Show VIDA B By HURST S SLANDERED LAN D ERE D T FICTION I NM I BEGIN HERE TODAY fODA Y BEATRICE WEBSTER loves CHANDLER PETERS who Is engaged engaged engaged en en- to ALICE DUNCAN who bitterly jealous of Beatrice has done everything possible to poison polson Chans Chan's mind against her When Chan comes one evening to Beas Bea's apartment to talk over some work she is employed employed employed em em- by the group of magazines which ho he edits Chan kisses hisses her har in ina ina ina a sudden unpremeditated flash lash Then he leaves her without a word Next day at tho the office he makes no mention of ot the incident NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER 29 20 Harry Fitzgerald was not so I amiable looking as usual There was wasa a frown between his Irish blue eyes an n expression of irritation on his charming dissipated face The interview In Interview interview in- in with his wife VUe had been an unpleasant one for both of them Beatrice surmised as she asked You wanted to see me He nodded and lighted a About this f feature of at yours Peters tells me It Itis t is the most original original inal Idea weve we've had for years Heaven knows we need one The circulation of that particular magazine magazine mag snag azine has dropped more than an any other on our list Chandler gives you plenty of or credit He predicts the thc readers are arc going to eat it up up Flushing with pleasure because this was so much more than Chan had admitted to her Beatrice said I r hope hes he's right But of course you OU know hes he's helped me with it It was his Idea that I 1 change the anglo angle which will make it appeal to all readers renders instead of or one particular group Restored to his good humor the publisher How you two pull for tor each other Ive I've never seen anything like I it What's the matter with you Bea Why do you ou stand by and let Jet him I marry another woman Beatrice gasped but as usual his manner was so sympathetic it was Impossible to resent what he said There is no reason I should interfere In Interfere In- In but even if there were were theres there's nothing I 1 could do about it it where youre you're wrong He Herold told rold me mc that ho he asked you to comeback come comeback comeback back from New York and you OU didn't even answer his letter I 1 she said Harry Fitzgerald shrugged I Well eU its it's your our own affair No Noone Noone one can advise you you To Late Feeling herself dismissed Beatrice returned to her desk with heightened heightened heightened height height- ened color The publisher was wrong of course No matter how Chandler ight have felt when she went away he was not in love with her no now In the light of recent events she could not attach much importance to the unanswered let Jet ter She had told him she loved him and it had not changed tho the situation situa situa- tion Its ns too late she decided again When Wh-en she sho left the office she saw Chan sitting at his desk surrounded with papers He smiled at her rather rath rath- er wistfully He HI wants me roc to act as l If nothIng nothing nothing noth noth- ing had happened she thought un un- happily lIe Ho will ignore my Indiscreet indiscreet indiscreet indis Indis- creet confession and hopes that I will do the same She Sho cooked her own o dinner that night and afterward sat on the davenport listening to the radio Tho telephone did not ring Milton Rhodes had gone to Alaska on his honeymoon and Bob was calling less and less frequently Soon he would stop altogether then she sho would have no one one neither neither Chan nor Milton nor Bob nothing Bob nothing but her work to recompense her for the fact tact she loved a man who did not love Jove her She remembered the question Milton Milton Milton Mil Mil- ton had asked her the first time he asked her to marry him Do you intend to be bc one of ot those lonely mid mid- aged die women one finds in every organization He had insisted that a girls girl's best chances to marry came before she was 25 If It that were true it certainly certainly certainly looked as if she were h headed for spinsterhood One Ono of those women women women wom wom- en whose whoso life was spent in a futile endeavor to substitute a career Corthe for Cor forthe forthe the husband and family she needed Alice Comes t When the buzzer sounded Beatrice jumped startled out of oC her despon despon- dency It n couldn't be Chan of 01 course He wouldn't stop without telephoning but oh if it only he would come como and end this nightmare of ot suspense suspense suspense sus sus- pense Because until the moment ho married Alice Beatrice would not bo bl able to give up hope There was no speaking tube It was impossible im lm- possible to know who had rung but when Beatrice saw Alice she wanted wanted wanted want want- ed to close the door she had opened Only two nights before Alice had declared she would never be back and here hero she was looking as gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous gor gor- as ever wearing the sables poor Eddie Eddle had given her Without waiting for Beatrice to speak she cried I know what youre you're thinking But I had to come I r simply have to talk to you She sank upon the davenport and unfastened her furs as if they were choking her Dont look like that Bea 1 know youre you're mad at me for lor not giving giving giving ing you Chans Chan's message but Ive I've been nearly crazy He wanted to talk to me about a feature were we're starting starling Beatrice explained That's what he said but I didn't believe him l' l cant can't believe either cither of ot you ou any more You deceived me once How do I 1 know you ou wont won't again The situation is different now You and Chan are engaged What difference docs does that make Alice cried hysterically Do you think I cant can't see what youre you're doIng doIng doing do- do Ing Do you suppose I dont don't know why youve you've come back from New NewYork NewYork York It wasn't on Chans Chan's account if iC that's what you ou mean Oh no You ask me to believe that after the letter I read So you admit reading it do you ou Alice Certainly shouted Alice who was rapidly losing her control Id Iddo Iddo Iddo do more than that if it I suspected suspect d I some me one of trying to steal the man manI I love and so you That's not true Bea said frig frig- idly I didn't even answer the letter letter let Jet ter because of my promise to you ou Then what did you come back for lor Because I couldn't afford to stay in New York without a position Why must we discuss this all aU over ever again I 1 told you w why y I l came ame back at the time Youre You're going to marry Chan Chant Why do you OU care where I Ilive Ilive live Jive What good will It do m me to marry him if iC hes he's in love with y you u 1 Alice demanded Beas Bea's heart henrt leaped with joy Do you mean you arent aren't going to tobe tobe be married That your engagement is broken Asks Bea flea to Lea Leave e 0 I 1 do not not Alice Allee assured her Making an effort to control herself she lowered her voice and said pleadingly I came hero tonJ tonight ht to beg you OU to go away again Please please Bea If It its it's a question of money Im I'm willing to stake you un until un until until un- un til you find something to do It means everything to me Chandler Is turning against me Im I'm losing and its it's him your fault You dont don't know what youre you're saying I Oh yes es I do dot Im I'm imploring you to go away and leave me e my hap hap- You came here a stranger and I took you into my apart apartment nent and introduced you you you- to my friends And asked me to leave Beatrice reminded her Which I did But ButTil Ill Til not do It again My work Is all allI I have ha and no one one not not even you youcan youcan youcan you you- can take it away from me Alice began to cry How can you be so cruel to me Have you l how ow we always swore no man should ever come be between between be- be tween us Wo Ve couldn't help it Bea admitted admitted admitted ad ad- sorrowfully But you have no right to ask me to leave San Francisco again The cold finality of her tone dried the tears on the other girls girl's checks cheeks Do you refuse Z Yes Even when I tell teU you that Its It's a matter of life liCe or death Z Beatrice smiled Ive heard you say that too many tunes times Alice Something terrible will happen Alice prophesied childishly feel pretty low If you OU knew you OU had forced me to kill kiU myself I 1 know you OU be silly enough to do anything like that Bea i said ald sensibly After all Alice youre you're going to be married to Chan Chanin in two weeks She could not understand the bitter bitter bitter bit bit- ter hatred in Alices Alice's voice as she cried Ill Til make you leave San Francisco Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco if its it's the last thing I do Ill Til fi fight ht you Beatrice Webster until until until un un- til you'll be glad of ot a chance to go 10 away away To be continued Copyright for The Telegram |