Evening star., 1935-09-01

request this favor" A modest way
to word it. Interest! Edward Stock
ton controlled the corporation.
And thus Betsy's career was
started.
II suppose you're penning another
novel full of descriptive pearls now"
Maysie said. Where do you get all
that stuff, anyway-'puddles shivered
with rain drops'-'a fog horn pro-
claimed its melancholy warning?'"
Betsy's debut, the sale of her book,
her marriage to wealthy John Storm
Though Maysie couldn't imagine
what had happened to that marriage
they certainly weren't living togeth-
erD had done something to little
Maysie Parker. She had always been
jealous of Betsy's blond loveliness and
had salved the resentment of her own
freckles and pug nose and hair that
took a kinky permanent wave by
thinking that Betsy was beautiful
but dumb. Now even that panacea
had gone up in thin air. Betsy had
sold novel.
Betsy looked up into MaySie's
gaminesque face. 1t reminded her
somehow of the purple pansies that
had just begun to bloom in the back
yard at home. Pansies that John
Storm had said Spot would dig up in
order to bury bone. With a sinking
heart the thought went deep into her
consciousness that there was no John
on the third floor any moreno Spot
to be established in the flower garden
now that Spring was here. She hadn't
seen that rough-wooled, lugubriou5-
faced pup but once. When John had
sent a taxi driver for him the day
after their marriage and Spot had
been led out on leash looking, she
thought now, as miserable as she felt.
81 didn't think any of my descrip-
tions were exactly pearls" Betsy said
softly. Though in my second novel,
which I am writing now, I think my
style is improving. At least hope sc" !"
"a first novel that Is such a hit"
Maysie said, explosively. 'is usually
flash in the pan." She narrowed
her eyes and her mouth was suddenly
vixenish. She added, "If you ask me,
Betsy Seymour, I'd say you were
working and writing too hard. You
look like hell. Did you know it.?
You're thin and peaked and shadowy
around the eyes. But maybe it isn't
work that's getting you down. Maybe
it's that unhappy marriage Of yours.
And Marshall Van Devanter waiting
outside every afternoon now that he's
back from Havana. Trying to see you
and you dodging him all the time. 1"
She paused for a moment and chewed
hard on her gum. boy, has that
birds head been turned by the Stock
ton magnificence since he worked in
this officel Spats and pearl gray
trousering and swank cars and dining
on peacocks' tongues! He certainly
did marry himself a pile of dough.
And believe you me, with the Stockton
social yeast in that dough he's been
doing some rising! AS a two-timer
he's @ natural! You know, I thought
once you had yen for him. You
used to moon around here a lot. Re-
member?"
Maysie's nasty little speech left its
acrid trail ip the air like vinegar
boiling. Betsy felt cross and irri-
tated. The last five months had rob-
bed her of her usual insouciance, her
control. Made her jumpy. Her SEN
sitiveness had grown close to the sur
face Of her flesh. Sudden noises, the
explosion of a cars exhaust, loud and
unexpected laughter, now grated on her
every nerve, making her weak and
shivery.
She said. smiling constrainedly,
''You know everything, don't you,
Maysie?"
moo, not everything" She tossed
her kinky head. "But I keep my eyes
open. see q lot. I don't know one
thing, though. Where to find that
bitter half Of mine o job"