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Show -The KSTEP l by OCTAVUS ROY COHEN TM.Wtwr "n"ii" 'rTTi mi Vi " "i i, riJL-, 1 -i .i ..'.Tiii TnVin .1 Copyright bv Oetavu Rov Cohpn. WNTJ Borvlop. 1'' " 'J SYNOPSIS Antoinette Peyton, senior at the southern university of Mar-land, Mar-land, resents Paterson Thayer's attentions to Ivy Welch, seventeen-year-old coed, and there Is a stormy scene, ending with bitter bit-ter recriminations, the tension . being increased by Max Vernon, another student, long Thayer's frlond, reproaching Ivy for "breaking a date" with him. Thayer and Vernon threaten each other. CHAPTER II Continued "Have you a class this hour, Larry?" Lar-ry?" "No." "Where can-we talk?" "Ilere. Nobody's likely to bother us in a classroom on such a day as this," lie took her chin In his hand and turned her head this way and that, regarding her quizzically. "Why the misery?" She shook her head and seated herself on one of the benches. "Sit next to me, Larry. I want to have you close when 1 talk without the necessity of looking straight at you' "Sweet suffering tomatoes 1 I never had that one pulled before." "I'm serious I mean I want to talk seriously." "Oh, shuh I Tony this Is no day for melancholy. Forget what's eating eat-ing you and let's thresh it out tomorrow. to-morrow. What say? Let's grab my flivver and take the air for an hour. Lord knows no healthy person has the right to stay Indoors on this sort of a day." She pressed his hand. 'Trying to snap me out of It, aren't you. Larry? Good scout I But It's no go. We're In for a talk " Lie settled himself beside her. "Fire when ready. But there's noth Ing in the world to Justify such seriousness." se-riousness." Yes, there is. Plenty." "Convince me. If it's anything about this Job they've offered me here " ivy's nobody's fool. She can take care of herself." Tony bit her lip. She spoke In a hard little voice. "You refuse to worry about It, Larry?" "Sure, I do. Even my sister has got to cut her eyctecth some time, and so " The color drained from the girl's cheeks. "I'm afraid, then," she said in a hard little voice, "that. I've got to tell you more than I Intended." She hesitated, but only for a 6ec-and. 6ec-and. Then, without looking at her companion, she told of the scene In the Dower of Pat Thayer and Ivy Welch, of her Intrusion and of the bitterness which had followed Larry listened attentively, reserv Ing comment He was more concerned con-cerned about Tony than about his sister. "You're worried about Ivy?" he asked, when she had finished. "Yes." "Because Pat Thayer doesn't seem to be the right sort of fellow?" fel-low?" "It's because I know he Isn't" He shook his head and a slow, tolerant tol-erant smile played about his lips. "I'm afraid you're not fair to Thayer." he said. "We understand, 1 of course, that ugly rumors followed fol-lowed him to Marland. P.ut nothing was ever substantiated. Now listen, Tony, I'm going to be honest with you. I think you've gone off the deep end. We're friends and Ivy Is my sister. You forget that she's a kid girl just like any one of a hundred other freshmen coeds. Perhaps It's better that she picked a man like Pat Thayer for her first love affair. I reckon every girl has to go through that once an Infatuation Infat-uation for a man older than herself. her-self. I'll admit frankly that I don't know anything about him. and " "How has he been living since he came to Marland?" she questioned abruptly. Larry frowned. "You mean the Max Vernon thing?" "Exactly. It's common knowledge, knowl-edge, Larry, that ; .Thayer has bled Vernon of every cent he had. They've played cards for big money . . . and Max has lost Have you watched that kid In the past few months? Up to last fall you never saw him that he wasn't irrinnlni?. Rnt now h'a nlrlor The girl took hl3 hand In both of hers and gazed straight Into nls eyes. "I'm married to Pat," she said quietly, and her cheeks were crimson; crim-son; "but I've never been his wife." He drew In his breath sharply. "You you mean, Tony " "Just that. Larry. There has never been anything between Pat and myself except a ceremony." A great load lifted from the heart of the young man. He dared a question. "Do you love him?" Her eyes widened. "I despise him." And young Mr. Welch threw back his head and smiled. "Gosh I" he said. "That makes me happy. When you told me he was your husband I felt sick all over Now It doesn't seem Important Not a bit Oh I I know I'm silly, but It seems as though everything can be adjusted If It's true that you hate him." "It's true all right enough." Then she lowered her voice. "Can't you understand now why I worried for Ivy when I saw her In his arms7 Don't you see how different It Is? 1 happened to, know that Pat Thayer Thay-er Is legally married. That being the case, it Isn't exactly fair to Ivy to permit the thing to continue. Is it?" "Scarcely." A new and square set came to his Jaw. "I'll have to fix things. ... I sure will," ne was silent for a moment, then seated himself again. x"Sit down, Tony." She was glad enough to obey. She was glad he took her hand and spoke in a gentle, understanding voice. "Can you tell me all about It, Tony?" She nodded. "When did it happen?" She answered without turning. - "Last year November, 1927." "Where?" "Nashville. When the team went up to play Vanderbllt" "I see. ... You hadn't known Thayer very long then." "No. He had only been In college col-lege two months. The whole campus cam-pus was wild about him.-" I wnsa year and a half younger than I am now. From the day he arrived at Marland the girls were all crazy about him. He seemed to have singled me out for his particular attention at-tention " . "I remember," said Larry grimly. "I sure do!" "I was flattered. I ran around with him a rood deal.' He took me She looked at him. There was no sign of color In her cheeks. "I will tell you something I have never said before, Larry. I. love you. . . . No I" as he Impulsively Impulsive-ly stepped close to her. "Don't touch me please I Not now. I'm not finished." "But you do love me . . .?" "Yes. I wonder that you haven't known it I wonder that you haven't seen It in every look and word that has passed between us. You have: haven't you?" : "1 have hoped," he said "humbly. "But when one cares for a girl as I do for you, dear. . . . Is Is It because you do care, Tony, that you've worried about Ivy?" , "Yes. And It's more than that" She made a helpless little gesture "You see. Larry I had hoped to get you to put a stop to the affair without forcing me to say what 1 have to. There Is something I didn't want to tell you " "Don't you tell me a thing you don't want Tony." - A wistful little smile played fitfully fit-fully about her Hps. ;. "This time I have to. Perhaps I'm glad. ... I guess I've' sound ed rather ridiculous and catty. 1 shouldn't wonder but that : you're somewhat disgusted with me."-; lie laughed shakily. "I'm only thinking of one thing . . what you just told me." "I'm thinking of that, too, Larry. I haven't thought about anything else for a long time.". ... She stopped talking. Her hands were tightly clasped. Then she stepped very close and looked lev-elly lev-elly Into his eyes. "You've known . for a long time that 1 loved you, Larry. I know I've never said It In so many words but you've known it just the same. Have you ever wondered, dear, why loving you I would never consent to marry you?" He shook his head slowly. "I've never dared wonder that far, Tony. I've been " too busy wondering and wondering about whether you cared." - . .: -.. "I do care. You know It now. And yet,' saying that I tellyou-in the., same breath that I can't 'marry you. -Now do you wonder why?" "Yes," he answered quietly. . "I do." - . u For a long time she did ., not speak. She felt like a woman about to plunge from a great height Then she told him with a rush. of. words which hurt and which required sheer physical courage. "Larry," she said steadily, "the llf "It isn't, Larry. It Isn't about you at all." "No-o. . . ." He glanced at bcr out of the corners of his eye9 and felt a . premonition of trouble This wasn't the Tony he knew. Osu ally she had a . laugh on her lips: was ready with quick repartee . seemed to look upon life with a smile. Cut now the cameo face was set In lines which bordered on sternness: Larry received the impression im-pression that she was older than himself a thing manifestly absurd. There was trouble reflected In those fine eyes. . . " . Her first words, which came hesitatingly, bore out his fear. ''Something's wrong, Larry; awfully aw-fully wrong. I've got to talk It out with you." He fell In with her mood. "All right. Tony. Let's have It You know dog-gone well If there's anything I can do" "I know. That's why I came to you. At any rate, It's one of the reasons." "And the other?" "Because. . . ." She hesitated, then took the plunge bravely. "Well, it's about Ivy." He straightened. "My sister?" She nodded, and something in her mariner caused a look of worry to duwn In his own . eyes. Not even i'ouy quite fathomed the depth of iffectlon which existed between Larry Welch and his sister. "What about Ivy?" Tony turned in her seat until she raced Larry directly. "1 can talk straight, can't I?" "You know you can. As a matter t fact, I've never known you to do nnything else. You've got me a trifle scared." "I want to." she said simply. "Ivy's In trouble?" "Yes . . . and no. That Is Larry, she Isn't now but she may e, unless something Is done I'm mixed up In It, too. You'll most likely hear from Ivy about It . . ' tnd I thought I'd better come to vou first," For the moment his thoughts were all of the kid sister whom he adored. "What's wrong, Tony?" She met his eyes levelly. "How do you like Pat Thayer?" He hesitated, and shook his heart "Not particularly." he admitted. "He lsu't the sort of man you'd pick for Ivy, Is he?" "No-o. Not If I were doing the picking." "Well Ivy Is In love with him I" "With Pat Thayer?" "Yes. And she thinks she Is engaged en-gaged to him." He took Tony's arm and leaned close. "Is that what has been wor rylng you. Tony? Is that what you came here to see me about?" ' "Yes. . . ." And quite suddenly he threw back his head and laughed. He laughed sofHy, but with tremendous relief. "CJosh! What a goose you are I to lots of dances. ... I wasn't with you much then, Larry. You were on the team and Coach bad you training pretty' hard, and you were always making up classes you had missed on football trips. Any way, I was Just a silly kid. That's why I know how Ivy feels right now . . she regards Pat Thayer pretty much as I did for awhile; not In love with him nearly so much as she's dazzled by his manner and experience. "Anyway, 1 knew I was battered because the most picturesque "man on the campus had chosen me. I liked to be with him . and for a while I was fond of him. He can be prettj charming if he wants to. Looking back on it, I know It was a kid Infatuation with no more depth than the water in a gold fish bowl." Her voice trailed off, and when he did not speak, she. continued. "I'm trying very hard to make you see through my eyes as they were then, Larry; trying to make you 'un derstand me as I was. rather than as I am. What the Antoinette Pey ton of Novembo), 1927, did Would be Impossible for the Tony of May, 1929. Do you understand?" "Sure. Go ahead." She drew a long breath. "The girls all envied me. I was silly enough to let my head get turned by that, too. See. I'm not sparing myself at all. And thn came the game with Vandy. I went And so did Pat. ! "You don't know much about that day, Larry, because you were with the team all the time. Cut we de scended on Nashville and took it by storm. I went to the game with Pat, and you remember what hap pened there. Our last minute rally that tied the score. Marland had tied one of the greatest teams In the southern conference and done It for the first time in his tory. It was an Intoxication. Every thing wa9 wonderful . . . ano now you can get ready to laugh ai me. Now you're going to learn what an Idiot I am." "Well." he prompted: "What?" (TO BE CONTINUED.) and he's serious. Every one knows that he's broke," "Isn't that Vernon's lookout? But you're accepting rumor as fact. We don't know that ,Pat has been trimming trim-ming Vernon." "Trimming! Stealing his money, you mean. Of course, we don't know it But the whole college Is pretty sure. And now he's gone out after Ivy. He seems to take a perverse delight In making Vernon miserable now that he's got his money. Max Is crazy about Ivy." "Sure he is. And he's a nice kid. Cut I've got no right to tell my sis ter whom, she shall run with. She's, got a good head on her shoulders. Tony; a darned good head I'm fond of her and I think she likes me pretty well. But she wouldn't stand for it a minute if I chased after her telling her what she must and mustn't do. Now listen" He faced her once again and took one of her hands In his: '"Something '"Some-thing has run of) with your nanny. You've magnified nothing Into something some-thing terrible . . . and you re all wrong. I don't hold any brif for Thayer, but I do say that until we know something we have no right to butt Into his relationships with any girl on the campus even If that girl is Ivy. Let's forget It. Tony." She rose and walked to the window. win-dow. Her figure was outlined in the brilliant sunlight and Larry Welch stared at her curiously Here was a girl he didn't know at all; a girl gripped by a resentment which he could not understand. Tony looked out across the cam pus. It was all so peaceful nnd quiet ; the stage was so magnificent ly set for gentle romance untlnc tured by grlmness And yet . . Oh ! Larry was right not to un derstand. He was a generous per son who had the faculty of look Ing at things through the other fei low's eyes. She knew tha. he dido'' like Thayer. It was equally certain that l-arry could not be Incited N action by mere conjecture or rumor Tony Peyton left the window sud denly and returned to Larry. Sh stood before him. slim and deter mined, and something In her mnn ner caused him to rise from hi.-seat. hi.-seat. He waited for her to speak his face grave. And when she did her words startled iirn. "Larry," she said In a oicc a lit tie above a whisper, "you've often told me that you love me. Do you?" His face flamed and. impulsively, his arms went out toward hor . . . then dropped again. "I love you, Tony," "Larry," She Said Steadily, "the Reason I Cannot Marry You Is Because Pat Thayer Is My Husband." Hus-band." reason I cannot marry you is because be-cause Pat Thayer Is my husband I' An expression of utter -bewilderment crossed Larry's face. He un derstood the girl's words without being able immediately , to grasp their significance. And then he understood more poignantly than ever before Just how much he loved this' slender level-eyed girl. His blue eyes sought her black ones to exchange a mes sage of frank and unashamed love Then It seemed that a slnistti shadow came - between ' them a shadow very real to any man and woman In a like situation, bin starkly tragic to persons as younj: and filled with the passion of lifp as these two. Pat Thayer's wife. She belonged to Thayer. She was married to the man about whose commanding and Exotic and highly unpleasant per tonality there existed unsavory ni mors. Tony looked at him compassionately. compassion-ately. She suffered because she had hurt him. yet she felt a ' sense of Infinite relief that she had elected to share her burden. '.She saw Larry's blond head move slow I j from side to side as though tie wer-. struggling to understand, what il meant: striving to n?er Into the fu ture and reconstruct his dreams |