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Show IYGS GIRL TS: I I By Louise Holmes "Dear old man," he began, and Linda's lips twitched. "That's what ha calls me," ha explained to her. "Dear old man I will, be a good boy and ride a pony lika Gringo when I am a man. "Linda meeta ma In tha park when I go for my walk and we have fun. Wa are going to slide Jn the park when the snow comes." Thoughtfully, ha rumpled his hair. "I lika the books and things and I won't cry any more 'cauae Linda meets ma In the park. "I love you, daddy, and I want you to hurry bark to Linda and me." So Very Right Ha sighed gaatlly. "I guess that's all. Ia It all right, Linda?" Hla cheeks were flushed, his eyes bright with effort. She atooped and kissed him. "So very right, darling." Laboriously Richie printed his name acroaa tha bottom of the aheet. It atragglad up and down, but Linda knew what the childish CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE It was amailng how the color came back into Linda'a life now that she had found Richie. All morning morn-ing she hurried herself and the sewing sew-ing girls for at 3 o'clock aha must be ready to keep her secret rendea-votin rendea-votin with the small boy. Ellen, glad to be relieved of her charge, pursued activities of her own and the day came, cold and windy, when Linda took Richie home for two wonderful hours. It soon became the daily proceeding proceed-ing and again Linda'a' apartment echoed to running feet and gay childish laughter. True to his promise, Richie brought a letter from Nick one day. It was unopened and Linda took it with trembling fingers. A Precious Link It seemed to her a living thing, a precious link between herself and Nick. It had a foreign stamp and was postmarked Rio de Janeiro, Brar.il. "1 haven't read It yet 'cause It's a secret." Richie explained. "I couldn't let Ellen know." "Ellen?" "She read 'em to me. Mother always laughs at daddy's letters so Ellen reads 'em to me." He scrambled scram-bled Into her lap and sat waiting. Slowly Linda broka the seal. "My dear little boy." she read. "I wish you could have been with me this afternoon when we played polo. "You would love the ponlea. Richie, so smart and swift. My pony's name is Gringo and he ie a dnndy. I tell you. We carry mallets mal-lets with long handlea and knock the ball from one end of the field to the other. "It's great sport and keeps me from being lonely for you. I want you to play some day." Richie was sitting bolt upright, his listening eyes on Linda'a face. "How are you. old man?" she went on softly. "Do you know that your daddv thinks of you every minute? You are S years old now, a big boy. and big boya must be strong and brave and never cry. "Always remember that I'm proud of you and that I want you to be fine and honest." Linda's voice brok. The pity of It. Nick trying to hold and guide his boy from a far off land. "Read some more," Richie put In breathlessly. "I want to hear from you. Can't you get someone to write me. letter let-ter Your nurse perhaps. scrawl would mean to Nick. That night Linda, with tha picture pic-ture of Nick propped up before her, wrote him a long letter. 8h told of Terry' death and of her work. "I thought you might Ilka to know that I'm bark- In the shop, measuring and cutting and basting," she wrote. She told of her accidental meeting with Richie and wrote paragraphs concerning him. Many items she had picked up from Richie's casual remarks and she retailed them to Nick knowing that he thirsted for news of the boy. "He sees little of his mother," she wrote. "She sleeps all morning and goes out every afternoon and evening. eve-ning. A maid from the hotel takes care of Richie In a casual sort of way. "She Is kind and he Is not actually actual-ly neglected, but he is hungry for love and attention and I am hungry for him ao we have beautiful times together." She said nothing of Nick's return but with every line she thought he must feel her longing. If he knew that she was free, that snatches of Richie were to be had. might ha not com back to them? At tha end ahe wrote limply. "I mis you, Nick. The thought of you fill my heart." With the letter on It way hope lived again. Linda learned how many day would pas before he re- t Continued en Following Page) "Tell her to send it to the address at the bottom of the page and I'll wait here until it .cornea. Do this for your daddy, won't you?" In putting the letter back In Its envelope she found a snap shot. It pictured Nick on a spirited pony. His shirt waa open at the throat, : he wore a cap with a loryr visor. 1 Linda hardly breathed as she looked at the picture. Richie wa enchanted enchant-ed with it. "That's my daddy," ha said proudly. proud-ly. "And Gringo is a nic pony. I ; must write him a letter " Linda got paper and pen and ' Richie dictated. YES GIRL 'iter l fly Louite Holme ' "So sorry. I'm buay tomorrow night." "The next then?" "Sorry again. I've an appointment appoint-ment with a new client to discuss color schemes." "Linda, you are wasting time and effort being cagey with me. When can I see you?" It was hard for Linda to be rude. "You might give me a ring say-week say-week after next." After that he came without calling. call-ing. Linda waa cool, aha deliberately deliberate-ly anubbed him, ahe refuaed count-lets count-lets Invitation!, but aimoat every day ahe aaw hrm. Linda recoiled from hia mercenary roldneaa. She deapiaed him and ahowed it, but the fact never penetrated pene-trated through hia thick akin or it it did he Ignored It. He made hia intentiona quite clear. She waa to be hia wife whether or no. She was never allowed to flatly refuse him for the simple reason that he never actually asked her to marry him. Only by. Inference did he keep the matter constantly in the foreground. "When I take you abroad ." he might say. or, "When I buy your clothes you'll be the best dressed woman In the country." Agnln he might remark. "I think we'll live in the Granger home. It's one of the finest In the city and old Granger had to give me a deed to (Continued from Precadlng Pa celved it Suppoae he took a boat that day. That would be . She studied a calendar, allowing for delaya about the firat of the year. Every hour ahe carried the thought of hia coming in the back of her mind while ahe finished one decorating contract and atarted another. an-other. The only blight on her hap-pinesa hap-pinesa waa Carter Crawford. He dropped in at any and all hours. She tried abaenting herself from home, but found him waiting in his car upon her return. He never telephoned to make an engagement en-gagement after his firat attempt Separated by mi lea of cable he made absolutely no headway. Shortly Short-ly after Terry'a death h had called and thereafter never repeated the experiment "How la the beautiful boudoir magician?" ma-gician?" he had asked with a heavy attempt at wit. "Full of plans for bigger and better bet-ter bedrooms," she answered. "I also am full of plans." he returned, re-turned, undaunted by the chilliness in her voice. "And they are all concerned with one lovely lady." "Is there a crime involved?" remembering re-membering his penchant for defending defend-ing the young and charming member mem-ber a of the weaker sex. A Sariout Undertone "Only the crime of keeping me at bay. You are making a miatake in trifling with my affectiona." He spoke lightly, but there was a ae-rioua ae-rioua undertone. "I'm the best judge of that." "We'll diacuaa it when I take you to dinner tomorrow night." It before I got his aon out of an ugly meaa." Linda ignored theae Implications. She refuaed to admit that he waa gradually breaking her down, but aometlmea ahe waa frightened. If Richie had not alwaya been waiting in the park and without the poasibility of Nick'a return ahe would have fled In the night. When Chriatmaa waa but a week ahead Carter announced that he waa apending the holidaya with his mother in Cleveland. Linda sighed with relief until he added that he was taking her with him. She refused point blank without reason or excuse, but he left her with the understanding that it was all arranged. They would leave and arrive . The next day Linda received a note from Carter's mother, a stiff, polite Invitation to apend the holl-dava holl-dava at her home in Cleveland. She would be indeed happy to meet her eon's affianced bride. Linda tore up the letter and atamped her feet In a very ahort note she declined the Invitation and advised the lady that no engagement existed between be-tween herself and Carter Crawford Much to hia surprise Carter went to Cleveland alone. For the firat time he realized the atrength of Linda'a will. Free from hia unwelcome attentions atten-tions ahe turned her mind to Chriatmaa Chriat-maa festivities for Richie. It was to be wonderful., Upon receipt of fS Ellen, the maid from the hotel, had asked Mildred if Richie might be allowed to spend the night before Christmas Christ-mas and the following day with Ellen's El-len's young nephews. Indifferently Mildred had given permission. Linda's strict conscience gave her never a pang at the subterfuge. Only one thing mattered. Richie was to be hers for 24 golden hours. A tree little stockings on the mantel shelf toys Richie's favorite favo-rite dishes And all that day before Chriatmaa Chriat-maa aa she worked and planned and ,waited for Richie she was aware of an odd hammering in her heart. It had to do with Nlrk. (. Was he near? It was as If some i message tried to find her through 'the softly falling snow. 1 Continued Saturday ' (Copyright, 1937, for Tot Telegram) |