| Show BUYING BARBARA By Julia t. Cle Cleft Addams SYNOPSIS I Farrell Farren Armitage has agreed to launch Mark as an artist and to secure medical aid to cure his crippled body in return for the promise prom ise he of Barbara Quentin Marks Mark's s fiancee that she will not marry Mark Ifor for a year Mark cruel and calculating calculating ing arranges to faint just as he arrives ar arrives rives at Farrells Farrell's London house In Farrells Farrell's car It is the eccentric actress ac no- tress Patsy Raoul who ho exposes Mark Markby Markby Markby by blowing smoke in In his face Mark sneezes S C CHAPTER APTER 22 The Fur Flies Serves you ou right Markl Marki declared Mrs when the general amusement amusement amuse amuse- ment had subsided All the same she added he really does doe faint faint faint- for a minute or two Loses himself altogether altogether al al- al together if It you know what I mean Spose you come upstairs now Mark There is an elevator Most of the way put in Farrell He was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable uncomfortable un un- un comfortable about the elevator He looked at Mark but Mark had become absorbed in his tormentor You make the most extraordinary Impression on me he was telling her Oh of course Ive I've heard of you and seen photographs but I never imagined imagined imagined im im- im- im you were really leally like this How stimulating to be so very ugly I should like to do a portrait of you him You Miss Raoul scourged without mercy You You mee mec cant een nee cant I laugh I choke Who me rae paints makes Study of an Actress eem eem- that that- I give ive sitting downs Another sees the But you You w wouldn't be so rude to me if you really thought me me negligible retorted retorted re re- re- re Mark He was still upon the couch but had propped himself upon his hands the thin unbeautiful finers fingers fin fin- gem gers ers dug into the upholstery As As formy forray for lor my ray mediocrity it is very doubtful whether your success will be more than a passing parsing vogue whereas mine if it it comes to pass at all will endure I say already I am mortal eem Your only immortality will vIll be my portrait of you I think and even then they will doubt whether I 1 I. I did not dream you In short said Mark still palely st staring ring you have had to introduce yourself to me inc The situation situation situation situa situa- tion in a nutshell Well shall we we- Miss Raoul hurled Armitage's intervention intervention in in- aside introduce she I I 1 myself to you shrilled And I eem-agine eem that I kindly kindly kind kind- ly Iy speak to you to give you encouragement encouragement only Where shall the world ever of ot you hear Not anywhere Not anywhere cem Leila at this point seized her friend by the arm aria and propelled her to the front door Thomas the footman shot hot forward and opened it and atthe atthe at atthe the same moment Gaffen who had been s steadily urging Mrs in inthe inthe inthe the direction of the elevator got her got her into it and sped with her to an upper story The sudden blessed silence hummed in Armitage's ears He surveyed Mark Markover Markover Markover over the deserted battlefield Have a drink he invited Mark had collapsed once more upon the couch and flat on his back began to chuckle I So Patsy Patsy Raoul Id I'd no Idea I 1 should meet her hero here and and so so so soon Could you follow follow- h her r last few phrases Pure pavement 1 shall paint her sailing paper bo boats ts in a agutter agutter agutter gutter I I- think bright think bright red Ted boats Armitage was struggling to to master the situation I dont don't want you to tire lire yourself If It you wont won't have a brandy lets let's go upstairs Id I'd like to know if it your quarters will suit you f fHe He followed Marks Mark's slow progress into the elevator Mark dropped upon the bench that ran along one side and said fervently All my life me I have dreaded stairs You You wont wont won't understand that but lut imag imago ine yourself in n pain pain all all through some apparently endless night and your sedative whatever sedative whatever It is separated is-separated separated from om you by by 43 43 distinct distinct and and progressively progressively painful efforts There is a short flight for y you u to tackle here Im I'm afraid apolo apologized Armitage The top floor used to be t the e servants servants' quarters in my fathers father's time Then he converted the back into a staff start wing but the tho elevator elevator- shaft w was s never taken any higher I But why stow me meso so high up Because it seemed to make mak the I best workroom best workroom for you I The lift had now completed its as cent ent but Mark ark remained seated gazing gaz ing despairingly out at this upper hull hall along which proposed to lead him His mournful mournful- eyes came to rest on a door opposite The door had been thrust ajar obviously by the dogs who now lilY lay in guilty gunty ecstasy all allover allover over a plain narrow bed YOU think I could lie down for tor fora tora a bit bit- somewhere before I see those stairs Arn Armitage Silently Armitage g ushered him in His own room this a bare light almost al most forbidding apartment Mark hobbled into it with a gasp of pleas pleas- ure Oh by Jove I like this this room room The light is perfect I could coul do a 3 lot here I r sa say Armitage need I go anywhere else Im I'm tremendously in sympathy with this s room What a fool I am ami amir I r thought it was a a guest room I thought you rou had dozens of guest rooms I see now now now- his gaze swept Armitage's personal possessions possessions- that this is your own Ill I'll get out out out-I I Ican can rest anywhere His crutch slipped as lS he turned Armitage contemplated him The fellow was fatigued to the point of collapse that was undeniable Yet one one knew v perfectly well that at sight of the dogs and the bed he had guessed whose room this was wasBy wasBy By UBy all means sleep here If it you want to said Armitage ejecting the terriers Ill clear out of it a 3 bathroom through that door I hadn't imagined your tastes to tobe tobe tobe be so simple said Mark dropping without even en a pretense of further protest onto the bed If you'll have that cupboard moved nearer the door I can set up my easel between the windows As you like ButI ButI But But But- I dont don't apologize for causing ausing so much trouble because I I I believe that my work will repay you If I didn't believe it I shouldn't have come here at all At first on that evening you camelo cameto came cameto I to lo see me at Kings Barn I took look it that you ou invited me from some obscure ob obscure ob ob- personal liking but now I have thou thought ht it over and I see that I flattered flattered flat flat- myself It was my possible talent talent tal tal- to- to ent that intrigued you OU wasn't it Nothing else Armitage dug his hands into his pockets Put it that way If you choose You dont don't put it jt that way yourself yourself yourself your your- self Armitage glared at the carpet Again gain the overwhelming impulse to kick the chap out I ur I have never never been so tired before before be be- fore whispered Mark and let his head fall back Armitage walked out He lie could stand no more more- He went up the much debated staircase and wandered about deep in thought Next to the new studio was Marks Mark's bedroom or what was to have been his bedroom Jacques Ltd had seen to that too Armitage entered it Certainly it was on the effeminate side But then then he could have sworn that Mark would be slightly ef eI- eI Perhaps ho he was but if at that moment mo mo- ment meat it entertained him to deny it to to demand b bare re waIls walls and an old leather chair Armitage pI picked ked up the telephone He gave Malavies number Presently he was in communication Look here Im I'm s sorry rry but the bedroom bedroom bed bed- room you did for my friend next to the studio is a a mistake Not in the least your our fault I misled you The general effect is too pretty pretty-pretty 1 I want it changed Oh Well I 1 must accept your judgment of course came in the ab absurd surd scholarly tones toneS' though I will confess that 3 a second attempt is al always always always al- al I ways disheartening Jo to me inc me You ou may I want one o of the downstairs bed bedrooms bedrooms rooms rooms rooms' copied exactly take you more th than thana n a co couple of ot days Certainly The style is is- is There isn't one That's what youve you've got to copy cut off oft and tried another number the firm irm that had installed the el elevator valor Again Agam he managed to get immediate touch with the principals pals I UI want your opinion at once he said on the possibility of carrying my elevator up another floor r Yes to the top of ot the house Yes I realize realIze real real- ize that but the expense has become a sec secondary consideration Yes Thank you Then he went down in search of Mrs Lodel S Copyright 1933 Julia Cleft Cleft- Addams v Lena Leila mentions tomorrow plan of great importance to Barbara 4 |
