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Show SIN FOR SHORT , I Talayam F'icflon, by VW rWirtf ' CHAPTfcR TWENTY-THREE Cynthia's la-wsak contract with tha Paradka ndd lh hot of Bap-f Bap-f lam bar. Mr. Carruthars said nothing noth-ing to har until tha day bafor K xplrtd. thaa with cbaractartstlc brevity h auggaatad that ah aign anothar. Sh bad InUndad asking. David's advlr. but thair misunderstanding about Jim prevanud It. Jim aid aha wa lucky to hav a chanc ta ranaw It and prlvataly ah agraad with htm. It kapt har aupplltd with suffl-aiant suffl-aiant menay for bar Immadiata aaarl. Bha had a van bought a haw coat and a coupl of draaaa. And sine sh bad no Idaa of continuing con-tinuing bar caraar sh wa not In a poattloo or mood to mak demand. de-mand. Caaatant Lang Ing 1. Excapt for tha constant longing for har fathar, Ufa wa plaaaantar thaa It had svar ban. Jim waa tha cantar of bar unlvarst. Har days clrclad about him lika slow-moving slow-moving planat about tha sun. Lsiy. draamy days, atarting at noon, brokan only by rahaaraal and ndlng with tha thrilling momant whan ha appaared at tha eafa. Ha 1 wa so gay and so amusing. Nothing Noth-ing avar botharad him. Ha halpad dupal tb tragi mamoria of har fathar. Her past lif fadad Into tha dis-. dis-. tane. David' proposal aarmad aomathing aha had raad about rat bar than an avant which had r tally happanad. At first Jim kapt , hi prom laa not to kia har. but as tha days want by thty gradually driNad back Into thair formar ra-latlonshlp. ra-latlonshlp. Impcaalbls to ba with aomaona . aha lovad so much (vary vning In tha waak and not kiss bim. Although Al-though aha ramlndad him that ha had prom Lard not ta mantion It, Jim said. "Whether I apeak of it or not, you know I love you, so what's the d.fferrnca?" Little by llttl the rsstrictions sh bad Insisted apoa aaamad lass Important. Ro many things sh had, one considered taboo raeJly weren't. When aha ramambarad tha way sha had slspped Bruca Cart-wright Cart-wright fare and tha high-handed attltuds aha had taken ta other bdRB In bar bom town It mada bar am I la. Sh told herself sh had bean vary young and Inexperienced whan she came to Kansas City. Bha could aegis ta understand now why har father and David bad baaa so worried wor-ried about her. If It hadn't been for Jim thay might hav had reason for concern, but bs waa so adoring, so tender and protective that nothing unpleasant un-pleasant waa aver allowed to touch ber. The only thing ha aver complained com-plained about was Mrs. Budding-ton's. Budding-ton's. As a background for his a a eat heart, Jim Insisted It wa too cheap and sordid. When aha told him aha didn't aspect ta stay there forever, Jim retorted that any time at all was too long. "You should have an apartment with anothar girl," Jim suggested "Winter Is coming and as It Is I can't a vaa call on you. Becauea If you think I'm going to face tha bunch of freaks that live there you're wrong. Not even for you. my Sweet, would I apend a Sunday afternoon In that den of respectability." respecta-bility." Na One Hrra Cynthia laughed. "It's not what could ba called a romantio aetting, but what can J do about It?" "Don't you know anyone you could pal up with? Some other girl from home?" Sh shook her head. "There's no one hers I'd care to live with. I've never had any really Intimate friends." In view of tha many conversations conversa-tions they bad had aa the aubjact It was almost uncanny that Natalia Da Forrest, of all persons, should Invite her to ahar aa apartment In the Plata. Natalie's frlsadlinaa bad Increased In-creased as tha weeks passed, although al-though they saver mot outside the Paradise. One night Cynthia wa eating bar dinner. The dancer stopped al her labia and said la ber abrupt fashion, fash-ion, Tvs aomthlng to ask you. No Idea bow you'll feel about K. but I've a hunch K would work out." Cynthia amlled. "It sounds Interesting Sh bad alway been Intrigued by the contrast between Natalie public pub-lic peraonallty and tha real girl bar-self. bar-self. .Tonight sh looked more glamorous glamor-ous thaa ever la swirling while chiffon, chif-fon, but than war ihadowa beneath her blue eye and ber painted mouth wa hard. Living Alaaa 111 ba frank." Natalie confided. In her hoarse voice. "I'm making tha offer for aalftah reasons because be-cause I'm fed up with living alone." Cynthia' groan eye widened. "Are you suggesting that I live with you?" Natalie nodded. That's IL You see. Nicky and I hav quarreled." "Nicky?" Cynthia repeated. "My boy friend," the beautiful one murmured. "Tv seen you with Jim Rendien, so I guess maybe you know how I feel." "Indeed, I do," the younger girl repeated. "It happened over a week ago," Natalia explained. "Sine then I've been running around In circlet. Like a squirrel la a cage. I'd give tha place up. but I've got a laasa." Cynthia heaitated. "I supposa It's pretty expansive?" "I won't expect you to pay any mora than you r paying where you are." Natalia aald generously. But, that wouldn't be fair." Plenty af Be era It would help me that much. Tv a living room and bedroom with twin bed and a kllchenet, so there would be plenty of room." "You don't cook your owa meals, do you?" Cynthia asksd, surprised. "Sometimes! At least I did aeca- slonslly for Nicky. We have maid service. And I Ilk t cook." Although she had baaa totally unprepared un-prepared for It, tha lldaa appealed to Cynthia. It would give ber so much mora privacy than sh had at Mra. Buddtngton'a, but would Jim Ilk It? He had xprssd tha opinion opin-ion that Natalia Da Forrest, born Gladys Baker, would aevar ba a lady. Would ha want tha girl h loved to II v with har I Cynthia aald, "If you don't mind I'd like to talk It over with Jim." Natalie's tired eyes brightened. "Sure! Aad If you'd like to sea it first I'll ba glad to show It to you." That wouldn't ba necessary, Cynthia Cyn-thia replied. It coudn't possibly as bad a the linoleum carpeted rooms at Mrs. Buddlngton 'a. Sha could scarcely wait for Jim to com so that shs might ask his opinion; but, despite her own secret doubt as to his approval, he agreed. Saying that. In his mind, Cynthia bad nothing to loae. Always Msve "Ton can alwayi move If you don't like It," he reminded her. "Natalies a good sgg In her own way. Crude, but plenty big hearted If aha likes you. She probably has an Idea that It will boost her own fating to live with a girl who Is everything shs would Ilk to be and Isn't." Th remark grated on Cynthia, whose sympathy was now fully aroused for the broken-hearted Natalie. Na-talie. "I like her." she declared "If 1 didn't, I wouldn't even consider It" "Did she tell you about her grandmother grand-mother being a countess?" Jim laughed. "No" "Shs will." he assured hsr. "Shi has told it so often I think sht really believe it." (Continued Thursday) (Copyright, 13T, for Th Ttlcgram) |