Show r rr I 9 4 I I By ByE ETHEL TR E L HUESTON I-I I tJ EST 0 N Copyright b by the the- Dobbs Bobbo Co NU Service Servio CHAPTER IX Continued IX-Continued Continued d 16 16 G carefully assisted Prudence Jerrold Vr Into the time car and sat In the theer Jerry ry d beside them holding Jerrys Jerry's corn earner er toad taD Jerrold d- d would rould have haye considered red I It an on drive have a chauffeur to about town able bodied and In hi bin right mind for the mos mo most t part as ns asie m my said frit t on rare rore and state ie be al like the present he had one take them boys from the factory factor f the he of t out while hUe he sat with the others in Z e of the limousine rigidly Beet eie erect elect a and unel alert and always alwa's prepared for the worst I laughed at him Settle down Jerry settle fettle down dawn she urged snug snug snug- fingers closer Into his hand C n. n g her hll r K-r Veil il 11 die dic together en famine that's one lingers were like Ice But nut jerrys jerry's there was wac nothing of drooping sadness Cher ber pose rather with a strained alertness she remained upright her eyes brilliant her slender chin Waited tilted to an unwontedly high degree i They hey knew knew ever everyone everone one at the time clubhouse club club- ho house se and as made their way to the table reserved for them in a far turner corner thEY were obliged to stop by byn any chairs for a laughing word vord with n one and another fhe They saw Duane on oniDe iDe he moment of their entrance Heas He lIe Heat iss as at a tittle with IrvIn Weatherby and his bis wife and Edith the oldest of his three daughters Happily that table was not directly on the aisle hey bey passed through They lifted their bends to Jerry Jerr as she went by nodE nod nod- E g laughing and Jerry Terry swept th them m a quick bright greeting forming the theror words s Ill see you later with h her ler r lips lip as she passed I Duane was amazed at the studied perfection of her manner the impersonal friendliness of her ber pance iLet I Let t me get someone to sit with us Jerrold suggested as they reached their their table Im afraid we may seem dull doll We Ye should have made up u a I party I Jerry put a pleading hand on his arm um Xo father please Id I'd so much j rather be just be-just just b by ourselves I dont don't want him to think you you you-we we weI I 1 I dont don't want anyone to think any think any any- thing PS Jerrold errold floundered for words In his rth of Jerry lie He would have haye no stranger strang-er not Duane Allerton nor nory I iy y other have a chance to suspect ler of any loneliness or subject to any i ht Jerry smiled gratefully at ully for hll hia eon con one on- on t e ira as sue slipped sipped prettily into her chair c lr She shook her head You certainly are a sweet old thing f father alter nut lint I am am no not tryIng to impress in C I dont don't care to make him jealous I I h dont don't want scant to try an any childish bluff- bluff t B g. g I just feel like having you and J smother So why bother For at least the thousandth time in hI bis hlo life lite Jerrold told himself proudly that th Jerry was a little brick She he II Ged lib about out the great room with her herair air all of friendly interest nodded I to her friends here and there chatted I i little tIttle with Mth those near her and disused dis dis- 1 I used eased ed the gowns complexions u uI and nd of the other women with her mother She even made brave I a pre- pre of eating her dinner as it was Weed placed before her But Dut when once in I. I 1 I h her er fi fingers touched her fathers father's I h d tL tU tLe icy chill chili of them cut biml him bim l tie lie 0 I flash Bash At first in his lo loyalty 0 alty to her er U 1 l. I. I f t Rould not even look across to the thet t b ert table after that first b bi greet greet- i g as tb they ey entered the room But BUl hid hd when he realizes realized that Jerry herself perfectly per in hand and andt ande e d D no anxiety of his he turned slut t Way f Duanes Duane's eyes smoldering Here ere fixed uP upon n her lovely ovely lathe V e he a the cloudy blackness of her herh herr k hale r the r h creamy whiteness of her tier Jl and the time shoulder half turned 1 ta m 1 him I r Jerrold Jerroid con could 1 d not withhold a friend friend- a Inn euc smile and Dunne Duane nd la re- re 0 a grateful unsmiling sl I ny II tool fool could see what's in his Jerrold thought t The whole will bc be 0 buzzing with with- It now A J. J n hn they went into tie the the ballroom orchestra was ryas playing The They lo to a Pleasant place for Prudence tit t. falte lither kit and Jerry danced with her herI D Th tl a she danced with Doctor I tt r Moran young oung 9 and then wIth t Newton M each A j tre besIde returning to her herer her er mother lit It t third lyd was seas after bh dance when Duane had per- per to duty wy as guest to his hostess r EdIth and aDd had l sat out a stupid t With old ld Mr Imir Weatherby that ads ds am himself with stumbling un and 1 with b ta with ith It t stubborn In ln his j heart he hb V steps steps' toward Jerry J err hl hi t ta ent nt smile c coming g Jerrolds Jerrold's s 14 he h to tOYed i froze Ze Upon his fen Matures features tures ch chair lr nervously WW wIth the nar nar- tl dd at his swatch kd her bar Prudence beath Only Jerry rry kept up chatter I r. r Shook a although ough her herthe ler j Ir 1 toward Duane continued dog dg her JJ backness eyes ees upon the thes thet i I or of her hair trola 1 cr t r quickly as s he hc drew forr eta Ur I hIs han hand L ills lIs voice J t I Oh hello heno Duane Dunne How do you like bike the Middle West at Its very wickedest wicked wicked- est Oh very much sir thank you yon Duane clung to his hand like a man mun drowning but Jerrold passed him on perforce to Prudence Youve Iou met my wife I know know know- Oh yes Mrs But it lt seems a very ery long log time It Is ver very good to see you Oll again Prudence Prudene lifted her hand lifted both hands greeted him with a warm almost foolish effusiveness but she could not postpone the time Inevitable Ue lie looked te her to Jerry G good G good evening e he said lamely lomeli and his eyes were riveted to the haughty laughty lift of her chin Jerry smiled 1 Mindful 1 of the eyes of the friendly always alwa's Interested home hometown town own she lifted a slender ice cold hand and dropped it for a n moment In hIs lis She caught aught her hel breath at nt atthe the sudden sudden sudden sud sud- den contact If It he le retained it If lie drew It warmly Into his caressed It H. H ns as he hind had done In the studio that unforgotten un- un forgotten for and unforgettable night she mew knew she could not withstand the ter tenderness of his touch Dunne Duane h heldt held ld It t bluely barely a second longer than Is Isal allowed al- al towed owed by a strict convention and released released re- re leased cased it slowly W will W will you ou sit down she slie slie offered offered of- of cred generously in gratitude for his relinquishment The way he dropped into a c chair besIde eside her gave gme somehow the sion of a ship tossed In a stormy sea suddenly and surprisingly finding that Its ts anchor held Oh mother look I said Jerry br brightly Theres Judge Harris and hIs ils new little wife from California She explained to Duane Judge HarIs Harris Harris Har- Har ris Is is one of the city pillars has been I j a li l la I a H t tit ll t tI ty i I y Jerry You Beautiful Thing m for centuries it seems And a few weeks ago he amazed everybody b by marrying a year seventeen girl on the Coast Naturally he is our chief subject of gossip She Is pretty isn't she Perhaps people will m think she Is ts only his daughter I Duane professed sed a tremendous Interest Interest interest In In- terest in the wild marriage of the old judge ludge and the four of them discussed It t down to the minutest detail until the he subject sank Bank of its own weight and died away 0 There was an awkward interval U Will you ou dance Mrs Harmer Ummer Prudence stood up at once Id love to she declared quite as If she meant It Then Jerry laughed She touched her hand to Duanes Duane's arm Let me warn ware you ou Mother cannot dance She SheIn SheIn Shein In likely to do perfectly t terrible things s son on the flour floor Father and 1 I have been teaching her to dance for twenty years and she slie cant can't do It yet et 1 I I She She's s only tr to be polite to you ou n. n Oh Jerry protested Prudence blushing Sometimes I am sure I get along quite nicely I am aln not a bit alarmed Duane Dunne assured her And then to Jerry very pleadingly Please wait Prudence had a little difficulty getting getting getting get get- ting the step at first Is Is Is It a waltz she asked apologetically I Ineer never ne-er can tell the silly things apart He laughed at her confusion Its a fox Never mind Well We'll get on finely I know Just walk Wh Why your daughter was s very unjust to you you you-you you dance famously I And all nil my fears were groundless ss Prudence was In n a desperate quan quan- quandary dary She so wanted to he be pleasant to the poor t toy OS but when she talked she always lost the step She danced conscientiously way halfway around the before she spoke I I am to fO glad to see you again Mr Allerton I-I I wish things thing were a n little different I know we shou should d be bevery bevery bevery very good o d friends friends if if we had hind a n chance Would yo you mind mind I S suppose E you he would rather not call mc-l mc me Duane said hopefully yet di diffidently Il 11 love to It Is u a ale name nubile isn't it t And Jerrold and I always speak of ot you as Duane when Duane when we ve are alone Duane smiled a little ruefully at that Your husband Is wonderful to tome tome tome me he said I never met an anyone one like Uke him before He lie he he is Just fine tine Yes Isn't he lie I knew you OU would like him Duane patiently helped her back Into the rh rhythm and when the they were dancing lancing smoothly again unable to resist resist re reo re- re his great grent desire to talk of Jerry he lie sail said She Shie is so beautiful Isn't she She he seems lovelier every time I see her Yes she Is a beautiful girl Everyone Every Every- one says jo so o. o She always s seems ems so so wen well poised poised- so sophisticated She is always as sure of herself never perturbed Sophisticated Sophisticated Sophisticated Sophis Sophis- that Is the word for It That was what deceived me about her at first Yes she looks sophisticated but really she Is the time most Innocent and artless thing Imaginable You'd be surprised Yes I was GIrls are Ilke like that now They get that flint air air- of advanced maturity when the they are lire no more than children They talk of the most intimate and secret and secret thing things in the most outspoken manner man man- ner And they dont don't really know what they are talking about I l They pick up pp I a lot of superficial expressions from the time books they read from plays plas from movies they movIes they think it Is quite clever to repeat what they hear hear hear- clever and just a n bit shocking At heart they are Just as as Innocent as we were when we were young oung But they sound sound sound-oh oh so very much worse I J If the twins had talked the wa way girls do donow now well now well I should probably have spanked them I dont don't think the others are like Jerry Terry though such though such an air of assurance assurance assurance assur assur- ance and such artless Innocence t te- te e- e neath It Oh yes Duane most young girls are like that In the beginning And men men never never understand It ft They think girls really know and aud understand time the things they talk about so freely They hey dont don't at all And Anti so quite Innocently the they lead them on and on And on on It And whose fault faul Mrs lUrs Harmer r Iri In iii Inthe the end It was mine I know In our our aUf case But I I was sure she was was play play playing ing the game I never dream dreamed d of an anything else The way way she looked the way she talked talked- Why Duane Ive I've heard those girls guts Jerry and her herx friends sa say things things' to each other discuss things that honestly honestly hon lion estly I should should not dream o saying paying to toone toone toone one of my sisters even even to tol Jerrold They dont don't know what the they're re talking about about I tell you oU They think its it's smart to appear sophisticated and blase blase- blase and oud at heart they are children Oh Ohm after a while they learn learn but but they haven't yet Isn't it too had bad that men dont don't understand them them them-as as their moth mothers ers ems do When they returned to Jerrold and Jerry who were waiting for them Prudence said brightly N Now ow you ou see Jerry Terry I did dider er very well after all I I was only out of step stepa It a time or two wasn't I Dua Dun Mr Allerton And we tall talked ed all the time and you OU know usually I cant can't talk tall when Im I'm dancing I think ma may learn after all all In in time Others came up Joined the little group chatted a n while and drifted on When the time music began again Duan turned to Jerry W W W will you ou dance Yes she an briefly When the they ha had moved ed away Jerrold turned to Prudence She can cnn say what hat she likes and andou you ou may believe it if you want to But J Jerry lr wanted to dance with him Half a dozen bo boys s 's came up and asked her to dance and she made excuses every time She was just waiting for him to come back Pru Prudence ence smiled at his stupidity and said nothing I Jerr Jerry and Duane had danced the run full length of the room without a u word between them J Jerry erry he said at last very softly I realize of ot course that you ou wore Mils Gown goun mostly in lief defiance lance but hut 1 hope It t was just a u little bit for fOl remembrance bronco brance too Mr aIr Allerton Allerton please please- Duane he interrupted You called me Duane In New York YorI that nl night ht She lifted a slender shoulder abandoned abandoned abandoned aban aban- the use use of the name nante entirely I would not for the world humiliate you OU b before fore other people But you ou must help me They know I met you ou In New York York they they are watching us to to- gether Make it easy for tor me wont won't you Stay to away from me Talk to others others- Jerry Jerr how ho can you ou ask ast me to see anyone else when you are here here Oh please dont don't I 1 IThe while In silence The They danced for fot a Jerry I 1 Was It a little for fur r trance ranee Mr Allerton I ask you ou to help me I nm am tr trying ln so go hard to let timings things go o off nicely off nicely so no one will wUl suspect anything Dont Don't make it harder for tor nt w than It I Is nut Hut Jerry J rry If you would only let me talk to you you just Just once once- once let met me ten you you let let me explain explain There Isn't a thing It Ir the world to tell me a thing timing in the world to ex ex- plain I understand you ou perfectly perfectly- now And I am not such a n fool as to think you dont don't understand me as well I know you ou do And I then she added addell bitterly With tho e experience youve you've had His eyes contracted sharply at the cruelty of her words You didn't need to turn the knife Jerry The first cut was sharp enough Again they danced In silence Jerry Jerr I love you Doesn't that make any difference N No If you love me me-it me it does not mal make any differ difference nce After a n long interval he said v very very ery softly Jerr Jerry tell me when you are with me like me-like like this thIs thIs-doesn't doesn't it make you think a little bit bit of of that night Inthe in inthe the time studio You were so sweet Jerry You were the loveliest thing I ever eyer saw I shall never forget the time I had nd when you first looked up at me methe methe me me- the flame-colored |