Show tam X I 1 PARA OD OM L M BY evelym campbell aa copyright by evolyn THE STORY linda Haver hills neer do well father dies when she aha ta is seventeen leaving her bar little beyond some onie stock certificates these the she ehe takes to her fat fathers bers friend senator converse to dispose of after a whirlwind courtship linda marries courtney roth too lati late she aha discovers he h Is a penniless adventurer living by his hi wits roth both dies ate in switzerland linda continues continue to live like a woman of wealth the senator supplies BUpp llen her har with money keeping up the tha fiction that her stock is yielding it on a trip she aha meet meats brian anstey lie n helps her out of an embarrassing situation linda learns learna the tha real reason tor for converge friendliness the senator resents her friendship for anstey CHAPTER IV continued 9 why you tell ms me you were as hard up as all that he demanded har harshly ably he was genuinely alarmed anything might have happened why good 0 dl d I 1 girl to think of you yon running about over the country without a dollar in your pocket borrowing from Strange et rangers rii tricking them she finished iier her face had become muted she slumped wearily in her chair it Is 18 nothing new I 1 have lived that way done things like that so 80 many times but he be know he fie has no idea have you returned the money he loaned you converse demanded suddenly i she shook her head dumbly hu Yn illation could strike no deeper than that when they were in the taxi he took one of her hands in his hot palm and filled it with bills and loathing his touch she must let her own hand lie there inert presently he said 1 I am glad it was waa anstey iles hes a decent chap not likely to take advantage of such an experience who Is he how well do you know him the senator leaned back and lighted a eigiL cigarette rette he was comfortable again feeling the situation in his hands A promising youngster but poor hes after a diplomatic job and has asked me to help him perhaps I 1 will perhaps not depends ile he gave her a narrow glance but her long ion lashes lay upon h her er immobile cheeks ile he added in a I 1 lighter abter tone by the wit way y ill tell stevens to take this out of your check when he forwards it she began to told fold the money into a neat little square pocket do please it will be bees awkward already the wall of pretense was swung magi magically cully between them and she sheltered haltered thankfully behind it licking her bruises but the senator looking locking over ever wab waa well content it had cot ot turned out so badly after all hurt women are weak women always CHAPTER V brief flap happiness it was exactly eleven elenc n when she he heard brians eager voice over t tho telephone ive been waiting two hours waiting for what 70 for r eleven you tou said eleven she laughed are you always so 80 obedient when you were a youngster did you get all the cards marked for a good boy ills his voice sounded vh when he replied handshe and she remembered that men nestr luw like to be tensed by the absent 1 I did not want to disturb you earlier linda laughed again with sudden galety gaiety this was so do different from the way men usually talked to her she told him to meet her at the ritz nt at four and presently the conversation was over and she had bad turned away with cheeks that glowed faintly and a light in her eyes she thought of him almost constantly during the next few hours I 1 there was a groat great deal to 10 lo do after her absence and she had meant to stay indoors eina seln over her wardrobe and V the swat great stack of letters that had ac cumulated in her month of absence she sha disliked both tasks forthe for the ward robe meant gowns that had lost their freshness and the letters were nearly all unpleasant bills it was a relief to think of brian instead ho he was so 10 young so naive with his bla open admiration for hert herl and he made her feel young I 1 more than once she had found herself think ins inc of herself as tired workout and the she was only twenty four brian with his bin candid eyes his spontaneous smile sall his uncommon and real chivalry save gava hey he back the years that had sunk with their hurts into obscurity he came so BO eagerly to their appointment that he must have been counting the aln minutes utes that kept it away but he found her changed paler than she had been in the flush and of the restaurant and ani an air of weariness about her she wae wa dressed exquisitely in a close black velvet thing that made all the other women seem to have something vaguely wrong about then them the moment they faced one another across the little table linda spoke of the tiny loan he had made her 1 I wanted to return it myself she said softly and that Is why I 1 did not send it to you at once he took the bills and folded them away in a shabby little billfold that the she noticed was rather flat from the first she had gained the impression that he was not very well off one of those young men with a fu ture waiting to be carved by willing willina hands the thought made her smile a little it was easy to picture brian anstey carving ilia his strong brown fingers had a way of forceful grasping even the teacup looked extraordinarily fragile as he handled it it ile he did not weigh the import of bar words lie he was much too enchanted by her eyes they sat there playing with their tea and linda roth discovered that she was happier than she had been tor for a longtime long time she told herself that this was in a way a sort of holiday she could not afford to play with poor young men however charming but now she could breathe freely she knew that converse would keep his word and that in a day or two she would have a check to tide her over she deliberately shut her eyes to tho the miracle of how this was to be accomplished the fantasy of the stock certificates had grown into a permanent institution that could always be depended upon she felt aeilt ameible am lible me and light hearted in spite of aej pallor an and the delicate languor that was ivas a part of her brians eyes made tier her feel very young what shall we do he be asked when the pretense of tea was over there arent any windows to peep into in new york what nonsense ensell 1 she cried gaily there are millions million sl 1 but most 61 them are so hideously expensive that we not all of them he reminded her losing his smile did you ever ride rida on the elevated she shuddered dont please please I 1 those dreadful wind windows 1 I 1 do no not t like to think of them no our little game belonged to the place where we found it we see bee the same sama things here 1 I wish you hate poverty so he said gravely who she said rising she sha could not believe that he was in earnest the day was warm for february there was a smothering down pressing haze in the air a warning of change they walked slowly along the avenue where plenty of other women as well dressed as linda but not looking lt it were also walking in spite of the damp pavement they were all coking eagerly into shop windows that had bloomed and flowered into spring these windows were marvelous furs and laces flashing jewel s and slik silk petticoats wonderful bats and delicate I 1 lace ace fans lounged gracefully against their velvet backgrounds an insolent french doll in a wisp of chan tally wore a priceless sable around her neck linda paused before one window where a single small hat perched nonchalantly on a purple pedestal how love lovely lyl I 1 she exclaimed but brian was looking at the yellow haze that touched the bare trees tree in the dim park with the wreathed veil of mystery im not rich ich you know brian said thoughtfully and I 1 wish you hate poverty so that you could help me come to a decision TO BE CONTINUED |