Show FI T it T h h tv M M d t by RUPERT HUGHES A jf copyright liy by A Dr others CHAPTER XII continued satan or ila had whIs whispered to tier lier an invitation to revisit the alie scene of tier her lute late humiliation with clay with duanes bingle purse there would bo be no danger of a snub from tile the waiters with ills his own cur car there would be no risk of footing it home then nn lilt imp of nii mischief spoke for tier her anti and sold said all right I 1 dunne duane told the chauffeur and the car shot like a javelin from tile the lighted street into the deep forest night of 0 control central park what would clay say but after all lie he had failed her in a crisis perhaps lie hall had turned ills heart elsewhere nen men were impatient vindictive fickle when claremont wits was readied reached and duane blinded miss lap kip out lie he noted that tier her hand was hotter than tits his q own 0 av n and a little quick to escape her hel f face 1 was flus flushed lied und and her lips parted as it with excitement lie ile assumed that the speed of the ride and the tang of adventure were to blame while the waiters were serving tile lie supper and while lie he was attacking I 1 g it with the frank appetite of honest hunger she he recounted the evenings its aster as calmly us as if it yere the story of somebody else in tact fact she was standing off and regarding herself with the eyes of an alien we lve change so fast that the persons we were yesterday tire are already strangers and their acts the nets acts of distant relatives her calm was really the numbness of shock the anguish would come tomorrow 1 I cant understand myself at all daphne said 1 I 1 went through every one of the motions but I 1 reach the audience once I 1 was wag like if singer with idith it bad cold slicing sli ging in a foreign language you dont know what the song Is all about but you know that it never quite gets on the key you be discouraged oh yes I 1 gustl I 1 be an actress in a thousand years mr butterson batterson told me ma so himself Duane Duan ofelt elt the truth of this but it hurt him to have tier feet feel it it offended lits his chivalry to realize how impolite fate could be to so pretty a girl ue hated buted to sea her reduced to the w necessity of proving how plucky silo bho could be ile iio tried to find an escape for tier her lie ile said youre far too good for tile the st stage age 11 1 I dont believe that for n minute lite she protested kut but ive got to find something I 1 cnn ann to do may 1 help you to decide it you only would I 1 but im getting to tie n you are aa to me you tire are a well youre not a nuisance lie ile dared tin red not tell her what she was especially as the walter had set the bill at tits big elbow and was standing ott off in an attitude of ill III concealed tinaa hence for the tip which lie he knew would be large mr alin duane always a gave ave tile the normal rat ten per cent and a bit extra lie he tipped wisely but not too well knowing that an extravagant tip wins a waiters contempt almost more than none nt at all the hend head watter waiter fairly cooed coded good night and almost gave them a blessing the starter had bad mr duanes car waiting for him at the curb and lifted ills his hot hat with one hand as lie smuggled ti it quarter away with the other ue ile stepped in to lay the linen laproto over thor their knees with reverence closed tile the door exquisitely and murmured good night I 1 the car was nn an aristocrat it floated front the tha culb with a swanlike sweep daphne thought thou glit of clay and herself plodding homeward site she seemed to see bee them or their staggering disconsolately along site she felt very sorry orry tor for them here was a chance to save gave one of them both of them in fact for in taking tier her financial burden from clays shoulders she would be wee strengthening him II if she were to accept dinane as tier her husband then her problems would be solved and clay would bo be free of her TA be mrs alis tom duane to step into tho clety of society to lift her father tul walar from rom a of nf moek ness lit in cleveland to a post of distinction in fit new york to solve nt at once nil all tile lie hateful 10 loathsome a th 1 belittling elitt ling riddles ridlie of money to be tit alie be jeweled and feted and idolized wife ond and mistress of this ahls young An american Orlenn grand duke to buy that impossible trousseau or better to levein it new york palace instead of a nut flat to go about in tier glicr own limousine instead of an occasional tax icib to bo be fortunes toi tunes darling instead of a member of tile working classes struggling along with bent neck under it yoke beside a discouraged laboring man I 1 when the car reached her building she was resolved to see duane no more she could not tell him so after jill all he be hall had been everything that was courtesy and charity it would hardly I 1 13 A N till she stared at her image in the mirror have been polite to treat him with ab nb bluto indifference duano duane got down and helped tier her out and took tier her to the door which was at this inte inta hour while they waited for the door man to answer the bell she blie wits was pay I 1 ins ng him ills wages you are wonderfully kind I 1 had a gorgeous evening you saved my life she had said more than she intended if not more than lie halt had earned then may I 1 call soon eoon of course ToI tomorrow 1 I well ill let you know fine I 1 telephone me at ill il write it out for you im not often at the club where you found me and my number in the book lie he wrote on ills card tits his telephone lione address and gave anve it to tier her as tile the doorman up ap 1 tired ared ile he murmured dont forget arget she murmured 1 I wont both said good night then tile the doorman gathered her lit in and hoisted her to tier her lowly eyrie it very different from roin where she would have gone as mrs duane hut but when site she was in her room she tore tits hla card to pieces after phe fhe had li id looked tit at it she stared at lier her image in the mirror title she hated what she saw there she vowed to break tier lier promise to tom duane she vowed to forget his telephone number but it lanced danced about in the dark long conf after she had closed tier eyes the next mornen she over oversleep even beyond the extra hour the permitted themselves and tile alie stranger within their gates on sundays when daphne appeared at breakfast trying not to yawn mrs ars clile vis greeted her with a voice as cold and dry its as the toast and na an brittle you were rather late getting in last night or this morning rather daphnes answer was waa not an explanation but it was better oh I 1 know it mrs mr chivilo but I 1 lost my post tion twit might yes yeal I 1 I 1 played the principal part and killed it and now pro im not going on the stage ony any more I 1 sirs mrs chivvis was touched you poor child I 1 it really Is just too bad W 1 she pu pondered then silo brightened lin im sorry youre disappointed but vill ini glad clad youre not to be in the theater it must he 10 very wicked 11 its ita mighty difficult said daphne sirs mrs thought a moment more then sho file said I 1 did I 1 tell you no I 1 dont lic he lieve I 1 did you were awny vitt but mr air chivvis gets ills va catron next nest week lies got to take it when alic n lill his turn comes the nitin who was going now bu be shured so wo we have to ichiyo tuesday im rolliff going of course so I 1 cant give elvo you apu your meals you wal get your lu in tile the kitche kitchenette netti of course ill allow oly off whatever is right oil daphne said sald ril ill be till nil right I 1 guess daphne lind had not realized liow how much site depended on oil mrs airs chivvis till now site was to he be left alone tit at tho the very time when slie she was most lu fit need rf of society the whole world was forsaking tier her CHAPTER XIII when the Chivvis es hall had gone daphne assailed the tits of composing lier ber iet betler ier of resignation from rebena employ it was not easy to resign with dignity anti and the necessary haste she seat bent it off on liy by messenger it wits was nono none too loo prompt for rebell lichen hall had already dictated a very polite request for daphnes lead head when lie ho received tier her letter lie ho recalled his stenographer and dictated a substitute for tits first letter in this athla he expressed tits his nt lit learning daphnes decision to resign the former understudy hall hail come hack back from tile the road lie said and would resume tier her work ile ho begged daphne to accept the check for two weeks necks salary in lieu lien of the lie usual notice and hoped that site she would believe him faithfully hers daphne felt a proud impulse to return the fifty dollars she wrote a letter to go with it silo she looked again and saw it was ns the first money she had ever earned site she hated to lot let it go she decided to frame it anti anil keep beep it to point to in after years as the beginning of her great fortune late in tho the afternoon when the western sky was turning into a n loom for crimson tapestries tape stiles almost as rich ns as her ter own dreams she went to her brothers brot liers apartment there the new girl found the old woman in the throes of fl finance fleance nance lella leila had brought tier her check book and tier her bank book to tier her husband iler her at u fairs were in a knot tie ito laughingly offered to help tier her slip she was hurt by his laughter laug liter hut but not hn hii f so BO deeply 09 as le he was by his discovery of 0 her monetary condition he lw halt established tier her bank account in a mood of adoration a precious nee flee on the altar of love she had not cherished it but scattered it heed it and money was peculiarly precious now in the unal final agonies of the lie hard times when only the fittest of till alio fittest could survive the last tests credit was the water cask and dollars were the hard biscuits of a boatload of survivors from a wreck land might be reached it if they held out but self belt denial was vital bayard gazed at leila with wondering jove and terror she wibb was both divi atty ty and devil in ills his eyes lie groaned are you trying to wreck me you know how hard im working and liow much I 1 beell money in my business bubl noss and how much it mentis means to your future futine hut but you wont stop buying and chire ing and burning my iny poor little earnings we ave a stenographer yesterday because wo we wanted to save bau tier lier salary of fifteen bollara loll 1011 a rs a and ad heres a check for n pair of 0 for you sou that cost sixteen nut but tell me one tiling thing more before 11 im i carted off on to bloomingdale ind in a strait straitjacket jacket wily why in heavens biame name why admitting you just had to have hae that pitiful little pair of shoes why when you wrote the check you subtract it from your balance instead of 10 it 1 I ask youl you 1 oil oh did I 1 do that site asked looking over tits ills shoulder sol soi did I 1 nod find ole put her cheek check close to his end and giggled lie ile shook his head in imbecile infatuation and drew tier her around into tits hla arms that nut was what daphne overheard when the maid let her in she found leila resting in bayards bayaras Ba yards lap I 1 hayard bayard did not tell daphne what ills his conference with leila had been lie ili simply closed the file check hook book and tile tic hank bank book and said to leila iella ill send the bank my check for thirty eight cents and ask em cm to close their account be mighty glad to do it and so go will I 1 said lelia leila it was vas awfully hard work keeping track ot of every little penny id much rathar have a regular allowance in cash every week all right I 1 said bayard well try that next week daphne was wag not told what nil all this talk was about but ahe mado mad a fair gregs though slie ehe pretended not to told about tier her anti tier future lilt kiil leila praised tier courage all ciul tier her optimism they dined cheer 1 fully lilt HIM decided hut tile ho best preparation for tile hard work abend of hill mould ile bo nil an evening of kycey gayety ilo invited tits his wife and tits lla sister to so go with him to tho the winter fl arden chere the typical sunday conceal con cerl cerV of new hew york was ivna given I 1 CHAPTER XIV then the alio came buck back from their they had found the hotels expensive and chivvis wits afraid that ills jot job 71 arid bb 16 snatched from him bilm it if ila ho were not file to ho leold ta it down clay called on oil Dap lille that lint evening aud tile tho retreated to their own room hut but us its they alicy could be over heart lienard it was evident that they bourd overhear ear mill tile the lovers lover g found no chance to say any of oc the things that frightened their souls one evening Dri pline said ild to clay in ns low a olac voice its as lie could hear mrs airs chivvis Is growing uneasy lioney about our being together every evening I 1 told tier lier wr we ero engaged but pho mic seem convinced perhaps you ou would let me ino wear car that beautiful ring again I 1 atus was it fool to 10 glo give it buck back to you liny I 1 have it or P clay blenched blanched blen ched lit in misery 1 I im afraid I 1 you soc see I 1 paid much inucci on it arid list last week ack I 1 lind hall nn lilt insulting letter from brorn tile lio jeweler ile iio threatened to sue site tile ino and notify my alrin and I 1 well veil I 1 lind had to send it 11 ile iio was ns sn R dow downcast that she nn with mock alicer oi oil till nil right lioney honey it matter after sill nil its only u ring and we tto have each other hut but we ve howit each other this vay ay of living Is driving mo me crazy ill ile ie nil fill right ns at soon UH as these hard times thries are arc over and I 1 can make banjo but bilut its so dismal to valt we get married and on my salary 1 I could if you could ile ho caught tier her in tits hla arms so BO violently that silo squealed tho the next danclay day clay telephoned to tier her al ln firm had just ordered him tile the choice of accepting halt ills his salary tilary i or turning in his big resignation it was really impossible for two to live on half of what was hardly enough for one daphne cried q i long while in tier her room slie site got out tier list of ways to mm earn fifty thousand dollars again and cried over that there Is much foolish and futile protest against the nowadays woman who ROCS goes into business outside tier total hut but the fhe tact fact Is that it la Is tier her business that began it ifer her business loft left tile home first anti and slit she Is merely following it to tho the places where now new conditions anti and inventions have centralized acu ecu I 1 rail zed lind and mechanized it now new conditions have lave taken tier her distaff and tier her washtub tub and her cookery and gossip into the woolen mills and laun laundries drien and restaurants and hoilo exchanges silo has tall had to lo go thither to lo do tier her necessary work hven even the entertainers tile the singers dancers tellers of stories who used to stir the seraglios lios ilog anti the castle halls have lave been gathered into opera houses and theaters and into vaudeville and moving picture palaces daphne having tio mi gifts for spinning cooking or laundry tried the theater iler her old fashioned lover pro all 4 Y N f 4 I 1 oh did I 1 do that she asked aked looking over his shoulder dor tested and site lie went anyway hut but ole was not butted to the theater nod and she elie retreated with nothing to show allow for her except her shattered pride and the fifty dollar check for two daphne began anew to hunt work work the thrice blessing that kul kill time and laaken money and tames fumes passion lilt the world seemed to b be I 1 hill full ot of every other blo except work ihen ih en |