Show LADY LAI I S PU By MEREDITH NICHOLSON Copyright II bj hI oel eer ee Soa Sou A T CHAPTER IV IV Continued Continued I 11 As they resumed their talk Alice It was relating something of moment moment mo- mo ment for Arrowsmiths Arrowsmith's benefit referring referring referring refer refer- ring now and then to Mrs Farnsworth as though through for corroboration The scene In n the box was almost as Interesting interesting In In- as any In the play and the audience watched with deep tion Alice Allee the least east self-conscious self of ot mortals was I f knew utterly unaware unaware un un- aware of the curious gaze of ot the Uie house whatever she was saying with an occasional gesture of her gloved hand rand or a shrug of ot her shoulders possessed her completely I thought she ehe might be telling Arrowsmith of ot her adventures at Carton Barton but the length of her narrative was against this and Arrowsmiths Arrowsmith's attitude vas vas as asmore more that of a n critic appealed to for an opinion than of ot a polite listener to a story He Be nodded his head several several sev sev- eral times times and finally as Alice with witha a slight dip of the head and an outward outward outward out out- ward movement of ot her arms settled hack had In her chair he patted his hands approvingly In my absorption I had forgotten Montana's existence but as the fhe thUd d act began I saw that he had gone er I should put myself In Alices Alice's W v fit h l left ft th the theater was still nd t tc question when the el t r 1 hanging q feEr fe a. a i i cert celt certain ln In obligation to o I o cDe h haft been 1 been watching Jr b I e s 9 m i Sie first firt tt to leave o 9 ti C rt m n fp to aka b c G met feet F i the theme o I c o g g fr e Im o q M o 2 o knew me as a ar g o. o I a of arl t d S att c r m b g ou Oahu ar were we're still turn- turn g N J he he remarked We 3 g o t f t Y worry about this piece t ry rt s ho sees ses It sends his friends S o 0 t S n n day rtE t t- t tay ay Searles earles hasn't looked ed In 3 1 S me time lime hope hes he's writing ati a ti v ig m play pIn n Hes Ues West Vest visiting his folks Dont Don't R know when hell he'll be back bash I ans answered I must write him that Sir Cecil Arrowsmith Ar- Ar enjoyed Who Wh Killed Gilled Cock Robin Kobin just as much as ns common mor mor- Fors Forsythe the had paused at the box box box- office and In my uncertainty I stuck to him as the crowd began to surge by Arrowsmiths Arrowsmith's approach was advertised adver er by the peculiar type of tall hat that he affected and the departing audIence audience audience au au- made way for him or hung back to sure stare At his left were Alice and Mrs Farnsworth and they must pass quite close to me Who Killed Cock Robin was a satisfying pJ play y that sent audiences away with lightened lighten lightened light light- en ened d hearts and smiling faces and the time trio were no exception to the rule Listening Inattentively el to Forsythe I was planning to join Alice when the trio should reach me She saw me t there iere was a fleeting flash of recognition In her eyes ees and then she turned toward Arrowsmith She drew nearer nearer near near- er her gaze met mine squarely but now noty without a sign to Indicate that she had ever seen me before She passed on talking with greatest animation animation ani ani- mation matlon to Arrowsmith Well remember me to Searles If It you write him hm I heard Forsythe say- say Ing I clutched his arm as he opened the office door Who are those women I I demanded demand deman- ed You may search me I l I see you have a good eye That girls girl's rather nice to look at I Crowding my way to the open I blocked the path of ot orderly sane citizens citizens citi citi- zens sens awaiting their machines until a policeman pushed me aside Alice I saw for tor a bewildering Instant framed In the window of ot a big limousine that rolled away uptown I had been snubbed 1 No snub had ever been delivered more deliberately with a nicer calculation of ot effect than a that administered to me by Alice Bashford Bash- Bash ford ford-a ford a girl with whom until a n moment moment mo mo- ment before I had believed myself on terms of cordial comradeship She had cut me rue Alice who had asked me meat meat at the very beginning of our acquaintance acquaint acquaInt- ance to call her by her first name name- name name- Alice had cut me without the quiver quler of ot a lash Insh I 1 walked to the Thackeray and settled settled settled set set- myself in a dark corner of ot the reading room thoroughly bruised In InspIrIt spirit In my resentment I meditated flying to Ohio to join Searles always my chief resource In trouble Affairs at Barton Darton might go to the devil If U Alice Allee and her companion wanted to get rid of me I would not be sorry to tobe tobe tobe be relieved of ot the responsibility I had assumed In trying to protect them With rising fury I reflected that bythe by bythe bythe the time they had shaken off Mon Mon- tanI and got rid of ot the prisoner In Inthe Inthe inthe the tool house they would think better of ot me Telephone call sir I followed the boy to the booth In 10 a rage that any anyone one should disturb my gloomy reflections Mr Singleton Oh I 1 This ThIs' Is Alice speaking speaking- I clutched the shelf for support Not only was It Alice speaking butin but butIn buthi In hi the kindest voice Imaginable My anger passed but my amazement at Alice and ond all her heras ways as blinded m me If she he had ad suddenly stepped through th the my surprise could n not t have bave 1 been b en greater I y oar You told me the Thackeray was your usual refuge In n town so I thought Id I'd try It Are you very very cross Im I'm sorry really I am Bob am-Bob Bob I IThe I IThe IThe The Bob Dob was added lingerIngly propitiating Huddled In the booth I doubted my senses wonderIng senses wondering Indeed Indeed In In- deed whether Alice hadn't a double double- even whether I hadn't dreamed everything everything every every- thing that had occurred at ot BartonI DartonI Barton Darton I wanted to speak to you ever so much at the theater but I couldn't very well without Introducing you to Sir Cecil and I wasn't ready to do that It It might have caused complications If anything could have multiplied the existing complications I 1 was anxious anxIous anxious ious to know what they were but buther buther buther her voice was so gentle so wholly amiable that I restrained an nn Impulse to demand explanations Are you on earth or are you OU speaking from paradise I asked Oh were we're In a ver very nice house Constance and I and were we're just about having a u little supper I wish you were here but that cant can't be arranged ed No really It cant can't I We shall be motoring back to Barton morrow to-morrow and hope you OU can Join us Let us have luncheon and motor up together to to- gether When I suggested that I call for them she laughed gayly galy That would be telling things I 1 And we spoil everything when everything Is going so beautifully Remembering the man I had locked up In n the tool house and the explanations explanations explanations I should have haye to make sooner or later Inter to the unimaginative Torrence Torrenc Torrence Tor- Tor rence I wasn't wholly convinced of ot the Ule general beauty of the prospect was In the theater I suggested Her laughter rippled merrily over oyer the wire Oh he tried to follow us In fu a taxi I We IVe had a great gleat time throwing him off In the park Im I'm not sure he Isn't sitting on the time curb right now watching the house ungraciously un un- graciously You have the fan s with ith you ou Mon Mon- tanI Jumped right out out o of his seat I 0 r. r 1 i s sa a tJ T Telephone Call Sir when you opened It In the theater This she received with more laughter laughter laugh laugh- ter tel amused her Immensely she said sardo She Sha wasn't In the least afraid of him Returning to the matter matter matter mat mat- ter of ot the luncheon she suggested the Tyringham You know I want very much to see Mr Bashford's Dashford's old home and the place all our veteran retainers came from At one one yes yes Good night 1 l Alice and Mrs Farnsworth reached the Tyringham on time to the minute As I had spent the morning on a bench In the park analyzing my problems problems problems lems I found their good humor a n trifle Jarring I I You dont don't seem a bit glad to see us us Alice complained as she drew off her gloves How can any anyone one be anything but happy after seeing that delicious Cock Robin HobIn It Is so dell- dell droll I haven't I remarked with an attempt at severity quite your knack of ot Ignoring disagreeable facts There was right In front of ot me jumpIng like a the Jack-in-the-box every ery time line you flourished your fan Theres There's that hat fellow weve we've got locked up at nt Barton Barton Barton- Just hear the man Constance she Interrupted with her adorable laugh We We Ve were thinking that he was only beginning to see things our way the only true way woy the jolly way ay and here he cometh like a n melancholy Jacques I 1 Well We'll have none of It I We Ve must confess said Mrs Farnsworth that Mr Singleton Is passing through a n severe seere trial We precipitated ourselves upon him without warning and Immediately immediately Im im- mediately Involved him In a mesh of mystery Ills Imagination must have time to adjust Itself Itsel They were spoiling my appetite I Ivas vas perfectly aware of that I had ordered the time best luncheon I knew how to compose and they were doing full 4 r Justice to It but know like a resentful I love loe you OU that as ns I stared vacantly aou ayou a you ou really are not disagreeable to us us- us r Constance I 1 Mrs Farnsworth knew that I r was me and the consciousness uplifting At the lu lur influx of ot shoppers g ham a n cheer cheery tone t were people sanely and happily of ot Uncle Bash's Dash's ghost dining room would h h. h hj come diversion I wa wal walto to Just what he woul widow and the whole when Mrs Farnswort pleadingly If It you OU knew that play with us only a fe three days das shall we you ou knew that then w wj wouldn't yov yo 0 nice In n spite of ot myself this appeal I was mo pressed by the Mrs Farnsworth Wh Wit the make-believe make fool she site Indulged quite a. a a aAlice Alice she appeared to sible person The hu her eyes ees now but her g gl than an appeal It wa waIf If you knew that o 0 not at all alt the troubles about but very differ Please pardon me mel humbly and wished tl tJ til not so 80 bewitching In a amay amay af may have have been tJ ti til Mrs Farnsworth's plea brought me to a frier toward the universe a n inhabitants The crow crOWl but we lingered talking of things We Ve must come in to sand Alice And next 1 1 run away which was ye suppose when you begh just have hae to keep peep It godie godIe go die on your hands Tl TI Til with our story you OU kno Its It's unkind to mystify are In the story Just as t My mystification was enough without this suI su suI sul sulI I was a mere character it II In awkward beginning arm gravest apprehensions aa a. aj elusion She Site looked at h hi continued Im so absam abs am am OlD In ever so many tt one would ever put mr me Ever Everyone one would say no ever eyer existed I Its It's Inc so I have hao to pretend Im I'm the he time Its It's the only keep happy And so main maIn ma mat In n my story now not o 0 ol oland and the poor fellow locke ton ton-oh on oh what If It he sh Constance It would be Sl si should hould escape I You didn't finish your of characters I 1 suggests part an Important one oa o 0 or ora a lay Iny figure My dear boy cried worth you are the hero l leen been een the hero from the ho began If It you OU should des whatever should we do doi If It Im I'm the hero I rep own key I shall begin ato n a nto to o Alice at once Alice far from being dl my declaration nodded he hc heij On Orl we had expected you rou OU needn't be In a hurry like Ike this one that runs I day to day we must lea leav chance And there are ev evel em chances chances- Not all nil on the side of hope hopeT I I We must be going su suI sue t e I wished she hadn't that ch cha a little Ittle turn of ot the head th that tha a beguiling I 1 Folly rode rode with us all alt t th tilt h Barton Darton If It anything senst sensible ble lei ered on the drive I cant can't re reca Ca Cais talk alk chiefly of knights and isy la is wild flights from Imaginary y lad had the effect of spurring gl perilous spurts of speed TO BE CONTINUED CONTINUE D |