| Show a rt r t I t C 1 J J a e l The late Bishop Henry C Potter of New York a friend of Muriel Buells Buella family By MURIEL BUELL CHAPTER III My First Misstep N my tny last chapter I have told how my hearts heart's defenses ON IN began to weaken before the mad wooing of that elderly millionaire with whom I sat in the fragrant darkness of ofa ofa ofa a Florida night And yet et as I let him press me closer and closer to weep on his protecting shoulder I was mustering all my strength to try to postpone my surrender darling Oh Oh Oh darling Im I'm darling Im I'm afraid I told him between my sobs afraid of f you this rand and r this terrible thing th that tempts me so Spare me I begged just this night more more more- spare me Ills His reply came with with with the pitilessness I have found men often have for the women they love lov I have spared you too long already he said Not another hour Suddenly a light flashed into our remote corner of the veranda I turned in surprise and saw my mother hurrying tremulously toward us Her face was ashen white her eyes bursting with tears Oh mother I cried what has happened hap- hap happened For answer her shaking hand thrust into r mine r mine a yellow slip of paper As I read of its terse typed message I was instantly i g years and miles away from the poignancy if i f of what I had just lived through f y s St The telegram said that my father had 5 ti been shot and killed that afternoon by a crazy man Three hours later mother i and and I were on ort our way to California The tragedy of my fathers father's death t q r had come just in season to release me I it A from I H q from the clutch of my first great temptation temptation 1 h tion But as my readers will learn there was nothing to save me from many other i l temptations temptations yet ret to come as a result of my C mad quest of a husband rich and elderly r rIn In the sad quiet hours following my v fathers fathers father's funeral I had good opportunity to ton n t review the Jesuits of m my months of freedom from my k my disappointing young husband Iwas I was com corn compelled to admit that the result of my painstaking search for the elderly man of great wealth who would give me the homage and luxury I hungered for had been most dismally unsuccessful I had met numerous men whose ages and well filled well purses and other qualities made them fit perfectly into the picture I had painted of my future They had however all proved to be inveterate bachelors or men already married But I was not disheartened I still felt confident of finding somewhere somehow the rich old husband who would shower me as I yearned to be showered with soft toft luxury and adoring love But where should I look for him 1 I Iwas was I lying in bed one morning dallying with my break break- breakfast breakfast breakfast fast tray when the telephone rang A sonorous masculine voice at the other end was saying things I didn't quite under under- understand understand stand at the time that time that he knew my father and was sorry that he wanted to see me might and and might he call morrow to-morrow to at five r rIt's Its Its It's remarkable how m most st any lIny woman instinctively recognizes the great adventure when it comes ringing qt her telephone So soon as I listened to th that t voice I knew knew-I knew knew something was about to happen in my life again something of sweetness and danger I dressed d carefully for that call and personally I super super- supervised supervised the tea table Just before the time for the unexplained unexplained unexplained gentleman to arrive I had looked at everything and found it all very beautiful and attractive Yes attractive Yes the soft accessories for that party were enchanting I rested b back ck among my cushions quite content And And two minutes lat later r our Jap Tap was showing in a tall thin gray gray- haired gray haired gentleman of distinction I looked at him through the dim lights of my mothers mother's pretty parlor knew I rose to my feet My words came slowly astonished Its it's Its its it's you after you after so many years ears I never never-never never expected to see you again Ive I've thought often often often thought of you I thrilled with sweet surprise v The gentleman who was standing beside me was the eyed kind eyed stranger who had rescued me from my husband that night In the Juarez gambling house when poor Billy had tried to sell me at auction I stretched out my hands Then he spoke gravely gravely And I he said well there has never been a day since in which I have not thought of you little you little lady We sat down The fire burned pleasantly with small comforting hissing noises as I poured the tea At last the servant had gone I IThen Then my guest spoke and what he said seemed to me meA V quite proper like a romance coming true in n a world which I A had never agreed was prosaic How very suitable this call calli How very sensible this man i f P y l s 1 v 5 Nr TT 4 r tbt I r rn ry n y N n r r rr r r 4 Y z II IIi IIA i A recent photograph of Muriel Buell taken especially for fer this page to pay me in his mellow the homage he was pouring from his lips I listened and my cars ears were pleased Yes he went on Ive never forgotten you since that night that night Iv Ive I've Ive I've seen you often driving your little little car car about the city Ive want wanted d to known and known and Ive I've held back What could a little girl like you see in inan in an old fellow like me Ive I've asked myself And then I heard of your fathers father's death I was so sorry I called you ou up yesterday I wanted to tell you that you have in me a good friend a humble admirer you never realized Yes I want you yon to know w that He lIe gravely bent and kissed my lily my hand As As I watched him do this all the feminine were summoned to my aid I was speaking little wise words of female wisdom to tomy tomy tomy my heart he Steady I said steady Perhaps my dear this is the end of the great eat quest Do no nothing rashly Nothing rashly At last he was at the door and I I had promised to meet him a few days later for luncheon downtown I know this wasn't any Imy too conventional but I allowed my feminine hl al It nu tj h D name of Muriel Buell is familiar to most THE PHE newspaper readers They They recall that she is the young woman who who recently b began gan in such spectacular fashion the effort to make Jefferson Livingston Livingston- Livingston elderly elderly millionaire and racing man known as the Ketchup pay King King pay her the 1750 a month she alleges he promised her for life But hec hee he sensational invasion of Livingston's Wall WaIl WallStreet WallStreet Street offices and her flying leap into his limousine on Fifth avenue are trivial incidents by comparison with the many others that have crowded her career for the past dozen years T t r e 1 j h t 1 Bob Boh Harden the Cali Cali- California California California fornia fruit grower whom Muriel Buell describes as having been her good goodfriend friend and playmate intuition to be my guide And my pulses throbbed as I knew that again life was very full for me and great events perhaps were just around the corner And when he was gone I took counsel If ever a man had looked upon II a woman with serious eyes Richard rich elderly and tender had looked at me with those eyes Here was the man who would ask me to marry him Here at nt last the safe matrimonial harbor But mindful of previous disillusionments disillusionments I decided to do a II little investigating before putting too much confidence in the richness of the prize I thought safely won Over the teacups Mr had casually mentioned a n great country estate just outside San Francisco In that direction I turned my roadster the tho next after after- afternoon afternoon afternoon noon to make my own observations That trip was a revelation The estate to which everybody directed me as Mr Mr was a hand hand- handsome handsome handsome some one of acres and acres with II a along along long avenue of 10 lean dark trees leading up to a large house in the style The mansion com com- com com- a II view of the country for for miles on every side And the man who owned these acres of beauty had but yesterday esterday kissed my hand Only yesterday he had spoken tender words to me with that look in- in in his eye which every I would marry gladly the who vas woman knows gladly marry man was rich enough to command all this beauty What a what lift life a life I could hardly wait for the day of my ray luncheon date with him Joy bubbled in my hea heart t as ns I hurried to the reception room room- in the St Francis where he had said he would meet meet meet-me me He sat opposite me one fine long hand stretched out across ss the cloth One of my small hands was clasped in his We were in a private dining room upstairs in Solaris Solari's lie had bad begged me to come here after I 1 had lunched with him two or three times at the St Francis and other public places Princess he had begged my dear little girl girl I want ant you alone alono Ive I've something I must say to y you where you where u-where where nobody will stare at USi us where nobody will overhear Now Solaris Solari's wouldn't wouldn't you just come come just once I had said that I would And the waiter had at last paean return Falu Inc Ina Not yet thirty years old this attractive young California woman has been the heroine ofa of a wider variety of love adventures than most women knowin knowin know in in in a long lifetime And in these pages from week v to week she will tell for the first time the full truth about her experiences experienc s with life and love and and the dis- dis disillusionment disillusionment dis disillusionment they have brought From the day when a school girl of seventeen she eloped with the wealthy son of a former former Mayor of El Paso down to the moment she let loose her fury on the latest of a long succession of millionaire admirers she will lay bare with greatest frankness the whole amazing story s of her life and the intimate contacts it has brought wit with men a and d women of wealth refinement and high social position Muriel Buell makes these confessions in no gloat ing gloating spirit of self-satisfaction self over what she has done or left undone but in the hope that the lesson she has learned may be of value to other girls tempted as she was to think no price too high to pay for tor a mad fling at love and the luxury of hotels fashionable fashionable hotels apartments and country estates departed not to come back till we rang And haired gray haired gray gray Richard ichard was bending over me in ia the magic of that hour which every woman knows when some man looks upon her with hot eyes of desire My ears cars were beating with the words he be had just a said I regarded him with eyes before which danced 4 entrancing visions And the time had come when it was my turn to speak Time to answer the question he had put to me so gently I 1 know he had said most girls wouldn't think so much of ol an old fellow like me But you my dear dear- dear you are arc different Ive I've made you ou feel my heart for you Now Now-now Now now tell me princess My dear my dear I l said tremulously I wont won't keep you waiting any longer You shall hear my answer Of course course you are years older than I as you just said But oh my dear boy I understand I understand 1 I know how you feel about me because I feel almost feel almost the same about about your tenderness for and me-and me and your our delicacy Richard I do love rove you better than any man I have ever met Richard my dear I will marry you Indeed I will Richard Then the terrible thing Then a cruel revelation like that which had once before halted me temporarily in my chosen cour course e Richard dropped his fine headon head on his hands for tor a minute I saw his shoulders move in a slow hea heavy movement of or orage age I knew what was intuitively coming coming intuitively I knew Oh my child murmured he-murmured I cant can't ask you tobe to be be my wife not not yet at any rate now married Im I'm Im I'm married now This This foolish old fellow was trying only only trying to ask your youth youth-to youth to tobe be a little tender to his age Forgive me Im me Im I'm just a tired wistful man who has said words he ha perhaps never should have said What an hour was that that and what a proposal so so plainly couched In tender but cruel I still feel the tumult in my my heart as my ees eyes looked at atthe atthe atthe the bowed man be before Core me In that tightening moment I saw the fairy world I had so fondly lived in for lor the last few few days days-a days a world in which I saw myself the adored young wife wile of a man who ho had already engaged my my- heart and my imagination When 1 I spoke again my eyes were filled with tears Theres always something wrong with wrong with every roan inan man who has chosen me I said dull dully You talk about your age you say you are wistful ul for the happiness happiness the adventure of two people who love each other going along together And so soam soam soam am I But I never thought thought-I thought I never you would thought you say words like these to me I thought you were so good Gravely he reached for my ray hand again and I let him have it Oh c he said Im not thinking of you cheaply 1 am coming as the beggar Muriel Im I'm not what is called a ladys lady's man There have been few women who ever interested me see l I My but wile wife but that's over and but another another another- that was a matter of convenience Dont Don't lets let's talk of that And you whom you whom I never neer could ge get out of mind ever since since that night at Juarez when Child Child when a anan man nan is over sixty he must get what happiness he can as be he goes along The future retreats in shadow To-day To is the day he has in his h hand Its It's just my forlornness begging of your charity If-if If If if you will give me your love Ill I'll do all that I can for a divorce Ill I'll try hard But until then dont don't hold me at arms arm's length Muriel I hate to mention this now but you must know dear Im I'm a very rich man I will give you everything you ou wish That's coarse I know but I feel like saying it You'll never suffer suffer-if suffer if you come to me He was silent He Ha sat humbly looking at me out pf dry eyes I sat outwardly calm but inwardly trembling in every fiber of my being at this shocking proposal With my wis wis- wisdom wisdom dom gleaned since that day in Solaris Solari's I know enough to to pity all women sorely beset by the tempter as Iwas I was Had HadI HadI I known then what I know now I would have returned n 1 different answer from very expediency if f not from irom rectitude The The earnest man by my side went on speaking wit with wit tender insistence Words of Words words words of soft urging I could hardly separate on one from the mass nor put them them into ordered meaning But I understood their meaning meaning-by meaning my beating heart I understood And I wanted how wanted how I t wanted I-wanted wanted the world of pleasure and he was was at my feet In a sudden burst of feeling I threw threw my arms about his neck Oh darling I whispered oh Richard I know you would never be cruel or treacherous to me Listen Richard Listen Richard listen listen to what I am going to lo whisper in your ear Yes Yes- Yes yes Richard Richard yes Then I felt the beating of his heart felt heart felt his rough cheek against mine heard mine heard the words that promis promised d the mont of my girlish dreams I II I was to have money money-a money a great deal of money He would put to my credit in the bank at once I was to get us a n pretty some apartment some apartment apartment some place where he could come to see me He lIe would see his lawyers about a divorce at at once But until the divorce was secured we would be happy I was his little lady In less time than it takes to |
