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Show I IPMIDEKfOE'S II 5r 1 I IE) A P Elir IE I& Lr. THE MODERN GIRL This la a story of love and heart , Interest without a villain In It. story of everyday people, their problems and Joyi; a itory of dell-clous dell-clous humor, of cheerfulness and optimism without a Pollyanna character. The stories of Kthel Hueston are Immensely popular. Her Prudence, In "Prudence of the Parsonage, "Prudence Bays Bo" and "Prudence's Bisters," has become be-come one of the famous girls of fiction. But Prudence Is no longer a girl. She now has a grown daughter and this latest book In the series Is mostly about her, although al-though Prudence still figures In It as Joyously and as charmingly as of yore. This daughter Is a modern mod-ern girl, typical of the times and Ilka so many girls of today enraged en-raged In a search for what she calls freedom, soul expression, etc The story opens In Greenwich Village, Vil-lage, with Its picturesque and hectic hec-tic life. Then the heroine, having learned several things about life, goes back to Des Moines. Yet true love seems to be the same whether In Greenwich Village or Des Moines. Part One CHAPTER I Jerry Was Not Deceived It vna lacking but twenty minutes of midnight. At the top of four staggeringly stag-geringly steep tllgbts of dusty stairs the stud.'o apartment of Carter Blake was ringing with unaccustomed blaze and blare ot wild hilarity, supplanting the dull drnb of steady si. very at the easel for the Drat time In nearly two years. At twenty minutes to twelve the gayety was at its height Allerton Is mixing highballs in the kitchen. And there's apricot brandy with cream if fou wsnt to start easy. Ouane, bring the highballs, the girls are here!" she called, prettily impera-tlve. impera-tlve. Then to Jerry again, "You'd better bet-ter stick to orange blossoms with ma-three ma-three parts gin to a whiff of orange and you can love your wickedest enemy. en-emy. Carter Blake hss gone down for champagne He'll be back In a minute. What" "I I hardly know." Jerry flushed, stammered a little, in some confusion. Almee swept her a quick, appraising look, and smiled In friendly fashion. "I see," she said. "You want apricot apri-cot brandy with cream, and mostly cream, don't you?" "Who called for a hlghb.ilir Duane Allerton came In from the kitchen, laughing, his cuffs pushed high, s bottle in one hand, a medicine glass In the other. "Mixed, or straight r Almee laughed softly, slipping her hand cozlly into the curve of Jerry's pretty, bare, white arm. "Brandy, weak, oh, awfully weak," she told him. "She hadn't registered when I called you. This is Rhoda La Faye's little protegee from the Middle West Jerry Uarmer. Isn't she beautiful, beau-tiful, Duane? Miss Harmer, this Is Duane Allerton. He's nice enough, but stupid. He's In business, isn't that disgusting? Duane, since Francy Isn't here tonight, why don't you tuke Jerry under your wing and make a little love to her? You're so good at love-making. love-making. Like his looks, Jerry? Don't be bashful. If you see anyone you like better, Just say so. You're company, com-pany, so you can take your choice." "Oh, no really I think" "Well, I think myself you're getting the pick of the party," Almee agreed so, because he smiled at her gladly, as he tossed off his own-He own-He put the glasses back on ths table again, took her hnnds In his and glowed upon her. "You are beautiful, you are perfectly perfect-ly beautiful," he said. His voice was low-pitched, caressing, his eyes very direct and very earnest. He lit a cigarette cig-arette and gave It to Jerry, lit another for himself. Jerry had smoked before, In college for fun with the girls of her sorority, soror-ity, behind stuffed keyholes and carefully care-fully blanketed windows. That was mischief. This was another matter. But she took the cigarette when he gave it, tugged at it determinedly but with distaste, and was ashamed because be-cause she got smoke In her eyes, and because bits of tobacco came out between be-tween her lips. She wished he had not thought of smoking. It seemed such idle wnste to use those tender fingers of his for holding cigarettes. She liked that Intimate, In-timate, boyish way he had of catching her hands In both of his when he said: "You beautiful thing." "Is is it your studio?" she asked, suddenly embarrassed because she said nothing. "Your voice Is Just like music," he told her, and the earnestness of his voice was almoRt like a sadness. Bnt he smiled Immediately. "Lord, no I I wouldn't have It. Looks like a barn to me. I hardly know the chap. Some artist. Carter Blake his name Is nice fellow, he seems, too. They Just asked me to come along, and so I did." "You seem so much at home the way you go from room to room I thought perhaps you lived here." Duane smiled his pleasure. He liked that type. Ingenuous, artless he knew and again, until Duane pulled htm away, reminding him that he had signed but one contract ami was taking tak-ing the privileges of a score I Then they had supper, a generous, conglomerate supper, erratic In Its i-rlety, i-rlety, sandwiches, Itusslan soups, strange things en casserole, qustnt foreign for-eign pastries, Italian Ices, and cheeses from every land. Duane and Jerry sat together, very close, very quiet In the wide window-seat looking out over the East river to the misty midnight towers of New York on the other side. The others talked of art, of colors, schools and contracts. But Jerry and Duane In the window beard not a word that was spoken, and hardly talked at all. It cut into a particularly long and sober silence between them when she said, "Are you an artist?" Duane laughed. "Oh, Lord, no. I'm on Wall Street. . And heaved knows It's where I should be any place but I They're fleecing me right and left." "Who are?" Jerry was almost resentful re-sentful in his behalf. "Heaven knows. Somebody. At least It would seem so. I'm getting ths rsgged edge of it on all ends. I'm not slick enough. I never catch on to what's going on until lt'a gone. And then It's too late. Don't make me talk about business. I'd rather go on thinking think-ing how beautiful you are." After a while someone started the phonograph once more and they danced. And he took her again to the kitchen, where she had a tiny highball, high-ball, which she barely touched to her lips, and he had a very large one, and another, and then another. And finally, final-ly, laughing at what he called her Intemperate In-temperate temperance, he drained her glaBS as well. The VL-ora Inner time In th On a stool In the center of the room a small phonograph shrilled out the melody of the latest tango, and three couples danced intermittently about it stopping at will to light a cigarette, to drain a glass from the tray on the table, or to Join for a moment in th conversation that went on among the others scattered nbout the room. Among the cushions on the wide couch, her feet crossed beneath her, In a startling gown of orange and black, a girl with vividly reddened hair, with crimson cheeks and impeccably impec-cably painted lips, leaned drowsily against the shoulder of Korzky, the young Russian sculptor, her slender profile lifted to his face. In her slim, nervous fingers was a cigarette, which Bhe held first to his lips, then to her own, witL easy Impartiality. In the window-seat alone, strumming strum-ming soft southern melodies on a banjo, in discordant defiance of the blatant Jazz, half reclining upon the cushions, lay Mary Donya, a glass on the window sill at her side, a cigarette dropping futilely away to ashes In a tray, while Almee Glorian perched like a pretty, angelic imp on the heavy, old-fashioned table against the wall, her fair face seraphic In Its gentle sweetness, swaying to the rhythmic what unerring pains, what constant alertness. It entailed for a girl to retain re-tain that pretty assumption of artless Innocence. He admired one who could do it one who would take the trouble. It was the type tliut most Intrigued him. "You are adorable," he said, and then, smiling, his arm about her, he drew her Into the dance once more and back Into the studio. In the doorway they encountered Carter Blake, hatless, bis bottle of champagne wrapped In a handkerchief. handker-chief. Just coming back. "Come on, quick," he called to them, without waiting for introduction. "You're the girl from Iowa, aren't you? We went you to launch the contract. con-tract. Here's the champagne. It'll be midnight in a minute." The phonograph was turned off, and the others straggled over toward the easel in the corner. Carter Blake pulled it about until It faced them and they saw a printed contract securely fastened upon It with brass thumbtacks. thumb-tacks. The girls ran quickly about the studio to fetch the flowers from every vase and Jar, piling them In a rosy heap beneath the precious bit of paper on the easel. 'To launch the contract?" Jerrv was kitchen, laughing for no apparent reason, rea-son, looking at each other deeply, with pleased and Intimate understanding, while Duane drank and smoked. When they went back to the studio, the lights were dimmer, the music softer, the voices more subdued. Almee, with the face of angel sweetness, sweet-ness, dancing by the door as they came In, released the tip of the bearded man's Hps from between her Hps to call to them : "Do you like him, Jerry? Pretty well satisfied?" And Rhoda paused In the midst of a particularly daring rendition of the tango to wave a friendly hand to her. Jerry flushed deeply, with the unconscious. un-conscious. Instinctive recoil of her Innocence In-nocence and her Inexperience. Her eyes clouded a little. But she smiled forgivingly. "Rhodit's really a very nice girl," she said apologetically to Duane. "They are all nice, of course, I know they are. But I have known Rhoda a long time, and she is quite or, really, she Is quite proper. Of course, Iowa would be shocked 1" Duane drew her closer In his arm, so that her breath, with the slight scent of her first highball, touched his inoa Tin At nnt iaavm hn, rru others came and went at will, flirted here, and loitered there, but Duane held his place at Jerry's side, kept her slender hands within bis hands, touched the xelvety folds of the seductive seduc-tive gown with tender Angers. And Jerry remained blind to the careless familiarity of It all, deaf to its blatant noise, seeing his warm eyes alone, hearing only his gentle voice, feeling but the curesslveness of his wandering touch. It looks as If Jerry from Iowa had plunged Into troubled waters. wa-ters. Is she a strong swlmmsr7 (TO BE CONTINUED.) motion of the cocktail shaker, of which she had proclaimed herself officiating goddess. At 'twenty minutes to midnight, a yellow taxi stopped before the entrance, en-trance, four flights below, and Rhoda La Faye, In a golden cloak, her golden hair an aureole In the reflection of the bright street-lights, sprang out at the Mutant of Its stopping, her sharp eyes on the registering meter as sh. said: "Oue seventy 1 Right I" She hurriedly pressed two one-dollar bills into the hand of the driver. "Come, Jerry 1" she cried, with the quickness that characterized her every word and motion, and thrust out a nervous, hurrying hand from the folds of her cloak. Fairy Geraldlne Harmer clasped It eagerly, almost shyly, as she followed breathlessly up the four long flights of stairs to Carter Blake's studio stu-dio on the top floor. Rhoda lifted the knocker, let It fall heavily, and, waiting for no response, opened the door and ran In, drawing Jerry with her. They were greeted with a burst of merry laughter, noisy welcome. Bertrande Rochester, abandoning aban-doning the discussion before the picture, pic-ture, Joined them immediately, catering cater-ing Rhoda about the waist with a deft arm, end whirling her unceremoniously unceremoni-ously Inf the dance around the phonograph. He Put His Arm About Her and They Danced Twice Across the Room. pleasantly. "Try hlra out, .-.uyhow. If you don't like his method, bring him back and I'll give you Billy Sparr. And welcome. He does nothing but stand over there and measure chins and ankles with a pencil. Now show her a good time, Duaney. Give her brandy, bran-dy, and keep It weak. She hasn't the slightest rudiments of a real thirst" Almee touched Duane's arm warn-Ingly, warn-Ingly, caressed Jerry with a light, fleeting gesture, and turned away to reach for a cigarette. Jerry lifted her blue, bright, happy eyes and looked at Duane Allerton. With that look, she forgot the great smoke-clouded room. She forgot the strange effrontery and the flagrant Intimacy of the looks, the words, the attitudes, of those about her. She gazed into Duane Allerton's eyes, and a great happiness swelled in her gentle breast. He took her hands, both hands, smiled at her, seeming in that smile to draw her physically, Intimately, Into the affectionate warmth of his charming charm-ing camaraderie. "You beautiful thing!" he whispered. Jerry's heart sang within her. He put his arm about her, and they danced twice across the room. Not one word ceuld Jerrv sneak. Twice greatly puzzled. "It's his five-year contract with International," In-ternational," explained Almee, who stood near her. "Picture a month for five years! That's what the party Is for, you know, to celebrate the contract. con-tract. They only signed this morning." They pressed more closely about the easel, Jerry standing out before them all, the bottle of champagne In her hand. "Now, Just a minute," Carter Blake ordered briskly. 'Til Are the revolver on the stroke of twelve. Then you souse the contract " "Souse It?" Jerry was deeply anx- i lous, not understanding. "For luck. Didn't you ever see n ship launched? It's a contract party, ns I told you," explained Rhoda. "How Is she to smash the bottle. Carter?" Some one hastily brought an electric elec-tric iron from the kitchen, and Duane held it for her. He smiled at her anxious uncertainty. uncer-tainty. "Be careful! Hold the bottle away from you when you break the neck off; don't soil your gown! Then Just throw It over the contract" "Be ready now," cautioned Carter. "It lacks but a minute." The clock on ttu? mantel chimed the hour, and on the last stroke. Carter Ared his revolver Into the air. "Quick." whlsnered Duane In hnr For a moment Jerry stood alone, Rlender and lovely, with glowing, questioning ques-tioning eyes, and quickening pulses. "It s Jerry I Jerry Harmer !" Rhoda tnssed lightly over her shoulder, interrupted inter-rupted in what she would say by Bertrande Ber-trande Rochester, who kissed her as they danced "Awfully nice., little kid : From Iowa I We went to school togei her until I got Ared!" Almee Glorian, of the angelic sweetness, sweet-ness, slipped at once from the table, and drew away Jerry's cloak, which she ;iled with the others on a chest near the door. "What will you haver She turned hospitably to the table, wtth Its brave display of bottles and glasses a nondescript non-descript lot. those last of every conceivable con-ceivable size and shape, and Including three cracked teacups. "These are orange blossoms I am making them for myself. I cant stand Scotch plenty for you, too, if yon like. Lraaste she lifted her dark misty lashes, and lowered them quickly, thrilled with the breathless pleasure she felt in his touch, in the light of his eyes Intent on her lovely face. As they came up to the door on the third round, he guided her neatly Into the small kitchen a scant and Impoverished Impov-erished relation to the kitchens Jerry had known and came to a stop before the bottles on the rickety table. "You can't have a real good time when you are thirsty. Almee said apricot brandy It's trash. It takes hours to get happy on It and then you're not. I know what you want" He tilled a small glass for her, a large coffee cup for himself. Jerry sipped at It daintily, not liking it barely able to repress a shudder of distaste. But under the warmth of his eyes she steeled herself to Spartan Spar-tan resolution, asd drained it to the last trss Asd rejoiced that the did ear. With a strong sure blow, Jerry struck the neck from the bottle and Aung a stream of the golden fragrant liquor over the contract on the easel. The others applauded gayly, clapping clap-ping their hands, crowding about Carter Car-ter to shake his hand in congratulation. congratula-tion. The girls kissed hlro, many times, telling him how wonderful it was, and how happy they were. When Jerry was drawn up to hlra In the pressure about her, "Oh, It is Jnst wonderful," she breathed ecstatically, still but half comprehending what it was all about. But because the others did, and because he seemed td expect It, and Jerry would not for the world have hurt bis feelings, she kissed him, , too. Carter Blake, seeing her In that moment mo-ment for the first time, amazed and delighted with her loveliness, put both arms about her and kissed her again |