Show T telegram Fiction Fiction LOVELY LOVEL Y LITTLE FOOL By Phyllis Moore Gallagher CHAPTER 5 Good heavens no Terry laughed But it wasn't Terrys Terry's light contagious laughter It wasn't really realty a laugh at all It was something hollow hol- hol low ow and forced and frightening Theres There's nothing wrong I tell you Now gwan to bed I He grasped her by her shoulders turned her around and marched her her- through the door When she faced aced him in in the hall hail a wide eyed stricken little face he bent swiftly and kissed one of oC her pale ch cheeks eks Please dont don't look ike that Betsy I tell you He hesitated and went vent on roughly Go on to bed If you fou dont don't Ill I'll spank you as youve you've never before been spanked He went back into his room and clicked the lock Jock behind him He waited waited for for a moment until he heard Betsy's door close softly then he turned out his light and threw himself himself him- him self across the bed For a long while white he Ia lay there looking up at the fantastic shadows that hat the recurrent flashes of oC lightning lightning light light- ning fling etched on the wall He thought of oC the girl who had come out of oC the stage door of or the burlesque house the girl who had sung the slightly indecorous but very witty song in the first act The fellows from school had made madea a scramble for her This was a alark alark lark ark this was as different off are the beaten eaten path this was something that hat would make mothers and fathers fathers lathera fath lath ers era cut oC off allowances But the tho girl hadn't seen the others Her eyes as black as muscatel grapes had looked up at him She had said gaily gally Sonia SonJa Hi there Blondie She was full breasted but slender slender slender slen slen- der she sho was taller than Betsy when she came over and stood close beside beside beside be be- side him He had looked hard into her ler eyes under their thinly plucked brows rows eyes so black and deep that not a light showed in their depths His lis hands had trembled so he had held them in his pockets in a sem- sem semblance blance of ease He had hardly known what to sa say when she had hurried him away from the fellows He had felt their laughs beating against his back the amusement in their eyes following him turn down the alley But it had been the kind of oC laughter he could take He and the girl had found a Chinese Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- nese restaurant a table in a shadowy shadowy shadowy shad shad- rococo cubicle She had ordered ordered or or- dered whIs whisky When he had hesitated hesitated hesitated hesi hesi- over his wine card the girl laughed holding to his eyes ces with hers taunting him She knew he was young oung and his face had burned for his 20 o years ears and inexperience but buthe ho he had not let his gaze drop from hers Whisky too she had asked Laughter still in her eyes Amusement Amusement Amusement Amuse Amuse- ment dancing dal in the corners of 01 her soft mouth Id kill anyone anono for fort t laughing at atme atme atme me he had said furiously Meant It too Her eyes ees and lips had calmed she had said Sorry Blondie Got you wrong I guess She had hac reached across the table and had touched her ber hand to his check cheek Her fingers had been light and cool but the they had burned him like fire a fire tire that flamed lamed down hi his throat and across his shoulders scaring searing his senses Once he had wondered what the first touch of oC a n. girls girl's hand ham would do to him Now he knew Terry ferry writhed on the bed Sweat brol broke e out in beads on his temples He tried to how often otten ho he had stood at the sta stage e door after that night Twenty ni nights 30 Could it really have been a month of nights 1 Terry rolled roiled over on his stomach buried his his' head in his arms and something like a sob caught in his throat He couldn't do it He wasn't a coward but he couldn't kill What did it matter if the man had come into Sonia dressing room if he had thrown back his round swarthy face and had laughed Robbing the cradle now noIs Sonia Sofia Laughter Cant pull a job in New Now York without finding linding diapers hanging on your clothesline clothesline clothesline clothes clothes- line when I blow in eh Raucous laughter shattering the ears as the swarthy man had lunged across the room piercing laughter as the man had caught Terrys Terry's shoulders and had shaken him until his teeth had almost rattled from his head That laughter was in this room now now now- riding in on the lightning ringing and from the walls valls Sonia's terrorized voice was Wag here too crying crying crying cry cry- ing out Let the kid alone Tige Let the kid alone Terrys Terry's hands clenched against his pajamas The beads of oC sweat rolled from his temples and into his open mouth Tho The veins In Jn- his neck swelled selled to livid welts Hed He'd kill any anyone anyone anyone one for laughing at him and making a fool of oC him before Sonia He could kill that man he could kill that man Terry He didn't hear Laughter was beating against him Stark madness madness madness mad mad- ness was clawing at his brain Terry Betsy's voice at the door A soft pleading voice Terry Open the door Please Please Terry ferry leaned up on his elbow dazed The pain in his head fell ell to one sido side and pressed like a burning tier fiery ball ban against his eye ee socket He got up slowly I thought I told you to togo togo togo go to bed He stood there for tor a moment Inthe Inthe in inthe the dark helplessly irresolute I Sweat was slimy in his hair and andon andon andon on his cheeks He brushed his arm across his forehead and the moisture mols- mols ture ure soaked into his pajama sleeve In n a dark ugly blotch Betsy didn't come into the room i when he ho finally snapped on the tight light and opened the door She just stood there in her pink pajamas pajamas pa- pa jamas amas her Impudent trimmed bow-trimmed mules peeping out from rom beneath the ridiculously wide pants She was swaying a little like a small smail frond trond with ith sudden voluptuous life iCe She had lad Fathers Father's Bible in her arms the old Bible eared dog-eared and yel yellowed yellowed yel- yel el lowed with two generations of oC use and faith the records of oC all their births written in a fine English script in the back Promise me on this Terry she begged that you'll return that pistol in the morning to the man who owns it That you wont won't do anything foolish Quick tears magnified the boys boy's eyes ces He turned away from her shamefaced and leaned against the foot of oC the iron bed bcd as if iC for support sup sup- port He was exhausted now His bod body ached His eyes ees felt as if hot fingers were trying to probe them from from their sockets The Promise Dont be so damned dramatic His voice was thick But after a moment he put his palm on the the shabby old Bible I I promise he said He was Wag blinking bUnking to hold the tears in his eyes Youre You're so so square Betsy A fellow would be a low hound to do anything to hurt you The tears fell fen from the corners of his eyes now and he lowered his blond head to hide them And while he spoke something In Betsy snapped into a horrible awareness It was like being unconscious unconscious unconscious un un- un- un conscious and waking Awaking to a torturing torturing tor tora turing pain Terry had waited to kill some seine one She hadn't been sure when she had tiptoed through the hall han with the old family Bible in her hands But now she knew Terry had hated some one enough to want to kill him The Tho soft stillness of the house was ruffled the next morning by a burst of oC telephone bells and the lugubrious boom of the parlor clock striking eight Betsy flung a plaid woolen bathrobe around her shoulders and hurried through the cold halls to the rattling instrument ment Sleepily she adjusted the receiver receiver- to her ear Raoul's voice was as ag bright as If il it were noon instead of oC 8 o'clock Betsy must forgive him for calling so early carly He was off for Fairfax and wanted to be sure to reach her before he left He would call for Bets Betsy tonight around 10 he said A legation reception Indeed at the legation representing the country countr that might soon be at war with his own Didn't Betsy know about 1 It Didn't she ever read the papers Hadn't she read of the quarrel over the he boy The two countries had been disputing their claim for six years or more She Shed She'd d enjoy watching he ho assured her pompous Minister bow to him tell him how delighted he was that he could come when whim the height of his ambition was to thrust a knife in the back of any De Do Prudential Diplomats Oh Betsy had a a. lot to learn about them I If she was going to be the wife wiCe of oC one I didn't know I was going to be bethe bethe bethe the wife of a diplomat Raoul she laughed vAre you sure Jennie didn't serve you too many potent drinks after I left last night Youre You're not by any chance chanco talking to me with your head swathed In are you Betsy How could you And Andas as 83 for being the wife of a diplomat well I 1 shall tell you about that tonight Then he hung up Mrs Seymour was at the foot toot of ot Continued on Pall Page Twenty four Lovely Little Fool S 'S Continued tro from Page Pare Fifteen the stairs w when en Betsy turned from the telephone Her eyes were as asue asue blue ue as the squares squar s of ot her gingham apron Did a a diplomat ask you to marry him Betsy she ahe asked a little awed No Raoul didn't ask me to marry him mother Betsy Beby answered answered an an- dimpling But if he Is as as u he sounds he probably wilt will tonight Not that it makes any any difference Not that it makes any difference difference differ differ- ence enc You mean you'd turn down downa a diplomat Before Betsy Beby could answer her mo mothers mother's ers eyes had so so- There Isn't she asked quickly anything between you and that Marshall Van Devanter is there ere dear He seems to be a aalee anice anice nice alee enough young man but theres there's something about him him him- Her alarmed voice trailed off 4 Beta Betsy's face changed utterly There was wai something Mother But Buthot not hot now oW Not after what happened at Jenni Jennies Jennie s 's dinner party last Jut night I Betsy was just finishing breakfast breakfast breakfast break break- fast when she ehe heard Marshalls Marshall's horn boft o slitting the foggy four morning To Ba Bo C Continued Saturday CC Copyright for The Telegram |