Show LO T auddy M ay SA TT 04 14 V iq 5 illustrated 6 MY hayw JT OY aas rr wass continued from last week f w W wt k WW k CHAPTER V suddenly she sat up and looked round toward the office she was keenly alive again immediately if love made her stupid and sluggish bate hate could revive her rosamund gale the sight of her stung flodie like a vehip ft hip here she was vas again now of all times when nhen everything was as askew rosamund gale the professional model rosamund the beautiful rosa mund the arrogant the spoiled flo die disliked her from her hair to her heels disliked her name her man ners her reputation and most of all her photographs hall used her often tor for his commercial pictures which he gold sold tor for advertisements for magazine covers for art supplements spring miss gale in damp cheese cloth with apple blossoms the suf miss gale in tallon tallor nade made suit gesticulating and so on flodde al ways slapped the prints angrily with nith an irritated choo before she put them away she would have been glad to slap rosamund hall posed her ar ranged draperies touched her hair moved her bands hands all exquisite agony for flodde say where s hall rosamund made a picture ot of herself in the door way golden fair highly colored pic pie tur esque even voluptuous always in striking original costumes daringly artistic rosamund with all her dimples her curia curls her lines and hr her strange colors let flodde have the fun disconcerting effect of her beauty she had the air of one who la Is quite used to being stared at and admired flodde rose her face set mr Is busy miss gale she said and walked toward the office as it if to brush the visitor back rosamund however would lecog nize no mere menial mental she swept into the studio as if it she owned the place AH all right III hang round a while till fill has he free say miss fisher fish me out a couple ol 01 those last poses will ou I 1 want to give one to a gentle man friend here take this boa out there and hang it up while you re going d you mind oh certainly said flodde took to ok the boa and arid an apparent accident dropped it rosamund made an angry gesture oh pardon me I 1 in so care less said flodde then carrying 9 it artfully so BO that a full foot of it dragged along the huor she marched out of the studio chin up rosamund looked about for a elga rette and found a box on a oh miss fisher she sang bring me a match will youa you 9 then she yawned and threw herself lazily on the couch she began to whistle flodie returning noticed that rosa round mund showed too much silk bilk stocking also that one stocking had begun to run she noticed that rosamund Ros amunds a shirtwaist was not quite fresh noticed that her nail nails though highly polished were not absolutely well chaste one heel was a bit run over her moonstone ring needed cleaning lace part real and part imitation eyebrows lengthened a little with the pencil tiny rip in her glove giove there was noth ing an ordinary man would have seen nothing that would have hurt tor for him the whole effect even had he seen it but flodde saw and damned and said no word here are the matches miss gale III look up tl e pints p ints this afternoon when I 1 have more time oh thanks have a cig rosa mund held them up impertinently oh don t you smoke very hareas sarcas tic was rosamund s tone no NO you don t look it exactly she laughed easily confident ot of her own superior appearance flodie s lips grew white it would not take much more to make her cry oh I 1 id d hardly expect you to under stand she managed to say and turned to go oh I 1 understand you all right I 1 guess sav what are all those fancy evergreen wreaths doing out in the of flee she was blowing rings very prettily oh mr Doni stelle Is going to have a party tonight have to ask him about that she examined her finger nails I 1 believe III come im I 1 m sorry but the invitations were all sent out over a week ago misa miss gale mine must have been addressed wrong I 1 don t think I 1 ever make that kind of a mistake no said rosamund deliberately the mistake you make la Is in supposing that you run this place flodde eyed her well you set me such a good example you know miss gale really the door opened and hall came out of the dark room blinking hello hall I 1 how a the boj said bald rosamund and rearranged her pose quickly and deftly exit flodde to dry her eyes in the office to swear her innocent little darn it all anyway to wait and to worry and grow ever more earful fearful as the voices reached her ears hall halls s face lighted as he saw rosa mund despite defects of detail rosa mund so nonchalantly posed so fair and flashing animate with youth and confidence was as ever a picture in which he rejoiced she had none of carolyn s severe clean cut boyishness none of the fullness of mrs royalton a aristocratic maturity she was a worn wom an that women would always shun and men fight for love and abandon hall looked at her and her beauty sank deep into him A golden tendril of hair in front of her ear caught his glance and thence to the saucy frolic some dimple in ter her c cheek heek the little uplifted corner of her delicate mouth her whits white even teeth the straight line of her nose her finely drawn eye brows to her violet blue eyes hia his quick glance traveled reveling he did not speak till by jove love I 1 d like to take you in that pose she of course immediately changed it to prove her lack of vanity but fell into another as artful well she knew her trade oh don t talk shop all the time she said I 1 in just calling I 1 ve to been posing tor for three houra hours with deerfield and I 1 na all in for heaven heavens a sake let me sit where I 1 can t see a camera say hall how about this party to night you re not trying to cut me out are youa she went up to him took him by the two lapels of his hiss coat showed her teeth and with her eyes dared him to touch her he ran his hand through his hair by jove he replied slowly d t you get an invitation 1 fisher must have forgotten it she made a little gesture of re oh of course it if you t want me you know hall I 1 never butt la in never mind pouting prettily she turned away why of course I 1 want you to comel come what ele could hall say but indeed looking upon her he meant it now say you re devilish p pretty retty did you know it ita I 1 ive ve never seen you look so well rosamund needed no more of an in vl vi tation well she said comfortably it if you really want me promise to tc 0 make some of that smart bunch ol 01 yours look like washwomen and that e no myth either say hall I 1 ve to got a new dress I 1 in dying to have you see smart as pepper I 1 it its a some rag be bileve met me can I 1 go the limit she circled he her corsage indicating a dar angly loscut neck he laughed and nodded oh you can get away avay with anything la in the way of clothes by jove you d look looh all right in jumper and overalls good idea ideal lets let s try it sometime some time queen of 0 the bricklayers she struck a graceful attitude lord you are pretty hall said meditatively watching her she gave him a look caught a new expression on his face and proceeded to work it up her first step was to say ay reflectively as she cast down hei her golden golden lashes say hall I 1 don t know I 1 guess I 1 d better not come tonight though after all I 1 dont don t believe you want me of course I 1 want you Rosa rosamund he went up to her and tried to take her hand do come please I 1 no she drew away from him pet tishey I 1 in m not coming I 1 ve to decided rosamund Kos amund flung herself down on the couch of course he followed her now rosamund see here this time he 2 she had the air of one who Is quite used to being stared at i succeeded in getting her hand you ve TO simply got to come NN by hy you 11 make i that crowd stare I 1 there isn t one ot of that can come anywhere near you for looks be awfully proud of you why her hand moved in his with the slightest possible caress she put something into her blue eyes that made them burn bum with tenderness hall drew her gently toward him and whispered come over here and III tell you she hesitated a second then permit ted a closer contact arranging it so that she could look up at him dream lly ily well what now her eyes went down her fingers worked nerv bously very fine work for that sort of a girl j his arm tightened about her he drew her head still nearer his conein one in slant stant she protested mutely then with a sigh she shut her eyes and shivered hall kissed her once twice thrice she clutched his hand tightly when she did raise her lids it was to look at him with big pleading won dering eyes there were tears in them almost what do you want to kiss me for hall he kissed her again why sho uldra t I 1 want to toa the time had come she lumped jumped to her feet hall im going 1 I 1 cant canta ever come here again you ve to spoiled everything its only tun fun tor for you but but I 1 she choked a sob but j I 1 cant play at it that way I 1 she turned and walked to the window oh h I 1 in sorry really hall walked toward her again I 1 didia t mean j I 1 oh I 1 care too much I 1 in afia afraid ld she sobbed and sat down mournfully refusing refus hij to look at him you mean rosamund I 1 he ile stopped bit his lip and looked at her keenly rosamund could not tie be awak ward or ridiculous the de dalian dallan gods had granted her the superb gift of grace she sat in a limp dejected but perfectly graceful attitude a picture c of f grief and wounded pride A keener man would have looked for more aban don in her woe a touch of the gro of despair something of convincing intensity perhaps hall 7 Z N C aw N ive got to get ma s consent first anyway himself at any ether time when his mind was tree free might have had a sus bus biclon that all was not genuine but now he saw only a woman who loved him tenderly and on whose emotion he had lad carelessly played A wa wave wae e of tenderness for her swept over him hira regret tor for his having touched her keen heen nerve but it was vas colored also with the pride of the male in his con quest the chase had already excited him she was there beautiful and fond his victim conquered by his force of personality try es Ps he might to subdue this baseness h a egotism rose triumphant over his sympathy the woman was his then with the thought a lightning flashed in his brain here was the thing to do lie ile must bo be married be fore midnight why not rosamund for his bride she was ready willing to be won affectionate a beauty whom he could be proud to exhibit as his wife mrs royalton might give him prestige introduce him to a smart set present him as her dower with influx ence and position but where would she be beside the compelling beauty of rosamund gale carolyn perhaps was better fitted to be his mate she too was as of the socially elect and she had youth youth had not rosa mund the full fragrance of its charms all this in a whirling instant then with a swift rush he had her in his embrace rosamund dear rosamund hoex he ex claimed softly I 1 did mean it I 1 want you dear let me love you how careful he was to be honest I 1 want you for my wife rosamund I 1 must have you he held her tight and close he kissed her more and more fervently slowly slowly she lifted her blue eyes to his really hall really smiling through her tears she nestled close then you do really love me rosa munda hall asked after a minute of demonstration oh hall she ran her fingers through his hair hall had a queer new sensation of pleasure so far he had thought only of his marriage and his millions but with rosamund warm and soft in his arms her hair in his eyes her heart beating so near rosamund had made forget for a minute ro the moment it if not in love witcher he was at east least fascinated she set his blood his eagerness was nas not all dis simulation when he said then we must be married immedi abely I 1 can t avalt alt rosamund chats hat 8 the usa use of being engaged I 1 want you now today she sat bolt upright and stared at him with harder and more glittering ees today what in the world do you mean hall Doni stelle why I 1 in in a hurry kurry aren t you she rose and smoothed down her skirts shirts why you know hal hall of course I 1 ve to got to get ma s consent first anyway naturally I 1 suppose shell want to know whether youre you re able to support me abdall aad all that you clon t really have to N work ork do you I 1 in afraid I 1 do he looked at her pie erly why oh nothing only T don t know ma mas s funny sometimes it really doesn doean t matter but well you know I 1 in crazy about you in spite of any thing no matter N what hat happens when can you find outa he asked a little angrily it was maddening just as he had his millions within reach for with her consent again the millions beckoned oh I 1 don t see that there s any par nicular hurry of course I 1 d have a lot to do in any case there a my clothes bother bour clothes III get you anything you want after we were re mar ried be v well ell able to afford it you will she eyed him shrewd ly ob oh well then ill go right home and speak to ma ina of course you want it settled I 1 understand I 1 tell on an next page li A rf ff A continued from pieced ng page you III let lot you know tonight when a hen I 1 come to the party fine you will nill come thena of course III come I 1 I 1 say hall if ma glies her consent well announce our engagement tonight her eyes sparkled as she held out her hands and let herself be folded in his arms for a farewell kiss in that caress his fears were forgotten then she treed freed herself and walked to the office door good goodby by hall dear oh I 1 hope we can be happy and sa say y wont on t those swells open their eyes though when they hear the news she hur ried through the office without so much as a nod to flodie flodie jumped up oh your boa miss gale and handed it to her oh yes rosamund took it and emerged from her dream to look the little assistant over with ith scornful triumph thanks she threw it about her neck jauntily ob oh say neer mind those prints miss fisher risher get them hen I 1 come tonight A up went her chin all right said flodie sweetly it if 1 I have time to find them I 1 will vall time 9 1 I d like to 1 now what you re here tor for to wait upon flodie paused for effect customers and brought it out with force well you may not be here so very long it if you don t loo out said rosa mund but while you are it t hurt to be a bit more polite miss ariss fisher flodie held herself in well replying 0 NO o that s true but everyone Is so kind usually and mr air isal davs so nice and dear to me I 1 suppose I 1 am spoiled oh ohl rosamunde Ros amunds eyes were pis yes he is a dear she gave 9 ave a glance in the mirror he s a sav age when he s affectionate though he why bes lies mussed up my hair awfully but dut he Is sweet jsn isn t he lie miss richer I 1 she smiled wicked ly and went out into the studio flodie shot a bullet out of a gun hall m was as not in sight 1 she pounded at the door of the dars room stopped and listened pounded aga again in bang bang bang bangi hall emerged bc what s the matter 9 she grabbed him by the arm mr air Donis oh mr bonial elle she cried you haven t gone and done it again hae haie you youa why you see hall began to stam mer really I 1 thirk she s the best ol 01 the three don t you youa I 1 it just came over me she s so devilish pretty flo die and well she a going to give me my answer tonight oh mr air Beni Benis stelle reodie de spalding ring dropped into a chair and stared at him glassily then she shook her head and sighed well she said in a hard dry voice I 1 ve heard of men who went out looking lor for trouble but you are the first one I 1 ever knew actually to go and order it delivered at the bouse house |