The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-10
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BEGIN HERE TO-DAY.
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BEGIN HERE TODAY.
Beauty, youth, wealth, socia
position-these had failed to brine
happiness to
LUCINDA DRUCE, New York SO.
ciety matron, in the fifth year Of
her married life. She and he,
husband,
BELLAMY, continued to drift apart
and now he was openly indulgine
his appetite for promiscuou:
irritation and heavy drinking
Just as Bellamy was plunginG
into his latest affair, this time
with
| MRS. AMELIE SEVERN.
RICHARD DAUBENEY, Lucinda;
old sweetheart, returns to New
York. On the morning when Bel.
lamy promised reformation, Lu.
clnGa overhears him making an
appointment with Amelie Severn
for luncheon at the Clique club.
GO ON WITH THE STORY.
Frost in the air of that early
wtntry day lent its sunlight the
cold brilliance of diamond dust. On
Fifth avenue the crush of motor
! cars had grown so dense that one
could hardly drive from the Plaza
to Thirty-fourth street in less than
thirty minutes.
Ballamy fumed over every halt
dictated by the winking semaphore
lights of the traffic towers. In his
understanding it was essential that
the car should set him down in
front of the sedate pressed brick
structure on East Thirtieth street
whose entrance was f1anked by an
ever-stainless plate of brass adver-
Using in dignified black letters
OFFICES OF THE DRUCE ES-
TATE" for the planting
of what he was pleased to term his
"alibi"
1t was true, Lucinda had never
designed to question a servant
about his comings and goings, he
had no reason to believe she would
ever be so far forgetful of her dig
nifty. Still, if one will f1irt with
fire, the first rule is TO take out in
Surance
Today found Bellamy more out of
humor with himself than ever be-
fore, more disposed to consider
turning over a new leaf, a project
often mooted by his conscience
always when he was falling out
of love-, often approved but never
seriously tackled.
Thrice in the course of the sea n
hour he spent at his desk Bellamy
put out a hand to the telephone
meaning to call up Amelie and call
it off; and thrice withheld his
hand, partly because he hated the
thought of a wrangle over the wire
partly because he was afraid the
girl at the switchboard might
listen in.
In the end he left his office half
an hour earlier than he need have
and took a taxi to the Clique.
The Clique club was post-prohi-
bition institution of New York, run
in direct, more or less open, and
famously successful defiance of the
Eighteenth Amendment.
Amelie Severn kept Bellamy kick
ing his heels a bad quarter of an
hour longer than she need have
but his temper was obscured by the
good looks excited. There was
compensation in the knowledge that
one had made conquest of so rare
creature.
Anelie had married Ross Severn
because he was well-to-do, uninter-
esting, middle-aged, of good fam
lily; and had quickly repented be-
cause he spoiled her and showed
NO intention of ceasing to be a good
life insurance risk
She frankly owned as much
while Bellamy was helping her
with her wrap in the semi-seclusion
of their as yet uncurtained booth.
Thrilled to jellybean! she de-
clared She shrugged out of her
furs, planted elbows upon the table
Graded her chin upon the backs OF
engaged fingers, and peered about
the room with quick, inquisitivei
bird-like glances. Ross would be
furious"
Hope so. If he weren't, he ought
to be spoken to about it,
"Oh, why worry about Ross? He's
just a husband"
And husbands haven't any rights
worth considering"
I'D like to see Rsos =" A
laugh of lazy insolence rounded of
Amelie's thought Besides, I'm not
doing anything wrong :"
Not yet" Bellamy admitted
equally He nodded to their hover
ing waiter. What kind of cock
tail, Amelie? Everything else is
ordered"
"A INT, please"
The waiter noted down this
frightful prescription with entire
monsieur"
Nothing, thank you
Nothing monsieur" Profession
al poise was sadly shattered for an
instant.
Bellamy tried to cover his annoy
ance with a laugh, but surprised a
look of dark resentment in Amelie's
eyes.
DO you want the walters to think
you bring me here solely to satisfy
my appetite for liquor
Sorry, Amy. Make it rule never
to drink before evening"