Show 11 G iU J i t Jf d Ck t fJ II I L- L U ct-U i CI I b J Jane dune Cor COl h b by M s SYNDICATE W WN FEATURES N U 1 II I Jan parson PaySOn is given the lead in the Devon Devon Arms floor show when Paul Bar nar- js the hotel manager finds Ends out that the rich William Anthony knows tier lIer he thinks s interest will trine bring patronage nut But the show Is not a a. success and Paul laul blames Jan because cause did not bring his friends Jan does not want to tell Paul what she thinks is Js the truth truth that that she docs does not know poW for for she thinks Det Ducrest crest Is li his own chauffeur Tony Williams lie He does clan not dare tell her the truth for she has told him she hates because of f his wealth Unknown to Jan Den rest Dikes arrangements to pay for an oper oper- that may restore her invalid sister Dora Dor to health r I CHAPTER V I Jan stood mute as he went on The te Devon Arms must take good goodare care are of its most important guests Be lie clapped his hands as a gesture to his housekeeper and her aides to follow fonow him and left the room I J I I am going to find out what this all ill means thought Jan a little liter later She found Paul in m his office still stiff looking pleased with himself I 11 I came to thank you ou again for forthe forthe forthe the beautiful way you fixed up our rooms Jan began Think nothing of it said the manager We have been very happy happy hap hap- py py to have you girls here Jan and we hope you have enjoyed your stay as much as ns we have I Goodness thought Jan that sounds as if it he expected us to be going soon More bewildered than ever she tried again I really dont don't know how low to thank you ou Mr Harris and andI I know Dora will be more than de- de lighted She thinks that apartment you know is absolutely the most b beautiful place in the whole world lWell Well Paul Paul cleared his throat hear that that that- I jI I am very glad to very ry glad I hope both of you r Ian n will always keep a warm spot n n your heart for the Devon Arms That farewell note again Jan deCIded decided decided de de- de- de on a sudden attack Where does Mr come comen a n non on this she inquired as casu- casu Illy lUy as if it they had been discussing h bat t gentleman just the moment 3 ore What a bright little lady we ire said Paul smiling Mr r. Dev- Dev rest rest est bound me to secrecy Instantly Jan knew that in order o o. o find out anything at all she must Ire r tend to have information she lid not possess LOf Of course theres there's no secret real- real 7 l' except in his own imagination IP Paul u looted relieved He had if he had not made a mis mis- ake in rousing Jans Jan's suspicions but d f course the girl knew what wha was at the bottom of it all No Noirl Noirl jirl irl smart enough to get herself eng engaged en en- g ged to a man like Tony c could uld be really in the dark about his hii Christmas eve surprise for her ber 1 Well since you do know the facts Paul told her I see no noh h harm rm in giving you a hint that ought to to make the surprise even more enjoyable enjoyable en j for you Mr is planning ng to announce his engagement engagement engagement engage engage- ment with a magnificent party here tithe Devon Arms on Christmas Ve He is having the whole supper supper sup sup- P per r room made into a Christmas s scene ne with the biggest tree in town and d all the trimmings like a n new dress for the party wouldn't you Jan I know you u haven't been getting enough money moneY due due to unfortunate circum circumstances circum- circum stances stances to to splurge on a new party dress diess diess so as a Christmas present I have arranged with Mary Elizabeth Eliza b beth th Howard vard for an engagement dress fess for you and she's expecting you r u to call tomorrow morning for a fitting titting appointment 1 sweet of oJ you Paul said Jan Tan unsteadily 11 I ventured to hope that you would have dinner at my home Brad ad Curtis said My My mother is Particularly anxious to meet you Ive I've talked biked about you two girls a alot 1 lot lot 1 1 Do you live with your mother said aid Jan simply because she felt she the had bad to say something Dr Curtis Cur s was bel helping ping her into her wrap right She's very old hardly stirs out of the big top-heavy top house In which she went housekeeping housekeep housekeep- ing tig when she was first married I Ilive live hye e there because it pleases her and d because I like it myself He HeP spoke P to the chauffeur Stop Stop at the corner Charles I want ant to get some flowers When he came back he handed Pan n a transparent box containing a pray ray of bittersweet berries red redland land and jd gold against evergreens How lovely with this dress I ran Tan took out the unusual corsage d fastened it at her waist Lovely with your eyes and ah lr Brad said gravely More Mored Moreed ed d than your hair less golden than our JUT eyes When the meal was over the old IdY ady suggested coffee in the library or r Jan and Brad She never drank onee herself herscU she explained and go to her own Oln room at once Jan waited until Brad had bad escort escort- ii d his hid mother to her room and ailed her maid to make her com com- stable for the night He returned Uie dining room and drew Jans Jan's tm through his and they went lib ti the library Here only one i mp had been switched on and andic ande ic e light of f a coal fire behind the theart thera an art ra of an old fashioned grate I e ned very bri bright bL 11 fed Brad rose and crossed the space that lay between them Come over here he be said drawing her to her feet You belong here Brad began again after a n while You should have the things that I can give you Im thIrty thirty five five years years old and youre you're twenty youre twenty That's fifteen years years between us Could you learn to love a man fifteen years older than yourself Will you give me a chance to teach you to love me Perhaps said Brad gently I ought first to ask you is there anyone anyone anyone any any- one else Jan No whispered Jan For a little while I thought you and Tony Williams Tony cr Williams No said Jan firmly this time That didn't mean anything Then Then you'll you'll try to love me Oh Doctor Curtis I do love you Impulsively Jan rose and threw her arms around his neck He disengaged them after a moment mo mo- moment ment and held both her hands in his not quite the way I meant he told her softly Then Well leave it at that shall we And now Ill I'll take you home Im I'm flying up to Vermont in the morning morning morning morn morn- ing Ive I've got a camp at a place called Moose River Brad I do wish you a happy Christmas 1 said Jan It was December Jan was expecting Tony to ring up any moment moment moment mo mo- ment now With such an excuse as this Christmas eve party he would surely make an attempt to see her again She was due at Mary Elizabeth Howards Howard's at eleven this morning She presented herself dutifully Mary Elizabeth herself came in to supervise this last fitting as Jan did didas didas didas as they directed her before the big bigi i I It lr r rh h J r 1 I r 1 I 0 r rv v i I Z m 1 I I i n not quite the way say I Iso meant he e told her so softly f Uy mirrors She watched her image advance and retreat in their depths Turn again Obedient to Mary Elizabeths Elizabeth's commands Jan moved this way and that stood still at the turns pacing slowly in a wide circle circle circle cir cir- cle around the beautiful modern sa sa- sa Ion lon I will never never wear vear this dress Jan had made her decision Right here with the fitting in progress Up to now she had had no idea what she would do As the time for the Christmas party drew near she had bad seemed to be under a spell When the fitting was finally over overto overto overto to Miss Howards Howard's complimentary satisfaction Jan went to see sec Dora Jan lingered at the hospital with Dora as long as she could Dora was looking forward to Christmas as a child might She wondered i if that nice Tony Williams really meant to give her a present Oh Im I'm sure he does Jan exclaimed And she hoped that in spite of what had happened Tony would not forget forget for for- get her little sister Ill bet that hes he's paging Santa Claus this minute she told her with conviction They had agreed that it would be best for or Jan to bring over to the hospital all aU the wrapped wrapped-up up press presents pres eats from the hotel Jan would be bevery bevery bevery very busy on Christmas eve with Mr party and would not have time to come corne to the hos hose pital Dora promised promise solemnly that she would not open a single present present present pres pres- ent until Christmas day and Jan listened her heart a n little heavy at It atthe atthe the thought that Dora would have to spend this Christmas day alone Going away There was Mrs Talbot coming out of her room just justas as Jan was passing her door She would run into Mrs Talbot thought Jan annoyed Not that it mattered mattered mat mat- at nt all nIl but there was no use usein usein usein in broadcasting things before you I were ready No I was just taking the kits kitt to see Dora She couldn't think of anything better on the spur of the moment Humph said Mrs Talbot It was only after they had left the city far behind that Jan noticed noticed noticed no no- how much snow was on the ground Here in the open country country country coun coun- try that lay in increasingly long stretches between the small towns snow had drifted on the fields and mountains For a moment Jans Jan's heart quailed at the thought of her destination a wintry mountain region region re reo re- re gion that she had never seen But Brad would be there she told herself herself her her- self resolutely And Brad would be glad to see her She would marry Brad as soon as he wished Of that much she was certain Beyond that she did not think at all Brad would be beable beable beable able to tell her what to do about Dora perhaps he would want her herto herto herto to live with them them the the Curtis house was big enough Why its it's snowing Jan almost spoke aloud as she noticed that the landscape which she had scarcely seen for many miles was blurred by a drifting veil of snowflakes It had been dark outside the warm lighted world within the bus for a long while it seemed to Jan when they finally stopped in a fair- fair sized town Paul Harris was often otten perturbed but he was vas rarely upset And of all the occasions when he was upset upset upset up up- set there had been few when he was as worried as he was at ten o'clock of the morning of December December Decem Decem- ber her twenty The chambermaid chambermaid chambermaid chamber chamber- maid assigned to the rooms on Jans Jan's floor had come straight to him him him- very properly too with too with a note she had found pinned to Jans Jan's pillow The bed had not been slept in the maid reported Paul read the note holding it with fingers that quivered quivered ered Bred slightly as he absorbed the contents To whom it may concern he read dont worry about me When I get back Ill I'll explain everything Jan Payson Paul thanked the chambermaid and sent her on her way Then he rang the residence found out from the butler where Tony was likely to be at the moment and finally located him Ill be over said Tony hanging hanging hanging hang hang- ing up while Paul was still speak speak- ing The next half hour was a nightmare nightmare nightmare night night- mare to Paul No I haven't any idea where she could have gone No I didn't say anything to hurt her feelings That note there Mr was the first inkling I had that she wasn't here Maybe Dora knows where she went an idea said Paul brightening Ill go around to the hospital and ask her Dont frighten her said Tony from the doorway He was on his way upstairs to hunt for or clues Frighten Dora exclaimed Paul Really Mr Tony meanwhile had reached the Payson apartment and had been admitted by the chambermaid No the girl told him in answer to his questions she hadn't seen Miss Payson Payson Pay Pay- son yesterday at all She had done the rooms as usual and left Then when she came in again this morning morning morn morn- ing there was that note Had he seen it Tony had He got rid o of the maid and after staring helplessly helplessly helplessly help help- lessly around wondering where he could begin looking for some hint he began pacing aimlessly up and down the sitting room Then he became aware that someone was standing in the open door of the sitting room He looked up What a sour sour faced faced old woman Good morning he said shortly Good morning said the visitor even more sh shortly Is Miss Payson Pay Pay- son in No Miss Miss I Mrs I didn't catch the name name- I didn't give the name but its it's Mrs Talbot I if youre you're interested I thought that girl was up to something something some some- thing the way she went sneaking down the hall with that cat Maggie the chambermaid said she hadn't been home all night Tony ignored the last But what did she say about the cat Here was what he was looking for right The kitten Is gone he said Where could she have been going with it iU She said Mrs Talbot stressed the word to indicate her disbelief that she was taking the kitten to see Dora Fine hospital that permits permits per per- mits cats in a sick room Excuse me said Tony leavIng leaving leaving leav leav- ing the room so quickly that Mrs Talbot had all she could do to get out o of his way Tony reached the hospital just in time to meet Paul Harris coming down the corridor from Doras Dora's room What did she say Tony asked brea breathlessly Nothing said Paul except that Jan brought all her presents over yesterday and put them away In a drawer to be opened on Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas morning She doesn't expect Jan today She thinks she's getting getting get get- ting ready for or the party tonight and andis andis andis is too busy to come over here Mrs Talbot says sas Jan had the kitten with her and that she was taking It to Dora Did you see it around the room anywhere ITO TO DE CONTINUED |