Show I Tite Thirteenth andl lent i t t 1 1 B RUPERT I t f fi t r l JP t l I j By Copyright by br Harper ell do I DAPHNE AGAIN TURNS TO CLAY BUT A ATHE AS PLAN FOR FORTHE FORTHE THE FUTURE A NEW BL FALLS Synopsis Clay Clay V urn a n young oung New Yorker on a visit to Cleveland Cleveland Cleve Cleve- land meets pretty prett Daphne Kip whose hose brother Is in the same office with Clay In Wall Waif street Aft After r a whirlwind courtship they become engaged Daphne goes to New York with her mother to b buy y her trousseau Daphnes Daphne's brother Bayard Bayar has Nils l S Just married and l left tt for Euro Europe e with hI his bride LelIa Leila Daphne and aM her mother Install themselves In Bayards Bayard's flat Daphne meets Tom Duane man about town man town who seems greatly n a at attracted to her Daphne accidentally discovers that tha Clay Is except for his salary Baynard m n nd his Ills wife return to New York u ut ex ex- ex The three women set out on a shopping ex excursion and t th e two younger women buy expensive gowns having baving them charged Charge t to Bayard ard Is furious over the expense seeing hard hord times ahead ahead Daphne Indignant declares she will earn her own on living and brea break er engagement engagement engagement engage engage- ment with Cla Clay Through an intro introduction b by Duane induces a theatrical magnate to to give h her r a position In o i of his com com- Her Tier first rehearsal Is a n fiasco fiasco- but Reben at Du Dunne's Dunnes Dunes Dune's nes ne's request gives her lIer another chance Sudden illness of Miss Ken ble the star gives Daphne her chance but her acting Is a dismal failure She is consoled consoled consoled con con- soled by Tom Duane CHAPTER XII XII Continued Continued J 9 9 Satan or Raphael had whispered to her an Invitation to revisit the e of her late humiliation With Duanes Duane's m magic purse purse there would youl be beno beno beno no danger of a snub from the waiters walters with his own car there would be no risk of footing It home Then an imp of mischief spoke for her an and said All right I Duane told the chauffeur and the car shot like a javelin from the lighted street Into the deep night forest-night of Central park What would Clay say But after all nil lIe he ba had failed her in a a. crisis Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps he had turned his heart else else- where Men were Impatient vindictive vindictive vindictive tive fickle le When Claremont was reached reached- and Duane handed Miss Kip out ut he noted that her hand was hotter than his own and a little quick to escape her face was flushed and her Ups lips parted as if with excitement He assumed that the speed of the ride and the tang of adventure ads were to blame While the waiters walters were serving the supper and while he was was' attacking it with the frank appetite of honest hunger hunger hunger hun hun- ger she recounted the evenings evening's dis disaster disaster dis- dis Is- Is aster as calmly as If it were the story of somebody else In fact she was standing ot off and regarding herself with the e eyes es of an alien We Ve change so fast that the persons we were yesterday yesterday yester ester day ay are arc already alread strangers an and their acts the acts of distant relatives Her calm was r really ally the numbness of shock The anguish would come to to- morrow I cant can't understand myself at all aU Daphne said 1 went through every everyone everyone everyone one of the motions but I couldn't reach the audience once I was like a asinger asinger asinger singer with a bad col cold singing in a n foreign language you language you ou dont don't know what the song is all about but you OU know that It never quite gets on the key You ou mustn't be discouraged Oh Ole yes cs I must I couldn't be an actress In a thousand years Mr Batterson Batterson Bat- Bat terson lerson told me so himself Duane felt the truth of this but It hurt him to have her feel It It offended offended of of- fended fende his chivalry to realize how bow Impolite impolite Im im- im polite fate could be to so pretty a girl lie He hated to see her reduced to the necessity of proving how plucky she could be He lIe tried to find an escape for lor her liar He said suld Youre far too good for the stage I dont don't believe that for a minute she protested But Ive I've got gol to find so something I can do May I 1 help you to decide l If you O 1 only would I But Im I'm getting to be a a nuisance You are a to a-a-to a to me you OU are awell a awell awell a- a well youre you're not a nuisance He lIe dared ared not tell her what she was wad specially especially as us the waiter walter had set the bill at his elbow and was standing offin off offIn offin in an attitude of Ill-concealed Ill impatience impatience impatience tience for tor the tip which he knew a l be large Mr Duane Dunne alwa always s 's ten per cent and a n 7 He lIe tipped ed wisely but not knowing that an extravagant rs s a n waiters waiter's contempt almost than than none at all The head waiter l j cooed Good night and und almost them them a n blessing tie lie starter had bad Mr r. r Duanes Duane's car carling ling for him at the curb and lifted n hat bat with one hand band as he smuggled quarter a an away n with the other He In to lay the linen tr e V their knees with lo cc cJ ed d l lj door exquIsitely and murmured j night I 1 The car was an aristocrat i It float float- from the CUI curb b with a swanlike t cell C Daphne thought of r Clay and ond herself herselt tiding homeward She seemed to them or 01 their wraiths staggering along She felt very rry for tor them Here was a chance to tove tove toye ve ye one of or them them both both of them In Ind ct d i for In taking her bel financial burtrom bur bur- 71 from Clays Clay's shoulders she would 4 r I t twice Ice strengthening him If It she shee e te ie to accept Duane as us her husband wrier ler problems would be solved solved- lay Jay would be he free tree of ot her v. v Mrs Tom rom Duane Dunne to step Into jety lety ety of ot society i to lift her father tather gabs l r from a position of ot meek meek- ness floss in pj veland r to a post of distinction distinction distinction tion In New York to solve at once all loathsome belittling riddles riddles rid- rid of money to be the bejeweled an and feted and Idolized wife and mistress of this young American grand duke to bu buy that impossible trousseau or better better better bet bet- ter to live in a New York palace instead instead instead in in- stead of a flat to go about in her own limousine Instead of an occasional taxIcab taxIcab taxicab tax- tax to be fortunes fortune's darling instead of a member of the working classes struggling along with bent bent neck under undera a yoke beside besie a discouraged laboring man When the car reached her building she was resolved to see Duane Dunne no more suore She could coul not tell him so Aft After r rall all he had been everything that was courtesy an and charity It would hardly I ill I o iT II IIo i ir r t I II She Stared at Her Image in the Mirror have been polite to treat him with absolute absolute absolute ab ab- ab- ab solute Indifference Duane got down downan an and helped her out and took took- took her her to the door which was JU Ked at this late hour While they waited for the doorman doorman doorman door door- man to answer the bell she was pa payIng paying pay pay- Ing him his wages You are wonderfully kind I IlIad had a gorgeous evening You Yon saye saved m toy y life She had said more than she Intended Intend Intend- ed If ed-if If not more than he lie had lead earned earnell Then may I call soon Of course Tomorrow 1 I well I well Ill I'll let you know Fine J Telephone me at at- at Ill I'll write It out for you ou Im I'm not often at atthe atthe atthe the club where you found me an and my number Isn't In the book He wrote on his card his telephone address and gave It to her as the doorman app app ap- ap l p He TIe murmured Dont forg forget t. t She murmured I wont won't Both said Good night Then the doorman gathered gathered gathered gath gath- ered her bel in and hoisted her to her lowly eyrie crie It was very different from where she would have gone as Mrs Duane But when she was In her room she tore his card to pieces pieces after after she had looked at It She stared at nt her Image In the mirror She hated what she saw there She Sue vowed to break her promise to Tom rom Duane She vowed to forget his telephone number But it danced about in the dark long after after she had closed her eyes The next morning she overslept even eyen bc beyond the extra hour the Chi wises p b Pf nl d themselves l es and the stranger within their gates on Sundays When WIlen Daphne appeared at breakfast breakfast break break- fast trying not to yawn awn Mrs ChivvIs Chivvis Chiv Chiv- vis greeted her bel with n It voice as cold and dry as ns the toast fin and as os brittle You were rather late getting in last or night night or this morning rather Daphnes Daphne's answer was vas not an un explanation explanation explanation nation but it was better Oh I know It Mrs but I lost my ray position last night Yes I played the principal part and killed it and ond now Im I'm not going on the stage any more mor more 1 tt ti o ls iY was touched You root POol i i it really Is just IS-just Just too ba bad She p. p rendered then she brightened Im 1 rry youre you're disappointed but Im I'm Imre glad youre re not to be in the theater 7 must most be ver very wicked Its uIt's mighty difficult said Daphne Mrs C Chivvis thought a moment more then she sni said Did IDid I tell you you you- No I dont don't believe believe be be- lieve I you did you were away but away but Mr Chivvis Chivvis- gets his vacation next week Hes He's got to take talce it when his turn comes The man who was going now couldn't be spared so we have to leave Tuesday Im I'm going of ot course so I cant can't give you your meals You can get your our breal breakfasts fasts in the kitchenette Of course Ill I'll allow off whatever Is right Oh Daphne said l Ill be all aU right I guess Daphne had not realized how bow much she depended on Mrs Chivvis till tm now She was to be left alone at th the very time when she was most In nee need of society The whole world worl was forsakIng forsaking ing lag her CHAPTER XIII When the had gone Daphne ne assailed the task of composing her ller letter of resignation n from Reben's em em- ploy It was not easy to resign with dignity and the necessary haste She sent It off by messenger It was none too prompt for Reben ha had already already al al- al- al ready reay dictated a ver very polite request for Daphnes Daphne's head When h he received her letter he recalled his stenographer and dictated dictate a substitute for his first letter In this he expressed his regret at learning Daphnes Daphne's decision to resign resign resign re re- sign the former understudy had come comeback comeback comeback back from the roa road he said and would resume her work He begged Daphne to accept the check for two weeks' weeks salary in lieu of the usual notice notice no no- tice Uce and hoped that she she would believe him faithfully hers Daphne felt a proud impulse to return return return re re- re- re turn the fifty dollars She wrote a aletter aletter aletter letter to go with it She looked again and saw It was was the the first money she hud had ever earn earned d. d She hated to toy let It go i She decided to frame it and keep It to point to in after years as the beginning beginning beginning begin begin- ning of ot he her great fortune Late in the afternoon when the western sky was turning Into a 3 loom for crimson tapestries almost as rich as her own dreams she went to her brothers brother's apartment There the New Girl found foun the Ol Old Woman in the throes of finance Leila Lelia had brought her check book and her bank book to her herband band Her Her- Her Her-af affairs affairs af- af fairs were In a ii Knot Enot n 0 t. t He laughingly offered to help her She was hurt by his laughter but not hn so deeply as he was by his discovery discovery discovery dis dis- dis- dis covery of her monetary condition He had established her bank account ina Ina in ina a mood of adoration a precious sacrIfice sacrifice sacrifice fice on the altar of love She had not cherished It lt but scattered it heed heed- And money was peculiarly precious precious now In the final finalL agonies agoni s of the times hard hard times when only the fittest of the fittest could survive the last tests Credit was the water cask and dollars ollars were the hard biscuits of a boatload of survivors from a wreck Land might be reached if they held out but self-denial self was vital Bayard Baard gazed at nt Leila Lella with wonderIng wonderIng wondering wonder- wonder Ing love and terror She was both divinity and devil in his eyes He groaned Are lAre you tr trying ing to wreck me You know lenow how hard har Im I'm working an and how much I nee need money moncy In my business and how much it means menns to your our future but you wont won't stop bu buying ing and charging charging ing and burning my any poor little earn n ings We Ve discharged a a. stenographer yesterday because we wanted to save her salary of fifteen dollars dollars and and heres here's a check for tor a pair pall of shoes for you ou that cost sixteen But tell me one thing more before Im I'm carted off to Bloomingdale In a straitjacket Why In heavens heaven's name why why admitting admitting you just had to have that pitiful little pair pall of shoes shoes why why when you wrote the check didn't dint you ou subtract It from your balance instead of adding It 1 I ask you ou I Oh did I do that she asked looking lookIng lookIng look- look Ing over his shoulder So I did Id I and she put her cheek check close to his and giggled lIe He shook his head In n imbecile Infatuation Infatuation and drew her bel aroun around into his arms That was what Daphne overheard when the maid let her In She found Leila resting in Bayards Bayard's lap Ba Bayard ard did not tell Daphne what his conference with Leila ha had been He lie simply closed close the check book and the he bank book and said to Leila Lelia Ill send the bank my check for tor thirty eight cents and ask em to close their account account ac ac- count They'll be mighty glad to todo todo todo do it And so will I said suld Leila Lelia It lilt was awfully hard work keeping truck track of every cery little penny Id I'd much rather have a regular allowance In cash every every ev ev- ery cry week All right 1 I said Bayard Well try that that next next week Daphne was not told what all this talk was about but she made mude a fair guess though she pretended not to She told about her failure an and he her future an and Leila praised praise her courage an and her lieI optimism They dined ine cheerfUlly cheerfully cheerfully cheer cheer- fully and Bayard decided that the best bes preparation for the hard har work ahead of him would be an evening of gayety He TIe Invited his wife and his si ss sister er r t to togo togo go with him to the where the typical Sunday concert o of New York was given CHAPTER XIV Then the came back from their vacation unexpectedly early earls The They had found the hotels expensive an and Mr Chivvis was afraid that his jo job would be snatched from him if h he were not there to hold it down Clay called on Daphne that evening and the retreated to the their own room But as os they could be overheard overheard over over- heard hem it was evident e that they coul could overhear o and the lovers loyers found n no chance to say any of the things that tha frightened their souls One evening Daphne said to Clay I in inas inas as lowa lown voice as he could hear Mrs Chivvis is growing uneasy honey about our being together every every eye eve ning I tol told her we were engaged bu bushe but she didn't seem convinced Perhaps you rou would woul let me wear that |