Show Mr Akers Millionaire Takes Fancy to T Tony any I Serial Seria Go Lucky Happy 1 CHAPTER 27 l Mr Akers owned a penthouse apartment in New York an estate at Southampton a place at Palm Beach and a yacht Yet according to Tony the multimillionaire was very plain and unassuming Tony had not met the daughter until she returned to New Nv York that fall faU but he said she was a chip off the old block Theres nothing cheap about Glen and his daughter Tony had remarked Hed be a if he hc were digging ditches for a living Jiving Its It's born in him and the girls girl's s the same stripe Tony had not said anything else about Rosemary Akers though he often mentioned her father Usually Usual Usual- ly y they got together if only for forthe forthe the cocktail hour when Tony went up to town Barbara knew a great deal about Glendon Akers Tony was forever quoting him But after his first meeting with Rosemary Akers Tony seldom spoke of her Barbara had lad difficulty remembering remember remember- ing the name Doesn't Want to toBe toBe toBe Be Odd Woman If you were planning to bring bringan an extra man along she said it would be different Hostesses al always always al- al I a-I ways welcome welcom an unattached male But Im I'm sure it would disarrange all aU Miss Akers' Akers plans If you popped up with an odd woman at the last minute No said Tony Rosemary would be glad to have you She's hes like that you know a perfectly swell person There was an odd inflection in his voice which startled Barbara something shy and a little self con Inside Barbara a tiny alarm i rang Suddenly she yas ryas not drowsy drow drow- sy any more She was wide awake and a bit breathless Do you really want me to go Tony Tony she asked Tony did not meet her eyes Yes he said I 1 do do Barbara studied his averted face Tony did not look happy He looked in m fact miserable She had hadnot hadnot hadnot not realized that he was thinner thinner and a little haggard Something Something Something Some Some- thing was wrong She could not deceive herself hersel Of Of course coure Ill I'll go if you want me to she said unsteadily Thanks said Tony Barbara dreaded going to the Akers' Akers dinner party As she had feared her best evening dress was entirely too tight It was sapphire blue with a tiny jacket of blue sequins in a lighter shade The jacket was too tight across the shoulders and the color emphasized emphasized emphasized sized the fact that Barbaras Barbara's skin and hair were both unbecomingly sunburned She paid a hurried visit to a beauty shop after they reached New York that afternoon but as the operator told her it is impossible impossible im im- im possible to undo months of neglect in a couple of hours Barbara was dismayed when she took time to observe herself hersel carefully in the mirror She had slumped physically physically physically cally there was no doubt of it She had gone slack and it showed all aU allover allover over her Unable to Get New Dress She decided to pick up a a. a new dress in a hurry She had to do something But she had gained in spots her hips and waist for in instance in- in stance She no longer wore a regular regular reg reg- ular size size There would have to be alterations It would be impossible for her to get the dress for several days She watched Tony anxiously when they were ready to set off She looked frumpish and dowd dowdy Not even the bronze orchids Tony had bought for her could conceal the fact that her gown was a last years year's model mode and half a size too sma small But if it j Tony noticed he gave no sign He was very gentle with her as they drove to the Akers' Akers There was nothing baroque about the Akers' Akers duplex Its rental ran into thousands v yearly early but it was simply furnished One had to know values to realize how expensive such exquisite simplicity was and Rosemary Akers was like that herself herself herself her her- self a slender girl with smooth black hair and grave dark eyes and anda a beautiful sensitive mouth Not until she smiled did you realize how lovely lovey she was There was nothing whatever blatant about her She used little rouge and her gown was severely plain a white chiffon chitron velvet cut cutI cuton cuton on long graceful lines She wore no Jewels but there was a white I rose in the coil coli of ot lustrous dark hair on her slender neck She had 1 the most beautifully modulated 1 voice Barbara had ever listened to and her profile was like poetry or a maiden on a crystal vase How do you do Mrs Blake she said giving Barbara her hand It is so Kind of you to come Thank you stammered Barbara Bar Bar- bara She had not known until she saw them to together ether how well Tony knew Rosemary Akers Rosemary knew mew a great deal more about the progress of the play than Tonys Tony's wife did Barbara felt as if something was squeezing her heart It grew worse instead of better when they went in m to dinner She had the seat of honor on her hosts host's right and Rosemary had placed Tony on the theother theother theother other side of his wife while she sat at the opposite end of the table But Tony could not keep his eyes off Rosemary and she kept looking toward him watching for h his i s smile smiling back shyly It had happened the thing of which she had once been so afraid the thing which she had later persuaded persuaded persuaded per per- herself hersel could never happen hap hap- pen Tony was falling in m love with someone else He was falling failing inlove inlove in inlove love with Rosemary Akers and she i with him but he knew what ailed him and Rosemary did not Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara was convinced of that Rosemary was no siren out to snare another womans woman's husband She could not keep away from Tony Tony she she waited eagerly for him to look at t her or speak to her but Rosemary was as yet unconscious of the emotions back of her grave dark eyes She did not know mow that she betrayed betrayed betrayed be be- herself hersel every time she spoke to Tony although he knew Barbara read it in his face and he was afraid afraid afraid-afraid afraid of himself him him- self sel He Didn't Want Another Love Because she did not like society because she preferred a quiet home existence she had forced Tony to togo togo togo go places and meet people without without without with with- out her and finally he had met a woman to whom he was powerfully powerfully powerfully power power- fully attracted so powerfully he was terrified For Barbara knew that Tony did not want to be in inlove inlove inlove love with Rosemary After all Barbara was his wife and Skeeter's mother She heard Rosemary reproach reproach reproach re re- re- re him because he had not been to see her for weeks You are always meeting Father somewhere Tony she said You never drop in here as you used to Tonys Tony's eyes w were re miserable Sorry he said I didn't realize Rosemary But he did Barbara knew that He had been trying to keep out of Rosemary's way because because because be be- cause he did not trust himself himsel because because because be be- cause he wanted to be true to Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara and to everything there had been between them Why dont don't you jou ou come around for lor dinner next week when youre you're in town asked Rosemary not persistently almost timidly In fact Just a home dinner with Dad and me and well we'll have one of our long talks such as we used to have when I first came home Tony Declines Her Invitation Tonys Tony's eyes eves lit Barbara knew he wanted to tb ac accept pt the Invitation he wanted to terribly Then he glanced away from Rosemary's pleading eyes Id love to he stammered but Ive I've an engagement engage engage- ment The next week then asked Rosemary her chin quivering I slightly She i n is so 50 young and I thought Barbara and she is quite in m love with Tony in m love for the first time in her life lie It made Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara feel old the look on Rosemary's Rosemary's Rosemary's Rose Rose- marys mary's exquisite face It made Tony catch eatch his breath He had to swallow twice before he could answer Im I'm afraid I 1 cant can't make it week after next Rosemary Rosemary Rosemary Rose Rose- mary he said Im going to go over the play with Pinkney Law the new one I 1 mean It'll probably take us till far into the night I see said Rosemary like a disappointed child Some other time then Yes said Tony with an ache in his voice some some other time He was silent on the way home They had driven up so as to bring bringa a change of costume for Barbara Tony kept his eyes glued to the I road going back Barbara did not trust herself hersel to speak Just before they reached the house Tony sighed and announced in ina a careless voice that he believed his weekly trips to town were more trouble than they were worth I think Ill I'll follow your example Bab he said and stick to the old hearth fire Barbara could not speak for the sob in her throat Tony was taking the only honorable way out He did not want to break up their marriage There was Skeeter and Tony was fond of Barbara even if he was falling in love with someone someone someone some some- one else H He helped her out of the car carefully He was so gentle with her so careful She made a hundred new resolutions resolutions before she finally fell asleep from pure exhaustion She would fight for her man She would fight as much for Tonys Tony's sake as for her own They had been through so much together They had a child They could not let Jet their love die Barbara refused to believe it was too late to save the situation She would not let Jet herself believe it it She was convinced he was as unhappy unhappy unhappy un un- un- un happy as she was about the whole thin thing To be continued Thursday |