| Show TEJ TELEGRAM FICTION A A n n S M I S t a k ej By JOHN PATRICK LALLY LALL JI Begin here today tad When hen Anne HerrIck marrIes Dick Js Is without the approval of oC oCher her mother and Jane However However How How- ever when DIck buys back the Herrick Her Her- rick home and gives the deed to Mrs Herrick ane her mother decide they have misjudged hIm not know know- lag ing that it was Peter Nash's suggestion which prompted DIcks DIck's generosity Peter has long boen a friend of the Herricks and In lOv with Anne During the summer months Peter accept a position itt in Dicks Dick's office but buthe buthe he resents Dicks Dick's magnanimoUs air of his love Peter Because Because- for Anne takes it almost as a a personal offense when Dick lIes to his wife In order to step out with two other oth-er women Left alone Anne comes comes' to the office to hove have a friendly talk Peter Dick unexpectedly returns His In tirade stuns Anne bu bu Peter finall finally succeeds in quieting him Peter Pe- Pe ter takes Dicks Dick's dates dates home home and the next morning Dick faces him shame Peter Peler curtly informs Dick that he will be through with hIs job jobos os as soon as school starts Now go on with the story INSTALLMENT Come here a minute said DIck nervously As Peter complied DIck stood up Only the desk separated them DIck was the first to speak He said Im tired of pretense and Im I'm Inclined to think you are too I know you hate my insIdes Well I I know V what the trouble trou trou- ble Js Is If Anne Anne- enough Dick You and Ican I Ican can talk all we want to without bring in ing I Anne into the issue Why you you Never mind You heard me I sh she's s 's your wife but now get this and get it right right-I have more respect for her than you have Is that plain Dont answer Dick Im I'm so mad right now I could push that pretty face of yours down between your knees So you ou called me beck back here hereto to rub it in did you The blast ot of fury that broke from Peter sent DIck back against the lie He stood there hate written in every lineament of his face Peter looked him over from head to feet then he laughed but it was an ugly laugh freighted with menace I 1 may not see you again to talk o you ou Dick so s Im I'm going o t tell you a few things about yourself I knew you were wrong the minute I laid my eyes on you I knew you were a cheater the first time I saw you Peters Peter's Peters Pe Pe- ter's wrath was mounting He was delvIng back into days that were enshrined enshrined en- en in hIs heart days when he and Anne looked upon life Ufe as a joyous adventure adventure ad- ad venture days when It dIdn't seem forlorn to think ot of himself himsel and Anne Anie passing along the milestones of Ute life together When I picked you up and put you on your our feet do you think I did it for you And when you were washing dishes in a restaurant I learned that you ou had to have your little affair with a waitress a lonesome kId who should have been back on the farm fam with her mother Dick moved toward the desk on which lay a brass paperweight Peter laughed He picked up the paperweight and extended his hand toward Dick Take It please You haven't the nerve You can have my weeks week's salary it If you'll take it il Last night Dick I couldn't sleep Know why I was thinking It if you oU struck the girl who was here when I left Id I'd kill you today I meant it Hardy You couldn't understand anything like that I dont don't expect you to I 1 had so many things I wanted to say to you but I cant can't think of them now Peter shook hl his head Its all rIght I 1 guess he said as though speaking to himself He looked at DIck then nodding his head slowly intoned hUmph right virtue has its reward He turned on his heel and without a backward glance at the faced ashen trembling Dick called Ill be leav ing you now instead of Saturday Hardy When he came to Miss DIckson's desk she said Jane Herrick called coli ed Mr Nash and said it was important that you call her at the store Peter entered a booth in the salesroom salesroom sales sales- room and put in a call Ive got to see you ou Peter Jane told him Cant we lunch together She refused to give him an an- inkling ot of what she thought was so important tant but when he met her she was tragically disturbed Instead of gOing to lunch with him she asked hIm to walk with her long along Michigan avo av Peter she saId to hIrn Im almost crazy it all about Jane A girl in my department has a sister sis sis- ter who's a hostess in a night club Her name is Billie or Bobble Howard They live together This girl was talkIng about Dick Dick had been goIng around with thIs Billie gave her a new automobIle and hired a chauffeur to run it Pee Pc Peeter ter Janes Jane's restraint was break break- ing Peter said ald Now Jane dont don't lose yoUr ou head Go on wIth your youx story She was wn telling the girls how Dick went to his office last night to get some lIquor and didn't come back that a tall sandy haired chap who teaches school came down and tried to Jet get them to stay away yay from DIck Oh Peter was it you Tell me please Jane he replied solemnly after a moments moment's I went down downto to the girls But chIld we must k keep keepit p pit it from Anne Good Lord It would kill her herl Jane was sIlent Peter glanced at her She was weeping Quit it Jane He spoke brusque brusque- ly People along the think to make were we're fighting He trIed his words sound light instead they were plaIntive 1 And Peter this gIrl said DIck was spending his money like a drunken saIlor Get yourself to together ether child Lets Let's see what we can do Oh Peter you will help wont won't you He smiled and the smile brought an answering smile to Janes Jane's quivering lip lips He looked down at her and in his gaze there was admiration that knew no bounds Heres what well we'll do Jane First Anne must never know that Dick is unworthy of her love And we must never tell your mother moth er Jane Now remember that But Peter what's to become of Anne Janes Jane's question traIled oU off oUinto into a despairIng wail Peter shook his head as t though ouch the e complexIties were too much for hiS comprehensIon Then he said Jane I dont don't know but we both must try to protect her from anything that would bring unhappiness to her Dusk was falling and invisible hands were painting the blue of the heavens an exquisIte velvety black as Anne stood at the window of their apartment in the Seneca hotel and anxiously scanned the street below for Dick He had telephoned from the office I Ian an hour before and had assured her he would be home before 7 It was now At 8 her mother and Jane were coming for dinner dinner-a dInner Anne had spent hours preparing and which now was In the warming oven Anne had planned the evening carefully care care- fully After the departure of her mother and Jane she intended to tell Dick that their union had been blessed Her cheeks flamed at the thought But the emotion she experIenced was not consciously Identified with Dick As she stood watching the shadows drop gently down and clothe the city in gorgeous robes of mourning for forthe forthe the day just passed she tried to envision en en- vision DIcks DIck's reaction when she should tell him the secret that had alternately plunged her into valleys of doubt and lifted her to peaks of ecstasy Annes Anne's eyes glistened her lIps parted parted part part- ed Into a little smile of yearning earning for forin forin in the she just had been reviewing reo re- viewing a tiny Uny face two laughing eyes and dimples that were simply dIvine had peered at her then vanished into the shadows A delicious shiver ran through her She turned from the wIndow and surveyed surveyed sur- sur the dIning room The table was laid In the center was a silver bowl filled with roses In theIr few months of married life lite Anne Anae had learned the dishes that Dick liked best and tonIght she was going to surprise him by serving them And they had been prepared by herself But she wished he would come It was nearly 8 now What could be de- de taming him He knew she had Invited invIted in- in her mother and Jane And the dinner was to be a sort ot of the tion-the first dinner she had cooked in their apartment Maybe something g had happened happened-an accident accident- Im worrying over nothing at all she told herself She mustered a smile at her own m misgivings givings and attributed Dicks Dick's to a business conference She was humming softly when the buzzer sounded She opened the door Mrs Herrick and Jane instead in stead of Dick greeted her Anne kissed them warmly closed the door then cried Now how do you like our apartment Its lovely Anne said Mrs Herrick Her Her- rick happily Its Ils darling exclaimed Jane Anne led them from room to room e laining to Jane the while that their mother was largely responsible for the selection ot of most of the fur fur- No Anne protested Mrs rick Hex dont gIve rae me too much credit I II just went along as a buying compan compan- ion She smiled indulgently Mother hasn't talked about anything any any- thing else since the day you bought the furniture said Jane And Ive I've been as curious as a cat to see it They finally came back to the livIng livIng liv- liv Ing room Anne explaIned Dick has been delayed at the office Well We'll sit down to dinner as soon as he comes To Be Continued Copyright Dally Daily News Copyright 1934 Register and Tribune Syndicate |
