Evening star., 1934-06-28
SHANGHAI ROSE
BY ANNE FORESTER
author of Spite Wife"
By ANNE FORESTER
Author Of Spite Wife"

ing her two chilly hands In his, SEEM
ing to reach out and gather all of her
TO himself.
Don't answer me now-that was
rotten way to ask a question like
that =. but I've wanted to for SO long.
Gee, honey, you're so sweet"
She tried to smile back at him, but
her mouth quivered instead into a
spasm of pain. How was she to tell
him the truth-that love and marriage
, were not for her, ever again? He was
so dear friend, his companionship
had meant SO much to her. Oh,
he mustn't be hurt like this now. If
only she could make him under
stand
rs it" with his usual intuitive
reading OF her mind he had guessed
her answer from her face-"Rose, Is
it because of my-drinking? Because
If it L-oh. sweetheart, I swear with
all my soul that you'd never be trou-
bled by that again! I've got q job
Rose. a brand new job! I'm leaving
1or China-for Peking-day after to-
morrow! It's the job I've been work.
ing toward for over a year Oh,
yOu Will COlllc Will AAc-oay yOu -
come. Why, it's the only reason I've
wanted 1t, dear :. because l thought
I might get it for you'll"
But. Larry-now, listen, dear, how
could that be? You haven't known
me for year. You've known mellow
! long is it-four months or five?' She
was talking against time. against the
sudden flash OF the thought that had
leaped unbidden into her mind. To
go to Peking to get away from all OF
this-away from the heartache, the
snubs, the grinding necessity for get
ing through from one day to another
in an atmosphere which she now ac-
knowledged to herself would never be
anything but hostile-afld unkind. TIC
take Kitten aWay-Where the vicious
tattle OF small, malicious tongues
would forever be stilled; to let her
grow up as far as possible from these
relatives who had treated her so shah
billy.
But even as the temptation reared
its head, Rose knew that she was still
going to say no. She did not love
Larry. He deserved nothing less than
the best. She brought her mind back
to the sound of his voice again, tC
the astonishing words he had just
let fall.
You're wrong about that. Rose
dear the man was saying quietly. u
have known you-and loved you, toe
for more than year," Then. an
sWering the amazed stare with which
she had turned to survey him. he
added. almost guiltily: I've got q
confession TO make 10 you, Rose.
1t isnt-a pretty story-but l want
you to listen"
II was raised here in Catherwood,
Iarry's voice went tonelessly on. i've
told you that before What I haven
told you is that l spent almost twC
years-just before coming back here
in China-in Shanghai. I used 10 see
you-dancing at Billy Scalminini' S
Cabaret. I fell in love with you then
I've loved you ever since!"
But. Larry! Why haven't you ever
said"
I'm coming TO that. I grew uI
with the Therrold boys-played with
them, should say. because. after all
the son OF the town dreSsmsker anc
the son OF Catherwoods richest mil
owner cannot exactly be said TO bt
fraternity brothers." he went on 6
trif1e bitterly. After We got oldel
and my mother-died-I lit out. Wen
over TO China Words paint pictures
for me-they always have. So I wen
into the newspaper game. was max
ing good. too-until-well." a trth
defiantly. II started to drink"
From the corner came the sound o
T-Bone's irritated attacks as he mo
notonously rustled newspaper.
China does queer things to man
Rose, especially to a man alone. 1
gets you. You lose your perspective
One night dropped in at Scalminini'
Csbaret-and I saw you dance. Don
you know how man gets to hunge
for a real woman!-" His voic'
broke roughly-"A woman who IS sen
sitye and decent and feminine ant
good :. in a place like that? 1t get
to be-torture-after a while: poor
scentleSS aftermathS of ecstacyr" HI
muttered. as II he were alone in tn
room. And added quietly: And thel
I found out that you were married
Married to the last person on eartl
Id have thought of-Harvey Their.
rold The little Therrold kid from my
own home town! You Cal
imagine what that news did to mel"
Across the commonplace littl
kitchen on River street there dancet
for a moment the jibing. writhinI
wraiths of that old disappointment
tattooed forever on the retina of hi
memory. -.
Il quit going to Scalminini's-bu
couldn't get you out of my minc
You see. Rose. you stood for some
thing-something I've always wanted
and never had. You were-fine-a ILL.,
growing in the mud! Well-you know
what Kipling says: I had my owl
matches and sulphur and I made m
own hell But l wrote you letters
But, Larry. didn't get them!" Sh
was not crying. but the gray eye
were luminous with unshed tears; he
gaze on his own never faltering.
Sure you didn't. / tore 'em UP
After all, I had some sense! 1t JUS
sort of eased something within me t
write you-that's all. You see-I go
some crazy sort OF notion that mayb
you'd get enough Of Harvey Therrolt
after awhile. He was such a light
weight compared to you. Oh. like
Harvey. But a man gets balmy no
tionS in the East and I suppos
dreamed a mad dream that perhap
some day if I worked toward gettin
decent job on some good paper
could come to you and win your lov,
for myself. And just about that tint
1 lost my job he added with unemo
tional simplicity. And Harve,
bumped into me one day when wa
about down to my last sou-and mad
me a little proposition that sounded
swell. I wish to God I'd never lis
tened to him?" he said furiously, an