Show I 1111 11 I 52 CT Striking Are lAre Flappers I i I S Romance Rise Rill Fall of and an of The I e H House ouse 0 of f M 0 h un las as al as Painted They're Bad Badas g f I I II I 5 American By GEORGE GIBBS Are l Family Family- I Jazz Boys 1 g and Its I Author of Youth Triumphant and other All Limbs E I Comeback successes Copyright 19 1922 2 D. D Appl Appleton ton Co Colof of Satan 5 III 1111 n II III II III II II II So David Sangree tied fled Incontinently neatly into nto his bedroom seizing underwear underwear underwear un un- un- un trousers and shirt as he heran heran ran aware that Cherry had bad entered almost Immediately behind him With Hh the feverish activity of or a n. fireman fireman fire fire- man responding Ie to 0 an alarm II he gf got Into his his' discarded C clothing e even n to collar and cravat and In a II few tew moments moments moments mo mo- mo- mo ments reached the doorway flushed disturbed grinning and still sUll fumbling at hi his collar Cherry was standing by the table the light catching little iridescent threads of her coat which was moist from the fog tog and rain outside Her head was In in shadow but the reflected glow from the litter of of papers and reviews painted In warm I Ir colors r the e fluent curve e of her n neck c i hI VJ and chin Her figure I g gave an Im Impression of alertness like that of a abird abird bird just alighted on a twig in an I unfamiliar neighborhood poised delicately for flight But as he entered the room she turned thrust out an arm to him smiling her twisted smile I I hope you dont don't mind my coming coming coming com com- ing ing- ing she began Mind Good Lord no Im I'm delighted de do- lighted lighted very But surprised You see Im I'm not used to visitors visitors cape espe especially cia 11 y- y He lIe paused Especially girls she put In you Well Well ell er er you ou see girs gins dont don't come here Its Jt'S a bachelor apartment apartment apartment apart apart- ment house house- I 1 knew It But Dut I knew the number number number num num- ber of ot your suiteS suite took n a chance chanco and walked up the stairs The boy boyat boyat boyat at the door thought I was a charwoman charwoman charwoman char char- woman I hope I have on my old clothes she explained Sangree was regarding the door dubiously Im not pot sure that I ought to let you sta stay Cherry She smiled down at h her r fingers which he had ad forgotten to let go And then withdrawing her hand slowly as she turned soberly sob toward the table I 1 had to see Bee you OU at once she said quietly He looked at her again and then glanced at the looked locked door into the corridor as though whether to op open n it or not As he hesitated she spoke again Arent you ou going to ask me to sit it down Rameses Rameses' she ahe asked whimsically Oh Oh of of course he said nastily hastily drawing a 0 chair toward the gas log Now that youre you're here I suppose sUPpose suppose sup sUP- pose you might as well be killed 1 for tor a sheep as a lamb Let me one take your our coat No thanks I shant shan't stay long AS the glow from the lamp I reached her face he thought thou that she looked weary Her ch chick chck ck bones seemed higher there were faint touches of purple around her ber eyes eye and the scarlet of her lips was faded There was too a i sober pucker at her brows born of f some Inner innel commotion She waited a moment until he was seated before she spoke I had to see you OU Rameses ses she to to- to repeated Something happened day I came straight he hero heN o. o Nothing serious Nothing Nothing- Yes if you choose to make malu It so It was serious enough to make me feel teel the thc need of advice the advice the advice of a 0 friend friend- She paused and then finIshed finished with a dubious smile smile smile- even even at the risk of my tion I It makes me happy to think that you'd come to me Ive I've wanted to help you Cherry I thought you'd forgotten me I 1 But Ive I've been heen fearfullY fear- fear fullY busy You know we have scar scarcely el an any servants and I have to help Things are so EO bad as that he asked as she he paused She Sha nodded Oh things are Just about out as bad as R they can be ex be-ex except be-except ept pt for dad They think hes he's better thank God But Bu t ever everything else oh else oh Its It's a devil of d a mess mess mess' There will be nothing from the wreck Nothing so far as I can see see see- nothing that Is except Is-except except me inc He examined her face with a puzzled frown The slight shrug and tim tho com compression tom tom- om- om of her lips were bitterly Ironical I dont don't think I understand he muttered though glimm glimmerings rings of her meaning were coming coming- to him Her lips opened to curl cuu antly Its very simple Im I'm the only asset left lett to the House Hous' of ot Menu Mohun Mohun Mo- Mo hun hun- nu n You mean that you you you- That Im I'm for sale sal to the highest b bidder preferably bidder preferably John Chichester ter she said calmly Cherry Yes He He- wants me rae Its It's beautifully beautifully beautifully fully simple I want to marry him The family honor Is saved That's why I came came to talk taUt to you An impulse You think Im I'm mad to come here Perhaps I am I had to talk to somebody somebody not not muzzy or Bob or even Genie somebody Genie somebody who understands understands somebody somebody who I can I think for me I 1 cant can't any anymore more Im I'm just at the point where Ill I'll do something foolish one way or th the other She was speaking rapidly breathlessly the words tumbling forth end over end but there was wasa a 0 lively sequence In her phrases between which she read meanings she did not utter sitter Your mother mother- he ha beganI began I want to be loyal to te muzzy she gasped throwing out her arms In a hopeless gesture I I want to tobe tobe tobe be loyal Id I'd like to think she had a right to ask this thia of ot me If It I could Rameses But Bu t I cant can't some some- how Im I'm Incapable of judging Oh Ive I've thought and nd thought but thinking only seems to make things worse I r cant can't think of anything anything anything any any- thing except his scrubby mus mus- tache She laughed nervously Funn Funny Isn't It how I 1 could be i obsessed by such a horror horror ot of a amere amere I mere mustache David Sangree did not mlle amile He was frowning at he gas logI logI logI log I take it ho ho said soberly that you you you-er-do er do not car care for er for er John John Chichester She glanced at him quickly and shrugged Need you ask she said laid and went on on Muzzy realizes that as well velI as I do But she has set her heart on It She appeals to my sense of ot duty to the That's how she reaches reache me hurts oe hurts me me hero She put both Lands hands to her breast as though to still a sudden pang of ot conscience I would woul do anything for dad even evento evento evento to selling myself as muzzy mussy wishes But somehow I cant can't think that he would ask this of me lie He was never ambitious ambItious In In business yes tell ea but but not socially as muzzy was wall lIe He often otten told me roe never to marr marry a aman aman aman man unless I was sure of ot myself But I cant can't talk to him lIes lIe's In a n. avery avery very dangerous condition lIe Ho just lies between sleeping and walking with Intervals Intervale In which ho tries to talk Hes He's getting better 3 Im for tor sale in to th the Melder John Chichester preferably he said aId calmly sure of it ft it Sometimes I think he knows everything that Is going on Theres There's a kind of ot wisdom In his eyes like a childs child's poor dear dea and hes he's very submissive But I cant can't talk to him hm asle ask his a advice at II a time like this Hes He's got to have his chance without chance without worry worly of any kind Of course And your our mother understands this 7 Yes But I think she resents It Ita ita ita a little that he should have failed her at a crucial moment With all her worldliness she's so very ery like a child I As she paused San 3 turned I toward her slowly Tell me how t far this thing has gone Has John I Chichester I spoken to you No He hasn't But he has spoken to muzzy muzzy- Then youre you're not committed commUted In any way Cherry got up suddenly and took two or three steps away from the table Then turned with a quick gesture of dismay dismay or or perhaps of self self abnegation I dont don't want you to think Im I'm disloyal to muzzy she repeated I dont don't want you to think that Im I'm forgetting what I owe ye her her her- loyalty allegiance I I knew what those words mean But to o me ne they dont don't mean submissiveness Rameses Rame Rame- ses sea to a wrong wrong the tho I of a a. sin I cant can't be submissive when hen she's done what sh she has She Insists then then then- Cherry walked to the mantel and leaned against It gazing down at atthe atthe atthe the incandescent cl clay y It seemed to him that In the three weeks since he had last seen her heo she had caught some glimpses oJ jf f the Inner meanings of life lite which had never I j I been revealed to her that trouble I and pain had already dispelled fatuities fatuities fat fat- stripping her m o essentials of character for her combat with the world lIe He thought her more mature If less radiant more discerning discerning discerning dis dis- dis- dis if less pretentious She spoke more quietly now as though In the actual presence of her moral obligations I must tell you the whole miserable miserable miserable mis mis- erable business Rameses from from the beginning My mother was ver very much flattered by John Chiche Chi Chi- che chester's chesters ter's attentions I J never ever gave e a him any encouragement Muzzy did It was a feather In her cap He lie was a catch It was the brilliant brilliant bril bril- match that she had been preparing preparing pre pro paring me for I didn't r realize It I didn't want vant to realize it I was I perfectly contented boys of ot my own age But she thought that in Ia time I would understand the meaning of the magnificence of f becoming a Chichester I It bored Lored me horribly She took moto meto mo one oneto to luncheon at oft t the l house to be looked over by the old lad lady I felt Ike Uke shocking them to end the farce but I didn't I think it amused me a little to see how I could behave It seems that I passed muster She pause paused as though awaiting comment comment but but none came cama Sangree his fingers ers clasped Judicially Under under under un un- der his chin was gazing Into the fire tire Then she went on on this terI terrible ter- ter rib Ie thing happened You know mow I what It did to me Ive I've had no thought for anything but dad dad and and trying to grope a way out of the dark lark I found over In bills with nothing to pay them with I 1 had a sc scene scene ne with muzzy muzzY muzzY-In in which the old subject was renewed renewed renewed-my my responsibility to dad It made a a painfuL on me Poor Cherry he muttered Then Thea suddenly the other day I had an Idea that muzzy was In communication with John Chichester ter without my knowledge I dont don't know why why just Just one of those queer intuitions that women have She began encouraging me to go out for exercise to go to see Genie and other people And ohe ne day I saw John Chichester leaving the house as ns I came home It seemed as though muzzy was drawing the thenet thenet thenet net tI tighter and tighter around me He came to see me too but he didn't speak Evidently he was under under un un- un- un der instructions I hadn't t refused to consider him nor had 1 I refused to do what muzzy asked You see I was horribly uncertain as to which way my mv my dut duty lay It was ghastly I hadn't disliked him before before be be- be fore but now I had a positive distaste distaste dis- dis taste for him him- Ho He wa was a caricature ture tute of Romance a a. mockery I saw hideous things In him I him I couldn't forget torget what I had heard hideous heard hideous I I things that he Ie e had been that been that he ho ml might ht still beV bel lit Ht had never been I objectionable before I was overwrought over over- wrought you ou the see see the more s so as the obsession grew that It was my mv duty to marry him By God Sangree muttered below below be be- be low his breath you shant shan't Continued tomorrow I |