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Show 6y LOUIS J06EPH vANqSt (Oontinucd Prom Our Tat Tssno) "I only wanted to help you. If 1 could,'' I-uclnda explained, getting to her foot. "If you're unhappy I'm so sorry " The movement must havo been mi-i-interprtor for tho girl sprang up llko (i threatened animal. "I don't want your help'" she stormod throatlly "I don't want anything any-thing to do with you only to bo loft alone'" She flung herself fit Luclnda a If to thrust her out by foree "Go! go' go!" sho screamed. Then the window slammed. "Poor thing," luelnda told herself her-self "she must hiiA'o heard . . ." XX There was at this tlm littlo room In Lucinda's Inner life for other peoples' peo-ples' troubles, sho was much too agreeably engrossed In doting on tht-radiant tht-radiant Linda Let victress in a form of duel of which Summerlad wis reputed a master who bad never known defeat. Rumors current of his sucress with women had found her credulous and lenlont; mortal vanity saw to that. It feodn on Ktningi foods, vanity, Think as well as you will of yourself, you shall not find unacceptable un-acceptable tho belief that one well loved by many has been laid low by love of you alone . . That morning, aa every morning now, she woke with a smile reapon-sdve reapon-sdve to the smiling promise of tho day, called for her car and sallied forth. Her rooms were so situated that to reach the main entrance she hud to pass tho corner room now occupied occu-pied by Nelly Mar quia; and mall-clous mall-clous lurk would have it that tho two should meet. The Marquis K'1' had been out an l was returning with a mo. ill packet gripped In a shabbily gloved hand a well-made woman with a graceful ai ncc her face held elements of beauty of a wild, sweet sort. but dimmed and waste. i by despondency and Impaired health. Today the dark rings under her eyes were deeper, tho eyes themselves more de.sporate than when their loolt ha 1 first appealed to Lucinda's sympathies sympa-thies And seeing her so, Lucinda with a solicitous cry "Why, .Miss Marquis!" paused and extended n impulsive hand The girl swerved away from the hand, shrinking to the wall. her scant natural color ebbing till the rouge wee livid on cheeks and lips, while her eyes grew hard and hot "Well! ' she said euhonly ' what do you want 9" Confounded by this proof of a hostility hos-tility as pertinacious as it was perverse, per-verse, laicinda falltered": "But you are 111 " "Well, nnd If I am. what's that to you?" Tho words uttered in n level tone nevertheless seemed to force explosively ex-plosively post the tremulous, waxen lips. "Oh. don't worry your head about m-, think about yourself. Don't forget you can be contaminated by ;i creature liko me, don't forget" for-get" She accomplished a singularly true reproduction of Bummerlad'i lone "I'm 'really not the sort you can afford to get mixed up with'" "I'm so sorry you heard, Miss Mar-riuls-. i m COUESe neither of us had any idea you were " "Eavesdropping! why don't you say-It" say-It" I'm not ashamed." "But aic you fair to me I meant no harm, I didn't say what you resent re-sent you know." The girl gave a grimace of pure nato "No." she snarled 'you didn't sa) anything unkind, you wero too busy posing as L.ady Bountiful to p iss uncharitable remarks! But he he, said enough enough for mt Oh I'm not snvlng he ildn t tell toe truth I'm n bmt lot.' all right a rotten bad lot. if vou want to know and I'll he worse before I'm bettor. So you watch out and keep away from me d'you hear?" "Yes." said T.,ucindn coolly "clearly'" "clear-ly'" nnd went her way Her car brought her to the Zinn ' tiollos. Neither Lynn nor Joseph Jarques, his director, was in evidence, but the cameraman said the two of them had retired to the director's office for a conference To the office Lucinda and Fanny Lontalne repaired and their knock being answereri by n morose growl there dlsoovered Summerlad in elaborate elab-orate evening clothes, a thoughtful senwl on hlo handsome, painted face with Jacques, a mild-mannered young cinema sultan, In riding breeches and boots, sitting on the desk Itpelf, and moodily drumming its 6ldo with his heels "Wia were wondering If you'd care to be an angel to us, Linda,' said Summerlad. Sum-merlad. "Help us out of the worst sort of a hole, Miss Lee," Jacques added. "Hut what l8 It?" "Oh. nothing at all!" Summerlad assured her with a laugh that depreciated depre-ciated the very idea "all we wan I you to do Is forget you're a star, or going to be, and play a little part with mo In this picture we're doing now " "I'd love to." "Knew she'd do it!" Jacques crowed ' You are a brick. Linda, and no mistake You've no Idea what a load you've taken off our rnlniJs You see. this part, while nothing to epeak of in itself, Is awfullv Important to the picture In one way; It absolutely demands de-mands somebody who's got everything you've got. K.'W.6v..ha1 GIoria Glorj' reared, but this morning she sent round word she had ptomaine poisoning " "Gloria Glory''" Fanny comment- ed. ' Why, I aw her down at Sunset Sun-set bis- night" "Too much party," Jacques Interpreted. Inter-preted. I had tho hunch, all right ' Gloria sure do crook a mean elbow I when she gets U unllmbcred ' "Then you II do it. Linda"' "I'll love doing It What do y ou I want me to wear ' "Cross-saddle costume, Miss Lee." j Jacques explained. " White breeches and i pair of swell boots you knowj llko the society dames wear when! they go hoss-backlng In Contrail Park, New York, if you've ever seen 'on " "Yen," said Lucinda soberly "once or twice I daresay I can pick one I up In Los Angeles this afternoon " Lucinda experienced no difficulty In fitting herself acceptably with a ready-made costume of white linen j for crosa-saddlo riding and light tani boots of soft lather The prospect of at lost doing reil work before a camera, after her long wail sinre falling In with Lontalne's, scheme, Inspired a quiet elation She! nan already heen elaborately tested and re-tested, of courne, by the Ilnda Lee, 1 nr she had ceased to feel seif-coriMf lous in the fierce white light of the Klelg It wasn't till she found herself in1 the corridor lending to her suite that' Lucinda remembered Nelly Marquis, she hadn't given the girl two thoughts slner morning. Ah she passed UlSS Marquis' room I she noticed that the door was sllghtlv. ajar, and where tho licht from the I corridor Struck m ,ier.ss the threshold. ' a whit-- hand at rest upon the floor, a woman's hand, palm up, the fingers Slightly contracted, absolutely still A startling thing to see . . . K 'i a feW seconds Lucinda stood entranced with premonitions of horror.' Then she moved to the door and rapped on it gently. There was no response, the hand didn't stir She WIkii 1 want n doctor I'll call him, myself, good night." calbd guardedly ".Miss Marquis!" i and when nobody answered laid hold of the knob. Nelly Marquis lay supine, breathing. breath-ing. If at all, so lightly that the movement of hei qosom, boneath the' ragged lace of a pink silk negligee, was Imperceptible. Her lids, half lowered, showed only the whitea of rolled up eye. her Hps were parted! and discolored, her painted pallon was more ghastly even than it had I been In the morning. On the evl-i dence of her body's posture in rein-1 tion to the partly opened door, she had been taken suddenly ill; had1 ru-hed to call for assistance, and had' fallen in thfl act of turning tho knob. I Lucinda shut the door. knelt touched the glrl'a wrist and found it Icy cold- But when she placed her i m mv nc-snui .me rouno it warm, and that the heart In It was 1 faintly but unmistakably fluttering In relief and pity, she essayed to , take the girl up in her arms and carry her to tho bed, but found the, deaci weight too great. Casting round at random for something some-thing in the nature of a restorative sho found in the bathroom a bottle of aggressive toilet water and a pint' flask of whisky, halt emptied. Alternately moistening the pale! I lips with the Whisky and bathing the brows and temples with tollnt w:iter. she observed for the flrsti time a reddish bruise under tho left eye. the mark of a blow, possibly sustained In falling. But there was nothing nearby that the girl could i havo struck, to inflict such a hurt, except the door-knob and If she had struck this with such force she must one would think havo slammed the j door. It was puzzling Her ministrations eventually be-gan be-gan to take effect Tho bleached lip quivered, closed, then opened and closed several times Tho woman'-, lashes trembled and curtained her eyes. "Do you think you're strong enough now to get to bed if I help'" The girl nodded tnr.. 8h0: w-hispered. L'slng all her strength Lucinda succeeded In getting Nelly Marquis on her feet About this time i clouded faculties began to clear I Unglng to Lucinda's arm, tho girl I started as If In a spasm of fear darted i swift glances of terror round the , ; room, then turned a look of perplexity perplex-ity to Lucinda, 1 1 "Where Is he?" the whisper de- : manded. 'Has he has he gone?" Ij There Is no one else here, nothing in,, aKr. f Com- heP; j you to bed Recognition dawned a3 she spoke I h movement of feeble fury the girl threw Lucinda's arm away but deprived of Its support staggered to I foot f bed. to which she I clung, quaking. I "You."' she cried "what van . ing here?" "The door was open. I ,aw vou lylnir senseless on the floor. You'd have done as much for mo " 'Oh. would I- A lot you know!" Her knees seemed about to buckle , will-power alone kept Nelly Marouls ;rrorn sinking, yet she persisted "r .suppose I ought to thank vou Well much obliged. I'm sure. ' ja . enough ?' at 1 "Quite enough I've no wish to, annoy you. Only, let me mmmmmt you need a doctor May I ask H, office to call ojic?" Y Mk thei "Wien I want a doctor, m eail him myself. flood night " "I'm sorry md Lucinda simply. With no choice other than to Va auVntf JY? th v,-'on she carted he7wlth !"y Glaring at' her with eye. malevolent her frail, body vibrating so that It shook thei (Continued In Our Next lame l oo ' |