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Show rilklllllijlvSillll Jctne Corby McCLUnE syndicate. -w.nu.featur.es li lllI'llliLfllll I Jan Payton lives in a small apartment apart-ment with her invalid lister, Dora. Hurrying Hur-rying to her Job at the Devon Arms hotel she steps in front of a car and Is thrown down. The driver steps out to help her. There are some words, and then Jan disappears in the hotel, where her manager, Paul Harris, fires her for being late. Jan thinks the man behind the wheel is a chauffeur, but Paul recognizes recog-nizes him as Tony Deverest, a social lion, as he stands talking to MoUy, the telephone tele-phone operator, shortly after the accident. acci-dent. Deverest is angry when he hears Jan has been Bred, so Paul gives Jan the lead part in the hotel floor show, and gets Mary Elizabeth Howard, a smart dressmaker, to outfit Jan. CHAPTER II "That's just it," broke in Jan eagerly. ea-gerly. "This seems such an expensive expen-sive dress. I don't know that I can afford ..." "Oh, you're not paying for it yourself. your-self. Didn't Paul Harris tell you?" Jan turned back to the mirror to hide her expression. There it was gain! That secret, knowing look that she had surprised on Paul's face fnore than once since that incredible moment on Thanksgiving afternoon when he had told her she was to have a part in the floor show. In the days that followed Jan found herself far too busy to follow any clues to the mystery that surrounded sur-rounded her. She and Dora lived In a kind of ecstasy. Jan knew that Paul Harris was disappointed in the crowd that had turned out for the opening, but she had no idea of the extent of that disappointment. dis-appointment. A week later his bitterness bit-terness had grown to such proportions propor-tions that he had decided to do some thing about it. But and he hated to admit it te could not bring himself to ask (he fragile Dora to go back to that tniserable hovel from which he had rescued her. It must be that he teas getting soft-hearted, and Paul sad not been troubled that way in rears. There was a flowerlike quality qual-ity in Dora's white face and her pain-Uridened pain-Uridened blue eyes that reminded aim yes, it did of Helen. The situation was complicated. It inade his manner all the more trusque now that a crisis in the torm of Mary Elizabeth Howard had Brrived. She would have to be paid in some way for Jan's outfit. "I didn't act hastily," he now told he dress designer, "because sometimes some-times these things take a few days ;o straighten themselves out. But I've finished waiting. This is the End." ''And what about me?" Mary Elizabeth Eliz-abeth inquired smoothly. "You won't lose by it," Paul assured as-sured her. "I'm the one who has lost Her salary that suite they have." He broke off as Jan, with a laughing remark to the operator, ttepped out of the elevator. "Miss Payson!" Paul called to her, reproof for her untimely laughter laugh-ter in every syllable. Mary Elizabeth eyed the girl as she approached and almost forgot the annoyance the whole incident had caused her, In admiration of her own handiwork. The girl in the mid-winter costume Mary Elizabeth Howard, Inc., had designed was lovely. What a pity she hadn't made good! Jan, who had been ready to dance across the lobby for delight when she first stepped out of the elevator, felt a sudden chill at Paul's tone. She had been on her way to buy a brand new kitten for Dora. The uniformed man at the hotel entrance, reaching out a gloved hand at this precise moment, set the revolving door spinning, and it spun William Anthony Deverest, correctly hatted and coated, into the lobby. There he paused, glancing involuntarily toward the magazine stand. The dark girl there, who looked up with obvious interest, made him turn quickly the other way. And then he saw her! Or was that the girl he had last seen breathless, mud-stained and reproachful? re-proachful? Why, she was beautiful! Seen from the side this way, she seemed, standing still as she was, to be poised for flight, her face up-tilted, up-tilted, her lips parted eagerly. Then she turned toward him so that he saw her face. She was in trouble! Paul was saying, indeed, that he "was disappointed, greatly disappointed, dis-appointed, Miss Payson. After all, William Anthony Deverest might have found it impossible to be present pres-ent on the opening night, but a whole week had gone by and he had never even looked in at the roof garden!" Jan, dazedly trying to figure out why she should be held accountable for Mr. Deverest's absence, looked away from Paul, seeking enlightenment enlighten-ment from her surroundings. Her eyes encountered the gaze of the tall young man near the magazine counter who was staring as if he knew her. And she had certainly seen him somewhere! Oh, yes, that careless chauffeur who got her into difficulties on Thanksgiving Day! She smiled faintly and Paul, waiting wait-ing for her reply, caught the smile and followed her glance. Further caustic words died in his throat and he seized Miss Howard firmly by the elbow and propelled her rapidly toward to-ward the office. "Wha,t what's the matter?" Mary Elizabeth protested. Paul put his lips close to her ear. "William Anthony Deverest," he whispered. And Miss Howard, looking over her shoulder, departed docilely enough, "You are Jan, aren't you?" he inquired. in-quired. How tall he was! Jan raised her golden eyes for a brief instant to his interested gray ones and nodded. nod-ded. "But how did you know my name?" "It's quite a long story. I found It out when I came to ask you to dinner as a sort of apology for my clumsiness, that day. Though it's a little late, I still owe you that apology. Will you . . .?" "I was on my way to buy a kitten," kit-ten," Jan demurred, walking toward the door. "And I haven't much time for dinner. I have to get ready for the show." Jan laughed and he suddenly decided de-cided she looked even more irresistible irre-sistible than when she was sad. "You had your chauffeur's cap with you on Thanksgiving, of course. But you weren't in uniform that day, either. You must have a pretty nice boss." "He he's abroad," Deverest said absently. He led the way to the car, but Jan shook her head. "The shop is only around the corner. cor-ner. My, that's a beautiful car!" she said appreciatively. "W-A-D initials ini-tials are so funny when they spell a word!" "William Anthony Deverest," she repeated aloud, turning a frightened face to the man beside her. "Y-yes," he agreed hesitantly. "You know ?" Jan gazed at him wide-eyed. "He's your boss!" When he did not answer, she went on bitterly: "I hate him!" Jan turned away so abruptly Deverest Dev-erest had to hurry to catch up. "He's not so bad," he said defensively. "If he knew you were in trouble . . ." "He'll never know it!" the girl said fiercely, and walked on for a while in silence. Then as they j "Mr. Harris very displeased," he observed deliberately. reached the corner, "Here's the pet shop. Isn't that the most adorable kitten you ever saw? By the way, what's your name?" "My my name?" the man stam mered. "Oh! Tony Tony Williams. Wil-liams. Say, don't hold my boss against me. That dinner date means a lot to me." Jan, gurgling at the kitten, missed his intent pleading glance. "You can have a sandwich with me in the cafeteria," she promised, "if you like the kitten. But if you complain about a fiea or two, the party's off." She walked ahead of him through the door and, grinning, Tony followed. fol-lowed. There was a question in Dora's blue eyes as she raised them from the calendar which she had been marking on her knee. "Only a few more days to Christmas, Christ-mas, Jan!" she said absently, her gaze following Jan's movements as she took another evening dress from the closet Jan smiled at her sister. She smiled a great deal nowadays, and Dora thought she looked happy even when she was not smiling. Well, if it made Jan happy to go out all the time, Dora put it to herself, with this wonderful Tony Williams, she would be happy about it too. "Has Paul been to see you lately?" late-ly?" inquired Jan with elaborate unconcern. un-concern. The delicate wild-rose color that tinted Dora's pale cheeks gave her her answer even before her sister said: "Well, he was here yesterday. yester-day. He could only stay a few minutes." min-utes." "And wasn't he here the day before?" be-fore?" "Well, yes," said Dora. "I believe be-lieve he was." "And what about the day before yesterday and don't you expect him today?' "You're teasing me," Dora protested, pro-tested, pretending to be annoyed. Zambrini, when he had dismissed the chorus and turned his attention to her, had no fault to find with Jan's rendition of the cute Jingle Bells song which she had been assigned. as-signed. She was drawing a deep breath of relief after the song was over when the orchestra leader looked at her sharply. "Mr. Harris very displeased," he observed deliberately. "He say to me 'What's wrong with the show, Zambrini? Why we no get big society so-ciety parties, lots of crowd?' I tell him it's my business to put on a good show; it's not my business to bring in customers." "I should think not," said Jan uncertainly, un-certainly, "that's all any of us can do put on as good a show as possible." pos-sible." Zambrini shook his head. "Mr. Harris maybe he's wrong," he continued con-tinued as if Jan had not spoken. "But Mr. Harris, he still the boss. He thinks we should have more customers. cus-tomers. Maybe he thinks we should bring them in ourselves." "Why " began Jan. "You know this Mr. Demares'?" said Zambrini. "The girls gossip they say you know him. Well, why does not Mr. Demares' come to see the show? He like it, he bring his friends. He has plenty friends. The show a big success then. I pleased, you pleased, Mr. Harris pleased." Jan had listened, bewildered, to this sudden attack. What could Zambrini mean? What did everybody every-body mean? Linking her constantly with this unknown William Anthony Deverest! She stared at Zambrini for a moment, noting the anxious expression in the little round dark eyes. Then she impulsively laid her hand on his arm. Til see Paul right now, she promised, and turned away. Slowly as she walked, she arrived at Paul Harris' office ,at last and her sudden wild hope that he would not be there was dashed by his invitation invi-tation to enter. "Paul, I've been talking to Zambrini. Zam-brini. He he said something about your being disappointed in the way the show was pulling." Paul stared at her a minute and ! then said crisply: "Sit down, Miss Payson. I've been wanting to have a talk with you for quite a while and I think this is as good a time as any. You are a fair dancer and your voice is good. But there are a hundred other girls who are just as talented, or perhaps more so. Yet I picked you without a trial from among the hundreds of girls who would have considered it an honor to be a star in the Devon Arms' Christmas show. Why did I do it?" "I I don't know, Paul." "Well, I'll tell you. I did it because be-cause of your friendship with one of the best known men in town William Anthony Deverest. I've seen it happen before a girl in the show knows a man like him, he brings a lot of his friends in to see her; they bring their friends and," he threw up his hands in a gesture, "there you are." "But what happens to me?" Paul said. "I hire the girl, I put her in the show and she never asks her boy friend to come in even once. He stays away; his friends stay away; everybody stays away." Paul threw down the paper cutter cut-ter with which he had been toying and walked over to the window in disgust. Jan dared raise her eyes finally and studied his slim back in its faultlessly tailored morning coat. She was trying, in the space of a few seconds, to make a decision that would most certainly affect not only her own life, but Dora's. She could not do it! At whatever cost to herself, she must encourage .Paul to Believe tms fairy story a little lit-tle while longer. "I'm sorry, Paul," she said hesitantly. hesi-tantly. "Mr. Mr. Deverest hasn't been feeling very well." It sounded lame, even to herself, but Paul accepted it and turned to her with new eagerness. "Then you'll see that he comes in?" "Why, yes. At least I'll try." Paul beamed with delight and escorted her to the door with a flourish. flour-ish. At another time she would have been amused at his sudden transition to the perfect maitre d'ho-tel, d'ho-tel, but now she was too miserable to see anything funny about it. By the time the show was over and she was dressing to meet Tony she had arrived at only one clear decision. She would tell him the whole story and perhaps he would think of some way in which they could manage to satisfy Paul. "We're stepping out tonight," Tony said, offering her his arm. "I have the car outside and we're going go-ing over to the little dance place across the river. Ever been there?" Jan shook her head and fell in step beside him, her heart heavy again. "But, Tony, can you afford this?" As he turned a startled face to hers she colored and added, "I mean I would be just as satisfied to to go to a movie or something." "Why, you funny little thing." His hand touched hers briefly and reassuringly re-assuringly and then pressed a button and started the car purring softly. "Don't you worry about me and don't you worry about us taking this car, either. In spite of the way you feel about him, my boss is fairly fair-ly decent and he wouldn't mind this sort of thing at all." (TO B12 CONTINUED) |