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Show I WHAT HAS HAPPENED I Pn! Vanderkill falls in love with a (lance hostess from a taxi-dance that j operates on his property. The girl, Madeleine McDonegal, being used to J the rough and sordid treatment that a girl receives at the hands of men in sitclt places, is stunned at first at the Jionest love that Paul bestows upon her. She falls in love with him. As he is a scion of the old and immensely wealthy Vanderkill family, he realizes that it would be impossible for a marriage to take place. He asks her to Tive with him. She consents. Eventhing runs smoothly until Madeleine expects a baby. She frantically fran-tically tells him that she didn't do it on purpose, and he believes her. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY Paul sat for a moment, thinking. His head was down. At last he gave a long straight glance at the girl, "No," he said slowly, "You don't have to." He rose and went toward her, laid both hands on her shoulders shoul-ders and searched her eyes. "There's onlyone thing to do " He smiled a Kttle wanly and continued gently, "Wouldn't you like to go through, with it?" Madeleine was awed,L "Oh oh, Paul!" He nodded, his face set with decisipn. The girl -buried her head on his shoulder, and with muffled voice continued, "I guess I didn't want you to feel like that terribly. I guess you can't help it when you're In love with somebody." Vanderkill patted her gently. "That's settled then. There's only one thiiig I ask, Madeleine. I know "Yes, slightly." The nurse came out and Aunt j Minnie shouldered her way past Paul, "Hey, you ladies ferst!" Vanderkill was about to follow when the doctor came by hurriedly. "Hello, doctor. How's the baby?" "I don't know yet. I just got the message." Paul's voice was full of alarm. "What are you talking about? What's the matter?" "Nothing serious, I hope." Paul followed the physician, repeating, re-peating, "What's the matter?" In the room, Madeleine greeted Aunt Minnie. "I was awfully sorry you had to wait, Aunt Minnie." "That's all right, dollink. I was chewin' the fat mit a gink out there." "Who was it?" "I don't know some loafer hanging hang-ing around, I guess. I'm so happy to see you. dollink. When I found out you had a baby you could've knocked me down mit a fender. I always figured you vas vise." "But I wanted to have it. Aunt Minnie. Not "t first, of course, but I figure a girl's got a right to if she wants to." "You should have got married, maybe." Madeleine took her hand from under the covers 'and showed her wedding ring. "Veil! You could knock me over mit a fender!" - - CrC ' I if Vv'"' v X " b ( t V "' f J g i j :"Please, Madeleine, there's a right way and a wrong, I want to marry ' ' you tomorrow" (Posed by Nancy Carroll and John Boles) you'll understand there's my daughter to consider." . "You mean never to tell nobody?" no-body?" "Yes. Publicity is the- one thing I want to avoid." "I won't tell a soul, honest." Paul was relieved. "All right. We'll go at ten in the morning." "Where, for what?" She stared at him blankly. "To get married." She gasped In distress. "Oh, no! You're crazy.' I didn't ask you to do anything like that. You don't want to marry -me. Gee, Paul, you've been so good to me already. I I " "Please, Madeleine, there's a right way and a wrong. I. want you to marry me tomorrow." ' "But I don't ask you to, Paul! I didn't ask you for nothin' like that! What do you want to go and do that for." She became hysterical and burst into tears. He gathered her close to his arms. The next morning they were married, mar-ried, and the following days were spent in buying things for the baby. Paul got a thrill out of purchasing toys. He even bought two puppies so that the baby could have them. When it came to clothes, he purchased pur-chased two complete, outfits, one blue and the other pink, so as to be ready for either a boy or a girl, or even for twins. At length the expected day arrived. ar-rived. Paul was impatient. He couldn't think, or work. He clung close to the hospital waiting to see the baby and to be assured that Madeleine was all right. Minutes seemed like hours, and hours like days. When they told him it was a boy, his heart leaped with joy. He longed to go to Madeleine and tell her how happy he was. She was happy too, for the baby cemented her to Paul. Now she had nothing to fear. They would be together always. al-ways. Paul visited the hospital daily. While he was waiting to get into the room, Aunt Minnie, matron at the dance hall, called. "I wouldn't go in just now if I were you," said Paul. The woman turned to him, indignantly, indig-nantly, "Who are you and vot is your business?" "Who I am doesn't matter, but the nurse is in there now and no visitors can go in." "That's a hot one. What's the nurse doing?" "I haven't the faintest notion." I "Humph! Don't get so high-tone. j Can't I ask a few questions? You ain't nobody." "Thank you." Paul turned his J back on her. "You're welcome." She walked away, and then turned back, "Vat a dump this iss! Supposed to' be high-class. I was in a better horse- pistol when they took out my utensils. uten-sils. No pictures on the walls or nuttin' not even a place to sit down." "May I get you a sofa?" Paul asked oastically. "I "n t. trust myself mit you." Again they walked away from each oilier. "I came here to see a little friend of mine. She Just had a baby sorta unexpected like," said Aunt Minnie, coming up to Paul. "Oh, really?" "Yeah. You know how It is the song is ended now comes the melody. mel-ody. You know her, huh?". "Gee, he's wonderful ! And now j even with the baby and every- ; thing I feel I'm not good enough t for him." i "Vot kind of a vay is dot to talk? You don't know how lovely you iss or you vouldn't say dot. You got a ; infelority simplex. You iss good i enough for any man; they're all mugs, anyvay." i "You're funny. Aunt Minnie. What time is it?" ; "Almost seven." "They bring the baby in at seven. ; That's his supper time. Would you ; mind ringing the bell for the : nurse?" Aunt Minnie complied with the ; request. "You think your baby's . pretty swell, huh?" "I'm crazy about him. Aunt Min- : nie. I wonder why they don't bring : him in they're always on time." "I never thought of you with a baby." "Neither did I," said Madeleine frankly.. "Some horsepistol. I go find dot nurse and learn her someding." She rose and left the room. Vanderkill, Van-derkill, white as death, entered soon after. He stepped into the roonv and closed the door, and then looked ; at Madeleine with infinite sympathy.; She looked at him and smiled.: "Oh, I'm so glad to see you. ' I was worried because the nurse hasn't come yet with baby he's supposed to be fed very regularly, and she: hadn't ought to be late like that." "The nurse will be here in a mo-' ment." Paul walked slowly to the, foot of the bed. "You mustn't get so upset. You're not very strong yet." "Why wouldn't I get. upset for him? Come and sit here where I can see you, Paul. I want to see how my Paul is going to look when he grows up to be like his daddy so big, and strong, and so smart. And from me. he'll get a little bit of Irish to make him laugh when he's blue but he won't never be blue. I'm going to be so good to him. I won't .never scold him when he's bad, and I'm going to learn grammar, gram-mar, and not never to say 'ain't' no more so he'll be proud of me when he grows up into a fine gentleman like you." . Vanderkill looked away, then walked slowly to the other side of the room. "What's the matter, honey?" Not ! getting any answer, Madeleine's voice showed trace of alarm. "What's the matter. Paul?" Vanderkill Van-derkill turned and looked at her silently. "Paul! Don't stand there and look at me like that! What's the matter?" The door opened slowly and the doctor came in with a hyperdermic syringe. "It isn't going to hurt a bit," he said to Madeleine. She became hysterical. "Doctor, what's happened? Why does he look at me like that? Where's my baby? Where is he? What has happened to him?" Vanderkill stepped toward her. "Madeleine, you must be quiet everything has been done that could be done." The nurse entered empty handed,' looked at Madeleine and then avoided avoid-ed her eyes. The woman under--stood. She gave a little scream and then sobbed convulsively. (TO BE CONTINUED) |