Show i j CHAPTER X Continued X-Continued I r 8 8 8 lie He lle llen cant can't n t get away with It Did he lie sa say anything about It the thelast thelast last time tim you ou saw him I 1 haven't seen him since Satur Satur- d day y And this Is Thursday Thursday- Tony said so slowly sparring for tor time probably persuading him to togo togo togo go back to his wife Hes never left his wife wICe Well WeIl The he younger oun er womans woman's face flushed uncomfortably In spite of all an that she cou could do It seems funny she said feebly Franks always had a tremendous tremendous dous opinion of oC himself Bess said from thought now this Sunshine Gospel thing fits rl right bt In and hes he's going to be a angel Lucky for him he didn't get et converted three years ago when he ho and I first were friends friends- There he be Is Tony looked across the swinging lights J and littered Uttered des desks saw Mr Fitch slipping quietly through to his own ollice office door Bess was Imm Immediately Immediately Im Im- m mediately d lifter tiner him the various men grinned significantly as she went absorbedly b by with her fine ne feathers somewhat draggled led by the rain and her rouged cheeks redder redder red red- der than even her own bold artifice had made them She was breathing breathIng breathIng breath- breath Ing hard and angrily she sa saw sav v no no- body The door of Mr Fitch's office of ot- fice closed behind her When WIlen Ton Tony went up to Mr Ir Greenwoods Greenwood's Greenwoods Greenwood's Green Green- woods wood's desk a few minutes later he gave her an nn Impish and cant smile A In n the old mans man's office office of ot fice eh Sounds like It It she say h Oh everything e They're goIng goIng go go- I Ing to cut the feature I heard that Well Vell take tale care of herself herselt pa paying two hundred for that apartment Who said so She did Were paying her a hundred a week weel the city editor said mus mus- Well Veil if It he says says' sa s she's to get out shell she'll get out Could he keep her If It he wanted J to Greeny Sure he could I 1 iThe I IThe The sound of oC a womans woman's raised angry voice came carne from Fitch's office office office of of- I fice then they could hear his placating placating pla pla- cating murmur Landed the Porter en engagement did you Greenwood asked In sudden sudden sudden sud sud- den excitement ment as he e glanced at the social notes Yep Scooped It I think so He lie never praised no city editor ever did But nut she knew how pleased he was when he hc said with a look that was almost a wInk wink- All All right That'll make up for for some of the rotten stories youve you've been turning In I suppose so said Tony In s stI- stI scorn Im about the best social editor you ever had a n chance to bully Greeny she site told him But you Ou wont won't get my hospital story story- for me and you dont don't want to faint In Market street I do not i It reminded her of Larry a and the comforting hour beside beside be be- side the fire that afternoon By tIny the way she said you OU followed up my Illy little City Hull Hall story h heres here's res re's resl l t something that may Interest you Lawrence Bellamy Is going g over to the Examiner with the Journal What Journal Greenwoods Greenwood's voice was as swift as ns n a bullet Theres only one ills His Journal The Journal of or Commerce and Business Busi Busl ness Who said so lie did lId I know him and and his wife quite well I saw him today and he told me They're going to have lave a weekly supplement and then hes hes he's to do a daily dally column The enigmatic slightly Impish face of Greenwood went Vent blank Got your Sunday column In he as asked ed In a fiat flat voice Hour flour ago o. keeping you Its It's almost ten Im Im going with Van to get some oysters The lights of Market street were caught In the long lines of the softly softy soft soft- ly y falling rain the pavements glit gut glittered black the air was deliciously fresh to Tonys Tony's lun lungs s. s She and Van had their oysters Van talked about a girl Irl named Frances Frnnces She was a ve s swell girl but her family was terrible She had a mother that could talk the roof off the Russ fuss building Tony absorbed the Ule hot heartening hearten hearten- Ing ng food and thought her own thoughts Barne Barney Kerr wanted her herto herto herto to go to dinner with his family In PIedmont on Sunday she did not want to go On the boat trip home he ie would ask asle her again to marry hIm ilm he was teas constantly asking her now or rather he was giving gI her I I I 1 t i il l M Mt t 1 He Cant Can't Get Away With It those strong hints that mean that thata a man Is anxious to put the direct question to the test again None of It seemed significant any more mor or even Interesting Tony ony couldn't take It seriously she couldn't take seriously anything that wasn't the newspaper office and anU the old typewriters typewriters type type- writers lounging or excited men the atmosphere of ot blue smoke and Ink and pencil dust And tonight she had llad to keep c coming back to the warm little secret memory of that moment with Larry In the hall half When she reached homo home sl she e told Brenda that she was not going to the Kerrs' Kerrs on Sunday CHAPTER XI XII I IT T WAS good to awaken In In- Inthe t the le si s1 silent sl lent spring morning rested and content with everything well In the best of all worlds The rite clocks clock's hands stood at nine when Ton Tony opened op op- ened her e eyes es Bren Brenda a dressed except except except ex ex- for tor her Jacket and hat was packing a suitcase that lay Jay open on the other bed Santa Cruz today I Brenda chanted My Ij vacation was t to td begin begin begin be be- gin two weeks from tomorrow but hut the publishers publishers' convention con comes In there and so they telephoned to ask me mo If Id I'd take tale it this week In In- stead And And And-and- and the older sister sister sister sis sis- sis sis- ter went on folding pajamas wrapping wrapping wrap wrap- ping DIng soap in tissue paper dragging ln out her ber words into n fi singsong forthe for tor forthe the pleasure of oC saying sayIn them and so Cliff so-Cliff Cliff has to drive down to Santa SantaCruz SantaCruz SantaCruz Cruz tOlla today and and hes so he's hes taking taking- Margaret and Mary fary Rose and me and are we going to have fun I Oh Bendy how delicious In this hot weather before the tho fo fogs s be begin ln I And to drive down I Did they get the l' l Ferguson erguson cottage Oh yes es right near the shore Oh Olt my camera camern- She went off to get It it and Tony leaped from her bed ell snatched from froma a lower bureau drawer her JUT fresh fresl linen tennis frock and the lan laven laven- n. n der dott dotted d swiss tucked them hurriedly hur bur under the clothing Brenda Drentla lad had already packed In the bag and slipped In tw two pairs of Ot stockings s sand and a white duck hat lint She was bath back In n bed again the Ule picture of Innocence innocence Inno inno- cence when Brenda renda returned Get up lazy said Brenda renda I haven't bavent had my breakfast yet et See the paper Oh Ob yes and I meant to tell yon you Your engagements engagement's signed on the front page Oh Olt Bendy Dendy Tony said actually pale On the front page and signed I She went out out to the kitchen where on the table cleared from the three earlier breakfasts were the cream and su sugar ar the empty clean lean cups the tumbled newspaper Tony seized upon It whirled pages h Ah-h-h I there It was on the front rent page with photographs Miss 1 Patricia Page Porter n a debutante of the season before beCore last and Mr Ir Lee Carolan Scott both members of or orthe the most exclusive h set were about to announce to their friends one of the years year's most interesting Interesting interesting in In- en engagements a Tony felt felta a delicious thrill of pride presently tinged but only pleasantly with fear Cear Suppose they got mad and denied denIed de de- nied It But nut no said her common commonsense commonsense commonsense sense they couldn't do that They would Just be angry for a while at the premature announcement as many another person had been and then accept the situation with whatever whatever what what- ever eyer philosophy they might Tony had propped up the paper where she could feast her e eyes es on ont It t She drank her orange Juice slowly Is Antoinette T Taft Ct the great newspaper woman within 7 said Clifford at nt the door Hello Antoinette An toinette he said coming tn in Cliff you Cliff you saw It And Anil Its It's a ascoop ascoop ascoop scoop too The other papers haven't got It Absolutely not not- Well congratulations Cliff Clift said smiling lie He Joined his sisters In Ina Ina ina a second breakfast fast the kitchen was full of pleasantness anti and youth and excitement this morning and for Tony at least the day dar hind had the thrilling thrilling thrill thrill- ing ta taste te of success She and Brenda Drenda expertly disposed disposed dis dis- posed of the tIle kitchen disorder and Brenda went back with Tony to the bedroom putting on her hat taking her lier shabby old topcoat on her arm her gloves glo her bag her suitcase Meanwhile Tony rony start started bath water running and wan wandered ered about assisting assisting as as- her sister with small last gifts gIrts and advice Good by darling be a good girl and leave eave the marines alone Ill I'll take care of Bruce and write you ou every other day Going back bac IntO Inter the apartment Tony remembered suddenly that she had promised to telephone Ruth Muth Bellamy She dialed the familiar number n a moment later humming as she did so Hello Is Mrs firs Bellamy there Its It's Miss Taft Just a moment Miss Taft nis ni's slow feet retreating and then thena thenn a n subdued distant Is that you Tony Is that you Ruth Tony echoed e In turn her voice surprised ed and uneasy For Ruths Ruth's tone bespoke e calamity of some sort the matter Nothing Only I feel rather sick over oer the whole affair Ruth said What affair What's happened Oh that Journal and Examiner thing getting out Tony Its It's Just well weH well Larrys Larry's frantic He knows we we both know Ruth nuth said hastily that It wasn't you Dont Don't wor worry about that But he feels terribly He had a telegram from the chief early this morning that's the way we knew They were all wild of course It had been absolutely confidential confidential con con- 1 I Now the whole thing may maybe maybe maybe be off olt Larry sa says s 's hell he'll have lIa to take any terms they offer Hes He's gone gone he he he flew to Los about an hour ago And heres here's something he very nry much wanted you to do for him Tony rony He Ho wants to know hi how w that thing leaked out He lie says you can find out In the office office of of- fice flee he cant can't Its It's on the front page of the paper Youve You've seen the paper Tony hud had listened so far nr In a n state of stupefied horror Her wits were In complete confusion what whal had she done how on earth had hot she come to do It It and what was best to do now They didn't suspect suspect suspect sus sus- her they were too generous they were too honorable themselves themselves them them- selves sel to do that Wouldn't It be not to undeceive them not noi notto notto to let them know know- I 1 wish you could have lIa seen the telegram f from om the chief It t say gay Ill read It to you No I cant can't he took It It said something about aboul very much regretting that he had hai felt It necessary to discuss the proposed proposed pro pro- posed changes chang with persons he couldn't trust and to see It as ns a page front Call story and that this tills this must be considered as ns chan changing chang chang- In Ing the entire basis of the Something like that Poor Larry l Ruth said It was Just pitiful pW piti- ful CuI to see how It upset him But Butwill Butwill will you do that Tony ony I mean find out who gave e It to the Call Larry says sass he be told absolutely no noone one But nut now listen she broke of off to repeat Impressively we know Inow that you ou didn't Larrys Larry's goIng go go- o. o Ing lag to tell teU the chief chIc that the only person to whom he tall talked nt ut nl all was a 11 friend who Is like a member of his bis own family hes he's not going nin to mention that you were wen a n newspaper newspaper news paper woman Oh I X feel fool terribly a about out It It It Tony said slowly ns as the other woman omm paused I feel eel terribly It seems such n a pity Its It's just made me feel Cee sick Ruth Huth lamented Larry be back Tony was trying trIng to get her thoughts In order trying to think what she could do o. o Tonight late Into And hes he's got to tobe tobe be In n the office onice late Tomorrows Tomorrow's Saturday They go to press to- to night light Tony sat silent ln thinking Tony are you ou there Come up and hove have tea with me at five fi Unless they send me to the Federated Fed Fed- Federated Clubs across the bay And Andra Im I'm doing doIng- a lecture tonight Tony Tonj replaced the telephone on Its ts stand sat on In the little hallway hallway hall hall- way staring Presently It would be past halt eleven and Mss Miss Betsy BetsyAnn BetsyAnn BetsyAnn Ann would be arrayed nr- nr rayed In her brIdal white and going to o the Cathedral to be married to Johnnie Wood And after that Tony must somehow go down to the somehow force herself to ener enter enter en- en ter er somehow face Greeny She had been betrayed betrayed- ed And there was nothing to do nothing to do nothing to do I She had been feeling It a great rent Joke to steal news during these exciting months now she knew how It felt to have It stolen She picked up the paper forced her e eyes es to read the hateful headlines head- head lines Ines The story was placed right next to the engagement story News of ot Newspaper Merger ferger Journal Journal Journal Jour Jour- nal and Examiner Surprise Friends In her excitement over her scoop she he had not seen it Tony put it down Clown it made her feel actually sick She went out Into nto the hot spring streets At the newsstand there were other headlines headlines head head- lines Ines the papers had quo quoted ed the story She walked walled up the street turned east and came out on the bl big avenue opposite the cathedral The cars were already stopping there In n a long Ole flue and the wedding guests trooping up the great banked steps under an awn awn- ing Tony went with them You would scoop the Porter girl Tony said Kate Oliver er from the Chronicle Howd Llowd you do 10 It Ann Wilde of ot the Examiner whispered Ill probably go to jail for It It Tony whispered back Ive got the whole thing In our first edition said Ellse Elise Moone Mooney of the afternoon paper Ever Everyone one knows It any an anyway way Tony could draw a great grent breath of relief on that score at least they might be mad the mad the Scotts Scott's and the Porters Porters- Porters Porters- but at least they weren't going to deny It and make a fuss Maybe you think there Isn't hell popping over our way on that Journal Journal Jour- Jour nal story Ann said Nobody knew It they say PIxley himself didn't know It It ItOh itOh Oh what did they say Tony murmured with a sick heart They said eYer everything everything and and and then some I 1 Listen Ton Tony Ann whIspered whispered whispered whis whIs- under cover of the first glorious glorious glorious glo glo- rious strains of the wedding march who did spill It PIxley's wild to know Tony could only acknowledge e this with a wretched smile The chief telephoned Moran Ann whispered on anti and said that It was someone on Bellamy's s side of It that spilled d It I hear Bellamy Bel Del Bellamy lamy went down there this morning Tony felt a n sensation of actual hate for Greeny CHAPTER XII AFTER FTER the welding wedding Tony walked downtown slowly languidly the day was uncomfortably warm nd the |