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Show flifeL Q ilk?' (jirl mz?- Who Game Back Jack Woodford CHAPTER XI Continued I 18 I "Ont a prospect?" I "Why, yes." ! "Has he got the dough?" "Well, yes, I believe he'9 very well fixed." "Grab him, sister, grab him." Lolita eyed her haruin-scurum com j patilon thoughtfully. They all seemed j to have the same Idea, and they had I all had quite a good deal of experience ! with life. I "Do you think I ought to marry such a man, even though I do not and i uever could love him?" "Love him! Hah I You make me ; sick. Love Is the kind of anesthetic I that gets you Into the kind of scrapes ! you got Into with Harvey Torrence. The best thing to do about a guy yon fall In love with Is never to speak to him again, once you find It out ; because, be-cause, pretty soon he'll Bnd It out, and then, little sister, good night I When a fellab finds out you're In love with him. he declares an open season on you from that time on. whether you're married to him. or whether you ain't ! It's h II. You couldn't want a liner ! break, from every standpoint, than a guy who wants to marry you, has I dough, and who you don't give a d n for." "That's a very singular viewpoint," remarked Lolita. rellec'.ing as she said the words thai It really was not sin gular at all. Mrs. Hardy would have enthusiastically agreed with the girl; Gertrude had already so expressed herrelf. Her own experience would almost support the theory. Her father fa-ther would doublless think that the very best thing that she could possibly pos-sibly do would be to marry the first man who came along In order to make It easier to live down what had happened. hap-pened. Was every one slightly cracked on the subject of love and marriage, she wondered, or was she unable to S'-e the thing in the right light? Don had very decidedly disagreed with h-:-r upon the subject- She wished that there were rome oue to whom she could turn for real advice. Ihiuy of the good wriiers whom she was con Stantly reading seemed to think thai not only marriage, but love itself was a sort of delusion, based wholly upon phj sicai stimulus, and not at all im portant In the general scheme of Ihln.-s. Lolila rose. "Well, I've gut to go. my dear; you may be right In all you j say, but It is my couteniiou that when a girl Is dowu she need not be out any more than u uiau need be. Think about that route time." The other laughed a Utile too loudly, so that Lo Ilia felt that the shot had struck home and might, perhaps, some day lake root and grow. Itecalling that she had an appolnl ujenl with bred at one o'clock, she started toward her room. Leaving the books at home, she walked on and met t'red. "Let's Just walk around a few min utes," he said; "I have a rather Im portant favor to ask ol you." They left his car, which was parked near the road, and slarted Inlo the park "1 waul you lo nieel my fulhei He's very anxious to know you, und I promised him I'd bring you out tomorrow tomor-row for luncheon in the house he Just linished. You'll come, won't you?' He was so anxious about II thai she had nol the heart to refuse. .She nodded brielly. "Yes, I'll come, but I hope you haven't given bim to understand I hat " "I haven't given him to understand anything, except Hint 1 hope some day in win you. and thai you are (he iihimi wonderful girl It) Hie world you'll really come llien you'll meet me to morrow al ten and let me drive you out there?" "Yes. I'll meet you at ten tomorrow and drive out wllh you." Hack In her room, later, rhe wished she hadn't promised to go; but It was loo lale to do anything about II now Restlessly she picked up her copy nl the Mel ropolllnn Magazine to ihiiuib lis pages. Suddenly her eye III upon the name WnrrlU. She straightened up In her chair, and stalled reading through the story. Finishing the first brief reading she turned lo the beginning and started to reread It more slowly. It came over her gradually, while re reading the story, thai she hail de-! de-! scried Don In Id hour of need. II bad not occurred lo her heTiire thai he should have temporary wenUncsses. Jiir-il an she had had. lie deemed mo sure of lilni'.elf, so knowing, so thoroughly founded and grounded In nls habits of thought and iniloii 1 WloM a little Idiot she hail I n. She I (lew oltl Into l!ie hull lo the lilc,lii,iie 1 Willi her heart hnllllnei lug fIic gave I he number. ITc'cnlly a gill's voice l.t.MV.CMd h Mr. Win i-i 1 1 In'" us:. cil I.., Min rout nilliiiK lo i volic wild nn ,-ihnt "Yim, I bi'li'".e lie l.i I'll lii.i; Hi-room. Hi-room. ( 1PM lili'lll' til , p I ' ' , I ; I. " T;,i' "one moment" stretched out Into a seeming eternity. Then, "Hello!" came over the wire In that husky tone that she loved so well. Lolita started to return his hello. Her voice stuck In her throat, she sputtered helplessly. Who Is It? asked Don rather brusquely. "It's me," she finally squeaked, "Lolita." "Lo-lita." "Lolita I My dear I Where are you?" his voice was electric "I'm here home I " "What number?" She told him the number and, with out so much as a good-by he hung" up the receiver. Lolita was perfectly cer tain that he was coming to her at once. She flew upstairs frantically to primp. Not more than fifteen minutes later the door bell below stairs ran shrilly. Lolita heard voices In the hall, one high-pitched and sharp, the other soft and husky. Presently there were steps upon the stairs, a knock at the door. She turned, supported herself her-self with her two hands upon the dressing table top, and culled out: "Come In." The door opened and Don Warrlll stood framed In the doorway for a moment, mo-ment, blinking uncertainly In the "Yes, I'll Meet You at Ten Tomorrow and Drive Out With You." gloom, for she had the shades down to keep out the sun. Seeing her he started forward, and. when he was half way across the room she found her.-'elf. though she was hardly con scions of having moved. In his arms. t've looked for you everywhere." he told her, his kisses covering her up turned face. "Why on earib didn't you lei me know? What prompted you lo call me now?" "Your story," she faltered. "It was beautiful, I cried, when I read It." "Uh, Don, I'm so sorry what a goose I've been 1 saw It all when I read the glory to think thai you needed me. and I failed you." He did not trouble to answer all this, hul held her her nl arm's lenglh looking al tier. Then, seemingly unconvinced that he really held Lolila In his arms, lie strode lo Hie windows and raised I tic shades. The sun streamed In. He put his hands upon her shoulders again, drew her to him, kissed her. then held her away. "You're prettier, even, than before.' lie told her sincerely. "There's depth lo your beauty now, something line and new anil wonderful. It socio.-almost socio.-almost unbelievable good forlune that I've found you again." "Hut Miss I'rlngle ?" "You read the story, didn't you?" "You mean to say Unit ?" "Absolutely. ICt er.vl hlng has hap pencil Jusl as I (old II In Ihe story Shortly after you disappeared I real Ized Hint 1 roulil never marry her loving you as I did." "But, dear, all of those things you said about art being paramount to the commonplace side of life, tbe " "The bunk," be said succinctly and kissed her full on the mouth. "The greatest art of all Is life, and one can't piny the game without observing some of the rules and not hurt themselves them-selves and others. I hurt myself, und 1 hurt you, and I'm through trying to play out of bounds. If you will honor me by consenting to become my wife?" Lolita turned and looked up at blm. It was, she decided, beyond all possibility pos-sibility of a doubt, the happiest moment mo-ment of her life. "Nothing could, please me more," she said simply und felt a hot, happy tear run down her cheek. Don, too. was affected. For a moment he could not speak. He held her more tightly and stroked her hair with his hand. "We'll be married tomorrow morning," morn-ing," be said Urmly, unable to coun tenance the thought of delay. "As you like," she agreed. "My cur Is downstairs; have you had lunch yet?" She hadn't, und they started downstairs together. They drove north, with no particular particu-lar thought of hunger. Don Lot only found oue arm sufficient for guiding the car, but found also creditable use for the other aim. It seemed to them both that they would like to drive on and on forever aud never stop; but at length, they passed a pretty hotel half hidden by the woods. "Looks good," suggested Warrlll. "let's go In. He ordered dinner for two and they sat out on the wide, wind-swept veranda to eat. For a long period neither spoke. Warrlll at last broke the silence: "And how have you been getting along with your writing?" "Wonderfully." she told him, watch Ing the pleased delight come Into bis deep brown eyes. "So marvelously that It seems almost Impossible, How can It be that I, who have been so undeserving, un-deserving, have had so mucb good fortune?" for-tune?" "Undeserving?" he questioned; "how can you say that? You've been a perfect per-fect brick, from Brst to last. It Is 1 who am the undeserving one." "Your encouragement at the start was what did It, dear " "Don't be silly. You had It In you that's all there Is to IL But tell me every single solitary thing you've done, since last we saw each other." Chronologically she related practically practi-cally every Incident, not omitting to tell him all about Fred Watterson and his rehabilitation. It was dark when they returned, after having bad supper in a roadside Inn. She slood upon the steps and watched as he drove off. When be turned at the corner he gave two farewell fare-well toots of the born. Long after he had gone she stood watching the corner cor-ner where he had turned. She fell almost sure as she slowly undressed for bed that the serial which she had sent off some days before would be nccepted. It would enable 1 1 1 1-in to stari up their little studio apartment rather pretentiously. There would be nothing In It that was not beautiful, there would be nothing In their lives thenceforth whlcb would not be beautiful, and perhnps. after a lime Lolila blushed. What a thought for a girl not yet a bride to entertain I Upon this reflection she fell asleep, awakening to llnd Ihe sun streaming Inlo the room. It was close to nine o'clock. Hurriedly Hur-riedly she sprang from bed. Mem orles of the night before came hack In a rush and she stood for a moment In the middle of the floor breathless with delight Today was the day! The thought of her appointment with Fred Watterson Intruded and with a Utile moiie of annoyance she began lo dress, for there was no time to lose. When she arrived at the custnninry meeting place . . . Fred was al ready there. "You're late." he chlded her, as though Ibis fact bad given hhu some unease. "Sorry." she returned happily. They walked toward his car. Just as she was about lo enter. Lolliu caught fight of a familiar face a few feet away, peering around a hedge. As Ihe car drove oh" she searched her mind to try to remember where she Inn seen Ihe rather unlovely face before. I'res i in ly II came to her that It was one ol Ihe men who had driven her back hntne from the Goose and Gandei r Ihouse otter her Interview wllh Gray liyes. This thought worried hei Tor a time, but she dismissed It from her mind as trivial, a thing which she would, pei haps, nol have done had she known that the man Jumped hit" a black limousine thai had Us curtains drawn. Immediately after she hud climbed Into F red's car. and Hint the black limousine was ut that very mo nient not a hundred feel behind them In the road ITO im CONTINUED.! |