Show arwill 9 arl WEA P by evelyn campbell e service g copyright by evelyn 3 THE STORY linda ne neer do well father dies when she to Is seventeen beaving her little beyond a borne 0 me wor worthless stock certificates these she takes to her fathers friend senator converse to di dispose S of after a whirlwind courtship linda marries courtney roth hotti too late she discovers he la Is a penti penniless llesi adventurer living by hla his wits roth dies in switzerland linda continues to live ike a woman of wealth the t benator supplies her with money kee keeping ping up p the fiction hat her stock Is yielding 9 it on a t trip ri p she meets brian anstey ansley ile he helps her out of an embarrassing situation linda learns the real reason for Conver converses soa frien friendliness dlin T the h e senator resents her friendship for an anstey ey CHAPTER IV continued why you tell roe me you were ashard aa hard up us as all that he del demanded banded harshly he was genuinely alarmed anything might have happened why good G dl di girl to think of you running about over the country without a dollar in your pocket borrowing from strangers tricking them she finished her face had become mu muted ted she slumped wearily in her chair it Is nothing new I 1 have lived that way done things like that so many times but he know he tins lias no nd idea billave have you returned the money he loaned you converse demanded suddenly she shook her head dumbly humiliation milia tion could strike no deeper than that when they were in the taxi he be took one of her hands in his hot palm and tilled filled it with bills and loathing his touch she must let her own band lie ile there inert arese prese presently antly he said 1 I 1 am glad it was ansley hes a decent chop chap not likely to take advantage of cucil sucil such an experience who Is be how well do you know him tile the senator leaned back and lighted a cigarette he was comfortable comfor agan again feeling the situation in his hands A promising youngster but p poor hes after a diplomatic lob job and has asked tile me to help him I 1 perhaps I 1 will perhaps not depends he gave her a nn narrow arow glance but her long lashes lay upon her fier immobile cheeks he added in a lighter tone by the way ill tell ste stevens vens to take this out of your check when he be forwards it she began to fold tile money into a neat little square pocket do please it will be less awkward aukward already the wall of pretense was swung sung magically between them and slie she sheltered thankfully behind it licking itching her bruises but the senator looking over was well content it had not turned out so badly after all hurt women are weak women always CHAPTER V brief happiness it was exactly eleven when she heard brians eager vol voice ce over th the e telephone ive been waiting two tuo hours wilting whiting for what for eleven you r said a cloven ahe hiie laughed are you always so obedient when you were a youngster did you get all the cards market marrcil for a good boy his voice sounded when he replied find and abe he remembered that men never like to he be teased by the absent 1 I 1 did not want to disturb you earlier linda laughed again with sudden galety gaiety this was so ap different from the way men usually talked to her slip she told him to meet tier her at the lil klux at four and presently the ct conver inversa tion was over and she had turned away any with alth cheeks that glowed faintly and a light in her eyes slie she thought of him almost constant ly during the next net ne t imy hours there was a great deal to do after her absence and she had find meant to stay indoors going over her war wardrobe droba and the great stack of letters that had find accumulated in her month of absence she disliked both tasks for the tbt ward robe meant gowns that had lost their freshness and the letters were netitia till all unpleasant hills bills it was a relle adler to think of brian instead no lio was uis so fo f o young su so naive with mill his open a dal ration for tier lierl I 1 and he made b wr er feel fee young more than on once ce she had founie herself think ing of herself as tired workout and amt the olie vas v as jonir twenty four brian wah his candid his alj spontaneous smile hla his uti uncommon cognion com nion and real chivalry gava her back the years that had sunk with their hurts into obscurity lie ile canle so eagerly to 40 their up that lie must have been counting the minutes that kept it awny away but he found her changed paler than she had been in the flush and of tile the restaurant and nn an air of weariness about her bor she was dressed exquisitely in a close black velvet thing that made nil all the other women seem to have something vaguely wrong about them the moment they faced one another across the flottle table linda spoke of the tiny loan lie he lind had made tier her 1 I wanted to return it myself 1 she softly and that la Is why I 1 did not send it to you nt at once tie ile took the alie bills und and folded them away in a n shabby little billfold that she n noticed otfred was rattier int flat F from roin the first she hill gained the impre impression sst on that lie he was not very well off one of those young men with h a future waiting to be ba carved by willing hands the thought made her smile blittle n little it was easy to picture brian anstey curving carving ills his strong brown fingers had a way of forceful grasping H even veil the teacup looked extraordinarily fragile as he handled it ile eie did not weigh the import of her words lie he ans much too enchanted by her eyes they silt sat there playing with their tea and linda itoch discovered that she was happier than she had been for a long loni time she told herself that this was in a way a sort of holiday she could not afford to play with poor young men however charming but now she could breathe freely she knew that converse would keep ills his word and that in a day or two she M N have you returned the money he H loaned you converse demanded suddenly would have a check to tide her over she deliberately shut her eyes to the mira cleof of how this was wag to be accomplished shed d tile the fantasy of the stock had grown into a permanent institution that could always be depended upon she felt amiable ani and light hearted in spite of her pallor and the delicate languor that wit was a ler part of her brians eyes mado ner feel very young what shall we do he asked when the pretense of tea was over there arent tiny any windows to peep into in new york what non nonsense I 1 she cried gaily there are millions million sl I 1 but most of them are so hideously expensive that we not nil all of them he be reminded her losing tits ills smile did you e override ever verr ride ld on the elevated f she shuddered dont on please I 1 those dreadful endows I 1 I 1 do not like to think of them no our little game belonged to the place where we found it we see the same things here 1 11 I wish you hate poverty so he said gT gravely avely who she said rising she could not believe that he was in earnest tile the day was warm for fe february beurry there was a smothering down pressing haze in tile the air a warning of chan change they walked slowly along the avenue where plenty of other women jis as welt well dressed as linda landa but not looking lokling it were also walking in spite of loaf the damp pavement thap were all looking eagerly into sh shop op windows that had bloomed and flowered into spring these windows were marvelous fairs and laces fin finishing shing jewels and silk petticoats wonderful hats hata and delicate lace tans fans lounged gracefully against their velvet backgrounds an insolent french doll in a wisp of chantilly wore a priceless sable around her neck linda paused before one window where a sing single gle small hat perched on it purple pedestal hov loKe lovely lyl 1 she exclaimed but baitin was looting at the yellow haze that touched the bare trees in the dim park with the wreathed veil of mystery im not rich you know brian said thoughtfully and I 1 wish you linte hate poverty so that you could help me come to a decision TO BE CONTINUED |