Show 0 By James WaW r iVE GOT TO TELL you this this Monty said I 1 didn't Intend to at first but now now- now He lIe hesitated The girl her face tace pale pate and lovely lovelyn In n the moonlight watched him ex ax wonder and a trace of 01 doubt written In her eyes Behind them the silhouettes of ot Miami Beachs Beach's fashionable hotels were etched against a sky eky that was WAI bright with reflected artificial In tro front t of 01 them was waa the ocean But Dut now Karen Earen softly per per- Monty gestured as though suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly he had reached a decision Well Welt now he said Its Us differ dWer- ent He lie looked down a at her his eyes yes Intense I dont don't have to tell you why You know why You know what has haa happened to to me me ai at least And before she could Inter Inter- rupt he rushed on Im not Monty Harper the millionaire playboy you think Im I'm Henry Duncan Babing ton an English duke He laughed shortly The Ibe Duke of Glenn Sounds good doesn't It But that's that alL Im I'm broke My family mortgaged mort everything to raise rake funds to send me to America Ills lips Ups twisted Into a wry smile Im rm supposed supposed sup posed to trade my title for tor an American fortune For a moment Kar Karen n did not an an- Faintly she heard the sound of music A band somewhere was playing a waltz The Merry Meny Widow This sound conjured memories provoked provoked pro pro- yoked a tightness In her throat She and Monty had danced to the Merry Widow the night they had met at atthe atthe atthe the Palm Club Every detail of that evening and the days and nights that followed were vivid in her mind Vivid because because because be be- cause with Monty she had found the first real happiness she had ever known Have you you you-do do you love this this this-this this girl with the fortune I dont don't know I haven't met her Ive I've been postponing the meeting because because Because why Because I was sure I wasn't goIng goIng go- go Ing tog to fall In n love with you Because I thought any minute I could break It off lIke off like that Then suddenly I knew I couldn't knew I 1 could never stop loving you And then worse luck I discovered something else I J was being dishonest and a chap simply cant can't be dishonest with the girl he loves It placed me In rathen ra ra- rather ther then a spot Yes I should think It would He lIe looked at her quickly and the Small hope he had continued to cling cUng to vanished She had changed i In the mere wink of her eyes the I warmth had gone from her voice lit It was cold and accusing and scornfuL scorn scorn- fuL He hesitated wanting to plead his cause vindicate himself WantIng Wanting Wanting Want- Want Ing to explain about his family to try and make her understand that he owed them a debt that they were depending upon him that he couldn't let them down A hopelessness came over him It wouldn't do any good She was an American She couldn't under under- stand Americans had different Ideas lIe He didn't blame her When Monty returned to his hotel tel he be was greeted in the lobby by a rather looking austere-looking gentleman carrying an umbrella and wearing very correct clothes of a foreign cut He lIe stopped and blinked bUnked Fleming Good heavens what are you ou doing here- here Kenneth Fleming was the Babing ton solicitor He lie and his father be fore lore him had handled the tho family's affairs for years ean Hello old boyl hoyl Good to see lee you Naturally Im I'm here bere to settle lettle the matter rustier of er your er your affair Oh said Monty dismally Hows How's It going by the way Oh fine said laid Monty Youve no idea But look here old man we wo mustn't rush things These Americans Ameri Amerl cans cana ere era queer Dont Don't like to be pushed You'll have to give giro me another month Fleming was doubtful Well aD anyway anyway any any- way ru meet Miss Dayton tonight and have a talk with her Meet who asked Monty blank ly Miss Dayton Daton Joyce Dayton Look here you act ad as though you didn't know she was the girl with whom we were er bargaining Nothing wrong old boy No Indeed Not a thing Tonight t. t eh eM Well the sooner the better Monty was miserable He lie had dinner In his room dressed and came downstairs about 9 Apparently the hotel was sponsorIng sponsoring sponsoring sponsor- sponsor Ing some sort of ot function for the lobby was crowded Fleming came weaving towards him through the crowd Where the dickens have you been Ive I've talked with Miss Dayton She's quite willing to marry many you at once What said Monty I Never mind what She's waiting wafting for lor you on the terrace Go out there and talk with her Monty had alternate warm and cold spells as he made his way to toward toward to- to ward the terrace A queer sensation was working up and down his spine Was it possible possible but but no that was It couldn't bel Monty He saw her In the shadows wearing wearing wear wear- ing white looking lovelier than ever She came up to him and smiled and the blank startled look left his face Karen This is mockery Nothing Nothing Noth ing you could do could affect me more deeply I 1 dont don't blame you for seeking revenge It was rotten of me She placed her ber hand lightly over till his mouth Stop I It was as much my fault as yours I owed something something some some- thing to my family too I promised them a title But I was more mOle cow cow- ardly I 1 had to pretend to be someone someone some some- one OM one else to know what you were like Uke before it It happened Oh darling darling dar dar- ling Ung can you forgive me for being Joyce Dayton She took her hand away from his ils mouth then which proved a avery avery avery very helpful gesture for Monty suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly had other uses for tor his mouth besides resides talking |