| Show I By C T Jl T T TELEGRAM S SLANDERED L A N D E R E D VIDA HURST O LJ X J FICTION BEGIN HERE TODAY Beatrice Webster loves Chandler Peters who is engaged to marry Alice Duncan wh who in turn Is jealous o of Bea and Chan To counteract Chans Chan's interest in Bea Ben Alice has carried on a consistent campaign of slander slander always always in the tone of Beas Bea's best friend Alice professes to admire what she says is ls Beas Bea's ambition her willingness to make use of men to gain her ends in business business and and to provide a thrill outside business Bea knows no wa way to disprove Alices Alice's insinuations which are spoken not only to to Chan but hut apparently apparently apparently ap ap- ap- ap to everyone Indeed Bea does not know all that Alice Allee has said of her In the meantime Bea has tried to reconcile herself to no more than an intellectual and spiritual association association association tion with Chan who is editor of the group of oC magazines for which she works Once before she had hoped for more than that when hen Chan following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing a quarrel between them which had been inspired by one of Alices Alice's lies had suddenly seized her herand herand herand and kissed her Later he had apologized apologized apologized apolo apolo- explaining that he knew shedid shedid she shedid did not love him assuring her in the words of oC Alice that she was disturbingly disturbingly disturbingly disturb disturb- attractive but not a woman to love and marry When he kisses her a second time months afterward but as suddenly as the first time lime Bea Ben forgets Alice and tells Chan she loves him He says nothing but hurries away NOW V GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT TWENTY In contrast to the occasion when Chan had kissed her Beas Bea's state of mind was far from jubilant Too disturbed to sleep she finally arose and huddled in a chair by the window window window win win- dow looking out upon the traffic of Van Ness rehearsing bit by bit every scene that Chan and she had played together since their meeting on on the train Alone in the observation car at twilight the they had fallen into a conversation conversation conversation con con- which had been continued in tho the diner They had not discussed discussed discussed dis dis- cussed personalities but theories I and ideas She had not even told I him the name of the friend she In Intended In- In In-I In tended to visit Kinship But from rom the first there had beena been a sense of oC kinship which sprang from deep fundamental similarities The bond between them had tightened tightened tightened tight tight- ened as they crossed the bay The sight of San Francisco's skyline wreathed in fog had brought tears of appreciation into her eyes ees and he had reached for her hand and held it in his until the boat bumped against the wooden slip It was as not until the they had left i it that other interests had pushed between between be be- tween them Then she had learned earned that Alice intended to marry him Beatrice would never forget the shock of that discovery For weeks she had disciplined herself herselt into thInking she didn't care that he her joy oy in working with him was only admiration Until tho the night the they quarreled she had been blind to an attachment which Alice had sus sus- since her arrival Not until he kissed her had Bea suspected that he felt it too Tears filled her eyes as she re remembered remembered remembered re- re how he had acted after after- ward He had turned against her accusing her of being a career girl who vho only discarded her ambition at night to search for a thrill This had hadeen been een Alices Alice's work but if he had loved oved her would he have been so easily convinced 1 He had let her hergo hergo hero go o to New York then torn by some inner longing had written asking her to come back An appeal she could not answer because of her promise to Alice How quickly after that he had turned back to Alice seeking a A. re relationship relationship re- re lat Alice was Incapable of giving Chan was so quick to recognize recognize rec rec- a situation in fiction Why couldn't he realize that the reason he ic wanted Bea to return to the Golden West Publications was because because because be be- cause Alice couldn't satisfy him Happy Happ With Bea Ben He would never be happy with Alice but perhaps Bea Ben thought miserably he could never be happy with her either He might be the kind of man who had to have more than than han one woman to meet all his needs She did not really believe this his however Chandler Peters had belonged to her body and soul for those hose brief moments when he had held her in his arms Even If he denied it nothing could make her think otherwise It t occurred to her then that his silence might have ha been because of his lis 10 loyalty to Alice Chan was wa too honorable to make love to one girl while he was engaged to another It t was true that he ought to break his us engagement with Alice before he le had a right to confess his love loveto to Bea But in moments of madness like that which had swept them together did men remember the proper thing hing She had told him sh she loved loed him lim without waiting to be asked Neither pride nor the proprieties had lad kept her from rom saying it But Butle he le had not responded He had kissed her until she could not speak but he had made no reply of any kind Bob understood me better than I realized she admitted To think that less than two weeks before his wedding to o someone else I would tell a ma man I love him But I do I 1 would endure any humiliation brave Alices Alice's anger the anger the condemnation tion of all my friends to win him for my husband I would fight for him but not with Alices Alice's weapons I could never he lie nor try to trick him into marrying me as she Is do do- ing I wouldn't want him that way I 1 would know it couldn't last Street cars car and automobiles whizzed past but she no longer saw them She Sho was seeing Chans Chan's face as it had looked above hers tender hers tender desirous masterful Closing her eyes sho she prayed that he would realize the truth before it was was' too late If he married Alice loving Joving Bea nothing but misery could re result re- re sult sulL Unhappiness for all three of them It was 3 o'clock when numb from t I cold old and her cramped position she crept rcpt into bed Chan Is Gone Gono The Tho next day Chan was awa away from rom the office and she did not see him At night Bea returned to her apartment hoping that he would call all when he returned to the city It t wasn't courage he lacked Chandler Peters was no weakling I It If f he realized that he ho was in love with Bea he would not be afraid to I break with Alice even at this late moment He was too intelligent to marry a girl he di did not merely because Because they were engaged The telephone did ring but It was vas Bob not Chandler In spite of the he fact that it had been over a week since she had talked to him her voice was cold with disappointment disappoint ment Natural Naturally Bob misunderstood misunderstood stood tood the reason for or it It was not strange that he who had been so discouraged by her sweetness should connect her curtness with his ne neglect lect the matter Bea 1 he asked aked Would it help an any he suggested hopefully for me to come corne out 1 Hopeful still that Chan might come ome she answered Not tonight Bobby I Delighted at this exhibition of symptoms which were so familiar to o him In other women Bob said Youre not vexed with me are you ou Vexed with you 1 she repeated About Abou t what 1 I suppose Alice told you ou about Saturday night 7 Oh that she laughed blasting his us hopes with one blow I had hac forgotten about ita it It Was SaM She Unkind Beatrice smiled as she he went back backo to o her post by the window She hadn't meant to be unkind but it was vas simply impossible to take talce Bobs Bob's declaration of love seriously He was too seasoned a bachelor too completely the man about town to tomake tomake make nake a good husband Even his busIness which was something connected connected connected con con- with printing supplies seemed to be subservient to his so social social social so- so cial duties Nevertheless she might as well wel have let him come out as to sit there alone waiting for a call which did not come Which never would come now she told herself hersel because It if f Chan were going to do anything about it he had no time to lose The fact that he wasn't seemed confirmed by his attitude the following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing da day Self-conscious Self and Unhappy unhappy un un- happy laPpy his Is eyes offered the apology his lips could not frame rame Their conversation con con- was limited to a discussion discussion discussion discus discus- sion of oC the new feature Beatrice was bitterly disappointed but she made no sign to indicate it Back at her own desk she realized that the strain had told upon her Her hands were clammy Her e eyes eye es and throat burned with suppressed tears There was a feeling in th the pit of her stomach such as one experiences ex ex- in an elevator which i is falling failing too rapidly Ive lost she told herself miser miser- ably But theres there's to tn d do but stick it out and d andt t take k kit it it ir on on th the chin She was busily typing when sh she received a summons to Mr Fitzgerald's Fitzgeralds Fitzgeralds Fitzgerald's Fitzgeralds Fitzgerald's Fitz Fitz- geralds gerald's office attice On the way sh she passed his wife coming out Sh She sta stared ed at Bea Bell but did not speak The freshly applied rouge on th the older womans woman's pinched checks cheeks could not conceal the traces of tears been crying Bea Rca thought the reason she didn't speak to me mc To Be Continued Cop Copyright right for tor Th The Telo Telegram am |
