Show Telegram Fiction LOVELY L 0 V E Y L LITTLE I r T L FOOL J By Ph Phyllis Moore Gallagher WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE Betsy Seymour a young govern government gov- gov gay gov ern ent clerk Is madly in love Jove with Marshall Van Devanter who also professes love Jove to her and wants her to marry him later but who openly p pays ys a attention to I Libby St Stockton Ho He tells elb Betsy this Is necessary for her father I can give him hint an excellent position and thus make make-it possible for him bim and g get married At a a yachting party she he h has met metRa Ra Raoul ul de a a. a Latin- Latin American America diplomat and Jo John n Storm young a-young law student both bothof bothof of ot whom whom become become interested in her The Th next day John appears appears at ather ather t ther her home where he hOe had taken a room room That night a. a as she star starts to a dinner party at atthe the home of Jennie Travers s she ie e finds Libby in the car car with Marshall who was wa to escort es-cort her Rao Raoul l and and- John are also atthe at the party After th the dinner unable to withstand Marshalls Marshall's attention t to Libby Betsy plead pleads illness and asks John to take hei home But l instead of ot going home they thel go 10 for a a. a long Jong drive I I CHAPTER FOUR Those words of the quarrel didn't didn matter any more John Storm thought but a boy never forgets forget the bitterness of first a a love Jove He had driven all that night until the dawn that follows the dark had hat made him seem a young tool in his own eyes Yes John said I once wanted to get away from things Not a dinner party part though And h he laughed a little Shall we drive drive drive- say to the Alps and bring home a mountain goat for tor a p pet Dad am and I climbed Gross in the last Jast summer Hummer and we saw aw a He was bilious and tired looking All AU out in fancy horns next to his bland powdery powder face tace Like an Egyptian headdress He reminded me of a dissipated old woman trying tring to knock off forty p or fifty years Betsy laughed and some ome of the tears stopped dripping from he her heart But maybe wed we'd better be satisfied satisfied satis satis- fied fled with a short drive out Conduit road he suggested grinning Well yelI go as far tar as The Rocks' Rocks and then turn back The Rocks in incase incase incase case you OU dont don't know belongs to the Thaddeus Simpsons Newly rich Made their money with an invention of or a radiator cap that tha doesn't hiss like Jike an old man with will his teeth out Great invention Alfor Al AU for or it it I The RocKs Betsy repeated questioningly What hat a horrid name for a a home It sounds cold am and jagged and damp I Ie I dont don't like it Do you Not for tor my home But its it's perfect per per- feet for tor the the Simpsons ho he said salt without any malice maUce Their ambitious ambitious ambitious am am- bark is destined for the rocks They're snobs Betsy LookIng Looking Look Look- Ing down their noses crooking little fingers the fingers the vilest affectations Only social climbers cUmbers like the SImpsons Simpsons Simpsons Simp SImp- sons who arent aren't sure ure of at themselves who go feeling their way around in inexpensive inexpensive inexpensive expensive velvet gloves to cover hands that show generations o of honest toil are ever snobs snobs' Betsy looked at John Storm Storm- looked hardI hard I I like e you ou she said frankly You came into my life lite at exactly the proper moment I was needing someone just like Jike you I like you too Betsy John said huskily I told you on the cruise last night Or did I I meant to The cruise last night Now her brief reprieve of forgetfulness was shot through with the gloomy threads of remembrance She was suddenly seeing clearly everything she wanted so 50 desperately to forget forge last night tonight Would everyone everything keep reminding reminding reminding remind remind- ing her herr First T Terry rry then the white white- t taffeta fleta and now now John John But she wouldn't remember Shed She'd do anything to forget torget to get those thoughts out of her mind John Johna a small voice from somewhere below her heart Will you will vilI you kiss me Kissing another man ought to stop thought It ought to kill klU memories They w were re a gnarled tree that J leaned heavily with the rheumatism of ot many years upon the wall of ot an embassy John stopped the car car and drew up under unde its leafy branches Years later a would touch a memory and Betsy would feel teel sad she would not remember just why Certainly said John gayly With the greatest of ot ease case and pleasure There were other light words on his its lips Ups but he say didn't-say them He took Betsy very gently in his arms and kissed her Oh he be kissed her indifferently enough at first any young man kissing any pretty girl who had asked him to but it didn't turn turnout out lout to be like that at all aU His arms dropped at last and she was free tree He sat silently for tor a long moment no- no mo moment nomont ment mont looking at her And something something something some some- thing lay very ery still and lovely in Johns John's heart Im falling in Jove love with you ou Betsy his Betsy his voice was a as aI tender as his ils eyes And youre you're e youre you're going to love o me me too Betsy saw law that his fingers fingen trembled trembled trem trem- bled as he found the Ignition on tho the car and tramped remorselessly on the starter statter The roadster groaned plunged ho ha took a curve on two wheels swung around a corner and left eft the tho gnarled tree growing small in the distance e b behind hind them The storm that had been threatening threatening threat threat- ening all evening broke like the prelude to tc the very ending of ot the world Bright scissors of lightning slit the dark clouds and the sky thundered in agony Rain cut down from the dismal sky in slanting crystal streaks sharp and slim as saber points The wind howled in inthe th he the trees like black cats hanging by their tails in the branches Lightning Lightning Light Light- ning made each house lse and street and ind object out clear and separate as it If viewed through blue glasses Georgetown looked dark and old and ancl drab In inthe the storm but oh oh she loved it Plain honest little wet streets and the light burning in the narrowest of them all aU was home Father and Mother reading probably Terry studying Tommy Collins writing poetry She wanted to see Father now to touch his his' hand He Ho would set her right put things in their proper places And what he said would b be true She Shed She'd d tell him about Libby and being secretly engaged to Marshall sh shed she'd d tell ten him that she had asked John kiss to-kiss her Mother would be shocked but Fath Father r would understand Fath Father r always ys understood under under- stood if f He Knew Why Why Why- If Jf Fat Father says Ive I've been beena a jea jealous us little fool tool Ill Til go to ta Marsh Marshall n on on-my on my knees she Bhe told herself as the car cardrew cardrew car cardrew drew up In front of ot the small sm U house Joh John shut at off the and nd took I B Betsy's tsy's hand I 1 dont don't know V why you yu asked me to kiss you Betsy But whatever the reason Im I'm Im I'm glad Betsy couldn't look Jook at him after that Color burned in two bright coins on her cheeks She felt ashamed and cheap She climbed blindly out out of or the car and ran up the three front steps stepi winking the th th rain from her lashes not ot glancing back If It John knew why she had done that foolish thing he would hate her and someone as ai fine and real as John Storm hating her was an intolerable thing Her father tather and mother weren't reading after all They were asleep I Betsy knew that when she turned the key in the lock and stepped into the chill chilly dark hall hail Their door was closed at the head of ot the stairs and there was no splice of ot light where it it fitted so poorly on its hinges hinge Tommy Collins' Collins transom was wa's a bright square eye in the gloom His typewriter was wa clicking merrily out of ot tune with her thoughts thought and he was whistling Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow To To- morrow he would be mailing verses in slim neat white envelopes to New York and In a few days they would be returned to him The editors sent someone to Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadel Philadel- phia to meet this batch Tommy would complain dryly So they wouldn't keep me in suspense Thoughtful of em wasn't it Betsy was surprised to see Terrys Terry's light still stilt on She remembered then how he had sat at the dinner table that evening not reading not hot eatIng eatIng eating eat eat- ing his eyes red rimmed as if he might have been crying Terry crying The PIs Pistol 1 She opened his door softly and thrust her blond head around it Hello wretch Studying your your your- your your- her voice broke off abruptly Terry What on earth are you doing with that pistol Wherever did you get it and why Why Terry why Terry why Terry bit his lips He didn't look at her ber He 6 got UP calmly from front the side of ot the white whito iron bed and laid the pis pistol l. l carefully too carefully I in a desk drawer He was facing lacing Betsy now pale and somehow ut ut- terly weary His tall taU body sagged lagged his shoulders' shoulders nn anti his and his is bl blond nd head Licad for all the jaunty air he tried to assume were were were- Inert My my he said articulating distinctly UD Dont nt look so 80 tragic Do you think Ive I've challenged someone someone someone some some- one to to a duel Betsy went over to him panic running riot In her body Terrys Terry's voice his queer evasiveness his hb tortured tor tor- eyes Something was wrong oh oh something dreadful dreadful Terry What 3 is it Youre You're in m trouble He pushed his hair back with an exasperated ted gesture What the devil are you talking about Bets Betsy Ca Cant Can't t a a. fellow clean cleana a a. gun for a a. friend without being suspected of or murderous intentions And why are you home so early anyway Are your n new w society friends bluenoses observers of a curfew Betsy jerked erect a movement a moan some lome vague tremor tremor swept over her Terry It It it isn't Marshall 1 is It You don dont don't t. t Oh Terry you dont don't hate Marshall that th t. t much do you To be continued Fr Friday day |