and scurried The next next few days dY a s let left t her without without with with- out word sign from or either r of th the Th Their jr silence stretched her nerves and she t threw Herself to her work to forget torget th the wn Whole le aff affair ir Then gradually she she she lost lost the sense of being a a naughty i disobedient child and began to pa paper paper- the kitchen on th the top of ota o astep astep step ladder her shears thrust Into the the- of of her smock k her thoughts straying toward tea lea and hot buttered toast buttered toast when the telegraph b boy y- y came up the path path- again r 1 i 1 She called hire himin in and r read G Ge ad d the message saget seated on th the top the e top of ot the lad lad- der Mark made himself perfectly clear Come to ome me mR here or eon consider i er our engagement at an end No answer she said It She had to choose between h her herself self self respect a and her marriage 1 to Mark There was no mistake about abou C I it M it-M Mark it-Mark Mark rk or in trouble h he was just determined that she should step out of ot the stream ot of her own ow lif life and tn come cometo to to him when h he beckoned her She thought sit sitting Ing there in th the gathering dusk that she had n no choice b but t go go- go and go-and and she thought thought though I that this love love- she had for him for him h m wavery was wa was very close to fear and very close t to hate But she made no no preparation to gt go She sat there thinking and wishing wishing she could have finished the 1 kitchen itchen Half an hour elapsed and then another an another an another other telegraph boy l lumbered up t to the little house She read Please Barbara There was n no more Oh but it was enough She dismissed dIg dis- dl miss missed d the boy and flew about her he prep preparations No mooning now I In 15 minutes she was closing up th the house and running into the road She thought she might catch th the London train if she could get a at ca car from a garage she knew She was wa there sooner than she had thought though but there was no available car She hurried h out without tion She swung down a side roa road and emerged into a decorous street of offices Before one one- of these stood a big dark car which she n zed As she hesitated its owner owne camo across the pavement and sh she dashed up and spoke spoke to to him Sir James could you possibly run me to the station I might just b bable be beable beable able to catch the Lond London n express j ju if you u would He stared Violently and peered at her over his everlasting smirk Get in Get in By all means Jones ones slip along to the st station tion a nsf ns as f dst st as you can Pull up this rug m my dear Miss Barbara the evenings ar arar are arc far ar from warm lately Though bless me you youngsters dont don't seem to feel fee the he cold Barbara was puzzled by his man man- nero ner He appeared to force himself to 0 meet her eyes and eyes and yet he was more syrupy than usual as h he fussed over her He Hc had nad turned of off the light lightn in n the roo roof just as ris the c car r r moved away vay way but almost immediately he turned it on again again Youve had a wire from Mark have ave you I suppose hes he's not so well wel again gain Natural he hc should send for you quite ou quite natural Leila tells me hes he's making a a splash up there all the same ame Wonderful I think considering consider consider- ing ng everything Yes Leila stayed a night ight with you last week I hear Im afraid she wasn't very comfortable com- com Most kind of you to put yourself out ut My girls girl's spoiled I fear and ands its it's s a bit late to do anything about it Cool Cool and and hard Barbara was barely listening A Apart Apart part art of her mind was recording that sugar though very nearly obsequious ous us in manner was far from easy in iner her er company company and another part was preoccupIed with times and distances This his other part took complete te command com com- mand jand as a long shrill whistle tore across cross the lights of the town Theres my train At the same moment the chauffeur eur slowed pushing aside the glass panel anel and spoke over his shoulder No use sir We cant can't make it now ow Barbara disappointed prepared to o light One moment Miss Miss' Barbara Barbaral It occur to me me but but have you an alterative alternative alter alter- native plan I I had better go to Taunton I think Theres There's a chance of catching a very good train that leaves there about 9 One moment It occurs to me that perhaps you would allow me to send you ou to in this car Barbara half hat out of the car was quite unable to conceal her tion on So apparently was Jones who all alt 1 but gasped Its Us very kind of you ou I dont don't know now how to thank you But what about bout you ou How will you get home her By train Sugar assured As the car moved off oH Barbara glanced out of the back window Sugar Cane was standing in the middle of the road rond and she thought he e was talking to himself But under un un- der cr the uncertain lights she could not ot be sure Copyright 1933 Julia Clef Addams Barbara is shocked almost beyond endurance t tomorrow morrow by what she finds in London a |