| Show V VIDA DA IY HURST is SLANDERED L. L LA A N ND D E R E D TELEGRAM FICTION BEGIN HERB HER TODAY Beatrice Webster Inexperienced recently out of ot college In Missouri is alone and lonely In New York She has hns gone there thera to forget Chandler Chandler Chandler Chan Chan- Peters with whom she had fallen Callen in love Jove in San Francisco where she had been he guest of her girlhood best friend Alice Alico Duncan Bea had met Chan Chanon on the train west but later later- had been told by Alice that thattie he tie was her own particular property properly Determined to let no man conic come between between between be be- tween her and the chum she has haa not se seen n in years Bea Bee trl tries trIe to Ig Ignore Ignore Ig- Ig nore flora her feeling for tor Chan But she could not Alice knows of ot the at attraction attraction attraction at- at traction Chan has for Bea and when he seems seem cool Jow toward rd her suspects suspect an affair between them Weeping she sho begs Bea not to de destroy destroy destroy de- de stroy her happiness and happiness and Bea Dea agrees Lo to go o away C Though Chan says sas nothing to dla- dla suade her there is a moment before the he the train leaves when B Bea Ba a feels that he 10 has divined the reason for lor her going going and and that he would have her stay with him She is almost convinced convinced convinced con con- vinced that Chan knows know her heart when she receives a letter Jetter from him asking her herto to come back Because of or Alice she does not even answer the he letter though she keeps it and treasures it And she has need of ot the slim strength this support gives her It ItIs Its Itts ts Is s late fall Call and Bea is unable to find work anywhere She is almost hopeless The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the longest and bitterest she has ever known Christmas eve she receives a a. package from Crom San Francisco NOW MOW W GO O ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Beatrice knew the han handwriting writing on that hat package and she could scarcely scarcely scarce- scarce ly y wait to see what Chan had sent her It was a book about San Francisco Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- I cisco with picture-like picture etchings graceful dul hauntingly beautiful In her ler mind city and man had always seemed united by some invisible af- af finity He must have realized that when he wrote on the ard card Hoping this will m revive some happy memories Beatrice sat sat- satin in her dark cold room oom t turning the pages hungrily Nothing he could possibly have given iven her would have pleased her so much nuch She had returned to h her r hotel that afternoon after another fruitless interview Her fur ja jacket ket purchased in California was was' pitifully inadequate for or an eastern winter Although she he turned it high about her throat the lie raw wind whipped at her skirt and nd chilled her legs The ice frozen in n a thin sheet over city pavements made her feet feel leel numb The radiator radiator radi- radi ator tor in her room feeble at best was utter utterly incapable of heating it on days ays like this Yet she sat on the bed ed unconscious of ot anything save pure jure joy Hope Returns In spite of ol the fact that she had hadnot hadnot not ot answered his letter he had sent senter her er this this' book boole She had had only one ne bri brief t note from Alice in reply to o hers Alice had not mentioned Chan Did this mean mean that they had quarreled That in spite of Beas Bea's absence Alice was forced to realize reaUze that lat Ch Chan n was not in love with her Hope sprang to life lite again as Bea thought bought If It that is true I can go jack back Alice will find somebody else Perhaps she alread already has The fact that Bea had been Unable unable un- un able ble to secure work or even a of it was reason enough for leaving caving New York She Sho couldn't re remain remain remain re- re main indefinitely watching watching- her balance balance bal- bal ance nee at the bank dribble awa away with no 10 reinforcements It was amazing how ow much more money it took to toive live ive here even with the most rigid econom economy conomy During the holidays she v would be sure to hear something from rom Alice Allee What a merry Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas it would be if Alice would be generous enough to admit that she shead had ad been mistaken Whether she shedid shedid did Id or not how merry if Chan would write saying I dont don't see Alice any more That's over For the second time since leaving San Francisco Beatrice slept with witha a smile on her lips She dreamed that hat she was back having dinner with Alice and Chan and Bob But Buthis this his time Alice was sas with Bob and Chan was with Bea He was tender and attentive and Alice Allee was no longer interested in m him Such a heavenly dream Bea awakened by he the deceptive gurgle of the radiator thought bought I If it were only true Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps some day It will be Marian and Bill had taken laken the bab baby to Kansas City Cily to see its lu grandparent so 80 Bea could not be with f for r Christmas She de decided decided decided de- de to have breakfast in bed it was vas too cold to get up and read her new book Later she would go to toa toa toa a tearoom for dinner and as a specIal spa spa- cIal ial treat she had reserved a solitary soIl soll- tary ary seat for a musical show She ordered her breakfast put a warm robe over her pajamas and limbed climbed back into bed thinking It might night not seem like a very gay Christmas to some people nut hut this gift front from Chan has made it one for Cor or me When her breakfast arrived there was vas a telegram on her tra tray She gave rave the waiter walter a dollar and said Merry Christmas but her mind was concentrated on that yellow en en- It was WIS from Alice and as she hp read all the bright hopes hOlies which had lad sprung into life liCe the night before before be- be fore ore died like too early flowers in ina ina a a. blast of oC wintry wind Announcing engagement to Chan han today Stop With best love and wishing you a Merry Christ Christ- m mas Alice Alice Beatrice read it Jt over with Unbelieving unbelieving unbelieving un un- believing eyes ces I Its a lie He It must be a lie she said But she knew with every slow sickening beat of oC her heart that it was was' true Alice Allee had proved her point at last las last It had been over overa a month but less than two two since Beatrice had left San Francisco Since he had written I 1 miss you Will Vili ryo come back or is it too toolate toolate toolate late 1 How could he have nave written that S letter to her loving Alice Why i if it he was vas engaged to Alice hacho had hac ho he sent this book to Bea knowing that it would bring back every memory she had of ot him I. I The breakfast she sho had bad ordered I I L li 4 I S v 1 I 94 c y rJ j She put a a. warm robe over her pajamas and and climbed back into bed thinking It uIt might not seem like a very gay Christinas Christmas Christ Christ- mas inas to some people but this gift gilt from Chan has made it one for me mc remained unto untouched ched on the tray trayas as Beatrice crumpled the telegram in her fingers She had left San Francisco and come to New York without either or a tion And now what was she to todo todo todo do They would be married and live happily ever ever after but what about Bea In her noble self sacrificing gesture gesture gesture ture she had failed to consider that she sho might no not be able to support herself as aa well one place as an an- other She also had forgotten that friends like Milton Rhodes and Bob were not easy to find She was alone in a gerat city and there was not a single soul to whom she could turn for comfort com coin fort Not one person she could telephone or who could telephone her tier S She looked about the room which had always seemed like mc a a. a prison Outside was nothing but buta i a vista of ot fire escapes There was no sound of life Nothing anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where but the frightened beating of her own heart Sho She was crying so that she could scarcely answer when the telephone telephone tele tele- phone rang Is ls this Miss Webster Miss Miss' Beatrice Webster a mans man's voice asked I I She had heard that voice be before before before be- be fore but but at the moment she was too oo confused to place It This is Beatrice Webster she insisted But Beatrice it doesn't sound like ike you Then with a warm surge of gratitude gratitude gratitude tude she knew who it was Milton Rhodes where are you At the Waldorf Valdorf he said What's the matter dear You sound as if IC you'd been crying she Nothings the matter now assured him I 1 cant can't believe that you are really in New York When am I going t to see you Youre going to spend the whole day with me unless you have other plans Have you had breakfast yet No she he replied glancing at atthe atthe the thc untouched d tray gerat How about breakfasting breakfasting breakfasting break break- fasting with me downstairs in your hotel Santa Claus ClausIn In less than half halt an hour she had bathed and dressed and was wason wason wason on her way downstairs He was waiting in the lobby Well Vell dressed and important looking but with a afresh afresh afresh fresh expression foreign for tor- eign to the men she had seen Inthe in inthe the east Beatrice could have fallen on his neck and wept She said Now I believe In Santa Claus Her delight seemed to please himI himI himI him I wasn't sure whether you'd want to see me or not he admitted admit admit- ted why I didn't give you any advance notice Youre sure now she demanded demand demand- ed from across the breakfast table Yes I 1 think I am Tell me how youve you've been Youre You're looking thin Im I'm afraid New York doesn't agree with you It frightens me she confessed Everything about It seems seems so strange Have you ou found a position yet She shook her head There was no mistaking the longing in his voice as he leaned toward her Why dont don't you give ive it up Marry me and come back to San Francisco If To Be Continued C Copyright Register r and Tribune Syndicate for lor The |
