Show y R AD r BY evelyn I 1 C campbell I 1 i I 1 v A i j service j copyright by evyln n campb cambou Cam poU 11 g t m I 1 afi THE STORY unda linda Haver hills neer do well father dies when she Is seventeen leaving her little beyond so some me worthless less stock these r hese she takes to her fathers r friend sen senator or converse to dispose af 0 after a whirlwind courtship linda marries courtney roth roo ron lite late she discovers he Is a penniless adventurer iving by his wits roth koth dies in switzerland linda continues to live like a wom wornon ain of wealth ane senator supplies tier her with money keeping up the fiction that her stok Is yielding elding vi it on a trip ahe meets brian anstey he helps her out of an embarrassing situation Itu atlon CHAPTER IV continued 4 8 nis his allusion to age was mockery le ife was exactly ns as he lind had been for fifteen fiffi cn bems not old not young ills his ponderous holly body would not reveal the time it if hail lived linda disliked the with which he always accompanied these hypocritical references to himself it Is the penalty you pay for being my an y friend fir lend she said in n a light artificial art voice the senator acen received ed the next course with a pleased nir air ile he was prepared to enjoy anything that heart brought knowing that soon linda would be at his mercy ile he could watch her writhe while slie she told her I 1 trouble rouble and asked for his aid youve seen ft a sable gable coat you must have haie he be bantered hani ered or this time I 1 Is a town car she lid dh not trouble to reply site she knew he was playing with her they hall had talked of sable coats an and d town cars long ago hut but linda had not wanted them badly enough slie she owned very good furs and she could aldays buy a car their interviews always began with light fenel fencing ng nith a 0 playful sarcasm behind which lurked the deadly blib of reality if lie he but once pierced her shield 1 I have not heard from stevens about the traction stock she said at tell leir h 1 ciote to him in october but lie he did not reply stev stevens ens was the broker who mysteriously turned jim Haier hills fantastically colof colored ed paper into occasional drafts sioney money oil oh its merely a matter of moneal money 1 the lie senator exclaimed with an air of relief my dear child you looked so gloomy I 1 really feared it was something serious this time loneal how much this time slip she looked at him levelly color rising to tier her delicate cheeks there was a grease spot on ills his white vest est and the collar of tits his coat was lightly powdered with dandruff dinner was half over hut but lie he still ate as eagerly as at the be beginning inning linda thought with all till toils horror about liim him he still has the power to insult me tome come come be urged reading her open look 1 I wits was only joking ill stir stevens up tomorrow ile he must have been very busa and overlooked your small account dont be offended my this was haq the way he always retreated slie site knew it was false ground but she was glad to stand upon it so strongly bad the habit of ignoring facts grown upon orlon her dinner was eer flat but they sat for a long lon while over their coffee linda had find chosen a popular restaurant where here I 1 they hey were sine sale to be seen arii and recognized she had never neer permitted her relations with converse to become when tile the dancing floor filled site she was constantly smiling sa illing or noil nodding ding nt at somebody she know knew the music us as eimil and she topped lapped the floor door with the toe of her slipper in u B little secret harmony armony li 1 I 1 visit I 1 could dunce dance with you for my dear suld said ohp sennier ten alor instantly oil no slie she said hastily and tic lie smiled nith v ith wry understanding standing that thai made tier her almost almo a sorry for jilin it I 1 Is almost time to go slie she added more gently your trip west has changed you he said presently utter after one of those observant silences lie he was disappointed Il sal almost at once he had sensed something about her some experience that removed her farther from frim him film though here she nas as asking for money in that foolish guarded way that every ery time brought tier her fluttering C closer 11 s er to tits his liand hand he frowned ile ie had not expected this for a long time he be ili biad watched for the col collapse lapp of lindas defenses he knew that as women grow older they become I 1 lite less Illus lona ry and more Li lindas nilas experience had been extraordinary ry tier her veils ila had lieen been shorn from tier her quickly arid and until tonight he be had bad been secure in thebe alef ii f that thai she would sod soon turn to jilin him t rom om liei ile fallen idols bois ile HP ans va 7 quite rendy ready to accept her us its she was a little trussed trul sed the fresi freshness liness and inno cence of tier her beauty polished to hard surfaces ills his philosophy of love was that a woman who tins has suffered buffered and grown wise is far safer to hung hang jewels upon than one who merely suffers in wearing them linda denied charge change Not nothing bing has happened site she said 1 I will viii telephone stevens tomorrow promised converse Con ile he made a motion molin to rise ile he hated restaurant with their glitter and gaiety and smart young men and women but linda was watching a young man who was its making tits his way through tile the throng of lancers to where she sat tier her expression was very strange the senator analyzing it discovered surprise joy chagrin and something else new to hirn him shame and engbar rass ras mont puzzled ile he followed tier her own cars and beheld a familiar fact face young anstey ansley he exclaimed what do you know him linda held out her liand hand as brian readied then them what a strange ge encounter it if anything could be st strange rare in new york 1 the ashe exclaimed her eyelids fluttered rind and toll fell beneath ills hig gaze hut but lie he held her hand closely and said nothing the senator coughed 1 I had no rl idea you tco wore were friends brian laughed and the tension was broken 1 I can only claim a day in mrs life linda saw she must explain site she found it difficult to control tier her voice little waves wales of excitement raced through her as brians hand touched bars find and coupled with this was something cold and sodden like ilke a manacle upon tier her wrist mr anstey was on my train when it was delayed lit in the snow site she said briefly ile he was kind and helped me through on unpleasant situation the young man flushed nicase mrs koth 11 but linda look straight at converse and explained cruelly it satisfied some inner urge of shame to bare tier her shame before this satyr who hid ila bought as ouch much as he could of her and paid so stan small 11 a price some of us as spent the night at a little country hotel when they told us ns that the train could not go on until next nest day I 1 went with the others because I 1 thought it would be more comfortable for table but it was really horrid an and then in the morning when we were all hurrying to get back I 1 found that I 1 had bad como come away without my purse I 1 hall had nothing to pay the hotel and the other women were verp not nice not the sort you could ask favors of so I 1 had to borrow from sir mr anstey she paused brian anstey was puzzled by her expression ner enes were cold and mocking and tier lier lips wore were drawn into it a thin red line she looked as it if she were torturing somebody converse was turning his familiar shade of purple e you yop spent a night it at some godforsaken hole and anstey was there ile he cried in his in voice ills his face was alive with suspicion as lie he watched their faces you heard the worst linda went on smoothly when we finally got hack back to the car and I 1 looked for my poor floor forgotten purse parse I 1 found it on the floor quite empty except for my ticket check and a few letters not a penny to buy a bun and already to in debt to a stranger for board and lodging could you imagine anything more m ore travict tra girl cT tier her flippancy struck converse like a whiplash ile he knew kaev it if tile the other man did not what lay behind tier her words ile he had forgotten that anstey was present my illy U G dl linda he stammered hut but slie she silenced him film hv turning the hard brilliance of her eyes away brians party ivas was sending impatient glances from their table opposite there was a pretty blond girl and a bored couple who wanted to ro dance hut but could not leave the girl alone 1 I roust must go said brian in a low voice hut but you son will let rn me see you yon tomorrow wont you surely she assented lazily 1 11 I have not forgotten my debt and all the thanksgiving I 1 owe ove you you may limy telephone nip me at eleven elevech the senator contil buted a grumble to the conventional good hys bys and then lie he and linda Ift were alone again TO OE BE CONTINUED |