The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-08
CHAPTER I
T F you marry that girl III
L jump in the river!"

"But [ mean it, Mel" the
girl persisted.
eyes, of course, you do. Just
as you meant it with Berto last
year and Harry the year before
and "
ooh, shut up! l never pre-
tended to care about them, but
you are different. I'm crazy
about you, Mel. The whole vii
lage knows it,"
The young man made GEES
/ ture Of WEAKNESS with one
hand. His other was busy at
the table before which he stood,
arranging the decorations for
a buffet supper.
"Pleast stop being childish,
Chiri," he said, "and help me
with these flowers.
Chiri shifted. "Orchids! l
suppose she sent them
This time the man paused in
his work to regard her seri-
ously.
"Why not? She sent this
cloth, too" touching the fine
lace and linen cover, "and
these" lifting a piece of sterl-
ing silver tableware.
"In fact, she sent all this
stuff, Chiri, but what does it
matter if she wants the things
she's accustomed to? It's her
party, too, you know, and if I
hadn't won the mural compe-
tition and used it as an excuse
to celebrate down here we
would be announcing our en-
gagement uptown.
Across the richly appointed
table the girl called Chiri, drew
back and looked at him scorn-
fully.
"You . poor fool" she said
slowly.
For heavens sake" he returned
impatiently, stop trying to quarrel
with me and get busy; can't you
stick these candles up straight"
Il didn't come here to straighten
candlesl Every ones talking about
you, Mel, and this what's her
name? Brewster girl. We all
think you're mad. Why, Mel, dear"
she changed her voice suddenly
from anger to tender pleading
cant you see it will ruin you to
marry an outsider such as she is?
Look. Linen! And we are used to
bare boards, or italian brocade when
some one is lucky. How will you
like to sit down day after day at
precisely the same hour to precisely
the same correct table,
1.-THE butler will Sneer at you if
you touch anything when you should
not, and pretty soon you'll want to
kill him; and what will you do when
they call you to dinner just when
you've caught the thing you couldn't
get into your work for weeks and
weeks -. :"
Good lord, Chiri, you don't know
what you're talking about. I doubt
if you've even seen a butler off the
stage, and, besides, we aren't going
to live on Park Ave. I hope to take
Virginia to Rome next year and !
imagine We'll be able to find a COM
mon meeting ground for our
tastes"
"That kind of imagining has
ruined many artists, Mel, and you
know it. o, I can't let you do 1t,
I can't"
Chiri came like whirlwind round
the table and threw herself into his
unwilling arms. Her hands chung
round his neck and her ragged bob
brushed his lips. He disliked her
perfume. 1t was struggle to free
himself without hurting her.
"Chiri," he began firmly, II want
you to stop this. You know you're
only acting and that you aren't
worried about my career"
Chiri smiled straight at him and
threw pretense to the four corners
of the big studio.
"Well, what if I'm not? I don't
want you to marry, and one reasons
as good as another"
"Then please save your acting fol
a better occasion. The only thing
I've ever liked about you, Chiri, is
your defiant truthfulness."
But you don't like it when say
I love you
Because you're lying. But I'd be
sorry if it were true, as I honestly
believe I'm homogeneous. Anyway
I've never loved any girl but Vir-
GINA, and I have an idea that ]
never will"
Chiri 1t a peculiar little sound
that meant "too bad" escape hel
lips. you're talking like a bour-
geoisie already" she declared re-