| Show Telegram Fiction LOVELY LOVEL Y LITTLE FOOL By Phyllis Moore Gallagher WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE Betsy Seymour who is In love with Marshall Van Devanter is torn by fear and jealousy because Marshall is paying marked attention attention attention atten- atten atten atten- tion to Libby Stockton spoiled daughter of an old and wealthy Washington ton family Marshall had told Betsy this was necessary be because because because be- be cause Libby's bys by's father could give gie him an excellent position In the meantime while professing love for Betsy he was clandestinely meeting Libby Betsy h had d met Raoul a Latin diplo diplo- hat and John Storm a law student student student stu stu- stu- stu dent who had come como to room at ather ather ather her home Following a dinner party she had asked John to take her home homes and later Invited him hint to kiss her He then told her that some time tim she would Jove iove him Arriving home she found Terry her brother crying in his room a pistol in his hands She immediately immediately immedi immedi- fears he is going to try to kill Marshall whom he ho did not net liwe or trust He Ho promises he will do nothing rash and returns to his bed It develops that he had been madly infatuated with Sonia a n. burlesque dancer he had met on ona ona a gay lark with other students and that Tige her former gangster gangster gangster gang gang- ster lover loyer had ridiculed him hint when he discovered this ts affair The next morning Betsy receives an invitation from Raoul to attend a legation reception and accepts CHAPTER SIX Terry looked up from his plate He Ic flushed a little Remembering the he gun episode Betsy said in her mind going cold at the thought But Jut she was wa-s thankful to see that his ils clear gray eyes showed that he had lad slept His Royal Highness Mr Marshall Marshall Marshall Mar Mar- shall Van Devanter awaits without without with with- out Terry growled and then finished finished fin- fin shed Without a grain of sense in his beautiful bea noggin What you can see In that dope For Forono ono one instant Betsy sat at the table able torn by conflicting emotions Last ast night she had stayed awake a long while worrying over Terry over Marshall listening to John moving ng about in his room Every time ime John had taken a step she had lad writhed with humiliation because because because be be- cause she had asked him to kiss her 0 because there had been something something some some- thing hing low v and hide hideous us in her to tomake tomake tomake make her like Johns John's kiss when Marshall owned her heart Yet wh when n Marshall knocked on ho tho door and she went out on the stoop into the wistful J gray ay of ot the damp morning where ho stood his soft brown eyes eyes' loving her his gay young smile working its its' old magic on her she realized the tho f futility of lyIng ying awake in the tho dark dark- and arrangIng arranging arranging ar ar- ar- ar ranging her life lICe intelligently and tidily Now with a n look with a smile sho she was becoming ductile in Sn his hands She fought desperately with everything she had against that hat magic for she knew that once she sho allowed herself herselt to give in she would be lost You Tou and Libb Libby What demanded Marshall got into nto you lost last night at Jennies Jennie's That's what I 1 want to know Betsy commenced to tell him but butas butas butas as soon as the words You and Libby Ibby passed her lips ups her heart began beating heating intolerably and one ono hand nervously fingered the base of her throat I Marshall caught her shoulders roughly Betsy darling So that's it Well VeIl youre you're going to be ashamed when I tell you something Youre You're going to get down on your knees and md beg me to forgive you ou for not trusting me Her shoulders stiffened under his bis hands lands and she drew back from front him I Theres nothing you could say Mar Marshall that would explain I Ho He roused himself irritably Dont be like that He looked mortally wounded This is busi busi- ness Its It's just as Important t to you for me rue to be nice to Libby as it Is for me Her dad has a a lO a year opening in his ship construction construction construe construe- tion branch here in Washington and if It I can get that job Oh Betsy cant can't you ou understand Wo We could be married at once all our our problems would be solved Just uJust the same Marshall 0 But Betsy's voice was losing some of ot its coldness Was it necessary to spend all evening up at the bow of the Kingston's yacht tho the other night to avoid me mo at Jennies Jennie's to hold Libby's hand while you were holding mine It seems a a. cheap way to go to go-to to go about getting a position Why dont don't you go straight to Mr Stockton and tell him you want that job Marshalls Marshall's face reddened with ex ex- One Ono word from Libby he said to her old man would be worth calls I 1 might make on him I 1 tell you Betsy I know what Im I'm doing And Libby Libby Libby-Libby's Libby's a brick She knows Im I'm secretly engaged to you and why we cant can't get married at cit once She's pulling for us hand in glove Last night she said that when she makes her debut on December 15 she's going to have you make male yours with her Now do you see how wrong you had Libby cracked up in your mind A Debut Betsy's eyes yes flew wide open Her Her lashes winked quickly She Sho stared at Marshall uncomprehendingly at first A debut She Betsy Seymour Seymour Seymour Sey Sey- mour to make a formal ormal debut with Libby Stockton Marshall That's why why that's Insane I wouldn't think of ot it Id I'd why Id why Id I'd be bo the I laughing stock of and you know It People would talk and make wisecracks I I-I I I couldn't go through with it Marshall thrust his hands In his pockets He became didactic He growled out It doesn't mean anything anything anything any any- thing to you I suppose that I want wanti you to meet formally all of my I friends It doesn't mean anything to you that this is a chance of a lifetime The Background sack Back ground is as solid soUd as the Rock of Gibraltar and if Mrs Stockton presents presents presents pre pre- you with her own daughter people wouldn't dare open their mouths A Stockton cant can't do anything anything anything any any- thing drong You know that You know how they rate around here I Betsy why the devil cant can't you see what Im I'm driving at Betsy made a vague vague helpless gesture gesture gesture ture with her hands Why would Libby do all this for lor me for me-for for us I dont don't believe she's that kind I I- I But when she saw Marshall tossing his head in disgust she added Does Does docs it nean mean that much to you Marshall Docs Does it He nodded slowly Betsy had always known that Ma Marshall hall was wildly ambitious ambitious so so socially and financially At times Umes it had worried her because she sho had bad so 80 little to offer him though it had not made any real difference in her love for him The thought of a debut trailed heavily across her mind accompanied accompanied by a strange premonition of disaster It was rIdi ridiculous ulous unthinkable unthinkable unthinkable able preposterous She Sho wouldn't have enough clothes she had no car carIn carIn carin In which to make calls the calls the hundreds hundreds hundreds hun hun- and nd hundreds of calls that a debutante must make on on her sister debs She didn't know the Intricate rules of etiquette which corner to turn down on a calling card how many cards to leave on a debutante nor how to answer Invitations if she got any She could never never return her obligations And the girls who came to call on her her would come to the little red brick house in Georgetown the house with its Us tin bathtub its cheap white voile volle curtains the tho frayed overstuffed furniture furniture fur tur- Marshall I couldn't Its It's just too fantastic I 1 would be be miserable miserable miser miser- able ablo and afraid every second Ho He had drawn closer to her She could feel his breathing on her cheek soft and sweet weakening her resistance Could she agree to this joint with Libby But if it she didn't Marshall might get very angry He might go away from her altogether The very thought made her heart move as if In anguish Shed She'd rather die than face that shed she'd rather make a hundred debuts Im a little mUe fool she scolded herself miser miser- ably Marshall is doing this for me for us He loves me loves me not Libby and still I stand here acting as if it he had asked me to stick my head bead under a guillotine guillotine guil guil- Youre not going to let any craz crazy notion about Libby and me ruin our lives are you Betsy I love you love you she doesn't mean anything to me he said almost fiercely Try to see what I 1 mean I IA A a year position You a debutante presented by the Stock Stock- tons Invited everywhere accepted everywhere Our future will be glamorous perfect I wonder if it you know how much it a mans man's wife can cando cando cando do for lor him 1 Contacts Powerful friends A wife can make or break a man Why there arc are more big deals and political careers decided I at cocktail parties and dinners and receptions than in all the business offices of this city put together There was a a. long pause Betsy closed her eyes The tears were stinging against her lids It didn't seem right It seemed cheap and unwholesome and wicked flirting with Libby to got get an opening with her father making a debut for so social social social so- so cial contacts that would later prove remunerative They would be climbers climb climb- ers like the Thaddeus SimpSons Simpsons Simpsons Simp Simp- sons of ot The Rocks and just as detestable And most of all she wondered why Libby was interested in them or rather In Marshall Libby was Interested In Marshall It showed In a thousand ways But why What was she after But at last she said paling a little little lit lit- tle tic Ill do it Marshall 1 I guess Id I'd steal and lie he do anything if you asked me to At last Marshall said hed he'd have to tobe tobe tobe be of off for the tho office and Betsy told him that she sho was staying home to today today today to- to day taking advantage of at her one day a month allotted sick leave give Libby a ring Tell Ten her everything Is doke okle about the tho debut She's keen about you Betsy You had her all aH wrong You thought But he didn't finish John Storm was coming through the front door law books and note notebooks notebooks notebooks books under his arm He nodded to Marshall casually though friendly enough but when he ho turned to Betsy his expression changed com corn Marshall Marshal saw the startling difference and he ho saw the sudden rise of color that flamed in Betsy's cheeks checks She said simply Good morning John Off Oft to the old collegiate collegiate collegiate col col- col- col grind But when John went down to his yellow yeow r roadster and disappeared In the fog tog Marshall Mar J-ar- shall turned on Betsy angrily going on between you I and John Storm He actually drooled at the m mouth uth over oyer seeing I you and you you blushed Damn it all Betsy people dont don't act like you two unless theres there's something something some some- thing Betsy swallowed with difficulty Shed She'd have to tell Marshall arshall of at course Shed She'd have hav to tell him about John that sho she had asked John to kiss her her and and why There should never be any deceit or lies or subterfuges subterfuges subterfuges sub sub- between them When she had finished explain explain- ing Marshall said his voice icy That was a hell of ota ofa a thing to todo do Asking John Storm to kiss you And you crabbing about Libby and me mc And AncL without another word he turned and left her standing standing- there thereon on the steps To Be Continued Mo Monday d y Copyright by Ledger Syndi Syndicate ate |
