Evening star., 1934-01-25
INSTAILMENT XXI,


n hand on charity's arm: to
IL squeeze it Warningly. When
Batch saw Doug his face red
dened. 1t was a most embarrassing
situation Billie thought faster than
she'd ever thought before in her life
Doug looked up. Before he had
chance to show surprise, Billie pounced
upon their table
Are we late? Howdy, Yanner! We
brang your wife as per instructions,
Doug Amt she scrumptuous? Pull up
the table, boys"
Two walters leaped to move the two
tables together-and Charity blessed
Billie silently. Doug found his voice
and jumped up. Hi! The more the
merrier. Set-boys and girls"
DR.. Phillips was enlightened as to the
sudden change of table arrangements
when Batch said hurrledly, Miss Van
dergriff, DR.. Phillips-and Mr.. Temple,
Dr. Phillips"
Billie felt like laughing out loud when
she saw the look on Yanner's face as
her eyes lit on the transformed Charity.
At first she looked incredulous. Then
her soft mouth curled fol a second with
fury. She caught herself in time to say
casually, How have you been, Charity?"
Charity found herself saying equally
casually. "Oh-Ive been just lovely.
And you?"
Getting around" Yanner smiled
weakly.
Batch felt himself in a mighty tight
place, although Doug had made it quite
plain he didn't care what Charity did.
That was before Charity cut her hair
and showed what clothes could do to a
girl. He looked at Yanner with her
p,ir1e o,,I !, l>,,I
mouth, and wondered how Doug could
60 around with her when he had a
wife like Charity. The man must be
blind
Yanner had never known such agony
of mind. She mentally compared her.
self with the tall, raven-haired Charity
in her stunning white gown. and for
the first time in her life felt inferior
in looks to another girl She saw, with
a shock, that all eyes were upon Char
ity and Billie. and it made her furious.
She looked at Doug out of the corner
Of her eye and saw with pang. which
made her feel i'll. that he was looking at
Charity as though he had never seen
her before.
Every one in the party breathed a
sigh of relief when the lights at the
tables dimmed and the dance floor lit
up for the floor show. 1t saved the
painful Job of trying to make conversa-
ton. Charity picked up a program and
smiled lnWardly when she saw that
Chickie Belle was one Of the stars.
Maybe that would take a little of the
wind out of Yanner's sails. too. For
she knew Doug'S girl friend was bitterly
jealous Of the red-haired dancer
1t was beautiful show, starring
some of the biggest of Broadway names.
Charity had never seen anything like it
before, but Doug scarcely saw it. He
found his eyes constantly straying to
Charity. The lights swept their table
every once in awhile, playing over Char
ity's shining hair, her finely chiseled
face, her soft sweet mouth, her perfect
teeth. He caught his breath and Won
dered how he could ever have been too
blind to see her beauty-even in the un-
becoming clothes she had worn the day
she became his wife. Had his father
perhaps seen her as she really was?
Dougs eyes strayed to Yanner and
he studied her closely. It shocked him
to see the hatred that came into her
eyes when he caught her off guard
looking at Charity. He'd loved Yanner
so long and so much, surely he couldn't
stop. It was just a mood and he would
get over it. But again he felt his eyes
straying to Charity. He wondered what
it would be like to hold her cool, white
beauty in his arms. But he could never
do that. Charity hated him.
He saw then that Batch was not TAX
ing his eyes off Charity. When she
turned and smiled little half happy
smile at Batch Doug was certain Char
ity was in love with the handsome doc
tor. He remembered that Billie had
warned him Batch was becoming very
interested in Charity-and he hadn't
taken it seriously. At that time he'd
been certain a man like Batch could
never fall in love with a girl like Char
ity Jones.
1t would be rotten of Batch to make
Charity care for him and not care for
her in return. He knew the doctors
way with women and it wasn't the sort
treated She had been decent-and
never done any one harm. Anyway,
she'd been q darn sight better to him
than he deserved.
There was the night she'd let Yanner
make fool out of her-and the good
natured way she'd taken her treatment
by the crowd at Templehaven that week
end, and then appeared on the beach
just in time to save Batch from drown
ing. She must have loved him then
or she wouldn't have risked her life
for him.
Billie and DR. Phillips were the only
two who enjoyed the rest of the eve
ming Charity's cool exterior hid the
inner turmoil of her emotions. 1t
wasn't so easy sitting at the same
table with her rival, wondering what
she really was to Doug; how soon he'd
be asking for a divorce SO he could
marry the little blond darling of society.
Looking at Charity smiling wistfully
around her. Batch knew with a sudden
pounding Of the blood in his temples
that he loved her He wanted. more
than he had ever wanted anything in
his life. to take her in his arms and
tell her So
I,nr hofnra ,rae TINA To co hama