Show LOVE ay PAY OY cserr aws CHAPTER XII continued 15 the party was now in full swing some twenty were in the reception room dancing or watching the dancers the evening grew in life and merriment mr doremus back from bis interview with flodde was in acted by the revels lie blossomed suddenly and unexpectedly into allar ity and encouraged and stimulated by I 1 the gayer ot the young actresses became in spite ot himself the center of I 1 the party the company did not let him off till alfred smallish blushing furiously appeared in the doorway if supper la ready I 1 mean er sup per Is served I 1 he announced and coughed into his hand the three soubrettes who had been pelting mr doremus with pinks now surrounded him bound him with ever green garlands and carried him off en slaved through the office where flo die was presiding over tables of salad and sandwiches into the reception room where they enthroned him on an old spanish chair and waited on him like boulls the gentlemen rushed back and forth with plates and napkins everybody began to talk and laugh beer bottles popped hall was now becoming desperate tt did not seem at all so easy as he had expected if only flodde baan t got her back up BO foolishly well he must at least be off with his old blocs before he was on with the new and for that he must have the an ewers of the two women he left the company and walked into the studio now deserted to look at the clock heavens it was already halt after eleven something would have to happen in a hurry it carolyn dallys appeared in the door way smiling she was wearing corn color in costume no man could have described five minutes after he had been it Ca clothes were always not only original but characteristic of her she sauntered in and dropped upon the couch to look up at him good na tiredly hall s hopes rose it was going to be easy thank heaven she dlan t at all have the smile of a pros owner well hall she began you dont n particularly anxious to see your blushing bride I 1 had almost begun to think you were deliberately avoid ing me avoiding you nonsense carolyn I 1 hall laughed easily and tossed ler a box of cigarettes really ive been so confoundedly busy with all these people and she broke in placidly well you re oot busy now are hall began to be afraid oh no of course not he watched her as if she were about to strike him well then I 1 ve made up my mind hall what ao you mean he asked and assuming a carelessness he was far from feeling be walked to the table and took up a flower idly why I 1 told you over the telephone IT look pleasant hall she aalde it B yes I 1 ve decided to accept you hall grew faint it was not alone the words that alarmed him it was the cold blooded tone in which they were uttered there was a deliberate ness a fixity of purpose in it that threatened bis complacency carolyn maintained her usual jocular man ner but there was something keen and steely beneath it that he had never be ore felt he rose to meet it with all his skill at acting lord carolyn be exclaimed walk ing up to her impatiently you dlan t really take me seriously this morning did he burst out into forced laughter well that Is tunny think of you of all women getting like thail its perfectly absurd you cant make me believe you thought I 1 was in earnest you know that s absurd I 1 so tha agile trout when he first feels the hook in his mouth thinks that by a bold struggle be can regain bis freedom and thrashes the pool with hectic energy but carolyn with all her humor was a shrewd cool fisher of men calmly surely she kept her alno taut she had struck tour mil lions not for a moment bad she lost her composure slowly she spoke she almost drawled why yes I 1 did hall surely you seemed to have a lucid interval you know this morning and I 1 believed every word you said and what s more she added I 1 believe it lazily to and fro her feather fan was sweeping hall floundered again wildly oh come on carolyn I 1 cant you take a joke 7 yes she answered smilingly when I 1 see the point of it will you kindly explain r the point hall well knew was in his own mouth he dashed up and down the room fretfully making fer vent gestures poor fish he atall imagined he could get away from the book good heavens I 1 have explained haven t IT why I 1 only to hear what you d say I 1 J well bouvo beard I 1 say yel sa rifer now what she took a cigarette from the table and gracefully lighted it puffed out the smoke and dawned yawned As she drew in her line thus his frenzied struggles were getting shoat er but more violent oh hang it ail carolyn you know I 1 was only tooling of course why we were laughing all the time you khow that I 1 had no idea you d ever accept met do you mean to tell me that you are in love with me he asked not at all I 1 I 1 aee no need ot lying about it whatever but you certainly do amuse me her eyes danced well I 1 should say it was hardly enough to accept a man simply because he amused youl was the best hall could do now he was get ting winded oh yes she replied jauntily on the contrary I 1 m quite sure that I 1 shall want to be amused all my alle especially when im married heavens do you consider that we are engaged she looked at him with surprised eyes her fishing was approaching a climax she began to wind in herlane herl lne to short length speaking incisively see here hall youre not trying to get out 0 it or anything are you hall gasped wearied with the duel now carolyn let me explain just bow it Is have to tell you some thing I 1 want to hang it you make it so damned hard for me what I 1 mean Is carolyn rose and looked him in the eye she laid her hand on him and soft as was its touch he felt as it it were gripping him like a handcuff hall see here are you trying to get out of it or aren t you just tell me thail why why I 1 think youre carrying the joke a little too far carolyn all honestly I 1 dol carolyn now had him at the edge of the boat she jerked him in with a laugh my dear old hall she said and her voice waa honey sweet im carrying it only far enough to want to wear that ring you bought today for me where Is it she actually began to feel in his waistcoat pocket he backed off in terror I 1 any carolyn smiled well never mind we dont want anyone to know just yet anyway do we rings can wait now come over here and sit down and I 1 II 11 tell you exactly what were going to do she proceeded to lead him too dazed to resist toward the couch where they sat down together now be brave she said smiling lelyou hold my hand you do just what I 1 say and you 11 never regret it I 1 hate engagements they have neither the excitement of court ship nor the satisfaction of matri mony so at just nine 0 clock tomor row morning you are going to call on me and veil toddle down to a justice of the peace well just cut out the white veil and downcast eyes and everything all you 11 have to do Is to put a gold band on my finger and my share will be to say 1 I will and become sirs hall what s the mat ter hall was staring toward the door my cousin jonas be said oh betherl bo therl carolans Ca eyes shot fire just as we want to arrange everything jonas tall and gaunt eating a lettuce sandwich strolled in as cool and self possessed as the most experienced cotillion leader in town he was perfectly sure of himself without wealth or power or social training he was blessed with an ego lam that a king might have envied jonae had never been embarrassed in his life hall looked at him tor the first atme with relief and rose miss dallys be said let me present my cousin mr jonas put the sandwich behind his back and bowed carolyn looked up at him annoyed dallys jonas queried never heerd 0 that name before to my knowledge what be ye uee with the grace of a veteran he dropped down beside her on the couch at any other time carolyn would have welcomed his quaint charm but her eyes were now tor hall and she was anxious her answer was vague jonas however did not appear to notice it his work was plain he bad to make himself attractive and get rid of hall he launched forth therefore on a description of the town of branford Bran tord while carolyn dawned yawned behind her fan at the first pause hall broke in by jove carolyn I 1 ve got to get come photographs in my room I 1 promised to show mr Dore cousin jonas will take care of you all right carolyn he s a great man tor the ladles and with this slid out of range of her protest carolyn pulled herself together to make the best of it this yokel must be got rid of at once she leaned toward him with ardor oh mr do you really think im pretty you must have known so many beautiful women in branford yes righta said jonas with unction 1 I certainly have miss why ive burled three wives a ready I 1 1 reckon I 1 know pretty near as much about women as anybody then you re just the man I 1 ve been looking tort said carolyn 1 I want you to help me will she jumped up eagerly he rose also what appears to be the trouble why there are two women here that I 1 m just dying to have your opan ion of come out with me and I 1 II 11 in traduce them to you and let you talk to them will you bet I 1 will just let me see deml I 1 guess if anybody can size cm up jonas can I 1 and with that he followed her out into the other room and carolyn ered him over to rosamund gale CHAPTER XIII hall meanwhile was near the boll ing point of his rage he bad been defeated by carolans Ca cleverness he was furious at her at himself at everybody here were two women now who bad a bold on him and before long there would be three beverl hall swore it with a round oath mrs royalton at least would not triumph she haan hadn t carolyn s brains she baan t rosamund s disarming beauty she was when it came right down to it more or less of a fool why not ignore her and make a last attempt to win he looked up at the clock good heavens it was already twenty minutes to twelve I 1 and his tour mil lions were no nearer than ever he jumped up impulsively and strode to the door the company had about finished supper the little orchestra had started up again and had begun on a new turkey trot As a proof of its in aldious charm who but jonas hassing bury himself had succumbed 1 he was dancing with the fair rosamund mr doremus hlll surrounded and petted by the three pretty ac tresse was tell ing a funny story there was a sharp squall of laughter as he finished where the devil was hall peered from behind the port leres so as not to be seen himself in a moment she emerged from the stockroom with a plate of ice cream and smiling passed it to mr doremus then she looked up and caught hall s eye he it wa already twenty minute tc twelve beckoned and she carelessly approached pro ached the studio As she crossed the threshold hall caught her by the wrist and drew in she looked up at him a little fright ened flodde Fl odle be exclaimed wildly flo die 1 can t stand it any longer don t keep it up any longer dear say yes cant flodde tor god s sake she looked him up and she looked him down and anger was in her eyes I 1 gave you my answer mr dian didn t you understand me this after noon she backed off preparing to leave he seized her again flodde Fl odle 1 wont take no tor an answer I 1 love you too much he tumbled in hie pocket and drew out the ring here take this flo wear it won t you I 1 and as soon as I 1 can get mr doremus in here I 1 II 11 put another one on your finger that II 11 make us man and wife she took it and tossed it across the studio I 1 bounded along the floor no thanks mr you 11 have to excuse me I 1 m busy but heavens flo look at the clackl its nearly twelve I 1 have only fifteen minutes more flo dont turn ma down oh I 1 ant yoi so w on t you TO BE CONTINUED V |