Show I IT T TW f Vb t VI 1 U GROVES i TillS fills J hAS S JI B Lou Ward rd 1 0 the eve ot of h her r wedding to nod lied hels fesia a premo premo- ot of trouble wh when n. n she he nc hu S da pap paper r knife knite from Lila Starch who has turned Rod down because he be 1 I. I not wealthy Dut she courageously re- re not to be jealous ot of Rods Rod put past love affair since his future Is In her k keeping Dertle Lou rec receives lv another r blow to her pride wh when n she accidentally over over- h hear Ars one bridesmaid ask another If she he thought the bride liked b being leeond lee ceo ond choice But Dut the pain vanishes wb when n Rod whisper My y wife eith a world of adoration In eyes es Th They r spend an ideal bon honeymoon moon In a iro resort land and Lou Bertt-Lou Lou the shadow cast by the sweetheart ex-sweetheart until th they y return and find Lila acting s as dictator In apartment nt b because cause she he knows what Rod The down In their little home but ent entertainment and the demands ot of hospitality deplete their finances Dertle Lou is III worried both about her ber budget and Lila So she abe urges ures RO Rod to accept a position In New York which h. h has been offered him by y an old friend Tom Fraser Dot Dut th the serpent nt Is 19 not ut out of their Eiden yet for just s as they us are cay cay- ayIn ing In eli arcs to frIends at he station Lila announces announce her Intention of seeing them coon roon In New York for he Is going go- go 0 In ing J to visit g Molly r. r GO ON WITH STORY STORT CHAPTER IX Bertle Bertie Lous Loua newly found sense ot of security vanished hed instantly on Lilas Lila's words I might have hae known it it she wailed inwardly But her audible audible answer answer was quite Well Vell tell New York youre you're coning she said with the smiling sarcasm that had characterized charac- charac their conversation since her marriage Lila hastily turned hoc her back W out for those little wild wildflowers flowers Jowers STowing growing on the old cow path she warned Rod Broadways Broadways Broad ways way's outgrown outgrown- Its age of at l i no- no cence they sa say And dont don't buy the Brooklyn bridge They're- They're g going ln to build a bigger one across the Hudson I 1 hear Tommy White shouted after him as he followed Bertie Lou to I the PUllman platform They stood there waving goodby I until a bend In the ro d turned thorn hem from a last view of their friends Then they tiley staggered and I through the yes yes- th lr section Bertie Lou sank down donn green plush seat witha Ur d' d sigh I There were vere soft violet shadows around around- her eyes ees to testIfy to the physical and emotional strain of giving up the LeavIng it had not saddened her overmuch o however I her mind the future stretched like hike a golden ribbon before them Its new promIse promise prom prom- ise helped her to forget the dull conviction that hat had llad dimmed her brightest hopes The conviction that Rods Rod's progress in Way villa would be discouragingly slow It had bad grown lIy upon Bertie Lou as she realized the bully- bully ot of keeping up with their old frIends and saving money at the same time It was different she had found t I- I 4 r 4 i 4 t r t J F t. t f I Ir r k rf y f I t 9 1 tt c c 4 j t 4 k kr r tt c C r I II Molly lifted her eyebrows in surprise when Bertie Lou telephoned and gave the name of their their hoteL I having a a. place of their own They rhey se seemed med as s a married couple coupie to bear a much larger Share of tile the entertaining than fell t to tile the single members of their set And th their ir little flat had been too popular popular Lets go up and see see Hod and Bertie LOu Bertie-LOu Lou had been a common cons com mon phrase In the toWn And Bertie Bertie Ber- Ber tie Lou liked it So did Rod Bad roo much to put a stop to It it Their Theil desire to curtail theIr social social- activities lUes was forgotten when the fun Cun began Afterward Bertie Lou always wished shed she'd sard no- no It was use thought ot of getting away from temptation making a fresh start and escaping Irons from Llla's Lilas unending efforts to embarrass her that llau hau helped Bertie Lou Iou to o al albut but I a. Ivery very tiny remnant of regret at l her old home her lam lam- friends now she chIc closed her the disappointment eyes ees and hid she lea feared red they would reveal Lila LUa had fooled her Her gay acceptance of Rods Rod's departure had been a mask Shed She'd meant all the time timeto to follow folio Bertie Lou d a a. moment mo- mo ment or Of l panic picturing Lila rn in New York The reputation of the city's Immensity was appalling roQ To ro Toad had hadn where titers she Q ad hara ed not to-not that she had bad turn n ns one oneto to turned td anyone In but butt at t least fhe he been silent sympathy and understanding under from some of the girls and her unthinkable was mother a fate Rod sIte she said said- In a a. fierce little whisper and lifted the silken fringe ot of her eyeS ees to gaze terrified at hips Rod lets let's go back at her and Rod laughed 1 Put lt an ui aria arrn around her shoulders to draw her r close His own voice olce too ste d Sot Not so man many moons ld h passed since his anti and he he was nas weighted with cence the the- of taking a wife tu to a We e cant can't disappoint the people he told cl of New ew York that made mado its It n new w blood like us that city what Jt it is Bertie Lou smiled back at him bins her mon ent of panf gone What could Lila do If she did tollo them The They ought t to- to tobe be able to dold her in lI ice t size of New e York But flUt y It had h been L flag lIn- lIn lInof of her memoria t that lt tiM tiM- ven flertie Bertie Lou maci heart bt bW IIi g than all affection r real 11 fear ot of losing Buds Hud's There wouldn't be an audience for th thet t ii In New fork Hec Caine ue back to Lou LouIn Louin In the contact ut of arm aria In his cheek laid over on her head She relaxed against hint him more cons com and il reached up to pull f ff her hat hat Rod Hod rubbed his chOck cheek on her hall hair S ft as s corn silk Ito he thought with Calling delight i In her dal daintiness Bertie Lou glanced o over or r at the opposite section It was Unoccupied pled pied so she cuddled up uI closer to Rod and they awa away all their unexpressed fears Each buoyed up the other and by the tIme Ime cUnner dinnet din din- net ner was was- called they were building a a. castle castl somewhere In the city and having no difficulty difficult whatsoever in Its construction I guess we we e v e got our our our- big chance all right Rod was saying when the walter waiter came through Lets Lets celebrate With a a. good hanec ha ner Bertie Lou suggested Im And maybe you ou think It it ont n be a treat to get something someone else has cooked Suddenly at at table Rod said Sa Bertie Lou did you ou ask ask- I Molly about a hotel In New York ot Of course not Bertie Lou replied replied re- re plied emphatically What would she think of us Everyone E knows the names of the best hotels there Rod Hod paused over o cutting off a bite ot of roast chicken Dont you ou think wd better find a a. cheaper one he asked a little anxiously tie Bet Lou frowned slightly I weve eve got to make a good h Pres slon sian on the Frasers- Frasers she said Impatiently Im Im- patiently patiently- I dont don't see seeh h What would bl be the use trying tu to rUn Q a bluff ca n Tom lt It isn't a question ot of running a bluff Bertie Lou told low ering her voice olce so the couple at atOle atthe the Ole next table could not hear Its It's a matter of standards What hat you choose for yourself II is the measure other people of you ou You Yuu expect to get a raise some day dont don't you OU 7 Site She stopped antI and waited Rod nod nodded Welt Well If Tom ses stes' stes that sort or man who demands a lot out of life hen hell know he has hasto hasto to give II It to U or lose Jose you o But Im I'm not worth anything to him Hod expostUlated YoU Yair will be ertle Beitle Lou answered an- an shortlY Well cn go to a a. first class clas hotel And save money just lIke we did In Dont be sarcastic please clI find an apartment in a day Or so Rut But Tom always remember remember re- re member that we erent arent hicks Its It's tp smart you ou know to go o ua to a good hotel It Wont Won't ak to stay at ai on One for just jUs a couple r and you have couldn't-have have a a. better In in- vestment a S C Rod gave In Molly lifted her eyebrows In a surprise when Bertie Lou telephoned tele tele- phoned and gave her the name of their hotel Molly was not a way way- yule girl She hadn't understood from from- Torn Tom that either Bertie Lous Lou's or Rods Rod's family was well vell to do But she he supposed that must be the case She told Bertie Lou very cordially that she would be Over within an hour Berths Berti Lou was waiting for her downstairs After all aH It might he be just as well it If Molly dIdn't see their room she thought Somehow it didn't quite come up to the glory ot of the lobby The rates were high bight higher than shed she'd expected I you OU want to rush right over to Firth Fifth avenue and get some clothes Molly gurgled after one g. g ice at flertie sus us costume Bertie Lou became suddenly conscious conscious con con- of at her summer apparel Molly rolly was wearing a tall fall suit nd a fox fur Im dying to go 10 shopping she confessed but Rod wants to get settled as soon as possible I think Id I'd better find an apartment so we can send for our furniture before I 1 spend any time on myself Molly assumed a superior air But my dear clear she began you cant can't go about New York York in In a a. summer summer sum sum- mer outfit at this time of of year ear You'd Snake make a wrong ImpressIon wherever you went And of course yoU want to look at apartments on the upper East Side Bertie Lou gath gathered red from her tone that the upper East Side ide was wasa a a. part of town In which it Iwas tas not desirable to make wrong Impressions But a a. doubt of the wisdom shed she'd been so sure of on the traIn assailed her It looked as it if one could err on the side of malting impressions that were too good If rentals In the upper East Side were an anything lIk the rates of this hotel Oh I 1 dont don't know she said non non- We rather think well we'll try to JIve hive within Rods Rod's Income Then you'd- you'd better go o up to t the le Bronx unless you OU want to live Jive In a cupboard Molly advised But ButIn In any case youve youe got to have hae some clothes Ill I'll take you OU to my favorite fa- fa a- a shop Bertie Lou felt sunk If she refused re- re fused Molly might guess that she preferred to walt wait and look around for the best values It would look hook cheap the gesture they'd made In the selection of a hotel Maybe laYbe I 1 could spare time to pickup pick up a sports oat Coat she said alter aHer a little quick k thinking Sports coats coat ought to be fairly inexpensive in any shop By the way she exclaimed ns as the they moved toward the door Lila sa save 11 she's coming consing to visit you ou The words came hut but Lou nervously for the anWer The Idea a. a that Lila ml-ht ml have made it up had come to her hr J I she had it would be nice to lenoit know leno it it To be Continued |