Show r t r. r ii PARADE B y r Evelyn Campbell CampbellI I I Service i Copyright by J la- la ra l. l j ru A CHAPTER X Continued X-Continued Continued iW 11 I 16 16 tiShe She picked up her fan fun her little mn tin party bag riving giving a n last look lamp uter at ut lj t er r face In the What lInt was those e eyes fear eyes es fear unrest t alI aim ap- v M I nut lint with her first question It itEs ns Es gone gune She saw hel herself elf as liS she as os touchingly beautiful with wll time rile peri pera per per- a i of maturity in the rhe hotly body of puth Muth With a sweep of slun she hp grew out her arms to her o own on n Imn Image tl was her right She he would ie e it now In whatever er form forum It came thing hing could hold It hack from heren her m-e m a en en n she made a little prayer er Obe O 0 j me be happy I She was standing there when the c lock ock ck l came upon her door SOW allow How strange to see her own face l item and whiten to see her het own ownes owns yes es s widen and grow V rJ dark with fea fear r ar r that had been at nt her elbow trough Jr ugh this hour lurking ing beyond he U lithe the be corners of oC the room roost Unnamed nr that her Inner self hind had known of nt l d 1 tried to warn her of oC but hut which t H Jie ire would not heed It was I strange s W. W watch th her own orn w face e like this s. s mark mark- la e i Vl UI ILO Sw U u uJ watch a II strangers stranger's face Come Come In she said The he door was not locked Through re e eJ mirror that she still faced she TW it slowly open and saw a man finding tn ding on the threshold of her room 1 1 tit t was Yas a short stocky y man moan wit without y and without memorable features twenty like him un any aft after after- rn r- r n on n without seeing one of them Yet re iFe re was a look of strength of 01 re re- T glance i about him that made Itself jj 11 through his unremarkable per As he advanced closing the them m rR behind him she retreated tier Her I n touched the mass of gardenias Ica j the contact released u a burden ol at I vy Y perfume She he heard her Iler name and murmured Yes es s. s I am um Linda Roth noth I m J l rian Irian was waiting for her tier at nt thence the theof I nce of the ballroom us as she knew would he be He lie looked at um her ber unx- unx ly y as us If aware of some saute vague ue al- al Ulon In her features This was not for her cheeks were delling dell dell- ing ij colored and her eyes softer und and p e e brilliant titan than ever er Site She he smiled there was a coldness In her smile 11 1 repelled the warm eagerness of role Ate re had hod waited a long time lime and fit filler fi er men nor Dor lovers like to wait lou ou are late Linda j er ter er white shout shoulder der moved with an perceptible shrug I 11 found that I 1 Ii i tired Ired of dancing I 1 was WIS in huH half mind not to come down Ji lie he e puzzlement of his eyes eres deep rJ O That afternoon she Mad hail prom meet him here It t was arr aried ar- ar r led as ns If they had passed sed hours iffe die if b planning and now now this With Incomprehensible smile mlle she bit ed ed wIth him nm through thru h the length I 1 Hie e room to the thc group where lIere the Jb F hostess was to he be fount found US ovas one of those these odd add Oj ale un undone anyone who vim asks properly for j lI may find tind a welcome jady lady whose name flume appeared on uti ird was a 8 shy bewildered iI that had seemed very ery tine me but hut was quite f lust lost mend and effaced rJ K m the rhe frocks of guests It whose C n anti and faces were equally ef ht rall I gr People kept cumin carmine ninth and It I-It- o- o t she smiled mechanically all y e of ef not nit know who Mrs Hili Koth linth II wins was US she came to In be he th there re but hili slip she hn I. I I. I c I Melida M-el- M C l. l ida saw a n dozen faces that she III and ancl 8 III IJ pel at each of ot them In Inn Inn n smile as ns Icy IlY and Impersonal r Bill Me has hospitality l m tic the they short shared d. d iI Then Theil hen 1 the e blur of moving Ii figures uns un's s e erse M hl his face distinct in In lt Hz n 0 online out ine over o the enormous IL i I of linen cid upon anon I east like II a shield As their t mot nt tt his own sen sent fl n shu shaft fl of nr f l te to meN Iner hn d en nm railed disdainfully Uc Ue should root not c en even now nou that she age was afraid n inn the tile music cau caught ht them therm and robt's eJ moving ova n In III B Brian than s arms ont nt a last list time she he r thought 1 II dreary rending II 11 the crow crowd 11 1 of ut py hared bored unexcited couples bM way jO Joyously ah ut th the r j f floor or r to 0 the iii rhythm h of n a periN per peN iN N 1 Orchestra ru 1 I 5 steel ns n's s 's arm ann held her like She Slie G Cl c It so sm well In longed ld for Um t I at nt have ha I 1 lone done he asked r I she he withdrew herself hersel r ever eter so 51 1 no 5 u V uW b t 91 stopped toPPed abruptly i Y They were er fn g palm palm lined lined mn ante me room and he er Inside with an nun unexpected that controlled letl her hr J. J I lj defiance v 1 WIl vas u new Drum Brian She Jc waited halted st th that Inte nce It wondering how he sine would on gad lot nt she had to r dr clo l o. o Is Is it ogees m be he rude rude she sine to mum room was a n small cozy lace ow chairs and a n deep deel divan un d carefully with screens anti and c I mk C I the lne Inevitable liable tubs of laminar Indoor shrubs which BO eo delight l tine le furnishers of ot hotels and und the givers ers of balls Almost as fiS hey they en entered t a 8 man passed the thedoor thedoor door glancing In at nt them In a casual sort of n way aay He tie was a 8 plain unimportant person whose expression re unmoved even een when his Incurious In hm- curious eyes ees met stet Lindas There wu was another door Just behind the rile divan where she mind and Brian sat at and she site Imagined in d that sine she heard It open through h a n sUI surge e of drowning music But nut she was playing with the tile pearls coiling colling theta them through h her long slender fingers ers and she did not nol turn lurn her head heart Brian's Brians Itro strong mm III etched against the thick green hack background The Time bo boy boyIshness so niacin much a n part of him him hind hart vanished suddenly and In Its place WitS was something II III new n and disturbing u I j Beneath the rime dull ache In her breast fear hl began to stir If he would not nut take her for tar what she site played and anil got o Memory leaped from some still place to tu remind her tier of that Ilia I time rime when she lle had lain In hi III his arms und mind Me he would not ant release e her hl In him spite spire mif all hem hei silly ill fri fright ht If she I give Herself eJr To tot those t h mp warm nn arms arias n now no If she sloe cn could shield herself hen against the tile th of nf him hintI hi ml I Of If what was she thinking She Sine thrust these e Imaginings from her In terror That way lay n a danger o of which she site dared not nol think for or she had no doubt of what hul he would do clo If he hp knew time tile truth She he heu u was to he be tempted He lie took her hands and would have hn drawn h her r closer to tn him hint hilt but that she resisted What has hns come between us since this afternoon Theres There's always somebody some sonic body u u crowd J crowd 1 cant can't get a word with you alone He bent his e eyes es deeply Into hers and ami she lowered hers quickly to tn hide tilde what that he might read there She managed a 11 laugh an Unreal unreal un un- real reul suun sound That Is what one must expect In Washington she said lightly It Is the II life fe you have ha chosen Dont Don't tell me that yoU yon are tired alren already S She le I t t T The Door Was Not Locked was overacting but his bewilderment saved sn her from failure His eyes ees were a little more than she she could stand That Is what Washington Is for for crowds s. s she site said Why else would one conic come comer Not you ou he fie said earnestly You did not come for or that reason That gave her the opening she was looking for Why else tier Her tone was so Insolent that he flushed dark dark- ly Iy But he was brave enough to togo togo togo go on You came because you loved me His words poured over her In a flood She Sile heat bent her heat head so that It was im lm- impossible possible to see sec her face fuce Linda dont don't let us take refuge In evasions evasions- prel pretenses now I I 1 ha have hae e been heen so hap I py PS My G G-d G d I I have been happy knowing ln that you ou cared I 1 have ha seen It In your lur e eyes es At that night nIgh t we were together to ether gether In the snow you seemed as ns far faraway away as Ul the stars and as us cold But flint since I then hen you OU have been heen In tn inthis my this arms I know that you ou are a u woman that you ou live live live- She he managed to say You mire are tryIng trying try try- Ing to tell lell me that flint I 1 followed you ou here TO UE BE CONTINUED |