Show DArr S hi IA I HAS HAPPENED Because he believes hey h have hv ve worthy ambitions which he wants want i to further T. T Q Curtis millionaire e department store stor owner chooses choos s three girls from his establishment to come into Inlo his home as a's as a's his his' wards or Jor t or one one year Billy Wells who wants to tor become a concert violinist is the only one of the three that is sincere Nyda ryda Lomax and Winnie Shelt Shelton n enjoy Curtis' Curtis generosity under false pre pre- tenses Billy Dilly overhears overhear old Cur Curtis Curis ls say he is to adopt one of the girls as his daughter when the year is up and in order not to h have v unfair unfair unfair un un- un- un fair advantage of the girls she tells teUs them She is unwillingly drawn L Into the battle which Nyda and I Winnie Vinnie wage for the old old oldmans mans man's af at- The strain of this together with L an infatuation for Dal Romaine S nephew of Mrs Meadows th their ir chaperone is causing her to lose os ose Interest in her violin In spite of her ier obsession for the romantic Dal she remembers tenderly Clay Curtis Curtis Cur Cur- son of her benefactor Clay has lias disinherited himself and is boarding with Mrs Wells in a a poor poor section of the town working in the Truman factory in daytime and L writing music at night Winnie Shelton Shelto offers t to do old Curtis' Curtis secretarial work in the evenings so so Billy who iho iho often otten Is asked to play for the old man will I not get the upper tipper hand Old T. r. Q fits up a kindergarten room for foi Nyda and obtains twp private pu pupils pupils pupils pu- pu pils for tor her Romaine asks Billy to allow him to a accompany company accompany her heron her on ona ona L La a shopping tour He directs her to tc the exclusive shop of Madame Dubols Du Du- bois bols where she mak makes s purchases purchase I to the amou amount t of As they leave eave the shop she is surprised to hear the salesgirl mention to Rom Ro Ro- m maine lne his previous visit there with Winnie Shel Shelton on When they ride I toward the countr country the they see Nyda Lomax with her head on Eddie Banning's Bannings Bannings Ban Ban- ning's shoulder Eddie was Nyda's sweetheart chauffeur theart in her de department department de- de store da days s NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER Tell TeU me about you and Nyda and Winnie before you came to live at Mr Curtis Curtis' home Dal Dat Romaine suggested as the roadster sped away from Colfax What sort of girls were they Were the three of you OU friends or enemies as y you u now seem to be N Nyda da and Winnie were friends or 07 rather ra as close friends ha as as two such pretty girls can be Billy answered an- an an an- Nyda was as our store vamp valT but she had no real harm In her Sh She was engaged to Eddie Banning the chauffeur you saw sav her with just non now and she thought she was Vas do doIng dolog do- do ing log very well Indeed to get bin hin Jle He makes males sixty a week and has his bis room meals and uniforms as well as fat tips tipa from his millionaire employers employers' employers employers' employers employers' em em- guests g And I think Nyda was wa really in love with him What sort of of chap chap Banning Banning Dal asked casually his eye eyes on the road Oh a roughneck I suppose you'd sa say not too chiv chivalrous toward women women wo wo- wo- wo men not even even toward N Nyda da But he suited Nyda then NYda then before she was thrown into luxury and a a. so society society society so- so for which she was fitted None of us was wras as fitted for tor the fife weve we've been thrown into Into Into- i j Except you your Dal Da told Youre loure a lady born and Jady bred regardless of ot the fact that youve you've had to work for your your living Thank you but its it's not true just i I the same same Billy contradicted him Tell me roe ab about ut Winnie Vinnie He Hei smiled indulgently as if it she were a k stubborn child Winnie and Billys v. v voice hardened hardened hard hard- pard- pard ened slightly was the lie est girl in the store and the men spoiled her She could always get any man she wanted and no girls girl's best beau was tas safe If Winnie Vinnie wanted wanted want want- wanted ed ed him It If T Q hadn't taken herup her up she would probably have ave married married mar mar- ried ned Clyde de Stewart or someone like him and glad of the chance Now row well well she's shed plying pl for bigger stakes and If she has to go back to the store store store-of of course shell she'll never be bea a private secretary she hasn't that sort of brains her brains her whole life will willbe willbe willbe be spoiled So will I dont don't know what's holding holding- her to Eddie for or Its It's pl plain ln that she hates bates him now And I dont don't believe either r Winnie Vinnie or Nyda Nyda will will land a husband among the society men weve we've b been en thrown n n with as as T T. Q Qs s wards After Atter all all we are are Cinderella girls playing at society and the g we signed prohibits prohibits pro pro- hibits us from marrying within the thee year e r. r Of course a contract like that would not be binding in court and anti if Winnie could grab off Ralph Truman or or Bruce Kruger Kluger or or-or or or you you she she forced herself hersel to throw an impudent challenging grin at him shed him shed kiss her contract and T. T Q goodbye without a qualm I suppose Nya would too And you Dal smiled Oh Im I'm afflicted with a a. conscIence con con- science e. e She caught her lower lip between her hel teeth to keep it from trembling in the wave of feeling that swept over her Ill live up to my contract Not ot Tot that I expect to be besieged with offers of marriage mar mar- and she flashed that Impudent Impudent impudent dent grin at him again It may be harder to live up to that contract than you ou think he lie said ald me hl his eyes narrow narrow- ing log in iii brooding seriousness upon her She wrenched her her eyes away away from him to avoid th the disaster of exposing her ler very soul to him Nice rIce weather ha having g she said with a short laugh By the way where are w we going That was wa the Clifton turning back there i I 1 forgot to tell you Dais Dai's voice was casual again I I 1 have a friend a chap J. J I knew jn in India who owns a 11 small mall mall country place out I phoned him that we would woul take potluck with him t today day I thought you'd like that better belter than an art inn or a roadhouse with will Its inevitable fried chicken dinner Kennedy will have his native Cook ook fix us up some real Indian food You Yu must be In Introduced In- In to Indian chow Youre You're goIng going go- go go go- ing to eat a lot of r It before youre you're many years older Am Ala I II Il Billy laughed shakily news le Is the gypsy blood in you ou tell fortunes now Yes Yes Ys His Ills voice was ver very low India has marked yO you for her own just as she se m marked me me before before I 1 Iwas Iwas was born Jorn orn You give Ive m me methe the the shivers Billy y protested A S 1 r We turn here hereR pal Dal Romaines Romaine's manner was again The house is a quarter pta of f a i mile up pp this dirt road S SS S They sal said little more until the the house housea a low rambling log cab cabin Ill c came c Anie me into view A A curl of Clue blue smoke from the squat rock chimney promised warmth and hospitality A A. thrill of oC adventure tinned tinged through Billy overwrought t nerv nerves S. S She might t have known knon Dal Romaine Ito Ro- maine would do nothing nothing- r In u th thA or nr- din ry y way way and and what I-i I hat t th h had d- d dhe he he meant meant India India India The squawk of Romaine's Romaines horn brought a tiny Ury bronze man ugly and old to the door of the cabin At sight of Romaine the East Indian salaamed three times bumping his greasy bla black k bead lead on the rough boards boards' of ol the porch his dirty white robe obe flapping about his skinny legs leggin in U the e March wind Romaine spoke rapidly jn Jo a foreign for for- foreign eign tongue ant was answered Inthe in inthe inthe the same language Then the East Indian shuffled to the car and after atter salaaming low before Billy Emy opened the door and stood back bank deferentially as she alighted Sukha Singh says that Kennedy is out out in hi his car He darkly suspects suspects suspects' sus sus- misfortune but Im I'm sure old Ken Ket will turn up any any minute Ithe If It he lie isn't lInt here hero within halt half an hour well we'll have luncheon anyway Ken probably 11 has as a's had a a little car trou trou- b ble e. e His Ills old Id bus is a hundred years old more or less and he lie rarely takes takes' It out t without li having to be hauled In WIthout 1 f His Ills speech speech of f explanation lion carried carried earned car ear ned ried them into a t big living rooi 1001 furnished with ar an incongruous mixture mix mi ture of che cheap p made American-made furniture furniture furniture fur fur- and East Indian n rugs brasses pottery potter and garishly colored colored col col- coi- coi ored printed muslin She started She started about her in amazement amazement as she walked slowly to the Hie fire Ire blazing on the wide deep deel hearthA hearth A bit of India to give ru a taste for it Doll Dal Romaine told her bet softly as he lie lifted her moleskin coat front from rota her shoulders The East Indian servant shuffled o out t of the room aft after r a l f few w rapid sentences and an another th r series eries of oC f sa salaams sa- sa a- a closing the door after him Billy stooped to warm her hands handt at the tIe fire While Dal Romaine leaned against t the lie man mantel l one brown hand stroking a cobra cOha candlestick candlestick candlestick candle candle- stick made made pf of brass Its intricate tle carving painted with vivid green and red Her gaze gale gaze had fiad not Ilot left his and now it widened became fixed fIer Jn in an art stare as as th the mysterious power of cIt his black eyes eres narrowed and bur burping burning had lied Its way vay with her Slowly his hand that was ing log the coiled cobra of ot the candlestick candlestick candle candle- stick lifted shipped lipped al along ng the mantelpiece nan man dropped to his side clenched Into a hard brown fist His whole hole bo body y se seemed ed to vas grow V. as s rigid as a orona statue me tile ejes eres tea escaped rigidity As AI she stared at him spellbound the the- lids lid lifted then their long black fringes until the f ill size of oC the sooty 5 O y black irises was ie- ie Even the drooping lid of f the right e eye e gave up Its secret ecret When the irises were yere fully r revealed their dull blackness seemed to turn td glittering polished jet Their bodies were less Jess than three feet apart Entirely without t her own volition Billy took a Jerky mechanical mechanical me me- step It p forward raised her arms as if they were controlled by marionette strings He stood quite still knowing that he lie did not have I Ito to raise a linger aringer drawing her hor com corn polling her by the wide I eyes I i When her shaking hands touched his Isis shoulders she sie threw hc herself upon his breast her yos r S released by contact with him His Ills arms went about her hel then holding holding- her hel close It was then that she broke into a wild sob of relief relle and terror but her fingers ringers dug deeper into smooth cloth of his coat as if IC she he were afraid that she she w would uld die tIle If she loosened ened her hol holdI hold holdI I want you ou to to kiss kiss me she panted in a low sob shaken 11 voce voice that was like nothing that had ever tiel issued from Iron her lips ber I shall shaH die lle If you ou dont don't kiss me nie To Be lIe Continued I. I Dal Romaine tells Billy the weir weird weira l startling repulsive story of his life and and sets the seal of If possession upon her I |