| Show I I 1 I T f fW W n mUrF EtY kium U DEWEY GROVES Tins Tills hAS liAS Bertie Lou Ward marries Rod Dryer w wl who ho had been engaged to Lila Marsh sI Tire The only on en tire the brides bride's l happiness Is Ia Lila persistence In broadcasting broad broad- c casting asting to their friends that she was R Rods Rod's od's first love A position in New York Is offered Rod nod by Tom Fraser and he accepts A Anxious to make a a. good Impression tc t they hey go to an hotel until they theyan c ta an find an apartment This seems to a holly olly Fraser Fraer who urges B ertie Bertie Lou to buy more than he can a afford Rod flod wi wins money from Torn Tom at p oker and feeling under obligation to tn t them hem recklessly invites the crowd to a n night ight club Lila visits visit Molly and goes t to o tire the party where she erects It a rid rich Mr Loree The affair costs cost the Bryers m more ore than and Bertie Lou scolds Rod for tire the extravagance But theIr q quarrel Is forgotten In tire the rush of get get- t ing settled In the new apartment Lila LII surprises them by marrying r L Lg Loree oree a and nd she asks Bertie Lou to for for- g Ive the past an and become friends She s showers howers favors upon them with such s that Bertie Lou Is d. d Put Dut keepIng up appearances with wills theIr c cf crowd Is a severe strain on Rods Rod's f finances Ste He becomes discouraged and LUlL Lire grasps her chance charice t to force her sympathy upon him by offering II a po po- s with more money under her bus hus- b band and NOW OW GO 60 ON Oi WITH TIm STORY STORT CHAPTER Lila LIJa sat before her dressing table removing the jewels she had worn t that hat evening She lifted the long string of pinkish pearls from around her ITer neck neek and tossed It carelessly i Into nto a velvet lined jewel box It was the fIrst time she had handled han han- dIed them thein carelessly Always their glimmering beauty had had- excited her with the reminder of oC their intrinsic worth and the fact tha that t they belonged be- be l longed to her Tonight they were for the moment moment mo- mo ment of no snore more importance to I hr r than any of oC the Imitation strings she had worn in Wayville before she had ascended to opulence The Thie bracelets came next Just two t Lila had thought them crown jewels when Cyrus presented them to her Since then however sh she had seen women wearing six and eight of them at a time Hers she fet felt now were nothing to write home about Mere 1 single wid th affairs A real bracelet she was about ready to tell Cyrus should be an inch Inoh wide at least A flexible decent diamonds would please her mOte more r Jewels were not In her mind however Something more important to her than jewels occupIed her thoughts She Sho was smiling over ver a I campaign the campaign sIre she had launched when she had extended the Ule olive oll branch to Bertie Lou At the moment Rod W was s thinking ot of her as a surprisingly good fellow the smile fell feU off her face like a mask Cyrus had opened her door and came In without knocking Lila quickly took up a a. and began stroking her ob over her face Some day she feared Cyrus would see the telltale change In her features for which his approach was responsible The dumb ox Coming In like that when her mind was filled W h a aman aman man made him look like a carIcature caricature car car- of oC the trust Cyrus was wag a little fat and more than partially y b bald ld nut But his eyes were kind in spite of the hard lin lines s that business hail set round them and his wide fir mouth He adored Lila To she him was a a kitten greedy little kitten who would lap the cream he ave 1 gave her herand herand and then scratch Not a a. soft kitten but an amusing one Cyrus was pot unthankful for Cor having the cream to give her and he did not Into the thereal thereal real measure of oC her affection for him So far hed he'd never heard of the other man Lila always ducked hIs ran front from hIs hugs tot but ehe w s ever teasing and wisecracking about It Cyrus took it aU all In fun T at she really meant it it never never occurred to him But upon this occasion n she sat very ery still when he put his hands on her shoulders and preSSed his forehead forehead fore fore- head down on her sleek hall hair He sniffed ely of its perfume Ire knew what that particular scent cost Unexpectedly LII Lila turned and thrust her arms up around his neck Cyrus tas delighted when she I kissed him It was a a. swell swen party wasn't it she said Xo No casual casual- ties Youve go got them all b t at entertaining entertaining en- en baby he told her oU acquIre all all' your social so so- cial talent By keeping keeping- my eyes and ears cars tuned In on those who know what what's what Lila laughed Came on Pretty sl sPeedy eedy for a a. little girl from the sticks slicks didn't I of me You bet But that sounds to me like tire tbs preliminary round r to a a. touch Maybe you ou could eaU call It that Lila assented Say did you OU notice anything about the tonight I 1 notice that hat Bertha BertIe Lou Is still Un almost a ag pretty as YOU are Dont you OU think they're both looking sort of oC sort of oC done In Well Rod pUlling a any y ainson J. J rho roof on lIes sick wills worry And sos so's Bertle Lou I feel awfully bad about It beca because se if they were compelled to quit the fight and go back to Id I'd lose a a. good girl friend tire the trouble Cyrus most obligingly asked Oh money Lila replied with a gesture that implied the situation was a usual one Cyrus frowned Well you know lie he began doubtfully I rather think they must be spending more than they make ot Of course they are Lila ex- ex nods borrowing lum his father But dont don't blame them Tom Fraser brought Rod Hod here and Molly started Bertie Lou out trying to keep up with them And Tons doesn't pay Rod half enough sire she added complainingly Oh now Lila you know Rod got a very big job I due dare ray ay ronis fall fair enough to him just it Hud hasn't anythIng anything any any- thIng to look forward to there ther And r I dont don't think Rods Rod's father can lend hint him very much It will be u pity If they have to leave New l' I wIsh ROd could get n a better Jet bet Jetter ter job Her voice trailed tralle off of wistfully Hm Maybe I could do something something some some- thing for him Cyrus suggested Lila became highly animated at once Why of course sh she ex- ex claimed gleefully We should have thought of that before You must have some place in your big company for Rod And Ill I'll be so glad J if Bertie Lou can have more mOle money to spend Its It's always so cc hard to get her to trail around with me when it costs anythIng Justas Just Justas as If you rou didn't give me oodles ot of money you precious old darling Well Vell Ill I'll see what I can do Indeed he did something aboUt it It He sent the auditor of his company out to take charge of a western vestern branch and Put Rod Hod In his place lie He invited Rod to lunch with him him when he reached this decision decision de- de and put It up to him For a moment Rod was nonplussed Lila certainly had fast But lie he wanted no undeserved favors All AU rIght Cy he said youve nie me oft off my feet but thores thore's one thing I want to know How much ot of this is due to friendship Youre You're offering me a lot more money than Ive I've ever and I dont don't want to take it unless you ou think I can make good Cyrus Crus scowled Young feUa fella Im I'm able to offer you ou a salary because I 1 never ne made It a practice to overpay any man no matter how valuable he was to rae me Rod grinned But I dont don't mind giving a 3 leg up to a real hustler Cyrus rus went on And I 1 guess that little wife of yours wont won't weep over having more bacon lii in the e house How literal that was only Rod nod knew The rest ot of tho conference was occupied with details Rod returned returned re- re turned to the office treading on all air And Beltle Lou was so thrilled at the news when Rod Hod told her at dinner that evening that she was rendered thoroughly incapable of further household duties It was great news Then when finally the first flush ot of enthusiasm had disappeared Bertle Bertie Lou began to wonder won won- der what had won Rod Hod over o io 0 completely from Iris his recent stand that he would accept no favors front from Cyrus Unwittingly Rod supplied the answer Cys a generous old buck but the gold plated loving cup cuI goes to Lila for this work he said Bertie Lou understood He had talked it over with Lila And out effort she seemed to have convinced convinced con con- vinced him more forcefully than tie BertIe Lou could that there was no reason why he shouldn't be in the employ of Lilas Lila's husband huband Too bad Rod didn't tell her tire tho thorest rest ot of it it that Lila had work worked d dOil Oil oil his love for Bertie Berlle Lou roe in latter was left to believe what sIre she would because Rod lacked her ability abil- abil ity to guess what other would think of given s. s lOad Had she beers been h Iris his place shod have e known that it must rather strange for a person to right about face Shed She'd havo made an explanation in a a case like that thai Eu But sh she was not disturbed by her conclusions Just the merest bit piqued It wore oC off soon In the happiness of their release elease from money bondage Later she was to remember it with with- far more poignant poignant nant significance Rod remained with Toms Torn's firm for the customary two weeks after giving notice Two more weeks were tak taken n up with work under the man Cyrus was sending west before he finally took charge ot of hIs new position Tom Molly Moly was too In- In lined to be a little angry about his leaving but Lila took care to explain She induced Molly l to help her try to inveigle Bertle Bertie Lou Into moving Rod came near goIng J through h th the roof when Bertie Loc Lee mentioned th the ide t Im S 'S s Ord f j i i I. I I fish I thought we we- were aU all through being fools he said hotly All All rIght all right Bertie Lou Iou hastened to appease him But Lila gave me a hint about CJ CY She said he liked to see the men who worked fo for him living well Not like spendthrifts spend spend- thrifts of course but he wants them to do justice to the positions they hold Hed He'd hate to J v a Loree man who holds any kind ofa ot of ota a job at all making a poor sion Now v o look here BertIE Lou ROll Rod said soberly were gonna save One month later ho he came home to learn Bertle Lou had sublet sublet sub sub- let the apartment To 10 be continued it J |
