| Show Serial Leap Year Lady by Alma Smoky and T Tex ex Agree to Keep Their Marriage a Secret at the Theater Yesterdays Yesterday's Action Tex taken aback by the proposal from Smoky that he marry her wonders wonders wonders won won- ders why Smoky Is so Intent upon It it then finally tells her he agrees to her proposal Alter After talking the matter over Smoky tells Tex she wants the marriage to take place the next day but their plan must be kept secret CHAPTER 13 Shamrock had promised Tex she would keep their marriage a secret secret secret se se- se- se cret at the theater because she felt it was no time to argue with him lim about it But she lay awake a long time after he had gone wondering why he had seemed so worried about it A natural reticence perhaps in having the press agent of the show make a circus of their private affaIrs affairs affairs af af- af- af fairs But again she wasn't tain For some reason he had seemed afraid He hadn't liked the fact that she was going to keep their plans from Clancy however Smoky pushed that hat thought way back in her mind because she hated herself for keeping keeping keeping keep keep- ing anything from her father However r there was no telling how low Clancy would react Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- times he was a stickler for the whole truth and nothing but the truth at any cost If he felt Tex should know about Karl and that she had been jilted by him he would tell And Smoky had no desIre desire desire de de- de- de sire to let Tex know he was being used to show Karl Karland and Dagne Hetrick Hetrick Hetrick Het- Het rick that Shamrock could walk right out and find a hus- hus band jand Alone With Her Thoughts J It was impossible for Smoky to sleep and so she lay for hours staring starin at the dark windows of the he Hetrick house with her bitter heart and her dark thoughts choking choking chok- chok ing ng her The window of the bedroom bedroom bedroom bed bed- room where she knew Karl lay beside beside beside be be- side Dagne held a cruel fascination for her She to told d. d herself with a grim satisfaction satisfaction sat- sat that from that night on Karl arl could look at her windows and know another man made love loveo loveto loveto to o her in the shadows of her own room And she hoped his heart would break as hers had broken When morning finally came and Shamrock got up to get breakfast breakfast breakfast break break- fast Clancy was waiting downstairs downstairs down- down stairs to hear all about the opening opening open- open ing ng of Snapshots Everybody went crazy over Tex Smoky told her father excitedly excitedly excitedly ex ex- setting the table Hes going going gong go go- ing ng to be a big star Pop Gogo Le e Maires Maire's got a crush on him too I but he doesn't he-doesn't doesn't look at anybody but me Clancy sensing the undercurrent undercurrent rent ent of her excitement attributed ed d it to the fact that at last she considered herself a full-fledged full actress The morning paper came and Shamrock hurried to see what see what arian Darian Cromwell had to say about th the he show She read happily A new voice and a new personality personality personality person person- that will go far was discovered discovered discovered ered in iii Tex Stacy Texas cowboy He ie L is i. by no stretch of the imagination tion ion the type usually seen in that I role ole Instead of the nasal twang of he the range Tex possesses a a. rollicking rollick- rollick ng ing baritone that is truly musical and he plays the banjo with the fingers ingers of genius Although he is only in one act we predict a large part of the singing job of this excellent excellent excellent ex ex- musical will be heaped on Melvins Melvin's newest find after the show is ironed out Truthfully the male star Harold Harold Har Har- I old Snow cant can't be begin in to co compare pare with the boy from the range eithern either j In n voice or looks As AJ for the 20 O 1 little redheads known as the Ginger Ginger Ginger Gin Gin- ger Snaps there is more oomph in that line of voluptuous beauties than these old eyes have ever set seton seton seton on in a Broadway chorus Every chorine is a bachelors bachelor's dream come true Watch the jools and the furs pour into that stage door me hearties Smoky ended reading the comment breathlessly Clancy grinned Well it looks like they mean you too baby Smoky tried to eat breakfast but she was too emotionally upset to care whether she ever had another bite of food as long as she lived Afterward she tied a cloth around her head and gave the house an extra cleaning because Tex was coming home with her that night Her husband Tex was going to beher beher be beher her husband The next morning she would get up and get breakfast for him and she and Clancy would never be alone again Tears Come as She's Hiding Her Secret When the housework was all done Smoky went to her took her wedding gown slippers sUppers and veil from the shelf of her closet and went up to the little attic and locked them safely away In an old frayed trunk Bitterly she choked the tears back from her aching throat and only the look of deep pain in her eyes told of what was in her heart She changed her bed using her new linens that she had put away in a cedar chest and on the dresser dress dress- er and dressing table placed the that she had made with her own hands Mrs Hetrick had shown her how to do the embroidering embroidering embroidering dering and the hemstitching Afterward Shamrock washed her herred herred herred red curls and brushed them until they sparkled and danced on her shoulders Then she got in the tub and scrubbed and scented her lovely lovely lovely love love- ly young oung body with her favorite toilet water From her trunk she took the white snow-white that she had bought for her wedding to Karl and put them on In the closet she found the Alice- Alice blue basque wool dress with the swing skirt that she had bought with the money Clancy had given her for the fur coat There was wasa a matching hat that contrasted strangely with her red hair and made her eyes look a deeper blue When she was all dressed she looked in the mirror at herself and thought it must all be some kind of a strange dream In a few minutes she would leave the house and she would come back Mrs Tex Stacy Downstairs Smoky kissed her father hastily and hurried away afraid that she might break down and tell him and that he would try to stop her Then when she was riding over overtown overtown town lown in the subway to meet Tex at the municipal building building- in the afternoon she was stricken with the terrible fear that he might have changed his mind Suppose he didn't meet her at the marriage license bureau She would surely die Tex had wanted to come to II Astoria and get her in a cab but she had been afraid Clancy might ask questions Shamrock hurried away from the subway and scarcely stopped to breathe until she got off the elevator elevator elevator ele ele- ele- ele vator and Tex spoke to her He was in gray tweed and a fedora hat and she didn't know him he was so greatly changed She had never seen him in anythIng anything anything any any- thing but his cowboy clothes She gasped Oh hello Tex bent and kissed her quickly These clothes are less ous You You look look wonderful Shamrock Shamrock Shamrock Sham Sham- rock clung to his hand So differ differ- ent You Tex smiled down at her look very beautiful my darling She flushed suddenly very self- self conscious I if I if you dont don't want to marry me Tex she began helplessly you can still back outI out I mean mean mean- He laughed softly Try to get getaway getaway getaway away from me now Hard to Realize She's Mrs Stacy Now In a few minutes they were ou out outon outon on the street and Tex was helping her into a taxi Mrs Stacy he said huskily where would you like to dine Are we really married Smoky said dazedly when she found herself herself herself her her- self sitting at a corner table of or oran an expensive cocktail lounge down the street from the theater a few moments later We are God help us he said tensely Smoky looked up at him questioningly questioningly questioningly ques- ques and her eyes yes dropped before before belore be be- fore lore his steady gaze I dont don't know what this is all al about Smoky he told her quietly quiet quiet- ly But I married you because I loved you ou and because I couldn't keep from marrying you Ive I've fought against it from the day I first saw you sitting in Melvins Melvin's office She swallowed too startled to answer Tex bent and kissed her swiftly on the lips Dont be afraid little Smoky I wont won't hurt you I know you dont don't love me But so help me Ill I'll kill the first man that tries to take you away from me To be continued Tuesday Ledger Syndicate |
