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Show 6? LOUIS JOSEPH VANCiS (QDpttnaed Prom Oak iast isuo) She rehearsed the scene: but Bel I falied not only to call at the hour appointed, ap-pointed, or to aond word of explanation. explana-tion. I.uelnda had sacrificed the ' irninR to a sense of Only, 'i true sacrifice, I for Lynn was leaving early next morning morn-ing tO -"nd a fortnight with his com-puny com-puny in an Oregon logging camp. i-o'.ng patience, LU'cinda called the Alexandria on the telephone, and was informed that Mr. Oruce had "check-ed "check-ed Dut" emu tn the morning saying ' nothing of an intention to return. , No nol came from Bellamy the j next morning, and nolliinc transpired in thee on: e of tho next several week I to afford any clue to the riddle; with j the upshot that Luclnda though:. about her husband a great deal more than she wanted lo or had at any time since leuvinic Chicago, it wn strange, I it wasn't hike Bel 10 treat any wo- man so rudely. XXIV I JaoQUes kept the Bummerlad company com-pany away so long that Us return I found the first Linda Leo production I In full swing with Barry Nolan, In command, Luclnda playing the aupple i puppet of hla whim. Fanny demurely 'walking through the feminine part of ! second importance, and LontalnS functioning func-tioning at the peak Of his capacity as executive genius W hy It should he so hard OH him nobody teemed 10 know and Lontalne i w .. too bus . to explain. To all hi symptoms of hustlo and Ibounee, lili wife played silent but attentive at-tentive audience; though Often times i her pretty eyei would li'ht up with an unspoken comment too pungent to be wasted and, discreetly questing a sympathetic confidant, would find it without fall In Harry Nolan Irish both by descent and profession. Nolan bad ' least ihai sense oonsple- MIOII5l ill iOIC0 O lllll uiu'I.t - possessed was a question which came to occupy many of Luclnda's spore moments. She culdn't account for Nolan - h gh dace In cinema, unless a sprightly disposition, a ii-tchmg grin. Infectious verve, impudent without end and a distinctly indicated vein of genius gen-ius at crap-slujoting summed up the essential qualifications of a director who pretended to earn a wage of $25.-000 $25.-000 per production But Luclnda mistrusted his ability because of his appalling ignorance concerning rudimentary principles ot Isoplal usage. Since the storv they were concerned With had to do with people of thr I fashionable New York. Lueinda thought It important that their manner? man-ner? should conform to approved convention; con-vention; lut Nolan was so little learned learn-ed In such matters and his impatience with them wah whole hearted: ' Ah what ? It matter'' Ninety per cent of your audiences are solid bone from the ' neck up. and the rest wouldn't think thev'd go' their mon- y's worth unless i thev found something to beef about In ja picture. Win worry about little Mhlngs like that? Life's too short, and we're wasting time!" But that dlatrUBt. Of Barry Nolans I competency which troubled Luolnda'a Irnind almost from the very outset of their association had yet to crystallize on the Saturday when Summeiiad wa expected home To get rid of Luclnda's presence, which instinct wa.s already beginning to warn him was silently skoptlcal of hi claims Nolan artfully sugg that she might like to review the rushes rush-es of yesterday's camera work. Assuming that she would find the projection room empty, Luclnda mau her way to It without bothering to re-mo., re-mo., h. r makeup, but on opening the door, saw a fan-llko beam of turbid light wavering athwart Its darkness ami WOUld have withdrawn, had not Zlnn'S thick Mnd genial accents hailed her from the rear of the long, bhu k-walled, k-walled, tunnel-liko chamber. "Come right on In. Mls le. We'll ho through In a minute. Just running some of the tillum come through from Joe. Jacques yesterday. Sgreat stuff that boy Summerlad's putting oer this time." Then with a fluttering heart. Lu- ciniin identified her husband In ztnn's companion. "Shake hand? with Mr Druce, Miss-f Miss-f mine, aolng to work here same as 'OU, Just signed a lease for space to moke his first production." pro-duction." ' What"' At thai monosyllable of dismayed protest, Luclnda saw Zlnn's eyes of a pig grow wide with surprise. 'Bui I am fortunate. Mr Zlnn In al ready having the honor of Miss Lee'S icquaintance," Bellamy took possess Ion of her hand. "Is that so? You two know each oth-) : Whyn't you tell me Luclnda found her voice all at om S, hut hardly her self-possession it isn't. It can't be truo! Bel: It Isn't true you're I" "Afraid It la. Linda." Bel s smile was slightly mocking. The picture business has got mo In It tolls at last. Only needed that trip out hero to de-1 de-1 cldo me. Now I'm up to my ears , , Something to do, you know " When Zlnn had departed, however. Bel's manner changed. I'm sorry, Linda I really don't ' ' mean lo be a pesl." "Then why a ro you here " "Give me half a cham I ' You had that chance weeks ago. and deliberately refused It. "But surely you got my note , x- piaining i was called east on iwoj I hours' notice, but would return us soon us I could '!" "Po8slbiy"' Luclnda suggested With labored scorn, "you misaddressed It j forgetting which of your numerous feminine acqualntAncoH you were ! writing to " I addressed It." Bel Insisted stout-I stout-I lv. "to Mrs. Bellamy Druce " "If so. that explains It. They know me ;t tho hotel only as Linda li.v" 'hen the screen once more shon i Mank and the ceiling light flashed en, 1 I Bci WSJ smiling cheerfully. 'No wonder you fell for the screen , so hard Linda; you're exquisite, and j no mistake." "You said yon wanted to explain, i j Bel- you Won't get another chance.'-He chance.'-He nodded soberly. "I can say all I want to in three minutes Then you're free tO call it quits for good. If you like." That posed her rudely. Did he mean I could It be possible he mean', h. bad I.e. ,,me reconciled to the rift in then relations? "Can you doubt that's what I'll I I ilke.- He ' Bellamy gavo his head a stubborn! jhako and stepped nearer. "Please I don't he angry because of anything! stupid I may say. 1 came out here , that first time dead set to win you i uaua ai any co?u. still mauiy in love ( with you, absolutely unable to con-,celve con-,celve of a life that didn't pivot on you, j j Unda. I was prepared to give you I any pledges you could possibly ask " I "Did you flatter yourself any pledge you could give" would mean anything, to me, when you'd broken your word so Often?" I hoped I could make you understand under-stand what a blow your leaving me had been, how it had brought me to my senses at last, jolted me up on the water wag-on, where I've been over since I haven't had a suspicion of a drink. Linda, since that night you ran away and made me see what an unspeakable un-speakable rottor I'd been, fooling She went to his nnns with a cry of joy. around with w omen as I had. That's another thing i cut out like a shot, i haven't looked sideways at another woman since "Not even after discovering I d fallen fall-en in lovo With another man?". "Not even after that. Somehow, casual women don't mean anything to me any more 1 mean casual flirtations. flir-tations. They're too damn' stupid Silly waste of time I guess I had to be squiffy, as I used to be most of tho time, not to bo bored by them then." "This is all very Interesting. I'm sure. But after all, It doesn't explain, now, does It?" ii explains wny i lonowea you out here the first trip, why 1 had to see you In another mans - s, kissing him. and then hear all the small town gossip about you two before I'd believe be-lieve . . There Is gossip, then"' What do you think?" According to all repot ts. you've been going It, rather, you and this chap Bummerlad stepping out together' as they fay i n Hollywood " Luclnda affected a shrug of Indifference Indif-ference Bel musn't guess sh cared what people said. And w hat has that to do ?" "Just this I don't liko It. As I say. if you want to run around with a - movie acior, inais your u u aimir but so long as you remain my wife, it's ! ' my affair, too. Don't forget it's my name vou're trailing through this sink-i sink-i hole of scandal." I Sho flamed at him "Bel!" but ! he wouldn't heed "You don't suppose you're going to . got away with the Linda Lee thing much longer, do you? If all these people don't know It's an assumed name now, they Jolly soon will. If 'you're going through, If you're bent on leading the life you have been lead- j Ing ever since you fell In with these people, be good enough to keep my wife's name out of It. Get your divorce, di-vorce, and get It soon That's all I have to ask of you ' I Luclnda replied with a slow lnclina- I tlon of her head "What you want Is my dearest , wish." she said. "Depend on it Bel. I i shan't waste a day, I'll take tho first train I can catch for Reno, after fln- I Ishlng this picture." "That's Simply splendid of you!" Bellamy declared heartily "Anything I I can do to help you along, of course just let me know." "I'll he glad If you'll go now," L,u-! L,u-! elnda told him "I think I've had ! ahout all I can stand for one day." Then good-bye, my dear a thous-: thous-: and thanks'." "It Is funny " Luclnda confessed to : Fanny that night "I don't pretend to j understand No more did she. But the seeds of I suspicion that conversation planted flowered Into a dark Jungle of strange fancies In which fears ran wild until Lynn SummorlaJ came home to charm them all away. Luclnda only needed I to see him. indeed, to forget her trou-j trou-j bios altogether, and become once more l the voluntary thrall of a species of Intoxication In-toxication as potent to her as her senses sens-es as a drug. The Lontalnes had arranged a sup-por sup-por party at Santa Monica In Surn-morlad's Surn-morlad's honor for that nlghL At seven sev-en Summorlad called, finding his way unannounced to Luclnda'n sitting-room. sitting-room. Sho went to his arma with a cry of joy, burled her faco on hln shoulder, clung to him as if she would ' never let him go. ' I've missed yqu so. Ly nn, I've mlso-! mlso-! p(l you so!" j 1 (Continued In Our Next Issue |