Show Pg III THE COMMON LA BY ROBERT W W. CHAMBERS CHAMBER INSTALMENT 56 The meeting was interesting g and there were few tew feminine ca clashes hes- hes merely a smiling and deadly exchange of amenities between a a. fashionable pable woman who was an ardent advocate of suffrage and an equally dIstinguished distinguished distinguished distin dIstin- lady who was scornfully llY op opposed opposed opposed op- op posed to It But the tho franchise had nothing at all to do with th the discussIon discussion dis dis- dis- dis concerning the New Idea Home which is doubtless why it was mentioned and the meeting of oft delegates delegates dele dele- t gates proceeded without further de de- de bate After it was ended Valerie hurried away to keep an appointment with Neville at Burleson's studio and found the big sculptor lying on the sofa ne neck k swathed in flannel and an array irray of f medicine bottles at his elbow Cant go to dinner with S you he hes s said ld Rita wont won't have it Theres There's nothing the matter with me but she made me lie lle down here and Ive I've promised to stay here un until Ul she re returns re re- re turns John you dont don't look very well wen said V Valerie lerie coming over and seating seating seatIng seat seat- I ing herself by his side Im all right except that I catch 1 cold now and then he lie insisted 1 S Valerie looked at the pink patches I I of color burning in his cheeks There was a transparency to his' his skin too that troubled her He w was s one of those bIg blond blue eyed fellows whose vivid color and fine grained delicate skin caused physicians to look twice He had been reading when Valerie entered now he laid his ponderous book away doubled doubted his arms back under his head and looked at Valerie with the placid bovine friendliness which warmed her heart but always left a smile in the corner of her mou mouth tho Why do you always sm smile le at me Valerie he asked Because youre you're good John and I like you I know you do Youre You're a atine afine fine woman woman woman wo wo- wo- wo man Valerie So is Rita Rita Is a darling daring all rIg right t he nodded A moment moment mo mo- ment merit later he added She comes from Massachusetts 1 Valerie laughed The The sacred codfish codfish codfish cod cod- fish smiled on your cradle too didn't it John Yes thank God he said seriously I was born In the old town of How funny exclaimed the girl What is there funny about that demanded John Why Rita was born in Center corrected John Her father was a clergyman there Oh so you knew it I knew of course that she was from Massachusetts said John because because be be cause she speaks English properly So I asked her where she was bornand born bornand bornand and she told me My grandfather er or knew hers U curious it-curious curious mused the girl curious Your You meeting this way way way-as as tor and mod model l. l Rita Is a very fine girl he said Would you mind handing me my pipe No dont I forgot that Rita wont won't let me You see my chest is rather uncomfortable He glanced at the tho clock leaned over and gulped down some medicine then placidly folding his hands Jay lay back I Hows Kelly 7 I I haven't seen him today John I I Well Weli he ought to be here very ery soon He can take you ou and Rita to dinner Im sorry you ou cant can't come So am ann I. I Valerie laid a a. cool hand on his face tace he be seemed slightly feverish Rita came In at that moment smiled at Valerie and went straight to couch Have you ou taken your our medicine Certainly She glanced lanced at the bottles Men 1 en are so horridly untruthful she re remarked remarked re- re marked to Valerie and this great lumbering six-footer six hasn't the sense of ot a baby baby baby- I have too roared John in S indignantly indig indig- dIg dIg- and Valerie laughed but Rita I I II scarcely smiled I I Hes always working In a puddle of wet clay and hes he's always having colds and coughing and theres there's alVa always al al- al ways Va s 's more or less fever she she saM looKing down at the huge hug young oung i fel fel- fel low I know that he ought to give UP nip his work and go away for a while while while- Where demanded Burleson indignantly indIg- indIg indig indig- S Oh somewhere where somewhere where S r theres there's plenty of air of-air air Like Like Arizona Arizona- and Colorado Do you think theres there's anything the matter with my lungs he roared No you No you perfect idiot sa said d Rita seating herself and If It you shout that way at me again Ill I'll go to dinner with Kelly and Valerie and leave eave you ou I here alone I will not permit yo you to be uncivil John Please Pease remember it iL Neville arrived in excellent spirits greeted everybody and stood beside Valerie carelessly touching the tips of his fingers to hers hers' w where ere they hun hung at her side the matter mattel with you John Rita isn't he coming Ive I've a taxi out side ruining me John has a bad cold and doesn't care to go gOYes goYes gO go- Yes I do growled John And Arid he doesn't care to risk contracting con con- pneumonia continued Rita Jelly icily and he isn't going anyway And If It he behaves like a man instead of ot an overgrown baby I have promIsed promised prom prom- to stay and dine with him here Otherwise Ill I'll g go with you Sur Sure Y You'd Ud better stay indoors John You ought to buck up and get rid of that cold Its It's been hanging on all winter I i Burleson rumbled and grumbled and shot a mutinous glance at Rita who paid it no attention O Order der us 11 a p nice nic dinner at the Plaza Kelly KellY Kelly-if if you dont don't mind she said cheerfully going with them t to the door She added under her breath I wish hed he'd see a d doctor but the 1 Idea enrages him I dont don't s see e why he has such a cold al all aft the time time and and such flushed cheeks cheeks- Her lIer voice quivered and she checked chick S S d herself abruptly Suppose I ring up Dr Colbert on my own hook whispered Neville Would you 7 Certainly And you can tell ten Jo John n that I did it on my my own ity S Ne Neville il e and Vale Valerie fe went a away ay to together together to gether and Rita returned to to the s stu su- u- u dio Burleson was reading again and scowling and he scarcely noticed her She seated herself by the fire and looked into the big bare studio be beyond beyond be- be beyond yond where the ele electric light threw strange shadows over shrouded shapes of wet clay and blocks of marble Inthe in inthe inthe the rough or partly hewn into rough semblance of ot human figures It was was a damp place at t best there were always wet sponges wet cloths pails of water mass masses s of moist clay about Her blue eyes wandered over it w with th something approaching fear fear fear- almost the fear of hatred John she said why hY wont won't you go goto to toa a a. dry climate for a a few fey months and g get t rid of yo your r cold Do you mean Arizona 1 Or some Lome similar place yes Well Wen how am I to do any WorkOUt workout work workout out there Ive I've got commissions on hand W Where ere am I going going- to find anyplace any any anyplace place to work out in Arizona 2 Build a a. sh shanty nty all very very well but there areno are areno areno no models to be had out there Why dont don't you do some Indians Because said John haven't any commissions th Indians Indians' Ive I've two angels and a a. Diana to do andI them unless I have a fern fem can Ir I 1 1 After Atter a a. silence Rita Ill go with you If you Ii You Out there ouli m mI I said s so BO To Arizona You woul for it IU I John Burleson she 1st sa Ive told you O one onego oric Cf go with you if you nee need Dont Don't you suppose I know know saying 3 He lay Jay placidly staring a at heavy open across 1 h Presently he coughed and Rup R RJ up and removed the book go with me to Ar repeated as though to him hirn to pose for foz me That's of you Rita Its It's thorough you But you couldn't stand stan find It too cruelly stupid alone lone entirely entirely Isolated In f efly E Eny ny fly town I couldn't ask It 1 You haven't Ive I've as ask you But he only began to gru gri fr fret frat t again thrashing about on the lounge and the thet 1 girl watched him out of low silent serious the he her hair with a halo of rud To be continued |