Show 0 emilie loring LOWING service nu CHIW CHAPTER TEft XV continued 23 but I 1 known you suspected that there was one you you and jed stew art came to live in the other house to watch me you do you yoi think that I 1 have forgotten that you yoi called me a schemer this seems to be turning into a E question and answer period sup pose you let me tell my side of the i story sit down please ill 1 I prefer to stay here go on I 1 hope it take long I 1 have a lot to do before I 1 leave in the morning sorry to have to ask to let le the furnishings stay here un until til mother gets back but dont be so breathless dearest i im not breathless and im not your dearest I 1 wish yu you would say what you forced your way in here to say and and go all right remember you asked for it I 1 came to say that after I 1 knew who you were that day in h beds office I 1 believe that i you had used undue influence with my aunt I 1 admit that for a while I 1 tried to fool myself but I 1 keep it up I 1 open my house because I 1 wanted to watch you I 1 decided to do it on thanksgiving day because I 1 liked ft you and your whole darn family h As the weeks passed jed and I 1 LI were sure that if the second will i had not been destroyed henri knew f where it was not knowing its con pi tents hampered us but you know now P yes and it hurts infernally to p think that you should have been L drawn into this sordid mix up p why I 1 be its what might be called poetic justice it I 1 start the trouble when I 1 went to lookout house to see your s aunt the first time id been warned that business and friendship wont mix any better than oil and water now I 1 know it you had suspected k for weeks that I 1 had no right to your hi aunts money and yet you and jed stewart let me keep on spending a and spending when I 1 think of L those two cars I 1 bought I 1 almost lose my mind how can I 1 ever pay it back pay it back dont be foolish jt othere there is no question of paying it back have you forgotten that mary j amanda dane left an income to you you dont think for an instant do you that I 1 would accept a cent of that money would you take any ash from me when I 1 tried to divide with L you im surprised im really sur 4 MJ that you dont play the marr tyr and ask me to marry you no I 1 shant ask you to marry me ive made a lot of mistakes mi stakes A 11 in in my life but believe me ive 0 learned enough not to make that one his cool denial hurt brooke intolerably he hated her she told herself why he in the library a while ago you B told lucette you were leaving here r because you had accepted an offer 1 I 3 are you engaged to jerry field fal 01 A gate in the halll A way out y 11 without letting him know that she car cared how desperately she cared for w him she laughed ap 1 I here come sam and lucette 0 they are stamping snow from their leet feet outside as a warning that they y are about to interrupt our confer ence amusing it 41 amusing to you perhaps it I 1 is nt to me V sams face was as red as the fire as he s and lucette entered the room sorry to interrupt but dont ont apologize c im not apologizing his face went from red to crimson im c only trying to explain brooke that s the lne inspectors walking the floor and gnashing his teeth and muttering sOr something about keeping the law awaiting baitin gis he wants you mark and he W an a YOU quick y T lm m going mark trent paused on the threshold goodnight good night i brooke well finish our talk to morrow 41 CHAPTER XVI well finish our talk tomorrow A month had passed since mark r it trent had ad flung S those ose words as her A i of since she 5 e had left lookout house 0 i sm they had d echoed to the accompanist rient th t of the whir wh of the wings of it aln the great plane blanc in which she had flown own south th at the urgency and the ff inS ense 81 of carstons st ons inc they had rhedin in business hours they had flirted flitted lik wraiths through her t dream eams the days slid past breathlessly I 1 she was conaci conscious OUS of a sort of breathless urge to keep up with something which was escaping her keep up with what she asked herself as in the flower scented dressing room of carstons inc she slipped out of the green organza arganza number she had been modeling and into a frock of cool yellow linen she was looking out unseeingly at the palm bordered white street when madame celeste entered her thin white frock rested brookes eyes after the rainbow collection she had put on and off for the last two hours you done noble cherie the woman approved heartily there was something in her nasal twang as refreshing as a breeze from a thousand new england hills blowing through this tropical paradise that last customer is one of the richest girls in the country she ordered all the gowns you modeled you look kind of tired youve a right to cherie chene after landing that whale of an order get some lunch here go home and rest until four then come back you will dress here the society models will d dress ress at the shaws sports house sidone will be there to help them r X V R W v X 7 V 0 lyng 0 I 1 u N Y AM 0 r NO ew A J 10 0 ua DOW wv aa RA last appearance what do you mean alean be the only professional manne mannequin quint but I 1 trust an amateur to show that wedding gown the charity fete begins at five the wedding party will bethe last feature of the style show look your best we expect that some prospective bride will snap up the whole outfit when she sees you walk up the ribbon and flower bordered aisle in that heavenly white satin veiled in a mist of tulle make a ravishing bride cherie it will be your last appearance so knock their eyes out the words last aphea appearance rance penetrated the turmoil in brook brookes es mind last appearance what do you mean madame celeste twisted her amethyst beads cherie dont go white on me you know business been too good and I 1 have my orders after the fashion show im to hand you a check for your ul commissions and a months pay and youre through but but I 1 thought though t I 1 had sold a lot of frocks since I 1 came you have and you can search me for the basss reasons never knew him to turn a trick like this before but I 1 ask bouis you is any business being run as it ever was run before ill tell the world it im terribly sorry to lose you for an instant emotion threatened damage to the enameled calm of the womans comans face br brooke ohe was still puzzling 0 ver over the di dismissal when she reached t the he small bermuda type house with its whitewashed roof and walls built aro around und two sides of a 1 patio in which she had been living since she had come to palm be beach ach and entered her room she changed from the yellow cotton frock to white shantung pajamas she picked up letters from open a window a desk pushed stepped out on the gallery and breathed deeply 0 of f the light thin air she opened a lett letter er from lucette for the first two P pages ages the word jerry monopolized space to even a feeble minded person it aou would id be evident that jerry field was leading in a long stag line brooke was glad of that but how did lucette manage to take on all the festivities and be fit for her work in the morning As if she had anticipated the question lucette wrote with words heavily underlined for emphasis after this evening ill cut out the night spots theres nothing in them for me so stop worrying about little sister darling and get this I 1 want to be like you brooke you dont smoke you dont clont drink and yet ive never seen a man who when introduced to you stand a little straighter fuss with his tie and get that ive found her at last look in his eyes and youre grand fun and the life of the party there you have the inside story of my life so what never thought I 1 would let you know how I 1 adored you bad for you but here it is lucette P S news flash sams play may be produced any day its predecessor is folding up it was a terrible flop brooke shut her eyes to keep back tears she had known that lucette loved her but that she set her on a pedestal was unbelievable As to that ive found foun her dh er at last atla loo look k in a mans eyes she should have seen mark trents arents when he had called her a schemer in jed stewarts office why think of it she plenty of happier things to think of she glanced at the clock sams play might be produced any day she had lost her job she was free to go to new york could she afford it why did that grubby question have to poj boj up to take the joy out of life of course she would go she had flown to palm beach at the expense of carstons inc she would take a bus in return on her own she would go tonight go on to a new adventure in living tingling with excitement she telephoned for a reservation on the night bus packed a small trunk to be sent by express folded her silver e evening ening frock and accessories into the a air ir luggage suitcase which carstons inc had provided she would want the gala clothes clothe s f for or t the h e premiere thrilling thought she laid out an amethyst tweed suit with crimson scarf and beret to wear on the journey it would be cold when she reached new york all ready and somewhere to go she glanced at the clock there was time for a swim becore before she started for the style show it would set her up and refresh her she must look her best for her positively last palm beach appearance she slipped into the white water frock and caught up a beach coat life was gloriously worth while even if the man one loved did think one a schemer she told herself as she ran down the steps which led to the patio she was humming a snatch of gay song as she crossed the strip of yellow sand steeping in golden sunlight which the march of fashion had left behind arms extended d she slid into the sparkling water it parted buoyant foamy it closed over her marvelous feeling this would stabilize her mind drown haunting memories she swam with quick strokes turned floated came back arm over arm and dripping drippin 0 with coolness waded out to the sh shore ore A man rose from the shadow of the dark hibiscus hedge outside the patio its scarlet flowers seemed to nod at her in amused derision is derd ion as she stopped in surprise mark a k trenal this was the cue tor for cool sophistication he held out the beach coat she had dropped on the sand put this on brooke lets sit here I 1 want to talk to you and we may be interrupted inside how did you know where I 1 i was ive been playing round with lucette more or less saw sam when I 1 came through new york saml sam how was he nerves taut as violin strings otherwise in great shape when does his play open day after tomorrow so soon why that sudden look of horror it horror it was ive lost my job and I 1 had planned to leave here tonight by bus but traveling that way I 1 cant possibly make new york in time for the premiere of islands arise 1 I know that youve lost your j job 0 b I 1 had a talk with your boss before I 1 left the city he agreed with me that you miss the opening of sams play pl you mean that you told him to fire ne me what right have you to interfere in my life the right of a sort of guardian aunt mary amanda so request in that last will eyes on a pelican fishing in shallow water he accused you answered beds letters notifying you that the amount of income you had been receiving from my aunts estate would be deposited liu sited monthly to your account as usual I 1 had to come to find out if you had received them brooke sprang to her f feet her beach coat slipped off slim and golden skinned in her white water frock she dug pink toes into the hot sand 1 I answer because you b oth both know without being told that I 1 wont touch that money mark trent loomed over her put this on again he commanded grimly why wont yo you u touch that money brooke thrust her arms into the be beach ach coat he held and stu stuck c k h her er unsteady hands into the pockets pocket S would you take a cent of mary am amanda anda danes when I 1 thought it mine you say ir that snobby voice of yours the afternoon we met in jed stewarts office hope enjoy the house and an d fortune miss reyburn now its my turn 1 I hope enjoy the house and fortune mr trent im sure daphne field will be crazy about it daphne he caught her wrist in a grip which hurt where e did you get that crazy idea how crude how unbelievably crude she had been to mention daphnes name brooke accused herself hotly but having blundered shed better see it through with the light touch from a letter from mrs gregory the other day it was full of news all about mark trent and daphne field the current lady of his heart ashes a grand gossip mark trents arents eyes drew brookes like a magnet was the light in his laughter anne gregory is more than a gossip ashes a strategist I 1 spoken to daphne field since the night of the play and she knows it he loosened his hold on her wrist what are you doing this afternoon TO RE BE CONTINUED |