The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-27
fConfinued from our last issue)
eDra - Lexsa Jos<sav.s

tODBIHueQ uRHt our 1dSL tssuFj
He seemed startled and unmis
takably affected by the artlessnes
of this confession, and held he
close
But, my dearest girl; you're
trembling. What is it? Tell me =
Its so wonderful to have yoI
back, Lynn Don't ever leave me fol
SO long again.
you tempt me to-" he laughed
iHdulgently. II think you've learned
10 love me better while I've beer
that / was herei"
She answered with an ocd little
laugh of love and depreciation: 81
really think have :"
They dined at Marcello's, not the
happiest selection for their first
few hours together, for the place
was thronged with picture-folk-
Motoring to Santa Monica, Luz
cinda snuggled into the hollow 81
Summerlad's arm, and rested a
long time in contented silence.
ut is too perfect" she murmured
at length, too sweet to last"
Why not? So long as we love
what's to prevent all beauty last
ing?"
Life. | meant took all her
courage to speak of what she had
till then purposely kept back
"Bellamy."
The car was swinging into the
streets of Santa Monica. Lucinda
gave him her lips.
Let's forget it for tonight Kiss
me again while there's time"
The restaurant to which the Lon
taines had hidden them was the one
in those times most favored by the
growth of the picture colony for it's
weekly night of carnival
Round the four walls and en-
closing the CONSTRUCTED floor for
dancing, tables were so closely
ranked that passage between them
was largely impracticable without
a guide. Everybody of any conse-
quence in the studios was there,
and everybody knew everybody
else and called him by his first
name-preferably at the top of his
lungs.
Lontaine's party, a large one.
comprising the most influential
members of the colony with whom
he and Summerlad were on agree
able terms, had been long enough
in session already to have become
Individually exhilarated and col
lectively hilarious. Summerlad it
took to its bosom with shouts of &C
claim, and he seemed to find it easy
to catch the spirit of the gathering.
A sense of Illustration oppressed
Lucinda. She had been happy half
an hour since. Here in this heady
atmosphere of perfumed flesh, to-
bacco reek and pungent alcohol, the
idyl of her evening grew faint and
fed. While the man she loved had
no regrets.
In a moment of disconcerting lu-
cidity she saw him as strange
man, flushed with drink and blown
with license, looking on other
women with a satyrs appraising
eyes, bandying ribald wheezes with |
the lips she had so lately kissed |
And she WINGED and drew away, re-
calling the abandon of affection |
with which she had given herself |
to his embrace at the hotel, feel /
Ing or a sudden solid and shop
worn as from common handling.
A strange man, a man she had
known but a few brief weeks!
Covertly watching him, she saw
Summerlad in the middle of a pas |
sage OF persiflage start and fall |
silent, hi slips in an instant wiped |
bare OF speech. And following the /
line OF his stare. she espied, at some !
distance at a table near the edge Of !
the dance floor, Bellamy sitting with |
a woman.
He saw her but made no sign
more than to intensity his meaning |
smile. and Immediately returned |
courteous attention to his compan- |
ion.
AT this Lucinda stared in doubt
Tor several seconds, she was so
changed. But finery that shrieked
OF money spent without stint or
taste could hardly disguise the wild