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Show zzzzzzzz - J Pruoences Daughter j By ETHEL HUESTON S Copyright by tha Bobbs-MerrlU Co. WKUSenrlr i ra led down lo lie street tin boxes, the easel, Hie blocks of canvas. Jerry called a taxi, and they drove away to (i ret h 'a room wltb her priceless treasures. WIipij Theresa and Jerry were l urn-Ins urn-Ins at lust to leave her alone with her riches, suddenly the power of speech returned. She caught Jerry's hand. "Miss Ilarnier," she summered, the words tripping each other up on her eager tongue, "the first picture I get hunt; at the academy you shall hare It for nothing !" The air with which ahe mild It waa -YOU WAITI" STSOPSIS. PAKT ONE At m merry party In the atudlo apart-,t apart-,t of Carter Blake. New York. Jerry (Geraldlne) Harmer, t'ru-lfn,e't t'ru-lfn,e't daughttr, meets Duane Allerion, wealthy Idler. He admire! ad-mire! h.r tremendously, and ahe llkei him. But Allerton Beta a bit exhilarated, with unfortunate results. Jerry, resenting hie assumption as-sumption of familiarity, leaves the party abruptly. The atory f. ur, to Jerry'a childhood and youth at her home In Dee Molnee. Only child of a wealthy father, when she la twenty ahe feela the call of Art and asks her parenta to let her CO to New York for 1 ituily. With eoms misgiving, they agree to her going, In New York jerry nmkes her home with a Mrs. Pelaney ("Mlntl"), an act- Ireee. who, with Theresa, a painter, paint-er, occupies the house. Jerry tnkes an Immediate liking to Therc'it. who Is talented and eccentric, and the two become fast friends. Jerry now devotes hers'lf to Theresa, who returns her liklnt;. Jerry poses for Theresa's Ther-esa's masterpiece, "The Ocean J Rider." Allerton calls on Jerry. The girl refuses to see him. At S hotel dinner Jerry sees Dunne nd In conscious of his admiration, admira-tion, tut refuses to change her ittlturie toward him. In readiness for the girl who had this thing that Jerry herself hud not She come at once, Greta Vol, and Theresa took her down to Jerry a slim, straight girl aa she hud vngt.ely remembered, with thin, unsmiling Up and wide, unsmiling eye. Jerry caught her lniiid and drew her Impulsively Impul-sively Into the room. "Are you Greta Val? Listen! I Lave puld for a term of lessons with Ciruves McDowell, and I don't wnnt (hem, 1 don't wnnt to study Art. Rut they Hre all puld for, und It Is a shame to waste thorn, so I want you to lake them In my place. And look!" Sl e ran quickly to the table, and flung a Inclusive hand over the boxes and Jars piled high. "I have ull these things, canvass, brushes, paints. Just going to waste, for I can't use them, want to get rid of them. I don't even like to have them about. And my easel It nearly fell down on me In the tub last night and might ha-.e killed me will you take it, and us It, and und the lessons, and everything?" every-thing?" "Are you making fun of me?" demanded de-manded Greta Val In a passionate, throaty, strangled voice. "Oh, no, ho'v can you think" Jerry little tramp leads. She was amazed beyond reason, she couldn't believe It you x ere so bright ami ao Joyous of course she thought you were making mak-ing fun. It waa too wood to be true. These things don't happen once In a lifetime. She'll be sick . about- this, you'll see. Why. she didn't know what she wa doing, she's an awfully nice little thing I I hope you aren't going to hold It against her, and" "tHi, she cun have the stuff. If that's what you meun. Hut keep her out of my sight! I never wunt t see her again! I hate her!" Oh, very well Theresa knew the temper of this kind of human flint with which they had to deal. She knew no kindly messenger could bridge the gap Greta had so dramatically dramat-ically created between herself and the one who wishpd to help her that she would accept of no second hand bounty boun-ty after her stormy passion. No use to send a word of forgiveness, for Greta would not believe. And so TI presa, knowing thnt Jerry herself must reach across the breach, stayed with her, petted her, coaxed Iter into yielding. "Oh, very well, have It your own way, then." Jerry said at last. "I know I'm o weak-minded little dunce. triumphant, and Jerry thanked her sweetly. Hut when they were on the street alone she smiled about It Theresa turned upon her somberly, "Don't luugh. It may be yeara from now, but some day you'll get that picture. pic-ture. And one day, Jerry, you'll be proud and glad to remember you gave the poor little fool her first chance. You wait !" The days passed slowly and Jerry did not Und an avenue for the active expression of her personality she so ardently desired. She hud no Illusions In regard to herself, she was an ordinary, ordi-nary, nildwestern girl, very charming, very beautiful, but one who had not been drawn upon the knees of the gods. She could pley nicely, sing very sweetly, but could do no more wltb music thnn amuse herself. I'pon her college work she could obtain a truncate tr-uncate for teaching school, but she felt no such Incilmttlini. She might take a business course and become one of the countless alert-eyed, trim-clad business girls of the great city, girls who stirred her warmest admiration without creating in her a desire to become be-come one of them. The grandeur of work, us work, did not Impress her. She required a motive. If her futher had died suddenly laugtiecj, nervously "how can yon think of such a thing? I Just wart to et rid of It, It tukes up such a lot of room, it makes me nervous to have It plied about and" "How dare you make fun of me!" Greta Val lifted a sharp, resentful hand and struck Jerry angrily across Jerry would have swept courageously Into his great motor factory In Iowa, studied It. struggled with It, learned to control it a reason there for her effort. Hut with Jerrold himself In such shrewd and successful dominance of his own business, she saw no sucn occasion. And still she believed that somewhere, somehow, she must strike on a thing that would command her effort and hold her Interest. In the and let you twist me around your little linger. Come on then. Let's go und find the wild little heathen, and tell her what we think of her." Theresa promptly accepted the submission, sub-mission, knowing full well she could trust the end to Jerry's Inherent sweetness, und the two girls set out together, nt once. In search of Jerry's spitfire. She did not answer their ring at the Grlller studios, and after persistent per-sistent pressing on the button one of the artists on the second floor looked out from the window, and, recognizing recogniz-ing Theresa, agreed to press his buzzer to give them admittance. "We wnnt Greta Val," said Theresa. "Where Is her room?" "In the basement," he culled cheerfully. cheer-fully. "And dark as the deuce, so watch your step as you go down. The door on the right, clear at the tad." Very gingerly they made their way, hand In hand, down the dark stairs, and through the dark basement corridor corri-dor to the door at the end, on the right. "Listen," Theresa whispered. "Didn't J tell you?" meanwhile she devoted her time to catering sweetly to Theresa Theresa, who was working with o more consuming consum-ing passion than ever before, and with ever-Increasing disregard fcr every natural safeguard of health. When she went tip to the studio at ten o'clock one morning with the breakfast tray for Theresa, she was surprised to find Miml there before her. Miml seldom Intruded and was always curtly dlscourugnl by Theresa when she did. It was Miml who spoke to Jerry first. "Come right In," she said. "We're having our dally battle, but you won't mind." "Oh, please don't let me Interfere with the war," said Jerry, laughing. Illi Iff m fee mm tap CHAPTER V Continued I When they arose to go, she turned I and looked squarely In his direction. I Klie could have answered the call I h'.i sober eyes, gone softly to hint, I touched his hand. I "Are you ready?" she snld to Miml, I drawing up the folds of her clonk :is I the amorous youth placed It about her I shoulders. I Dunne's eyes followed them as the? I passed out. Jerry would not turn her I bead, to look away from hint, pretend I the did n t see him. She would have I been ashamed of subterfuge. She I looked at him frankly, and did not I know him. I "Jerry, there's your friend," whig- pered Miml. "Isn't he the best-looking I thing you ever saw?" f She turned the effective lashes upon him brightly, and Duune nodded ;o I her. and smiled. Jerry said nothing. On the following morning Theresa went down to Jerry's room before the Usual time for th dully brenkfnot tray. Th!j was an occurrence of such Infroquency that Jerry conld not ' lde a flutter of flattered pleasure when she appeared In the doorway. Hut Theresa, even In her most, formal moments, mo-ments, wasted no time In Idle talk. She came for a piirpope, and wen. i It with sturdv directness. "See here, Jerry, I thought of something some-thing last night." she began hrls..ly. "Are you sure you want to give up studying Art?" "Absolutely sure." "Sure you won't change your mind after a little, and begin again?" "Absolutely sure." "What are you going to do with flu lessons? You paid a whole term In advance, d'dn't you? Are yii goic,r to got your money hack?" "1 don't think I can. I'll Just have to let It go." "See here. Jerry, you sho-ildn't waste ntch an opportunity. Now. poor old McDowell needs the money; he ten. hes for his bread and butter, you klina Hm it B ....... i. The sound of passionate, strangled sobbing came out to them from behind the door. Theresa knocked smartly, but received ro answer. She turned the knob, but the door was locked from within. She pounded heavily, Incessantly, and presently the strangled stran-gled sobbing ceased, and Intense silence si-lence prevailed. "Greta, come here and open this door," ordered Theresa. "Go away," was the muflled rejoinder. re-joinder. "Open the door, you little simpleton," simple-ton," said Theresa. "Itlght away. It Is Theresa Brady." "Go away, I tell you!" "Greta, you ought to be ashamed of yourself! Now you come and open this door as fast as ever you can, or I'll bang It down !" The sternness of her voice had Its effect ut last. Greta shuffled across the room and opened the door. A pitiful figure, she stood before them, her thin hair urir.ging about her face. I.er cheap blouse twisted and pulled "I'll run down and wait till the signing sign-ing of the treaty." "No, don't go," snld Theresa gloomily. gloom-ily. "Sho may cut It short if you stay. She's bothering me frightfully." "Jerry, do something with her," pleaded Miml. "She's a perfect fool. We're Invited both of us to Atlantic City for the week-end, all expenses paid and everything, and she won't even talk about It." "I don't want to go, and I can't go. and I won't go. What Is there to suy about It?" Theresu disposed of the subject bruskly. "It would be lovely," said Jerry. "Perhaps It would do you good, Theresa, The-resa, you look so tired." Theresa said nothing. "I'm getting sick of It," said Miml quite furiously. "I need a little companionship, com-panionship, I tell you. If you don't stop being- so stingy and so piggish, Theresa, I'll get marided, and then" "Oh, good Lord! Again!" Theresa hurst Into scornful luiiirhter. "Jerry, witness this. I've stuck along here "How Dare You Make Fun of Me?" the face, and then, with a cyclonic burst of tears, whirled about and ran from the room, the door reverberating loudly In her tempestuous wake. Jerry stood as one petrified, a slender slen-der hand upraised and motionless, her face showing deathly white except for the splash of red where Greta's band had struck. Her eyes were wide with horror, her Hps parted In mute bewilderment, bewil-derment, while Theresa flung herself upon the couch and screamed with helpless laughter. Know. Hut If you stop so soon, he may feel he has to make a partial refiiiid anyhow. Why don't you transfer trans-fer the lessons to some one who would like them, 'but cun t afford them?" "To whom, for Instance? You have someone I i mind, haven't you?" Theresa admitted that she had. that she had Just thought of It. The one she had In mind was Greta Val, an unprepossessing un-prepossessing country girl, who had appeared suddenly from wmiewhere, and wns earning n hard existence by servi'g hs chambermaid at the old Grill ir studios on Ninth street. Jerry Iwl ieea her once whn she went to !' f the studios with Miml for ea. '. remembered her as a s'ldly rigid J"'ing person, with whom one would M"re likely associate scrub buckets sd troo-.is than delicate paints and iiwry, her unlovely face swollen with v. eeping and stained with tears. When she reall'ed that It was Jerry who stood with Theresa In the dark hallway, hall-way, she cried out faintly and covered her face with her hands. Theresa stood back, made way for Jerry. She had done her part. She knew that Jerry now could be given u free, loose rein. Jerry ran Into the dingy basement room at once, and put both arm. about the wretched, cowering figure. "Don't cry," she said, "don't cry. I don't mind a bit. honestly I don't. We ull do silly things when we're excited." She pulled her softly across the room toward the cot, and sat beside her, holding her In her arms, culling her soft caresslve names, "silly little goose," and "foolish child," while The resa watched them soberly, her unfathomable un-fathomable eyes not on Greta, who by CHAPTER VI Jerry Adrift For n long time Jerry stood, breathless, breath-less, bewildered, In the center of her room, a rigid, lovely figure in her amazement, while Theresa rolled on the couch with choking laughter. "D-did you see what that creature did to me?" she gasped at last. "Oh, Jerry!" cried Theresa, struggling strug-gling up to u sitting posture, wipln? her eyes with the sleeve of her paint-stained paint-stained smock. "Did I see It! I can see It now!" Theresa flu .is herself Joyously among the cushions again. "The Insolent Impudent " "I'll bet you never got one like that before." Interrupted Theresa. "The little spitfire! Were you ever slapped before, Jerry?" through the last two husbands, but I'"i through. Vnu get married ngaln, Miml, and I'm off. And that's final." Miml laugher lightly. "Oh, you can't tell, I might have good luck anottier--time." "Not you. You don't know how to pick them." "Ob, I think I'll run on d wn Interrupted In-terrupted Jerry In some confusion. "You stay where you are," said Theresa. The-resa. "Don't go on my account," said Mini!. "I don't mind Theresa. She's Just jealous." Well, Jerry is. adrift now, without occupation. Her dream dissolved. Will she go home or marry Allerton? (TO HE CONTINUED.) rights should have been the center o' the scene, but on Jerry's tender, sorry face. After a llitle, when Greta lay quiet In her arm. except for an occasional occa-sional racking shudder of her thin shoulders, Jerry explained: "You M'e, I thought perhaps I cotild paint a little myself, but I can't really, and I don't want to be bothered. Hut It would be wicked to throw those lovely things away, and when Theresa told me ubout you I was so happy I could hardly wait to get hold of you. It was very stupid, the way I told you. I do things so quickly, all In flash, on the spur of the moment, and I don't wonder you thought I was crazy. But I really do not want the things, and It will make me so happy If you will Just take them off my hands, you know." Greta did not speak, but pressed her thin, unlovely, fervent Hps upon Jerry's fur-wrapped shoulder. A few minutes later, when 3reta was straightened and washed and brushed, they returned, the three of them together, to-gether, to Jerry's room, und Joyouslj Uir., she's ugly," snld There. . ""'J! that kid's a genius, all the same. Si knows nothing, bus never had p I'sson In her life and God only knows hnt she came here for. without 'Mends, w!tho. mcney. Oh. you know how people are, Jerry. They think If "'e.v 'an inly squeeze Into 'ie Village v'll Just naturally absorb Art with ne air they breathe. Well, she loesn't do so badly, for nil that. The fellows are all good to her, give her scraps of paint and ennvns, and tel' Jf little things that help her. Greta Val may be ugly, she may be green, ut site's got it, Jerry, and it'll boll wr some time, you mark my words." J"ry was almost childishly pleased h. Theresa, get her qulc!;! She enn hHve all my things tht ensel. the PUnt, everything! Get her right way. , j.,m? j. tpef SQ mw:i "'tier when It's all out of my sight." And while Theresa went out to the wephone. Jerry, wtth her buoyant nthSHm,, m f0 work puin? ou, "s of paint and crayons, canvases, mshen an.i books, that all should be Jerrv shook her head ; sue was sn i awed, "still breathless with the unexpectedness unex-pectedness of It. "Never' I was never deliberately hurt by anybody In my life. P-I'rudence doesn't do such things." Theresa sobered suddenly. "It's j shnme," she said sympathetically. "The poor kid I She was so happy she didn't know what" "Huppv! Do you cull that happiness! happi-ness! Well, If that's the way a genius feels happy, thank God I'm commonplace common-place I'm glad she was happy! f she had been a little peeved, she would doubtless have killed me out- Jerry's eves were flashing with resentment, re-sentment, her fine Hps twitch'. Tears came Into her eyes. "I I thought she would be pleased. S,e stam.ne:ed. "I thought she would "ke It." , . . Theresa reached for her hand, caressed ca-ressed It Ith unusual gentleness. Don't take It that way. Jerry, she urged "You don't understand. Think what a barren, bitter life the poor 1 |