| Show TELEGRAM RAM By SLANDERED S L LAN A N D E ERE R E D J L VIDA H HURST JL r M S FICTION CHAPTER 7 All Alice seemed to think about now was money Bea Beatrice rice thought Im not anxious to marry anyone yet she sho Insisted I 1 wouldn't consider consider con con- sider aider it at any time timo without being in love Then youre you're a a fool Alice said frankly The first time a girl mar marries ries rles it should bo be for material ad ad- vantages When you have attained financial security is time enough to start looking for tor romance They were in the bedroom when Bet Ben asked Is that tha what you did Not consciously I was swept off oft my feet teet by having a man like Eddie Weddle fall tall for m me Real Love Lava You had reason to be Bea Ben ad ad- I 1 think h he is one of the grandest persons I have ever met Not at all aU the kind of man I had bad imagined from what you you have told me Hes lIes okeh Alice agreed with no feeling And madly in love with you Beatrice c continued just it Being married to him was tiresome Ive I've been much happier since va wo we were di di- di And now now that Ive I've met Chan I understand what Jove love really is Alice an announced soul soulfully Cully Beatrice had bad hea heard d it before too many times to be bo impressed but she had no desire to to prolong the discussion and for the next few I months life lite went on serenely Beatrice Beatrice Beatrice Bea Bea- trice was absorbed and fascinated by her work An entirely new world seemed to open before her whenever she stepped inside the office Working with Chandler Peters made h her r appreciate more than ever those qU qualities litle she had first admired I in him He was sva fine and gentle yet underlying his quiet manner was a driving intelligence He co could Jd acco accomplish twice as much work as anyone else in the same sarno length of time His far seeIng seeIng seeing see- see Ing mind pierced with instant clarity clarity clar clar- ity to the weakness of oC a manuscript unsuspected by anyone else He had hada a positive genius for predicting re reactions reactions reactions re- re actions from the readers of the Golden West Vest Publications He could prophesy almost to a letter which articles or stories would bring in a flood of comment Often he deliberately deliberately deliberately de de- de- de published something with I that in mind Lets stir them up a bit he would suggest Give em something to argue about Beatrice told herself it was his intelligence she admired To work with him was a privilege Every moment spent with him every discussion discussion discussion dis dis- or conference brightened all the rest of her day Always Bus Busy But when office hours were over and she saw him with Alice he seemed another person There was no feeling of intimacy between them then No subtle glances or double meanings Bobby Mitchell was usually usually ally aUy with him and his attentions al alternated alternated alternated al- al with those Milton Rhodes kept Beatrice bus busy Days of work absorbing and Interesting in interesting interesting in- in did not exhaust her ber as they had at first She returned to the thc hotel at night eager for Bobby's Bobbys Bobbys Bobby's Bobbys Bobby's Bob Bob- bys by's daily telephone call What ar are you doing tonight Bea Boa Want Vant to take in a movie or would you rather go dancing Two or three times a week Milton Rhodes would telephone Asking well ahead of time for his engagements Will you have dinner with me on Friday Beatrice Or I 1 thought wed we'd plan another game of contract the first night you girls are arc tree free In spite of at her mediocre ability he insisted that she continue to play with him He even suggested that she take some lessons at his bis expense But I couldn't let Jet you ou pa pay for them she objected Why not Beatrice flushed Because I 1 couldn't Why dont don't you OU play with somebody else Ill I'll never be very good at it You could it oud try ty he said patiently All you lack is His insistence irritated her but whenever she attempted to evade him Alice pounced upon her Dont be silly Boa Bea Hes He's really interested in you That proves it it itOh Oh pooh Beatrice said dis- dis respectfully Id rather go dancing with Bobby And Chan Alice added sig sig- sig- sig And Chan Beatrice admitted She was amazed at the swift cloud of suspicion darkening Alices Alice's face It n had been months since Chans Chan's name had been mentioned in this tone Bea Ben had been foolish enough to hope that Alice had forgotten her herI I I 1 j B w i rii 1 i fJ f L AA 41 6 1 te 0 A 5 t 47 4 4 V P Y i L A jl 1 I ir r k d 4 1 I it s. s s K take it it Boa Bea told the woman who managed the I flats She paid five dollars in advance first fears But evidently Alices Alice's silence si- si lence on the subject had not been because of her renewed confidence Dont think Im I'm blind she i flashed Beatrice paused in the act of crossing Arc Are you still jealous of ot Chan and i me she demanded Jealous Alice repeated haught haught- I ily Why should I be You have no reason to be Alice I and that's the truth Ive I've told you ou over and over again that there is nothing between us That doesn't mean that you wouldn't like me for there to be Alice said slyly Hes Hos the first man Ive I've ever seen you OU really interested in When he speaks you listen as if he i were an oracle You cant can't even think about anything else until he stops I 1 consider him the most brilliant man I have ever known Beatrice admitted No one could work for him and not admire his his' intelligence But that's all aU there Is to it Believe it or not Well Ven I dont don't Alice stated But ButI i iI I dont don't know what I can do about it Hurry up or were we're going to be bela la late te The discussion ruined the evening for Beatrice Alices Alice's suspicions were slowly undermining their friendship If there was any way of saving it Beatrice was willing to try but what could she do to prove to Alice that she was mistaken If she danced with Chan Alice would suspect some secret under under- standing If she refused to dance with him it would be because she was crazy about him Whatever I do is wrong Ben Bell thought Then an Idea tame came to her which had never really left her since her first day at work She would move into an apartment of her own No matter how inconvenient inconvenient incon incon- it would be better than be being being being be- be ing indebted to Alice It might also solve their problem It would be possible then for Alice and Chan to tobe tobe tobe be together without so many of these double dates which seemed to be the source of Alices Alice's unhappiness Beatrice decided to say nothing to her about moving until she had found a place of her own This was not easy to do as Beatrice Beatrice Bentrice Bea Ben trice had little time lime to help herself but Belinda Stewart helped When Bea Bell asked her if she knew of oC any in inexpensive inexpensive inexpensive in- in expensive furnished apartments apartment on ona ona ona a car line she said Why dont don't you ou look on OFarrell Saturday afternoon found Boa Bell walking along the busy street lookIng looking looking look look- ing at apartments listed in the want ads She found one which suited her admirably It was only one room with a kitchenette and bath on the north but that wouldn't matter be because because because be- be cause she wouldn't be at home during during during dur dur- ing the thc day anyway It was cheaply furnished Glaringly so after the luxury of Alices Alice's rooms but Bea Bell looked upon it longingly It would be her own She could do as she pleased here Go to bed when she was tired and get up In the mornIng morning morning morn morn- ing without fear of waking Alice Til 11 take it she said giving the woman five dollars r When will you be wanting it miss Tomorrow Beatrice answered ans Paying Paling the five live dollars made her feel as if she already lived i In it but she had forgotten that Alice was totally unprepared Beatrice fo found nd her in the living Jiving room having hayIng a cup of teaI teaI tea I I 1 was so 0 tired I thought Id I'd rest awhile Alice said She smiled at Bea Bell as if it the conversation conversation conversation con con- of ot the previous evening had never taken place Youre late darling Where have lave you been No use hesitating about it Itt I Ive been looking for tor an apartment apartment apart apart- ment ment Bea Baa said Youve been doing what Alice cried sitting upright Beatrice Webster what are you talking about An apartment Bea repeated I found one on OFarrell street Im I'm moving tomorrow To Jfe Me continued Copyright for The Telegram |
