Show H PAR AD I IBy By y- y Evelyn Campbell Service Copyright by Evelyn Campbell 1 CHAPTER X Continued X-Continued Continued 16 16 She picked up her tier fan tan her little satin party bag giving a last loop look at nt ather ather her face In the mirror What was f behind those thos e eyes fear eyes fear unrest appeal ap ap- appeal I peal peaU But with her ber first question It J. J was gone She saw herself us IlS she was touchingly beautiful with the perfection perfection per per- of maturity In the body burly of or youth With a sweep of she threw put out her arms to her own Image Happl Happiness ess was her right She would take It now In whatever er form It came Nothing could hold It hack back from herThen her ber Then she made a little pra prayer er O 0 let Jet me be happy I She was WIS standing there when the knock came upon her door How strange to see her own face whiten and whiten to see her own O eyes widen and grow dark with fear Fear that had been at nt her elbow eibo through this hour lurking be beyond ond her herIn her hei herin In the corners of ot the room Unnamed fear that her ber Inner self had bad known of ot and tried to warn her of ot but which she would not heed beed It was strange to w watch her own t face ace like this markIng markIng mark mark- Ing the change of Its emotions as one would watch a n strangers stranger's face nce Come In she said 4 The door was not lock locked d. d Through the mirror that she still faced she saw It slowly open and saw a man standing on the threshold of ot her room He Be was a short stocky man without age and without memorable features You pass twenty like him any afternoon afternoon after after- noon without seeing one of ot them Yet Yeti Yett t i there was a look of strength of resistance resistance ret re re- re- re t about him that made Itself felt through his unremarkable per As be he advanced closing the thedoor thedoor door door behind him she retreated ted Her arm touched the mass of gardenias and the contact released a burden ol of heavy perfume ne She heard beard her name spoken and murmured Yes I am Linda Roth e e e e Brian was waiting for Cor her at nt the thc entrance of the ballroom as she knew he le would be He looked at her anxiously as If aware of some vague ague al alteration al- al In her ber features This was not external for her cheeks were delicately dell dell- 1 catel cately Gately colored and her eyes softer sorter and more brilliant than ever She smiled but there was a coldness In her ber smile that repelled the warm eagerness of his greeting He Be had waited a long time and neither men nor lovers like to wait walt You are late Linda Her Ber white shoulder moved with an Imperceptible shrug I found that I 1 Iwas Iwas was tired of dancing I was In to half halfa a u mind not to come down The puzzlement of his eyes deep ened That afternoon she lad iad promIsed promIsed prom prom- d to meet him here It was cons arranged arranged ar nr- ar- ar ranged as if they had passed hours I In the planning and now now this With that faint Incomprehensible smile she walked Balked with him through the length of the r room om to the group where the pr presumable hostess was to be found round It was one of those odd gatherings where an anyone une who asks properly for foran foran forlin an lin may find a welcome The lady Indy whose name appeared on the card was a shy b bewildered person In a n frock that had seemed very tine at nt home but was quite lost and effaced among amon the frocks of gUsts guests whose names and faces were equally equall strange to her People kept corning coming and goIng go- go log lag while she smiled mechanically all She Slie did not know who Mrs Roth was or how she came caine to be there but she welcomed her with the rest luda Indu saw a 8 dozen faces that she 1 knew and smiled at each of them In iny J y turn turn turn-a ur l-a l a smile as Icy and impersonal as us the me hospitality they shared Then Thep from the blur of moving figures she sha saw Converse his face distinct In Its Purple outline over the enormous white ate e expanse of ot linen spread upon Ullon his breast dike a R shield As their thelt eyes met his own sent a shaft of malice to meet her calm cairn She smiled disdainfully tie lie should n not t know even now now that she was afraid Then the music caught them hem an and l she he e was movie moving g away n In fn Brians Brian's arms for fort forthe the he last time she thought dreamy dream y lIy threading through the crowd of unhappy bored unexcited c couples who n nr r made their way jo Joyously shout about u our th the tbs Perfect floor to the rhythm of a o oper perfect peri per per- i feet orchestra sli Brians Brian's n s arm ann held her like ilke steel She be bad remembered It so well vell longed for tor St again I 1 What have 1 I done he be asked But she withdrew herself ever er so He Be stopped abruptly They riley were near a n palm palm lined ante room and he drew her Inside with an unexpected termination that controlled her 1 studied defiance I This was a new Brian She waited 1 in n silence w wondering how she would t do o t wh What t she he had to do Is Is It h necea necea- t to o b ke be rude she murmured The room was was a small cozy place with Ith low chairs and d- d divan It n a deep deP eP hi Rifled i led carefully with screens and aurl J 1 the Inevitable taps nabs or of shrubs rubs which so 10 delight the e furnishers ot of hotels hotel s and the gh givers fil of halls Almost os as they hey entered n a ma man n passed the fife door glancing In at them I In n a sort of wa r- r y Ile was a plain unimportant person whose expression re reo unlined unmoved even en when his Incurious incurious incurious in- in curious e eyes es met Lindas There another door Just behind tie the c 1 where 1 she ennd and Brian Brinn ant and she Im imn g Inc d that she heard it o open pen through a R surge surge of drowning g music musts But t she was S playing nying with the pearls colling coiling them theta through her long sh slender lIler e r fingers lingers and she did not turn barn her head hearl Brians Brian's strong string profile etched against the thick green background The boy boy- so much a part hart of ot h him Im had vanished shed suddenly n and d In Its I was new ew and disturbing Beneath the dull ache In her breast fear began to stir If f he would not take her for what wh she played ed and KO Koi gor Memory leaped fr from m some still place to remind her of that time when she had lain In his arms arms and he would nut not release her In spite of or all her her silly fri ht If she fright could give herself to those warm arms now If she could shield herself against the strength of ot him Of what was she thinking She thrust these Imaginings from her In In terror That That ay I way lay a danger of which she dared not think for she had n no nn doubt douht of what he would do If he knew the truth She was to he tempted He took her hands and would have drawn h her r closer to him but that she resisted What has hns come com between us since this afternoon Theres There's always some som somebody body body body-a a crowd I crowd I cant can't get a word with you alone He bent his bis eyes deeply Into hers she lowered hers heis quickly to hide what h he might rea read there She managed a I laugh an nn unreal un- un unreal unreal un un- real sound That Is what one must expect In Washington she said lightly It uIt I Is the life you have chosen Dont Don't tell me that you are tired already She I. I Y M I Ia It t a 1 l 1 ll 1 1 o t I t f 1 t r The Door Was Not Locked was overacting but his bewilderment saved her her from failure His eyes ees she could than were ere a little more she stand That Is what Washington ton Is Isor for or- or she said Why else would one come comei N Not t you he said earnestly You did not come for tot that reason That ga e her t the I Ie open opening In she was looking for Why IY VI e else I s e Her Ber tone was so Insolent that be he flushed dark dark- ar arI I I ly y But he was brave enough to togo togo go on You came because d you love loved me me Lila Ills words poured over her In a fi flood d She bent hent her head so that It was Im In Impossible nd see her face Linda possible to se see evasions evasions- s dont don't let us tal take e refuge In e. e p pretenses now I have been so hap ap Ely py 1 My y G G-d G d dl I 1 I 1 have been happy knowing that you cared I 1 have seen it In your eyes At were together to tog first that night we the ou seemed as far faraway faraway gether ether In snow Y you and cold But away as the stars as since then the you have bave b been een In in my arms arias arms I 1 im know w that you are a live live live- woman that you She managed ed to say You are t trying try try- ry- ry lug ing to tell e. e me that I f followed you followed ll wed you here TO TO BC DE CONTINUED ED |