Show loverix lOVEi i D VE ix sr GELL GELE TT s 5 illustrated 6 PAY C ay cherr SYNOPSIS 9 hall Don latelle art artist photographer prepares 91 4 r la 18 tor for the ilaya days work in kits studio l 1 jodlo d 1 maher haher his assistant aogle ansi tant stant reminds him of a party ho he la Is to give in the studio that night and that hla his business bUBl is IH in bail bad financial share abapo mr bir Du deremus remus attorney and justice t of the peace calls and In informs fornin hall that ills his uncle johns wll wil has ham left him on condition that lie he marry before his twenty eighth birthday carrr which chic i begian at midnight that night mrs rena royalton calls at the studio dudlo hall asks her to marry him she agrees to give div him an answer at the party that nii night iiii miss carolyn dallys coils calls hall flail proposes pro pones to her sho she agrees to give him an answer at t tin 1 i party rosamund Ro aamund oale gala art model c call hail a tries ries I 1 to rush rugh her into a na n immediate marriage she bhe too defers her answer until the evening tries rise to show hall hal 11 certain way out of tile the but ho he Is in jonas donaa if assing bury burr heir to the millions in eltse ciesa hall falls to marry inary on n time pots plots with loille toree to block allock alaks halls marriage rr a t to 0 an any of tile hie t three women before afore d ight X lodle ar ranges to have 11 tills throe three Intend eda eds meet at the studio da as it 1 by chance CHAPTER VII Continued flodde reappeared reappeared at the doore doorway ay she appear to resent the question in the ho least seventeen a week rosamunde Ros amunds look had vitriol hm iler her lips lost some of their beauty 1 I see one place where he could reduce expenses pretty easily I 1 really im willing oh ivo ive had plenty of afert said flodde 1 I dont have to stay here I 1 only do because he wants me to so GO much and I 1 dont see aee how bow he could ever get along with out me well avell rosamund turned away scornfully 1 I think hell get along all right the next offer you tou get I 1 advise you to take it hall may change his plans pretty soon and you might be in the way RoB rosemund emund had led trumps so followed suit butt she took her time however biting the end of her penholder thoughtfully 1 I dont know but youre right silas alias gale cale she said finally perhaps I 1 had bad better leave you see bee mr air Dont stelle Is likely to get married married any time you never can tell with a mart mail like him and I 1 would be in the way as you say bay rosamunde Ros amunds chin an alodio watched it as sho she added it would be an awfully good thing forr for mr air too you see bee hla his wife could keep the books book a and stay in the office here and hed save by it of course lie he have to pay her any salary rosamunde Ros amunds chin dropped why heavens heaven sl 1 he think of having his wife oh you dont know him flodie did the airy fairy mood derides Beir ldes he acord to marry any other way why I 1 thought by the w way ay hi be talked that he was doing a pretty good business well flodde replied with a fine frankness its this way you see mr Donl Dont stelle atelle thinks hes doing a lot of when hes not lie ho does a lot of work I 1 mean but he takes so many pictures tor for nothing its worse than it if he were idle 1 for nothing how why the same as he did yours exactly and women do run after him go ao you believe how many I 1 in here all the time rosamund by this time quite know where she was waa doing being herself a woman with a pliable conscience she altogether believe flodie but she bho was not nearly so eo confident and determined go as when she had entered sho she had bad come in with tho the intention ot of accepting hall these hints of Flod leB les disturbed her mightily site she pitt eat down and began bee n to look over ever a pile of photographs nervously flodde read her indecision decision Id and behind her account book delighted in P 1 she bho had however little time to watch before the door opened and carolyn dalys dallys trig and debonair sauntered into the room now here was a chin that was lifted naturally with none ot of rosamund gale gales affectation of superiority carolyn dallys was sure of herself it was much easier to fool with her than to fool her her eyebrows were arched whimsically over her highbred high bred aquiline nose flose her eyes always held a humorous spark oh how bow ayou do del thank you for telephoning me miss fisher I 1 was so go anxious to see those proofs I 1 ran right over she drawled amiably at flodde and smiled in I 1 n remer remembrance brance of their forenoons fore encounter she could hardly take seriously enough to bear resentment then she aba gave rosamund a careless glance modified only by that quality of interest which a brunette always gives her blonde haired sister and bowed slightly rosamund frankly stared othiel mr air Donl Bon latelle in carolyn inquired carelessly flodde replied that he was waa away on important business but that roost most of miss altos proofs were ready would sho she walt wait jill all ahe he last laet two had been arl printed anted T ln in point offart ot fact they had ava done a half hour ago hut but for Flod loa les plan carolyn and rosamund must bp be left alone together it was her opening experiment in psychology yes carolyn would wait and byran to roam about the office idly buds in cadt P it pockets tB chin up whistling softly bott ay iy rosamund from the iha determined way in which the alto was going through tile the pile of photographs intended to wait also she would see what some of those these we women me n were like who curne caino to seo see hall Donle tello she bhe had already appraised carolyn not pretty consequently not dangerous still bill 1 it would do no harm to watch her so flodde left them but saw to it t that the he t stockroom door was not quite closed the situation was tense it held po tent tal conflict flodde listening from the stockroom waited eagerly for the first shot there was however a little littie preliminary skirmishing necessary neither ot of the two foes had yet lecog nihed ri I 1 z ed the presence of a rival rosamund with beautys contempt for mere brains had returned to her inspection of the photographs when a careless gesture sent some dozens of the prints slipping sliding falling to the floor with an expression of annoyance she aho stooped to pick them up carolyn watched her when two or three handfuls had been returned to the table and rosamund listless and restless had taken a now new pose ono one picture remained at her feet carolyn good walked over and picked it up then looked at it smiling omi ling rosamund became intrigued at once wonder who it Is ayou know mrs airs royalton A friend of mr air Don latelle carolans Ca lip had the th slightest curl in her eyes was a subtle gleam ohl his hisamune amund gave it another look and added petulantly mr air donl boni stelle seems to hive have a good many friends I 1 Carol carolyn yi was frankly amused enough to say oh yes in fact im i one tl ft she gave gava a sharp woman to woman glance at rosamund nos amund indeed rosamunde Ros amunds little smile was acid she drew herself up well then when it comes down to it so BO am L I 1 the two eyes flashed lashed like crossed ra piers eters we certainly erta ought to be friends lands fr then said carolyn shrugging her shoulders there tharo was but the faintest trace of mirth in her tone not enough for rosamund to register but the hostility underneath rosamund perceived oh easily enough perhaps you think carolyn went on smiling as rosamund was silent that a good reason for our not being friends this was in the modern mode but frankness was not adall of nil tho the game that rosamund played best bt st wherefore she began to look over a pile of pho hastened haste rind 0 to o protest oh no why should you think that carolyn laughed she was now thoroughly enjoying herself well then im carolyn dallys she volunteered 1 I think you must be miss gale cale arent you ive seen halls pictures of you you know something suspicious lelous in rosamunda Ros amunds ince face impelled her to add mischievously and hes often spoken to me about you ou rosamund showed her irritation at the patronizing air of familiarity only by the slightest lush flush indeed she said bald aits its queer lie ho told me you oll oh theres very little to tell that was waa what Ca lips said but her whole taco face told a different in the womans comans language of smiles silo sho was waa an adept and carolans Ca Caio lyns smile was cruel it was now evident that unless rosa mund could distinguish herself from tho the vast horde boide of hall female friends londs fr alo wo nouh uld expire of shame carolyn caroly without knowing exactly what caused the girl to suffer was rejoicing in her lack of ease she watched wat clied Rosa rosamund muia grope for an effectual reply at af not last it came with it proud toss of the blonde head and a flash of tho the golden brown eyes oh I 1 seo eo she said 1 I know by the way nay you spoke first but perhaps you know him pretty well of course hall and I 1 are quite gaoa friends you know ehnow yes carolyn wag waa more attentive not that ive known him for neis a bont ion ume time I 1 dont mean exactly but well were quito intimate carolyn cavo her L keen look but did not show that she bhe was particularly affected really why I 1 rather ul dora der tood stood he be was interested in someone else oh no said ald rosamund Hoar aund placidly placidly of courso course you ou understand I 1 have A right to know you know why no miss alias gala cale I 1 dont know that I 1 do d know you know she drew her chair up to rosamund and sat down deliberately would fotr mind telling nie me what particular right you havet have carolyn Cn rolyn at dinst had her banter this was straight from roa the shoulder oh 1011 1 I can hardly go late into that rosamund said softly satisfied by her vie tory behind the shelter of the door hugged herself la in delight carolyn stared blared at tho tha girl puzzled do you mean to tell me ine she aha said 0 t A I 1 no said carolyn dryly finally that you are engaged to hall Donl stello rosamund stirred uneasily and pouted well no not exactly that Is put but I 1 could be jr if I 1 wanted to what carolyn exclaimed has haa lie ho proposed tu to you rosamund nodded sedately iles hes waiting for my answer right now carolyn jumped up excitedly and was about to speak when fac 11 smil ing like a book agent bustled into the room she bhe walked up to lo carolyn oh hero are your proofs miss altos dallys 7 she said blithely im sorry I 1 kept you waiting so BO long she turned toward rosamund oh I 1 see eee you havo have met miss alias oale gale so I 1 dont need to introduce you no carolyn answered taking the proofs without looking st at them atlas gale and I 1 have made ourselves a acquainted C quain ted while we wa were waiting thank you turned to rosamund afloat dallys la Is a very intimate frend of mr air benl telle you know all the starch went out of rosa rounds munds poso pose she Is she bhe gazed at carolyn as at a zebra carolyn shrugged her shoulders and gave a casual glance at the proofs oh miss atlas fisher she aha said would you mind printing another one ot of each dach of these two id like ilka to send them to my mother and see which one she eho likes better she handed thorn them back c to flodde ill wait she added her eyes on rosamund rosamund added 1 I think ill wait here a little while too aliss fisher miss alias das Is really so BO very inter eating flodde smiled well all right miss gale I 1 law like ilka her and site ehe disappeared carolyn who had bad been walking up and down impatiently now approached pro ached rosamund see here alias gale she said id like to know when hall Bon latelle proposed to you 1 I fall to seo see tow low it Is any 0 ot t your basla business ess no well then I 1 suppose I 1 shall have to tell you too the fact la is hall has just proposed to ma me 11 why hiss bliss dallys you must be ba jo joking kingl 1 rosamund stared dum founded why it was vas only this morning lie he spoke to mo me what time lime why does tho the particular minute make any difference id like to know miss aliss dallys Dal lya yes as it li happens appers it makes all the difference in the world miss alias gale mr Doni proposed to me at about lets seo see ten thirty I 1 think it was rosamund met her eye to eyo eye well he proposed to mo me at exactly a quarter to eleven I 1 noticed tho the clock oh did you I 1 I 1 but ill take your word for it narrow escape UP it Ca laugh was hard and mirthless but I 1 never heard of such a thing in my life poor rosamund stared blankly at her rival no said carolyn dryly it happen often I 1 hope hopa but theres nt use in getting excited about it do you mean to say accept a maa amna who had treated treated you like that 0 no o gale candidly I 1 and betheen you and roe me I 1 dont mind telling you I 1 accept him under ny circumstances I 1 never ever n bad any idea of oc accepting him TO UE CONTINUED |