Show THE HOPE C V O CHEST IEST F I Tr Ih S 1 I I IBy By Rb MARK LEE LUTHER E Little r ISIS 1 Co bi i CHAPTER 52 Tho upshot proved them both wide Ide of at tho the mark muk When tho the queen regent entered tho showroom next day the prince royal bore her company They came car early almost among the tho first and while the maternal made a a. critical Inspection of oC the tho tables White Flannels' Flannels unaided eyes dogged Sheila I showed her that sampler he confided when the arrival al of other visitors gave sa him a chance It was a n. fool tool thing to do do Was it I hope she didn't disapprove disapprove disapprove dis dis- approve Disapprove I should say not She l kept ept It herself Dont you care she comforted him Ive 10 still a a. few tow left None of ot them would m mean n the same to me mc ho he said Mrs T T. Spencer Witherspoon's authoritative voice cut the silence which seemed the tho only only fitting re response re- re Ill take this and this and this she ho announced Your things are aro ex ex- ex I Never were words more welcome or more eloquent The lawgiver had spoken Tho The faithful heard Ills mission fulfilled the poor prInce royal faded from sight The Tho sale the real sale began When Sophie came she sho came to stay slay and toil toll and not until they were devouring the tho sandwiches which were the tho only onty lunch they had time lime timeto to lo snatch did she confess s that this was the first food to pass her lips that da day But Id I'd have ha dropped In my tracks rather than miss a minute of ot this glorious forenoon she he declared Do I you realize what's happened Youve You've got ot your lOur our start The way is clear to Florida yes e yes to every everything thins beyond Florida that you want to reach Im I'm going to wire Mr Ir Ballantine I promised to let him know if Ir there thero was good food news and now I can Sheila was reluctant to build such hopes on the mornings morning's trade She Sho thou thought ht that for once headed clear-headed Sophie had allowed herself to lo dream But Dut even while she doubted the I midday lull ended the room filled n again ln and the cash re register which I tho the management had loaned once more took up Its staccato ring and hiccup of or success One had to be believe believe be- be lieve a a. cash register resIster Buln Business 9 was still going on Business s would go so on Not ever every day like this of oC course There would be dull times here and elsewhere But Sophie was right She had got ot her start Her cheeks checks glow glowed d with the Iho certainty that she sho had justified her challenge of or for tor tune She Sho felt tell a dynamo or of oft energy ene a a. being above human weariness and discouragement and pain It was thus that she sho ho arrested the brown eyes eyes' of of ot a girl Irl in motoring clothes who passed sed through Peacock Alley and the next instant she was whirled about and smothered In Molly Lounsbury's embrace What arc you OU doing here bereT she cried holding her off otC to look at herA herA herA her A driving trade trade Glory Glory bo be But what hat for tor Is this a fair No roll 1 Molly a business She handed handed hand hand- ed cd a customer her change Of or my myown own Excuse me a minute dear while I 1 serve that woman who's hos flagging flagging flag la- laIn ging In mo me with a n. dresser scarf You'll find Miss Perrin over o there thero among the tho table tabla linens Shell She'll be delighted to see you Sheila lost sight of ot her for tor an Interval Interval in interval In- In and then found her waiting all eagerness at her side Want another saleswoman she sho queried Id like awfully to help Sheila Shena squeezed her fingers You always were a brick sho she said Pitch in Presently she met Sophie at the cash register resister Molly MolI looked petrified at finding me here hert she said but 1 1 didn't ex explain ex- ex plain What did you tell her herr herT That you were trying an experIment experiment experiment ment in self She asked no questions No She only said she sho envied em you ou I Whereupon hereupon Molly oll joined them Ive made macic x sale salo she announced flushed with excitement An actual to goodness oo ness sale Let me have ha five tl dollars back from this ten len And do show r me mo how you ou work the keys of this kind hind Looks a 2 cross between between between be be- tween a typewriter and dolls doll's piano doesn't It I want ant to learn all the ropes while I have the chance Its It's perfectly thrilling to be bo doing something something some some- thing thins practical And suc such fun un Ive I've helped at bazaars baa of ot course but that was simply robbery robber This Is real bu business and Its It's w wonderful She was still intoxicated with the wonder of or It when the final customer customer cus cus- tomer who chanced to be her customer customer cus cus- tomer tomor went her way and came dancing dancing dan dan- cing across s the room to the window scat seat where her friends had dropped I feel teet alive at last she said It If you only knew how Ive I've longed to do some Borne real work I begged ged father tather to toI I let me 50 go to England and join tho the Red Cross when one of or my friends sailed a a. month a ago o. o but he wouldn't hear to It And he wouldn't heir hear to tomy tomy I Imy my starting a tea room with another friend though I had an original idea for tor It something that's never been 1 tried But ho he might let lot me mo go So In with you Sheila Youve You've proved what a girl Irl can do Why cant can't wo get to together together to- to gether and carry ou out 1 both our plans Id I'd love hove to be In business with you OU I Dont Don't smile Im I'm serious I T wouldn't take t. It up as a fad tad and anti then drop it for tor another fad tad Im sure you OU wouldn't said She She- ila lIa But you OU might for a R husband hus hus- I band I What nonsense I I dont don't expect to marry And even eveD It if I should hould I trust Ill I'll still have hayo a mind of ot my own You are arc under no ones one's thumb You haven't let a a. husband stand In tho the II wa way of ot-ot- ot of She stopped en entangled en- en I en-I tangled and then with a wave of color demanded Why should a a. wom woman n change chanco her nature with her nan name I Sophie PerrIn roused My My brain isn't equal to that riddle r just now she said HI Lets brace ourselves ourselves our our- I selves with a a. swim I can cnn loan you youa a bathing suit Molly if you ha haven't hartt nt one ono with you But Dut perhaps youre you're going on at once I haven't had time to ask where you came camo from or whither youre you're bound Im motoring back from the Berkshires Berk- Berk shires A A. breakdown delayed us so long this morning that we decided to stop at the Grafton Gratton I hoped Id I'd find you still here yo Are Aro 1 any of ot your our family with you Only 0 n I Stoughton she rhe replied I I suppose hos ho's w wondering what has be become become bo- bo come como of ot me Sheila no longer felt a dynamo of energy but she cot got nimbly to her feet teet I Some one will be wondering what has become of me she said to Sophie I think Ill I'll go co to the sanitarium sani sani- while you Ou Then I meeting Molly's puzzled eyes My ly fath father r is 15 here convalescing from Crom an accident sho she explained I give o I him every overy minute I can can I Climbing the winding road rond she told herself herselt that she had merely morely postponed tho the Inevitable Of or course Molly suspected suspected sus sus- that her marriage had turned out badly Her lIer slip of or tho the tongue had betrayed her Why hide the truth now Why on the Instant she sho learned that Stoughton was here had she Invoked the sheltering excuse ot of her fathers father's injury W Was it loyalty to Tom who had forfeited her loyalty loyalty loy loy- alty Was Vas I It t. t consideration for Roger Ballantine Or to be candid was It mistrust of tho ono one she Bhe knew best st of ot all Questions easier casler to put than answer She could not give a frank Crank yes or no to any of the three Sho She could only feel teel the force torca of or the Impulse impulse Im im- im pulse on which she had acted Joes Joe's gaze O tried her with its fond toncI solicitude You look all In hone honey he ho greeted greet greet- ed her When you told me that you were going to spend the day with Miss Perrin I thought It would do lo you a heap of ot good Was It a a. bum picnic Didn't you enjoy yourself Indeed I did she sho said sold In all sincerity sin sin- eeriLy But it wasn't a picnic in the sense you mean Ive I've been helping with some work ork that had to be don done e. e What kind of or work I r cant can't toil tell you OU yet ct Its It's a a. a se se- se cret Even HEen from me Even from Crom you ou Joe Is the job finished 7 1 No UNo Will tomorrow wind It up Tomorrow Is Sunday But you OU mustn't ask asic Questions All rl right ht he ho assented ent d But whatever it was as Its It's taken the starch out of oC you OU and you ou shouldn't have topped lopped It off ott by coming up here As If It Id I'd miss coming she sho said eaid gayly aly Ju Im 7 going to have dinner r with you OU J if they'll let lel me and spend the whole evening Ij He beamed at tho the idea and b by and 1 U by when a a. tray came for tor each of them wove wo a fabric of ot make make- believe bellevo around the tho simple meal meat Beef Beet broth became turtle roast mutton changed to venison plain spring wa water er turned to champagne Sf He called for tor speeches fr from m Quests guests of high distinction and and supplied c l his Ms no notables notables no- no tables with apt gestures gesture and reh re re- marks m Theodore Roosevelt Roosevel t expound ed the h state to the nation De Wolf Hopper consented T to recite Casey at the Bat And fc every now and then him then th the toastmaster would Inquire Are Aro iT wo we d downhearted 7 and the r celebrities hr S with im one voIce would WOM s stoutly tou tI a. a answer n No Noi I Theres a a. bunch of ot big hiI guns suns who'd have hare been n tickled foolish I to come come said Dadd Daddy Joe Joe- but I believe In ir I keeping my little dinners select To be continued |