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Show Who Game Back 1 Jack Woodford -' 1 W.N.U. SERVICE ) now. even though she could see tbat she mlghi have It. It wouldn't be worth the having It was only for Hie outside of her. the new outside of her. Fie was just like all other men. There was nothing good or fine or worth having In the world. Outside she turned resolutely, with a final mental toss that caused a physical toss of the head, firmly toward the new cafe. CHAPTER VI Walking along, with her head down, her mind a wild kaleidoscope of scorn and hopelessness, Lolita suddenly heard a voice close at hand. "Hello, girlie!" sang out a boy's cheerful voice. Almost without thinking think-ing she turned and replied: "Hello." all of the gayety which she had affected af-fected while drfS'-ing had been put on, and now that there was no more dressing to he done, clouds of memories mem-ories were rolling up upon her, threatening threat-ening every jiomeri to break over her in a storm. She ur.ri tried to b. good : had tried to start over as Gertrude had suggested. It hadn't worked. hy. then, go on frying? When in had done what she had, there was no forgiveness; wh., then try t earn It V Why not just gn on. since there was nothing else left to live for? Defiantly De-fiantly she ros.e and stood by the win do looking out. The big white sign oi the Montmarte call she co 'id see from the back; she caught a gliaipse of the red and gold sign full of rippling rip-pling lights upon the Uptown thea ter; a little to th- left the Iiiviea sign ; there was, she knew, a new cafe over there; she had over a hun dred dollars which she had received from the stop that afternoon, as change from her check. "The devil with this 'beating back' stui.t." she said at las aloud to herself. her-self. She opened the door and parsed She saw a young fellow of perhaps twenty-five at the wheel of a sport coupe; evidently he had seen her from the road, scudded along as she j walked, and taken advantage of the first open parking space along the curb to drive In and call to her. "Going any place in particular?" next asked the youth. "No. no place In particular," responded re-sponded Lolita in a dull tone; she was thinking Idly, that he was good looking, happy looking, as though he hadn't a trouble In the world. "Hop Into the car," he suggested, "and we'll both go' no place in particular." par-ticular." Without a word of remon strance she climbed into the car. At once he swung the automobile about and started back. Then be suddenly turned to her. "The whole trouble with you," he now pronounced airily, "is that you probahly don't drink enough." Lolita looked t him In astonishment as he went on. "Yeh, that must be It; you probably don't drink enough. I noticed no-ticed how d n blue you looked. Me? Say, I . -ink plenty, and 1 always feel fine; I'm heading for the Goose and Gander, and what's good for both. Care?" "What Is the Goose and Gander?" asked Lolita. "A road house, nine miles out Swell place. Nobody has eve;- been able to remember what they were blue aboul five minutes after they got inside." "All right," agreed Lolita, caring little what happened to her. After all. what difference did anything make? She had done her level best to redeem herself, rhe had failed In every particular; there was nothing left to do, the mistake that she had r.ade would never be forgiven. She had often wondered, previous U making mak-ing it, why girls who made one false step alwaps kept on going downward; it seemed so silly, when all that they needed do was to "Turn to the Right," and start over again. Now she understood. un-derstood. She was grateful that her companion did not speak to her. She just wanted to sit and naif think about almost nothing and watch the night and the lights off in the field in farmhouses rush by and hear the chorus of the crickets, so loud that it sounded above the noise that the car made. Almost she began to feel a little happy. Presently ttie car stopped before an old house that looked as though it were sadly in need of repairs. It was perfectly dark, but as she looked about she saw that dozens of other cars, with all of their lights out were parked around near the ramshackle old frame building. "Come on' prompted her companion, after he had found a parking place and switched off his lights. She allowed al-lowed him to assist her from the car. They walked up a short flight of steps, opened a rickety door and passed into a darkened hallway. Her companion, holding her arm. pushed her forward. Auolher door opened and suddenly a burst of music fairly leaped out at them; a blaze ot light met them, and, almost before she knew It, Lolita was dancing with her escort When Ihe music slopped, and ne led her to a seat, she fell almost light-hearied light-hearied nn gay. The plate, inside, was a miracle ot beauty and perfection, perfec-tion, completely giving t lie lie to the exterior. Well dres.-ed. Jolly people were everywhere ahnuL Laughter and happiness seemed literally to saluraie everything. "Something." specified her escort when a waiter approached, "that's -ioi'd for the GiMise and good for the Gander " The waiter nodded and walked oft. Presently he was hack with what looked like water in two small glasses; hut, upon sipping it. l.oliia discovered at once that It was ! unite anything but water. It was more like fire than water. She coughed and j choked. Her escort laughed. I (TO BE CONTINUED.) j THE STORY Influenced by loneliness, It. Chicago, Lolita Forbes, young and pretty, yields to the Importunities Impor-tunities of Harvey Torrence, with whom she fancies herself In love She discovers his true character and leaves him, taking refuge with an acquaintance, Gertrude Watson. Lolita is accosted by the son of the wealthy owner of the apartments. Fred Watterson He Insists on driving her to the store. On the street Torrence is waiting. He puts the worst construction con-struction on Lolita's being wlih Watterson, and the two men engage en-gage In a fistic battle In vvhii h Torrence is killed. Lolita spends a night of misery In a police nell. She informs her father, bv wire, of her situation, but hi answers that he "never wants to see her face again." Next morning morn-ing the judge, at the instigation of a lawyer, a stranger to Lolita. dismisses the case. The lawyer gives her $200 and an unsigned note informing her that college tuition has been paid for a year. He refuses to give the name of her benefactor. She takes up hnrt story writing and meets Mr. Warrill, Lolita writes a short story which Mr. Warrill praises highly. Miss Pringle, a member of the class, harshly criticises it. The story is sold for $350 Miss Pringle discloses Lolita's real identity. CHAPTER V Continued Trying nol to meet the eyes ot anyone any-one she rose and tied from the classroom class-room As she wen down rhe hall, pasl the registrar's office. Miss- Marion called oui a cheery greeling to her. and it slabbed bet like a knife. What would Miss Marion think of her. whai would all of her new-found friends think of her and just as she had ne-"gun ne-"gun to pluck up hope. The scalding tears trickled down her cheeks as she descended In the elevator. A young medical student, who was running it. slopped it between floors' sympathetically sympathet-ically and said: "Gee kid. can't I do anything for yon? Somebody flunk you? Want me 10 get you a swell anodyne?" Grateful for the stop in between floors Lolita fought for composure while the annunciator in the car registered reg-istered the angry calls for the elevator ele-vator upon half a dozen floors. She wiped her eyes and tried to make herself her-self presentable. Presently she managed man-aged to nod at the young man and he started the car down again. On the main floor she hurried out ot the lobby, dreadfully conscious that she was leaving all this dear and fa miliar atmosphere of friendly smells and railings that bore the signs of wear of two generations of students, for the last time. When she reached her room she f dared nol stop to think. One tiling i heat itself into her consciousness. ShJ mus-t make herself prelty again. She could no longer stand It to see her 1 ugly ensemble in the glass. At least if she had nothing else, she had youth and beauty; why not make the most of them? i Standing in the middle ot Ihe floor she pulled off her clothes, arid, slim and pink, ran to rhe bath. For an hour she splashed around In the tub a '.irtle comforted as long as she re fused to think by the cares of warm water upon her body. Meticulously she soaked every vestige of dye out of her hair and then climbed out of the hathiub. Her things had come from the siore and she went Into the nexi room and unpacked them. It was good t.. draw on soft, filmy underlhings feel the kiss of virgin sill; upon her limbs Pressing only in the frilly un ier garments she pirouetted before rhe hmg cheval class- on the hack of the closet door for several moments. In rhe frothy black silk underlhings. and pink, flesh-colored stockings, she knew perfectly well, as she looked in the glass, that she looked tremendously sweet. If Mr. Warrill could see her now I And yet. she didn't want him to. He wouldn't he really loving her it would be something els unpretty like poor Harvey ! Donning the new dress she sat he fore the mirror and carefully massaged, mas-saged, applied with restra'nt all of the old cosmetics that she had been acci.stomed to. a which she had eschewed ince the death ot Harvey rnhhed brilliantlne into her -air combing I- out caieftillv and corvine 11 at the ends In front, so ji.it a thick curl of it upon each side warmly tickled her cheek. Even she was amazed at the dii.'ertnt girl who. ai lust, nppei.red In rhe mirror for Severn, moments she -at. chin up. i ktilt fingers, elbows upon the dresser top. survi inj. her. elf She v,as pretty, siartllngly so. and de buhl fully iviina. am' that was all thai was lefi to her Hoi "athe. had said rhal sin- ight never come home .Mr Wan ill won!-' probably never s..-ak to Dei again It was Ihe con id.naiion ot nor punishment for whai fb; .itul done. She realized uow thai r "All Right," Agreed Lolita, Caring Little What Happened to Her. into the hall, determijed to run away from the storm, whose clouds were getting blacker and blacker wilh each passing moment. As she descended the stairs she was vaguely conscious that some one below had jusl finished a converse tion with Mrs. Hardy and waj start ing up the stairs. On the landing she came face to face with Mr. Warrill She stopped in amazement directly In his path. "Pardon ine," he said, "but I was In search of Miss er--Forbes. I won der if" "I'm hei sister,,! cut In Lolita; 'she's not up there 1 was going to see her myself, hu she's apparently gone out for the evening. What may I ask. If it's not a wholly impertinent (uestion. did you want to see her about ?" "Well." temportztd Warrill. "noili ing in particular. I Just wanted to ns'" her If certain things were true I guess It doesn't matter, though." "Probably not." said Lolita. crisply "I'd have known you were hei sister sis-ter even if yon hadn't told me." went un Mr. Warrill, Angering his hat ".ol. are exactly iik hei in lots ol ways; but very dilftrent in others." Ills admiral ion " fairly gleamed from hlo eyes. Somehow this revolted her Without a word she hurried on down the stairs, leaving him standing there looking after her She was more de renoined than ever now ro rormM all about the redemption thing that Ger trade had preai hed hnl not practiced She didn't want Mr Warrill's regard |
