The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-11-20
SYNOPSIS

JOAN WAKING, pretty Mcm-
 phl1 girl, and BOB WESTON,
 son of . millionaire, meet in
 Memphis and fall i'm love. They
 become esfrnuged through the
 ncheming of BARBARA COURT
 NEY, who is trying to win Bob
 for herself.
 Joan goes to New York to
 search for Pat. her sister, WhO-
 has run away after an unhappy
 love affair. Joan fs hired as q
 masked singer at e night club.
 Believing Bob IS lost to her, Joan
 becomes engaged to BARNEY
 BLAKE, owner of the night club.
 Pat feappears and becomes
 Barney's secretary. Ii. IS not long
 before he realizes he loves Pat
 instead of Joan. Joan sings at a
 private fashionable entertain
 mRent and discovers she Is in
 BOb's home. Bob recognizes her
 voice. Because of her agitation,
 Joan leaves before her final
 encore.
 Bob follows in his car. He
 goes to the night club and asks
 Barney for Joan's address. Bar.
 ney refuses to give 1t to him. An-
 gered, Bob leaves. He returns to
 plead his cause again and learns
 Barney has gone home.
 CHAPTER XXI
 Rob opened the telephone direc- tory and ran his eye through the list of Blakes. There it was Barney H. Blake" No. it was Mrs Barney H. Blake" Queeri From what Barbara had said he had supposed Blake was a bache- Tor.
 Well, 1t was no matter. The ad- dress must be right because 1t was the only Barney Blake" in, the directory.
 It was a rather grim looking young man who piloted the gray roadster through traffic to the Park avenue address. Bob was driving as rapidly as possible, at the same time remembering that untimely arguments with traffic officers would only retard his
 He was elaGed, almost gay when he halted before the apartment building. A few moments more and he would be on his way to Joan! A few moments more-!
 Tn the lobby sleepy clerk gave him the number. Bob decided he would not risk ringing and perhaps hearing a polite refusal. He caught the elevator to the fifth floor.
 Joan heard the knock on the door. She had changed to a simple short-sleeved house frock. The cos tune she had worn on the stage and during that nasty drive home-lay where she had dropped it on the bed. Her slippers were on the floor where she had kicked them. A forlorn Cinderella had re- turned from the ball.
 Realizing sleep was impossible Joan had decided to unpack mis- celianeous assortment of boxes that cluttered the room. After a while she gave up the task, letting her thoughts drift as they would. She sat at the window and looked out. She had been in Bob's home, beautiful home mellowed by years, over which the gracious presence Sho had climbed the stairs he must have mounted hundreds of times. She had sen him, too. been so near that she could note the chang ing expressions on his face. She had sung to him.
 Wrapped in her thoughts, Joan scracely needed the knocking at the living room door until it be- came insistent. It was Barney probably. He had been worried by her nervousness, disturbed because she could give no explanation of her strange manner.
 Joan rose and opened the door. For a moment there was silence. Joan saw a light leap into Bob's eyes and then die suddenly. He stared blankly at her.
 Come in, Bob," Such a trite way to greet him when there was such rapture in her heart.
 He came into the room, shut ting the door behind him.
 You found me- said Joan un- steadily.
 hoarse. 'I wish to God hadn't" He was still standing. staring at her with dark concentration. Joan thought he looked drunk. Yet she was sure he had not been drink ing. He looked i'll. Something was certainly wrong.
 ''What's the matter, Bob?" she asked gently.
 He did not answer. He caught her by the wrists, held her away from his while he studied her face. Suddenly he laughed and pulled her into his arms.
 Between fierce kisses on her lips Joan was whispering, Its been so long. I couldn't bear 1t. Bob! Do you really love me?"
 Without answering he flung her from him violently. Now go back to him!" he said hoarsely.
 He was gone then. running down the stairs. Joan stood where he had left her, amazed, bewildered.
 What had Bob meant? He had discovered that she was the masked singer. Perhaps he had heard that Barney was in love with her. Maybe their marriage plans had leaked out.
 Their marriage plans! Still shaken by the memory of Bob's kisses only one thought remained clear to her. She could not marry T