Show VIDA By HURST SL S L A N ND D DT E h T K R i E ii D TF TELEGRAM FICTION S CHAPTER EIGHT the idea 1 demanded Alice Attempting Beatrice poured herself a cup of tea I Youve been wonderful to me mc Alice Please dont don't think I dont don't appreciate it but I feel It will be better for me mo to have an apartment of t my own Why Well VeIl for one reason I cant can't pay my my half of keeping up a place like this this Beatrice said truthfully Real neat nc Reason Beason on We settled that weeks ago Alice Ance Ancer r reminded her Come on Lets Let's have your real reason I have to get got up so early In the morning faltered the other girl wondering why the reasons which had seemed so plausible in her own mind seemed so insufficient when she presented them to Alice What I mean is Im I'm always afraid of disturbIng disturbing disturbing dis dis- dis- dis you I never even hear you Alice said And sometimes I r should like to togo togo togo go to bed Bea confessed I 1 certainly dont don't interfere w with h your four going to bed do I 11 Beatrice laughed nervously Sometimes Be honest Alice You dont don't realI really care if I move Why pretend that you ou do Alice Alico looked hurt I 1 cant can't understand it After all allIve allIve Ive I've done to make you comfortable Youve ben blen swell Bea Insisted feeling shamed But it isn't fair tair to take advantage of your hospitality hospitality hospitality hospi hospi- forever I think we we can be better friends if ie we dont don't continue to live Jive together The color flooded Alices Alice's ch checks eks Why not be honest yourself Bea Your real reason Is none of these things What do you mean 1 Just what I sa say although you may have thought I was too dumb to see it it You want an apartment of your own so that you oU can see Chah Chan there That settled It Bea told herself she hc he was determined to move now Nothing could keep her from moving But before she could say co sa Alice Allee began to cry How can you treat me like this she he he sobbed After Ive I've introduced you to all my friends and done everything I can to show you jou a good time 1 Beatrice stared at her In despair But what else can 1 I do Alice Ive I've told you it isn't true The real reason I 1 wanted to move was so you'd have le less s rather than more reason to imagine Im I'm in love wit with h Chan Ill believe you ou if you OU give up th the e Idea of moving and stay here Ill Ili 1 never Bever mention it again Beas Bea's heart felt like a stone But Ive I've already given the wo wo- woman than man five dollars Supposing you have Shell She'll l probably give it back to you I If sh she shew e w wont won't nt Ill I'll pay it Bea darling I 1 dont don't want you ou to move mo Please Pleas e dont don't go go o goBea Bea Promises to Stay The rapidly receding apartment t on OFarrell street seemed more mor e than ever a refuge but sh she e couldn't move If Alice was going t tact to act like this about it All right she sighed Al Alice ce threw her arms about Beas Bea's ca's cas neck I promise not to be bo jealous again gain Ill I'll never ne say another word ord Nor think anything Beatrice insIsted Alice laughed with the tho tears s hining shining in her hazel eyes Darling I am so ashamed of mys my- my s self lf But since he camp came back from rom the he east Chan hasn't seemed the same ame We haven't been so close as we c were before he went away ay B fleas flea's as a's heart which had felt so heavy cavy seemed to turn over with a aull dull ull thud Its because hes he's been so so busy s she he said and thought she meant it It It probably is Alice admitted Im I'm just a jealous little redhead But ut at least Ive I've n never ver said anything anything any- any thing hing to Chan good Bea said smiling in n her turn If youre you're smart you never ever will The Thc storm seemed to have cleared the he air They had never been more congenial than they were that night dressing for lor their dates with Chan and nd Bob But after the men arrived arrived ar- ar rived Alice going to the extreme is as usual insisted that she wanted to o ride with Bob which left Chan and nd B Beatrice together How come 1 Chan demanded but ut Alice clinging to Bobs Bob's arms refused to answer Come on Bobby O 0 K he grinned If you ont dont dont don't see us again you'll know she's eloped loped with me Self Conscious Even then alone with ith Chan as ashe she he had not been since her arrival Bea felt nothing but the friendly interest she might have had in any man Miss Stewart tells me mo you arc moving he ho said She Sho laughed self consciously I was but Alice has talked me out ut of it it Why did you want to he asked Not that Its It's any of my business Oh I dont don't know lenow No reason exactly You must have had some idea in mind he said puzzled Arent you happy living with ith Alice Allce Of course Alice has been wonderful wonderful won- won to me I just thought it might be better for lor me to have an apartment of my own This sounded so false that Beatrice Bearice Beatrice Bea Bea- trice rice blushed and Chan said I should hould think on the salary youre you're making it would be wise to keep your our expenses as low as possible But that's just it it I cant can't pay pa my half of oC the rent at the thc hotel Its It's ts t's too oo high Alice has to pay It anyway he said kindly I 11 think shed she'd be happy to have you there even 1 II if YOU ou couldn't pay anything Well WelI Ive I've promised to stay she Informed him Chan seemed relieved fine Beatrice looked him straight Inthe in inthe inthe the eye I really dont don't see why Its It's anything any any- thing to you she slated stated His answer perplexed her even more I dont don't understand it myself he ho admitted For the first time he hc seemed like the he man she had met on on the train The Tho look in his eyes was the same that hat she had once seen when they had iad crossed the bay together There was danger in that troubled glance a hidden meaning in his words And Beatrice who prided herself on her honesty who had resented Alices Alice's suspicions and laughed a at her tier fears was suddenly feeling althe all al the emotions of which her friend friem had accused her Pulses were hammering hammering hammering ham ham- mering in her throat The Tho hand ly lying lying ly- ly ing in her lap was cold when Chans Chan's hand touched It But pretending not to notice It It she drew aWay am and began to talk of other things Alice and Bob were waiting fo for them at the night club They were directed to their table and and never ne once during the tho evening which followed followed fol- fol lowed owed did Beatrice permit her eyes to o rest upon Chandler Pet Peters Peters' rs' rs face Did he think like Alice that she was so crazy about him that all he ho hoad had ad to do was make a sentimental remark or attempt to take her hand hando to o have her fall into his arms Didn't he realize reaUze that outside theoffice the tho o office he was nothing to her Absolutely ol l nothing At least she Corrected cor cor- herself he had been boon nothing I until tonight Now she sho wasn't sure what she felt I To cover her confusion she began begano to o flirt with Bob Meeting his de- de v glances with a mocking coquetry co- co q she had not displayed before Bob ador adored d it and her and what I was more he insisted ho he didn't care caro who vho knew It Alice laughed at them but Chan quitter quieter than ever did not smile When the evening was almost over he c said Will you dance this with me Beatrice Love to she responded but she was vas totally unprepared for the fierce pressure of his arms He held her as if he ho hated her I ITo To Be Continued Copyright for The Tho Telegram |