Show NEW CONQUEST A short story y akil WILKINSON lucy decided til it jim lilb bard was something you read about he ih ws w is S good looking and rich and ho he was tender and thoughtful a 11 d 1 en darlng aaring HP ifo danced dancer devirl divinely ly ana and noticed your clothes a and ad remembered to havn have flowers flo W sent he said things 0 tt o flatter flutter your vanity little things th that 1 t a girl wirl girl likes to henr hear there was was only one hitch I 1 it 1 was sor something fri erin davenpor davenport aven por t mentioned in a casual roundabout way jims fill filiti we nil all kil kii thought he was fun really rea Il Ren eally vally lly liy darling dont tell all me im that far down on the th I 1 list iq t 1 erla eria mado made a business of counting on her fingers number i eight light yes rit rif first there was marie then kay then janet and then worse luck luek me how awful tell M me darling how does one exit I 1 mean menn when one get gets blared bo ared one Erl eria asila aglid s iiri lightly he lie does erins warning had come almost too late just last nig nin night t peggy had decided she ote loved him they had talked talker vaguely of running away together thank goodness he had wanted to wait until I 1 today to complete their plans she wondered just how much eria knew it was a little frightening to think that she and marie mario and ky hay and all the others had been 0 so o much i aware of this that was wag w happening fear gave way to resentment because they had haci waited until now until this crucial moment to warn owr women are like that women who have suffered like to see other suffer from the same cause she was prepared when he called for her that night she knew know and not without a little thrill that her atte attempts to look govlier and more alluring than ever on this their lai ial last lat evening together had not been futile youre gorgeous lay may I 1 kiss you he was like that ite he asked if lie lle might kiss her th it sho she ns eager enger as h but knowing too how flow it ca ed hor bor pride to lie asked askea she smiled Ini led lea but iia ila lid did not nit come into his arms wouldn t be lie a little ironic instantly it lie lle sensed hat that hit something til ill in 9 was wrong he ife stared at her lier a long moment so arching scorching her mind she was wis was proui proud of her ability bi i lelnd to remain inscrutable arle arie alle in ciolll command 1 of nf the slowly lit he 1 dont think I 1 quite understand U she gestured oh jim what 4 the use of going on we ve ve vc had haa fun let s part friends rho rhe way you did with the others his itis lips pressed together firmly his eyes smolder smoldered ej the cats eats he ile turned suddenly udd oly Ply and looked at her squarely there was something in his eyes ryes she h seen before 1 I could deny it I 1 could deny everything but im not going to there have been other quito quite a 1 I few im telling you this because I 1 cant cint cant lie to you ive got to b be e honest and tell you the truth and make a martyr of yourself you know that would do no good because id find out so you seize the chance to make yourself out a hero lie he seized her hand darling that so I 1 love you dear god I 1 love you oh dont you see how hard its going to be for me to prove to you that I 1 mean it 1 I believe you jim I 1 think you mean it as you have so many times before thoe those thoc other women arent fools they must have thought you believed it too no jim that enough your records against you I 1 dont intend to run th the risk of suffering what those other suf he ile was pleading noar nowr no frantic darling for gods sake dont cant you see it was nver never the same with the others cant you see youre different that alris is the real thing I 1 love you ill never stop loving you low flow can you be b so cruel do I 1 deserve thi this because of a few harmless affairs with other women losing the only girl who ever meant anything in all the world ilu lio can inake make me happy silo sio stood up because she could not riot bear to hear more bo causo lier her heart was breaking mo jim it s overl washed up I 1 cot coi ildri t be satisfied with a man with wilh your rec record org ord sile she iid ild aid did not riot know knew when ho lie turned away awny she heard the door open mid and close then mit tears lier eyes and ana her heart berell wag llly empty and tt it seemed anat it never nover again cooki sit shu she be the game same never hainy happy or 9 gry guy ii and laughing hushing jiin jiny Hll nil hallard tard lard sighed heavily then thell ilc lie squared his should shoulders rs md ami stepped briskly ilona tilt the street ot ile hr was thinking toi tot tomorrow night ho he could go to hl hal icon s party after ail all 11 II 11 was wi having a caoili lif tf his Ms from froin tin ifil west A biily twi lity according to 0 o all nil reports A smil played about jims lips the dro pro cpr ft ct pleased him A now w 0 A tit w affair airl girl froin from tilt he west he fw was told lovra d well ill lit h ns as lust the boy hov bov vi vl liw liw to ho he y cin rin fin viii tir ilc tir |