Show P c O I o 1 t if ti 11 01 b f k i t ri i 1 1 9 ii 4 tJ O o t.- t. l it j J J J i 1 If F J. f hy by austin c v b 1927 bJ bi t tiFA THIS HAS HAPPENED I Clay Curtis after atter a trip to New York where he has thrown n down by Claire Donnell un en actress returns to his home borne In Colfax Colfax Col- Col fax and announces to his father T. T Q Curtis that he intends Intend to earn earh his own living thereby giving the thelie Ue lie to Claires Claire's jeer that he couldn't get a job If H they were being given n nawa awa away us ts Christmas presents The father offers him the assistant assist assist- ant m of his his his' mammoth th department store but Clay refuses When Clay len leaves ves hIs father to p pack ck fOr his departure th the old man is lost In lonely reverie lIe recalls a remark Clay once made that T. T Q should have had Ii a dau daughter instead of a son sob that money doesn't make girls soft as It does boys bos T. T Q wonders If the Eon on was right Cia Clay takes with him only a few clothes music und and tools for or writIng writ writ- leg Ing music and the change left from his New York t trIp lp 2113 leg Ing he cannot afford a hotel hothi he turns to the poorer section of the city While hile wandering there In the cold and dark of a 11 January Januar night he Is arrested by br the so sued nd of yb- yb un Tn music SeeIng n. n sign for Rent Rent- WIth Or Without Meals tacked on the house houe he akes a quick cuick decision decision de- de and raps lit at the door which Is opened by a girl NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER III Billy BUly Wells Veils was not an an easily flustered young woman but s She c conf confessed ss d to her moth r later Intel that she had almo almost t dropped her violin when she saw who was calling at atU U o'clock of that bitterly cold night with two two- heavy suitcases dragging at his arms I thought that either he was crazy or I was she laugh laughed d. d An t the he didn't say a word at first just stared first at me and then at the violin Then he frowned at me with those big black e eyes es of his staring at me out oui of a face that's too pale for a m man n and began bean to scold me I dl didn't know whether to slap him or 1 shi-it shi the door In his face or drag him In out of the cold cod and give him a piece of my mind What Clay Curtis said was Yo You shouldn't do that break offin oft off In the middle of a bar of music Might as well go about crunching flowers under under- your fe feet feet- tr- tr or smashIng smash smash- leg Ing bubbles for the fun of the I b l' l lyou you drop in at this UIs time of night t just to ba vl me out for not a piece piece- of music Billy Vell's demanded You snapped a string he accuse accused ac- ac cuse her reaching for the violin You use this kindi lUnd kind liEp i And Chopin would turn in his hl grave rave If he knew you were trying try Ing to do his fn favorite mazurka on onan an Im imitation fiddle like this Fac- Fac tory Turned out by the thousands Good Lord girl you can play Why Yh dont don't ou get a real violin He seemed very er angry about it as he thrust the offending Instrument her her hands I I got In the depart I tp meet n of your r fat fathers father's rs r's store per ce cent discount count to and Im I'm darn lucky to ha have any kind of a fiddle if Its It's any of your business do you watt here an anyway way The icy wind was whipping the brief skirt about a a. pair of rounded silk clad knees and she began to close the door Oh I sa say walt wait a minute he be begged Youve got on your house d room with or without meals I want It with meals please And these suitcases are pretty heavy and I seem to to- notice that Its It's a little chilly out tonight He grinned at her boyishly boy boy- IngratiatinglY as he stepped Into the hall ball forcing the door wide against her Indignantly restraining hands hancs Well of all th nerve Billy cried angrilY helplessly as he set his suitcases down upon the worn frayed bit of carpet and stood over her still sUll smiling confidently as s It it ithe he knew that nothing he s. s seriously wanted could ever Le be denied hith Y You u thInk Im I'm crazy his black eyes ees glowed upon her warm and friendly and coaxing Jut the truth Is that JIve ive just disinherited myself I gath gather r that you know who I ale am Frankly X I wIsh you OU I wIsh I could forget It myself make everybody else lse forget that Im I'm T. T Q s' s son You see Im I'm out on my own now Dad didn't throw me out I threw myself out Its It's a Ion long stor story and Im I'm sure you OU w nt to grit get back finish that broken b bar r of music Ill I'll take the room thanks if t you'll JUSt show me where here it Is ut even seeing it Ih- Ih lIow do you know It Isn't already rented rented rent rent- ed or that we dont don't pr prOter t l' l a l lady dY roomer f fAll All the furnished room ads say Gents preferred Im I'm a g gent nt that badly needs a to lay ills His head If hes he's going goin out t Into the cold and wrest a Job from bloated And I dont don't need to see It first Im I'm sure Its It's Just whal Ini Im looking for Neat but not gaudy cheap in prIce but not not- youre you're being foolish Billy Bill W VS told hIm sever l And I 1 dont don't think youre you're us d to trying trin to talk like a che cheap p wisecracker You dont don't do it at all Well I despise despise de- de constant kidders and weak weak- wI t d wisecrackers A hush flush crept slowly up the cheeks she had thought too pale for a man Im sorry I gUess Im I'm rather oft off my head tonight You see Ive I've taken the big p plunge Ive I've got just twenty one dollars and thirteen cents in the w world and only the I thought last week weel were necessary for tor a flying trip to New York But I 1 do need It a room I cant can't afford to go o to a hotel and Im I'm serious about going to work tomorrow Vh When n I heard you ou playing I knew that Id I'd Id sleep on the hall settee If you'd let me stay stay- here I 1 can do without everything everything every every- thing but musIc and I could stand any sort of room room if I could hear you ou play sometimes in the even even- leg ing I 1 wouldn't just you sit In my iny room with the door open to hear It ft you f found und I 1 was cluttering cluttering clutter clutter- ing u up the parlor too often I play piano cello violin flute flute and and 1 write music Not very great music musi yet but that's the reason I cut loose D Dad d wanted me to go Into the store and I w to write music Good Lord I never dream u Id I'd be s shilling my life story this way but you understand music r you couldn't play playas as you do Will vm you OU take me In Come Into the p parlor while J 1 call moth mother r. r She's setting bread I in the kitchen Her vOice was vas still faintly hostile guarded guarded- but sh she shew w was i relenting far farr fast faste than than Sh he him to suspect She left him In the parlor without apology for tor Its rl rland and flaunting cheapness He could think what he pleased But she need nt have worried about Clay Curtis He scarcely saw the gaudily paper papered d walls with theIr clutter of che cheaply ply framed colored prints of famous paIntings or the mussed covered davenport that became a bed for tor company Ills eyes ees found the only objects In the room that Interested him him-a piano and an shelf open cabinet of sheet mu- mu sic He went vent straight to the piano struck a note th then n another and nd another another an- an other his head cocked sideways wars listening ning Intently Nee Needs s tuning but not such a a b d ox aloud as he swung Into the lilting mUng rollicking tive mazurkas that Billy Wells had been plaYing on her violin when he had stopped before her house Ills his face was uplifted when Billy and nd her mother came Into th room stepping softly both of them This Is my mother Mr Curtis Ive I've tried to convince her that you ou J Jare are really eally serious In wanting our spare room Not that I believe it myself she lidded added 11 her r little tip tilted nOse wriggling disdainfullY My l but you can play Mrs her short plump bOd body Into an old t old fashioned d rocking chair Im real glad to meet you ou Ive I've heard my daughter speak k of you often Mothr that's not true II Billy crIed sharply the red of vexation staining staining- even th the tiny amber freckles across her Impudent nose Mr l Curtis Isn't at the store often otten enough for him to excite much Comm comment eat Her mother smiled brightly entirely entirely en- en unabashed her bet blue eyes paler than h r twinkling twinkling twink- twink ling upOn t the e visitor or My ly goodness good good- ness Ive got to have some ome way tC open a conversation aInt I she soe r asked reasonablY Now Mr 11 Cur Us were we're just common Wily UlIly anti anI ne me and we live I think yo yOU with said m meals als 1 Oh yes Clay answered dra dragging drag drag- 7 ging the pIano bench forward tO sO that he sat almost at her knees You see I cant can't af afford rd to take meals mals here and therE and Im I'm Sure Id I'd hate heap restaurants I like home cooking what little or it Ive I've had But I dont don't want to you l 1 he hesItated reminded that he hadn't the faintest faintest faint faint- est Idea what the truculent little vIolinist Or her mother WaS waa named Go d grief Billy You haven't an ounce or of manners Im I'm Mrs fr Wells Mr Curtis And this Is m my dau daughter Bill Billy H Her r names name's rl rightly right right- ht- ht ly h but ever since she wa waa was wasa a little mite Its It's made her fighting made to be called Thelma I thought It was a r real al sweet name I read It In a book book-a book called Thelma Thelma Thel ma DId you ever er read Thelma Mr lr Curtis Curtis-by Marie Marle COrelli No Im I'm sorry I think Thelma flourished before my time Clay smiled At her entirely without patrona patronage e. e What a funny tunny round little dumpling she was Va lie wanted wanted want want- ed to hitch th piano piano- bench nearer and lay his head headon on her short wide lap There aint any Mr Ir V wells Mrs explained cons conscientious I ly I guess the les said aboUt him the better Billy and me and wed ed been looking fOr fOra a nice nipe quIet lady that want to be the electrIC J jt j 3 Iron ill the time or washing her laundry In the bathroom bathroom- I n never ver wash wasl my laundry i the Clay told h her r gravely And Int 1111 a nice quiet quiet boy that is- is except when I 1 burst Into music all as I did just now Lord I lII like e music I Now Mr Curtis what wits was It YOU was saying not wanting to deceive me You dont don't lOok to lIke you got Lt deceitful huH In your head he smiled Im sure sUr I haven't Wh What t I st sHut d to cay ay v ivas that I have just one twenty dollars and thirteen n centS but I eX expect to go goto goto to Work or the neXt net day Im I'm going t to dO hat hat Broadway calls WalkIng the vt ry un till I land something no matter If H Its It's digging ditches I Im I'm willing to t I take 9 it chance It if th tilO rOom suite sult yot Now let letH j see room with nH h slowly her hel tips lips mOVIng ly I nt dont ee li i-elly i how I could come out even v n unless I rg l lyou you ten teh dollars a witek Is that too high she ant ant- It If youre you're ti a bI big not enter that you look like ItTen itTen It- It Ten dollars a week Clay Cut Cut- stared at ather her for fOl fora fOla a moment then thrUst n. n hand Into his pocket Ill pay a we week k In advance ua- ua vance right now ov And Ill I'll try not notto notto to be a big f eater ter To tie De Continued Billy Wells gets angry with herself her her- self in the next chapter Just why I should she bG be tal Ing such an intel intel- est st in th new taking boarder |