| Show Dance Little Lady T Telegram By Dy y BARBARA WEBB Fiction CHAPTER 23 Two days after Jan had moved in with Venitia de LAmour L'Amour LAmour L'Amour or rather was moved in by Venitia for it was still so sudden so unusual that Jan Tan often olten stopped to wonder just what it t was that had persuaded her so quickly to throw in her lot with Venitia Venitia she she was mounting the flight of stairs which led to the apartment As she reached the second floor land land- landing ing ng two men came out of the apartment apartment apart apart- ment looked at t her closely interestedly interestedly interest interest- edly th then n went downstairs As Jan tumbled rumbled with her key she heard their voices from below So that's thal's the girl Nisha's living with now one said Damn nice looking said the other Has what Id I'd term a pretty shank nice leg and all that Maybe we can get Nisha to fix it- it The voices trailed off leaving Jan full of questions Who were these two men What was W it that they wondered i if Nisha could fix for them Jan shook her head and entered entered en- en ered the apartment Lo IA darling Nisha called Any luck uck No Same old stor story Leave your name Well We'll get In touch with you ou Nisha came out into the living room Listen baby do you want togo to togo togo go thi on on a party tonight What kind of a party Tell me mc about it Couple of m my friends just left Did you see them them Jan nodded taking me out to dinner Want me to get another girl to come along How about it What will we do after alter dinner Show probably I wont won't be with you at dinner all the time Im I'm in a couple of numbers But Im I'm through with the floor show in time for the theater heater After that well we'll go back to the he club Ive I've got to be there for the midnight ht show You'll have a good time ime Want to come along Sure What will I wear though Ill lend you OU something Sees Nisha at Work At supper that night Jan sitting between the two young men she had seen coming out of the apartment that thata a afternoon saw Nisha at work for the first time Nisha wasn't a dancer I Jan soon found out Nisha's job in inthe I the he show was purely a decorative one She wore very little clothes and those hose she wore were designed to r re rc reveal veal more than conceal The man manTan Jan Tan was with was Jim Lewis Theother The Theother TheL other man was vas called Pete Pete Jan Jan L never knew his last name Following Following Follow- Follow ing ng the supper show they were joined by Nisha Well where to she asked Where do you want to go Pete asked How about that new revue Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan Man hattan Maiden Maiden that's that's supposed to be pretty good Okay with me In the revue revue Jan saw the kind of dancing she longed to d do The premier pre mier da danseuse was well known in inthe inthe the he the theatrical world a and d her dancing was vas excellent She combined emotional emo emo- lonal grace with a sort of Oriental sensuousness that made her dancing most exotic Back to the club following the show the he four went Both men had been drinking during th the evening Nisha with them Jan had played with the same drink all during supper and now in the club again she sipped another another an another an- an other drink doing little more than touch ouch her lips to it She didn't like the theSte taste Ste of the stuff Come on baby Jim said to her drink up Were We're having a party Have some fun matter Dont Don't you like me me I like you Jim but I dont don't like the drink Okay Dont Don't like it it-don't it don't dont drink it Freedom That's what I say Do what you damn please About 1 30 the midnight floor show over Jim dancing with Jan whispered whispered whis whis- to her I ime ince you baby What do you ou say you oU n fn me scram out of here and go somewhere else cle How bout It il Jan leaned back to get a better look in Jims Jim's fa Lace face e. e He had continued his drinking but It wasn't affecting him nearly so much as Jan had ex ex- Still he was far from ser What for Jan asked Were having fun here Too man many people Too big biC a crowd Well We'll go somewhere quiet where we can talk Leave Pete and Nisha here Come on Take a ride in the park Good for clearing the head Think better with a clear head Jan was glad to leave lea the club It was getting more and more crowded The tiny square lre that was called aUed the dance floor 1001 was so crowded crowd cd thai that it was impossible to dance The kind of gayety gayet forced gayety gayet that was present didn't attract Jan Where you ou two going Nisha asked Take the air Going for a ride I in Central park Coming Corning back here Who knows Jim answered Might go to China Might never come back Nisha looked at Jan queerly ques ques- Okay she said see you later Jan On the way out Jan and Jim were met by the flower girl cirl carrying tiny corsages in a small straw basket Jim stopped her Got to buy you flowers baby Lots and lots of flowers How much different prices sir the girl answered Which would the lady like They Buy Flowers The ladd like them all Got to have lots of flowers Here give me methe methe methe the whole basket Jim handed the girl a bill bilI Jan saw it it-It it it was a 50 bill That enough I want the basket basket basket bas bas- bas bas- ket too Oh thank you sir Jim turned to Jan Flowers for a little flower flower flower-a a beautiful little flower All AU yours Put em in your hair hair hair- everywhere Take the basket Jan Jon took the flower basket and together together together to to- gether they went down the stairs where they stood on the sidewalk while the doorman whistled for a taxi taxi- c cab b Pe People p entering the club looked at Jan holding a big basket o of corsages corsages corsages cor cor- cor- cor sages and nd smiled One man tried to buy a corsage but lS was shoved away way by Jim Where to the driver asked when they had gotten into the cab Around and around Jim an an- Central Contral park park got got to have air Lots of air Got lots of flowers flowers got to have air so we got gotto gotto gotto to have lots lots' lotsof of f air Right baby Right Richt Jim Jan answered The cab rab st started off of with a jerk and turned of off the side street onto Broadway Broadway Broadway Broad Broad- way a Broadway that was far different different different differ differ- ent in appearance than it had been two hours before The huge electric signs were being turned off the street was becoming more and more deserted desert desert- ed fewer cars and taxis prowled up and down Jan had never seen Broadway Broadway Broadway Broad Broad- way at this time of the night or morning morning morn morn- ing rather and she came to the conclusion con con- elusion that it looked not unlike the main street of any city after aUer mid raid night Her thoughts were Interrupted by Jim Having a good time baby he asked She turned to him and smiled Want to go up to Harlem Its pretty late Isn't it il No Things are just opening up in Harlem Never go up to Harlem until at after r midnight Bout 3 o'clock's the best time How bout it Not toni tonight ht Jim Some other time maybe Okay baby Jim si silence lence As the cab entered the park Jan felt Jims Jim's arm go around her She had expected expect d something like this when they left the club She hadn't decided just what she would do about I it it She didn't intend to be pawed over of that she was certain She wished she had not consented to coIn go co goin goin in the first place but now that she had Jan felt elt that shed she'd have to go Co through with it Getting away from the club was wn the first step in her hei program program pro pro- gram toward getting home To have stayed cd there with Pete and md Nishn Nisha Inthe in the hot smoky moty atmosphere that huny hunu over the club like a London fog with Jim drinking more and more would 4 have led to Jan to-Jan Jan had no idea of what She did have a slight idea one she tried not to think of Jan didn't resist Jim She didn't didn have to True he had his arm arm around her his head reclined nearer hers so near that she could smell the odor of alcohol on his breath but but and ant this surprised Jan Jan Jan-he he made no attempt attempt at tempt to paw her further Jan decided de it wise to make no move to dislodge his arm They rode in silence for a short time gliding through the park passing pass ing lag here and there a parked car Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly Jan felt Jims Jim's head sl slump i down on her shoulder She looked at t him He was asleep Jim she said There was no answer Jim Jan took him by the shoulder shoulder shoulder der derand and straightened him up want he asked the question question ques ques- tion coming from his mouth in iii a sleepy mumble Wake up Jim What do you want to do Do you want to go home Wanta go to sleep That's alL Wanta sleep Where do you live Jim Ill I'll have th driver take you home Dont bother me Wanta sleep And he slept Jim Falls Asleep Jans Jan's didn't know what to do Jim was asleep sound asleep sound asleep on her shoulder and evidently he intended staying right there The meter of the cab was clicking off the miles The fare was rapidly nearing 3 Jan leaned forward and gave the driver her home address Okay miss he answered turned his cab onto Fifth avenue and proceeded pro downtown toward the In front of Jans Jan's apartment the cab cameto cameto came cameto to a halt hall Jan shook Jim by the shoulder shoulder der but got nothing but a drowsy response that could be interpreted asa asa as asa a statement by Mr Lewis that all aU he was interested in at the present moment moment mo mo- mo ment was sleep Want me to help you with him lady ady the driver asked I think you'd better I dont don't know where he lives Wed We'd better try to waken him so YOU can take him home Okay miss Leave it to me The driver got in the rear of the cab Hey you he said grabbing Jim and shaking him roughly Wake up Snap out of it Come on you mug wake up Where do you live Jim sat sal up for a minute blinked his ils eyes then sank back on the seat and went back to sleep The driver looked at Jan Should I get rough Ill I'll wake him up but Ill I'll have to knock him around to do doit it it No dont don't do that Jan an an- Well what do you OU want to do We cant can't stay here Cant you drive him around until he ic wakes I should say not nol I dont don't know whether hes he's got any money to pay the bill and if he had he might wake up and say I robbed him I dont don't take no chances with drunks Jan said nothing Wed better take him up to your place Let him sleep it off there II The idea didn't appeal Not in the east but there didn't seem to be anything any any- thing else to do Nisha and Pete would be in insoon soon and Pete would take Jim off oU All right Jan said you help me with him How about my fare Here Jan said opening her purse and handing the driver 3 Jan got out of the cab The driver I lifted Jim out Then with her basket of flowers on one arm supporting Jim with the other while the driver held him ilm on the other side thc they mounted the he stairs In the apartment they slumped Jim down into an over over- chair Jan IJan put a blanket around him the driver departed and Jan sat down and waited To Be Continued Tomorrow Copyright by Public Ledger |
