| Show i ove et ut- ut Ii f cas 6 I IL c Author of tf u mill h Sint t n Rational notional ti R Picture SYNOPSIS At the close of a gay Covent Garden ball bail box party given gien by Lady George Cornish and her husband husband husband hus hus- band Lumley Teddy Sherwood at attacks attacks attacks at- at tacks Tony disinherited scion of a noble family because the latter unthinkingly monopolized the society of Chrissie Bunning It ItIs ItIs Itis Is a case of love at first sight with the adoring couple Sherwood 1 is worsted in the fray by l who is not really a blackguard but buta a throwback to the days of his swash swashbuckling ancestors Sherwood falling strikes his head Tony rony and Chrissie take him home hone He is still angry and demands an tion Oh so youre you're the latest are you Youre You're the new one to kneel knetl down clown and kiss the boots of this damned I humbug Youre You're all the same me ore lot of you You put up barl barbed ea etl wire and virtuous notices against the decent people you come cohle across but let a wily skunk sneak in with a moving picture profile and down go your defenses and you hand yourself away God it makes me mesick mesick mesick sick The smooth footed presence of Beppo with a tablecloth brought the to a stop for a a. mo mo- ment Accustomed to seeing strange people in that room at all alI hours of the day and night his childlike e. e expressive face showed no surprise at the sight of a girl in the costume costume costume cos cos- tume of the ballet baHet and the familiar Tony in the decadent garments of ofa ofa t ta a Dulac illustration Nor was was- he heIn hein hein in the smallest degree upset be because because because be- be cause his masters master's head was b bandaged bandaged ban ban- n- n It all belonged to what he called life and It lt appealed to the natural passion for dramatics that plays so strong a part in ItalIan Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian psychology As soon as he was out of the room the ball was was in play again this time in Chrissie's hands I dont don't know what you OU mean by all that Teddy she said quietly And it doesn't seem to tome tome tome me to beany be any use to make another scene Its It's very simple all of or it Im I'm just as sorry as Tony is for foi spoiling your evening but its it's as much my fault as his All those hours were like a minute to me too because just the same thing happened to me as happened to him I know that oure only telling telling telling tell tell- ing me what I told you Yes replied Chrissie watching every word wi with th the greatest care greatest cart care in order to try and live up to Tonys Tony's wonderful flow But with this difference What difference You think Tony went nutty about me as he has been nutty about other girls So would you if you ou knew anything anything anything any any- thing about him No o. o Youre You're wrong there too You wont won't let yourself understand what I mean when I say that this w was was s meant Meant The word wont completely floored him Yes It was marked out to come and it would have come just the same if H I hadn't gone with you to the ball Tony and I had to meet tonight tonight we ve had to and to-and and we should have done It at the corn corner r of a street street in a chemists chemist's shop any old place Sherwood shot out a scornful and incredulous guffaw And Arid having met met a a rising emOtion emotion emotion emo emO- tion iut tut her off her grammatical were guar were not goin to cut loose again never In our lives See Its It's me and him against the bloomin bloom- bloom in world She left her nurses nurse's place at the head of oC the sofa and with a dignity dig dig- and nd fl finality na lit that proved to poor old Teddy that his hopes were dead placed her head on Tonys Tony's chest and and closed her eyes in In peace And Tony held her tight not with passion but with a settled love true he said so help me God Godl But the they knew very little of Teddy Sherwood's tenacious nature nature nature na na- na- na ture If they imagined that they had brought the he struggle to an end Tie lie Intended to fl fight ht for Chrissie as he had fought for revenge and if necessary to cut this knot with his knife How touching he said with the best attempt at sarcasm of which he was c capable pable If I had a camera handy you'd make a beautiful photograph photograph pho pho- of loves love's young dream But unless Tonys Tony's the monkey the managers asked you ou to find how do you think youre you're going to set setup setup setup up a house for tor your you domestic bliss bUss Is he going to pinch one when nobody's nobody's no no- bod body's s 's looking or are you both coming to live on on me The entrance of Beppo again gain this this- time with a large tray of cups an and ii taT t tsai plates spoilt the effect of oC the hea heavy vy Insults with which Sherwood had hoped to draw blood It Is Ismore Ismore ismore more tha than probable that he would have been rewarded with a a. smile There was genuine humor in the thelast thelast thelast last suggestion As it was ChrIssie drifted to the window over which the blinds were drawn and Tony strolled ca casually casually cas cas- to the tablE table on which there was the familiar box and helped himself And as to all this fatalistic muck that youre you're trying to tl hid hide behind continued the unscientific fighter as soon as Beppo had gone it doesn't go down with me If you pre frank and were to tell me ine t that at you ou were mesmerized I might believe you ou Chrissie That has mesmerized me often enough for money and food and roof And if you were to say that youre you're going off the straight because of the suffering suffering suffering suf suf- fering youve you've oue had and are going to chuck yourself away on any woman's womans womans woman's womans woman's wom wom- ans an's man in a violent reaction I might even een b believe you there But this piffle about having to meet and being together against the world world what what do you ou take me for These are a little too dr dry old boy said Tony endeavoring endeavor endeavor- ing to change a perfectly useless conversation Theres a little man manin manin manin in Jermyn street street- Oh shut up cried Teddy Youre not going to put me off like that You may not know it it and It wouldn't matter to you OU if you did but Chrissie's my friendIe friend Ive I've been her slave and bottle washer for the last Jast six months and youre you're not going to get away awa- with this high handed commandeering as lightly as as you think Its It's all in a aday's aday's aday's days day's work for you ou this sort of thing Youve You've only to bat your eyes at a woman to take her from any man she's with But Im I'm going to fight to save Chrissie from you ou as big as theres there's one damn bit bitof bitof bitof of truth left lect in me She's worth it ic I agree with you there said Tony Fight to the last gasp I I like you for it Sherwood sat up straight swung round and put his feet on the floor The towel had slipped a little over his left lect ear His collarless collarless' shirt from which the studs had been taken gaped as dress shirts will wm He cut a strange figure in that prosaic room I love this girl he cried out with a depth of feelIng feeling feeling feel feel- ing that made his voice unsteady TU Id sell my soul for her Unlike Unlike you who will drop her in a Week Ive I've asked her to be my wife over and over oer again And unlike you who live lIe by the skin of your teeth Im I'm In a position to make her happy and comfortable give her a ahouse ahouse ahouse house in the country if shed she'd like tike it it with a car and a maid and dogs dog's to walk with and settle my business business business busi busi- ness on her to win a smile Have you asked her to be your wife Have you You bet you haven't You think that Just because you call yourself the Honorable Anthony Anthony Anthony An An- thony and Stirling and precious precious pre pre- cious clous few people believe you are are arc that you can take what you want and ride loftily over all the rest of us But if before Chrissie goes any further she will wUI take the trouble to look up your record at Bow street shell she'll probably find that youre you're as common a man as I Iam Iam am am and without as honest a fath fath- er I ask her to do it it that's that's all I ask her to remain long enough to make Inquires inquires to to be the hands off ChrIssie to you that she's always been to me That's fair and I deserve that Dont Don't I I Come dont don't I Both of you And he flung out his arms in a sort of pathetic appeal unaware of the fact that tears were streaming down his face And then taking advantage advantage advantage tage of Tonys Tony's utter speechlessness he sprang to His lils feet teet went unsteadily unsteadily unsteadily un un- un- un steadily to Chrissie and seized her herby herby herby by the wrist Own up Go on on- own up You haven't any more true idea who this man is than I I have have you And he hasn't asked you OU to be his wife and has never come come- anywhere near it It has hashe hashe hashe he Say it It Say it it Xo No 0 he said Chrissie him quietly And I never expected to What You never never expected expected him to You You who who have been through all the the cities cities with verboten on your our back This Is different Teddy she said Ive tried to tell you rou so Sherwood was not a man of l loose ose ideas although he had to live lIe among people who regarded morals as out of date He believed in marrIa marriage e. e He had a hard word for women who went In for free love And for to fall faU from her pedestal pedestal pedestal-Chrissie Chrissie who for or all her beauty through the sordid streets starvation semi and the utter carelessness of the stage stage- 1 L I 1 e d. who had refused to marry him him him- Hes poisoned you he cried in horror You good looking irresistible irresistible irre irre- devil youve you've poisoned herAnd her And with the utmost detestation he turned to Tony once more tried to hit him in the face caught an uncertain foot in the carpet and lurched Into his arms To be continued Copyright 1925 by Cosmo Ham Ham- ilton |
