The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-05-29

eo0Tesnon, and held her close
nut. my dearest pirll you're trem
bling What is it2 Tell mo -
"Its SO wonderful TO have you hack
Lynn. Don't ever leave me for SO long
again.
You tempt me to-" he laughed indul-
gently. Il think you've learned to love
me better while I've been away than
you did in all the while that 1 was
herel'
She laughed with an odd little laugh
Of love and depreciation. ~ really think
j have -
They dined at Marcellos. not the hap.
piest selection for their first few hours
together. for the place was thronged
with picture-foIk.
Motoring to Santa Monica. Lucinda
snuggled into the hollow of Summer
tented silence.
1t is too perfect" she murmurod at
length. too sweet to last
why not? So lonS rs we love what
is to prevent all beauty lasting?'
Life. l meant took al her cour-
age to speak Of what she had TIL then
purposely kept back" Eelany.
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 bidden them was the one in
those times most favored by the froth
of the picture colony for its weekly
night Of carnival.
Round the four walls and enclosing
the CONSTRUCTED floor for dancing. ia
bles were so closely ranked that pas.
sage between them was largely mprac-
ticable without guide. Everybody Of
any consequence in the studios was
there, and everybody knew everybody
else and called him by his first name
preferably at the top Of his lungs.
Fontaine's party, a large one, compris
g the most influential members OF
ne colony with whom he and Summer
.ad were on agreeable terms, had been
long enough in session already to have
become individually exhilarated and
collectively hilarious. Summerlad 1t
took to its bosom with shouts of ac
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 healthy atmosphere Of per-
fumed flesh. tobacco reek and pungent
alcohol. the idyl Of her evening grew
faint and fled. While the man she
loved had no regrets.
In a moment Of disconcerting lucid
ity she saw him as a strange man,
flushed with drink and blown with H.
cense. looking on other women with a
satyr's appraising eyes. bandying ribald
wheezes with the lips she had SO lately
kissed. And she WINGED and drew
away. recalling the abandon Of affec.
ton with which she had given herself
TO his embrace at the hotel, feeling Of
sudden soiled and shopworn as from
common handling.
A strange man, man she had
known but u few brief weeks!
Coverty watching him. she saw SUM
merlad in the middle OF a passage OF
persiflage start and fall sileSt his lips
in an instant wiped bare of speech. And
following the line Of his stare, she es
pied. at some distance at q table near
the endge 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 at.
tention to his companion.
At this Lucinda stared In doubt for
several seconds, she was 50 changed
But finery that shrieked Of money spent
without stint or taste could hardly dis.
guise the wild and ragged loveliness Of
Nelly Marquis.
Lucinda looked second time. More
than month had passed since that
brief acquaintance. and Lucinda nad
put her out OF mind 80 completely that
her efforts to recall the features of the
other conjured up only foggy impress
sion Of shabby. haggard. haunted
shadow. by turns wistful and feebly de.
fiant, that bore what might be no more
than chance likeness to this figure Of
Haunting extravaganza at Belamy's
table.
A question forming on her lips. Lu.
cinda turned back to Summerlad. but
surprised the tail OF his eye veering
hastily away, and fancied a shade Of
over.elsboratlon In the easy. incurious
air he was 30 quick to resume.
She stole another glance across the
room. BY every indication Belamy
found his company most entertaining
he was paying her sall!es a tribute Of
smiling attention which she as evident.
ly found both grateful and inspiring.
While Lucinda was looking she drained
her highball glass and with an air per.
emptory and arch planted In front of
Bellamy to be replenished u service
which he rendered with the aid Of u
pocket flask-adding to his own glass.
however, water only.
Summerlad was cycling her with a
quizzical air. Lucinda managed half u
smile.
Shall we dancer
She surveyed the crowded floor du.
biously. IT'S an awful crush. I'm
afraid :" Nevertheless. she got
up and threaded the jostling tables with
Lynn at her heels.
IL was AN awful crush. Few better
dancers than Lynn Summerlad ever
trod ballroom floor. but even he was
put to 1t to steer safe course In that
welter. Lucinda heard hiss Of breath
indrawn and looked up to see Lynn's
face disfigured by u spasm Of pain. In
the same instant he stopped short, in
the next he groaned between set teeth.
Have to get out Of this, I'm afarid,"
he grunted. MY foot-somebody with
a hool filke \ sledge hammer landed on
a, t,,st paw That xva,,ldp't tnaftar anly