Show 1 T r W ln EV tt I E GROVES TillS ILlS S IlL J U nerlie Lou Wald Waid marrIes HUll liol Dryer who had previously been ena d to Lila Marsh rho rhe latter amuses ber elf by telling theIr friends that she was Led's first love Jove and ues 0 make malte life miserable for the tho bride until she abe meets a rich Mr Loree and marries hIm Then she asks Bertle Lou to forgive the past ast Trying Try to keep up socially with wealthy friends plunges the Dryers In debt and Rod becomes depressed Lila seizes lies ller chance to him to accept accept ac- ac a higher salary from Loree Shortly after aner she asks Rod to put aime jewels In Ia the safe are during her ber husbands husband's absence The jewels disappear and Rod Led wants want to notify the police but Lila Insists In- In that they the matter secret pointing out that suspIcion against hint him might spoil spall his career Dertle Bertie Lou Jou finds out that he has been seeing 1111 secretly and Is heartbroken She Is Items home to her eck mother and has to catch a a. train without seeing Rod The rhe separation added to Lilas Lila's plotting causes a a. coldness to tpring up between them Dertle Lou returns on the eve ot of their first anniversary annl Ia 10 find Rod apparently indifferent Each expects the to tomake make advances Rod goes to the Lorees wIthout her ber Sect Dertle Lou goes out with Marco Palmer to retaliate Corol Coming home Marco kisses her unexpectedly a at t the thedoor door and Rod nod sees It sic offers lartie Lou Jou a a. divorce orce and site she counter with the lie same offer to him They fInally agree to make a 8 KO go or of It it hut ut Rod nod cuts culs down on extravagance extra and Lou Tou thinks he Is spending the money on Lila so she goes out snore and snore moro with Marco NOW GO ON WITH THE STORE CHAPTER Bertie Lou had left heft her room door open On the the bed was as the half half- filled suitcase into which she was throwing silken garments and toilet tollet articles indiscriminately Rod was struck by her hasty carelessness Bertie Lou had always al- al ways been fastidiously neat Now he saw with surprise that her room was disorderly and untidy He could not understand it The rest of the was as clean and orderly as ever Bertie Lou Dou could have lave told him ot of aching wearIness wear tear mess Iness and tired flesh that rebelled under the lash ot of a prIdeful spirit ol of mopping up floors at odd hours while her head ached and her fingers trembled over the mop rag She could have told him of a a. complete lack of strength to 10 carry cally her industry into her own room The first time she failed to move mo the bed and sweep under it she sho felt guilty Next it was the dresser r that was left undisturbed Presently only I the places s that showed allowed were swept swe-pt and dusted And filially any hour ot of the day or 01 night would have found the tho toot foot ol of the bed ed and the two chairs decorated rth a garmont garment gar gar- mont ment or two Dortie Lou used her room almost exclusively for changing her clothes Now and then she snatched 1 a few Cew fitful bouts bout's of just sleep barely enough to l keep p e-p her going Her splendid young youn- constitution carried her het through though anyone anone who loved lo her would have been pained to see the hollow cheeks and the feverish restlessness of her hel eyes They seemed fal y to glitter She Sho looked up and saw Rods nods gaze bent questioningly up n ii her Hello Hel lo 10 she sha said and negligently tossed a pair of painted suppers slippers into a suitcase Youre home early eady Rod nod lid packing pac with a gesture Planning another trip triphonie home honie- ho he asked asell to speak casually Lou rolled up a negligee and w it on top of bf the slippers before answering Nope just a little squall out at atthe atthe the Palmer place she said jauntily Got anything interesting interesting- on for your Jour own end week she added conversationally The Lorees have asked me up to The Birches Rod replied stifflY Bertie Lou glanced over he heg shoulder tIer der Going site she asked enthy X I haven't decided Rod nod an- an You dont don't happen to know if the tailor returned my dress suit do you ou X I hung it in your our closet Bertie Bertic BertieLou Lou said pleasantly you ou like n a gardenia lve ome beauties They're in the refrigerator keeping fresh Clesh Thanks Rod returned and went about his dressing I When Bertie Lou she placed placeda a lovel lovely white bloom on on the stand in the tiny entrance hall ball Rod nod was putting on his collar and tie in the the bathroom only dressin dressing room he had On the lower flower Lou had laid a kiss as lightly as a 0 but but- might rest on oh the waxy petals but far more lingeringly Rod overlooked the flower His own departure was rondo mado itt in haste Or OI all the infernal places to lose a a. collar button under a bathtub on legs was the worst Hed He'd very nearly nearly near near- ly called to Bertie Lou Iou to help him himi di i it out But she was dressed too Down he went on his hands aJ and d knees and dirt on his cuff reaching under the tub That necessitated necessitated a change And Lila he knew would not be pleased it he were late hate She was giving a dinner to an important man a foreign banker whom Cyrus was desirous ot of honoring nod focI barely arrived cd ahead of th the guest ot of honor was wag inclined to be peevish becausE lie he hadn't coniC come carl early but she had littie chance I I to scold And Rods Rod's frank admiration admira- admira tion appeased her IIer Lila had done lotte her best liar hair was bound with a jeweled filigree band in such a ay as to make mahe her bob look lIke hike a stately coiffeur And her was perfectly Sh She had used a a. lavender powder which turned her skin t. t n a- a marvelous tone under tinder the artl artificial cial light Het fu full round lips hips Eke Iko a scarlet flower beneath the tars stars in lies her eyes Stare Star that were for fOl Rod Cyrus had liar with Shine Somo new jewels jewel But Od noticed Ua that she was th if f those that had been stolen as well A superb sapphire and diamond ornament or- or lament hung on a elender chain around her neck and reposed on the veined blue whiteness ol of her breast Having decided that a man of the world such as Cyrus described Mon Mon- sier Clavier to tobe be would an original French gown Lila had bought the lowest cut one site she could find Unfortunately while mossier recognized it as l French rench he smiled inwardly at the of the American woman ol of good society who buys dresses designed for the French demimonde But lie he allowed no hint ot of his amusement to show in his manner Lila accepted with delight his kiss upon her hand glancing at Rod over bowed head to call all his attention to the Frenchmans Frenchman's courtly mann r. r Sh She hoped Rod would see that She liked hiked it He did and scowled However Lila made happy I very shortly She go in to dinner Mossier Clavier but sIte she put Rod on her on-her her other side And she graciously gave him as much attention as her guest ot of It was not kindness that prompted her het to do this She really did not know that if another had sat satin in inthe the seat she gave him bed hed have burned with jealousy jealous and that it was exquisite torture to him to be benear benear near her CS She wanted him close to please herself Thought Though at times she fairly hated him lIm because he wouldn't see or admit that lie he she saw did not know which way it was that sIte she was inviting him to male make love to her rI H was offering more resistance titan than she had expected At times she told herself bersel that ho he could not be won But she would not give up BrInging Rod to her feet had become become be- be come an obsession She had devel- devel a rancorous hatred ot of Bertie a Lou hatred that drove her on To let Rod go without his having declared his passion would tie be to hand the victors victor's crown to a girl who despised liter her That Bertie L u did despise her 1 she knew by the way Rod was permitted to go his own way without Interference It was as though Bertie Lou Dou had said sald to her If he wants you ou I dont don't want him but lets let's see you ou get hint It would have salved hez pr e considerably it if Rod l.-ad l. told her how hard he tried to away front flom r Iter how many times lie hc swore swore never to see her again but how he was always lured back to feast his eyes on hel hei dazzling beauty staking his honor on his power to resist his desIre for tor her to keep himself in hand and bear beal- his longing in sl- sl hence lence But tonight Ire realized with sudden sudden sud- sud den understanding of his own limitations lim- lim it ft was going to be harder titan than over O to keep from showing his true feelings Lila was a bright brighta light a warm light Ight and Rod nod felt himself succumbing to a weakness Outside of her hel radiance lira life was a void Lila detected a change in him when site she turned quickly from an animated conversation with Monseur Mon Ion seUl Clavier Chavier and caught Rods Rod's gaze unmasked Site She lifted led a glass of wine and smiled at him over o it flod lifted Iris own glass glass- but his hand trembled so that a few drops of champagne were spiLled lie He did not smile back at Lila because Ito he had seen complete understanding ot of othis ItI his emotions in her ex expression Looks s are often more revealing tItan than words Rod flod read submission lit in tIme the look hook Lila gave hint him over her glass lIe knew v that everything he had not said had been telegraphed to her rin herin in an instant And her an- an returned to hits him In a had set hIs blood on fire But before he drained hIs glass glass' glassand and put it down Ito he had extinguished the flame ot of passion in the cold water water wa- wa ter of oC enunciation Her husbands husband's voice jolly old C Cy Sc carried joke tellIng a L down to Rod od looked at him quaffed 1 oft off tM the remainder of oC lila his wine and mentally gave ave Lila Lila- up even en before beCore sIte she turned back to Monsieur Clavier who was saying that Rod did not quite grasp grasl at first did Lila so concentrated were her upon the she believed was her Monsieur ur repeated it IL I IR R what connoisseur hat had snatched tho those e p o perr t your your complexion complex complex- ion madam lie he said Rod nod expected Lila to smile Instead Instead In- In stead a look of uneasiness spread over over lies her countenance These arc nothing monsieur she said alter a tense pause She was thinking furious fu- fu rious that she wished hed he'd mind his own business She could not declare before Cyrus Crus that the pearls were Imitations On the contrary if you will m permit per per- I mit mft me to admire them I would say they beautiful are very Just little things Lila mu murmured mur- mur nervously gratitude came laughingly laughingly laugh laugh- from rom Cyrus Cyr who had overheard overheard over over- heard time the conversation But YOU you ought to be pleased my dear Monsieur Mon Mon- Clavier is one ot of the greatest judges ot of gems in France At least that's what Ive I've lie he added addressing Monsieur Chavier I The Tle guest of honor shrugged with deprecating modesty modest You monsieur he hel said but pearls they are m my avocation I love them And I have ha been In ing madams madam's string with almost unpardonable desire to handle them Lila shrank away front him and put a 0 hand quickly to lies her throat Her fingers touched the platinum chain of the pendant Rod nod watching her with agonized sympathy saw a slon sion in her eyes Ills his heart stood still with wilh a apprehension It If Cyrus learned v no that the pearls were tere imitations Good Lord why had lie he let her do for tor him The ne next t i slant instant lre he bre breathed thed a sigh ot of relief Lila LUa h had d found a way out And tomorroW lie he would tell Cyrus the truth and take the thc conse- conse i Lilas Lila's fingers sliding down the platinum chain had curled ely I round Jound the pendant In a flash site she It os on- on onan an outspread palmI palm I if you really admIre a flawless stone this sapphire ought to interest you o she said and quickly lifted the chain front from her neck out to take the jewel Cyrus protested Id leally like hike you OU to examine th the pearls it if you oU will vill he heIa Ia said 1 1 Id like your opinion on what waters they came front flOm To be continued 1 |