Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-05-03

she'd wait in the corridor until Mr.
Vert put on his hat and joined her
Johnny opened the door for her
crazy and wild and young, beaming
from ear to ear.
"Leave your things right there in
the foyer, Miss" He paused imp
ishly but veered when he saw the ex-
preston on her face. "Hello, darling,
he said.
Belinda felt the last spot of love
for Johnny dry up on her heart like
a water drop on a hot stove. But
she was sure now, finally, that he
would never dominate her again.
He was a ringing, hollow gong.
She took off her coat but not her
hat. "I'm a little disappointed in
you as human being, Johnny" she
said calmly.
Get out, you're not disappointed
in me. You're wildly in love with
me, Belinda. And you ought to be
flattered that when I called for your
uccessor 1 demanded girl with the
same general characteristics. Fur
thermore, I'm never surprised. Elk
pect the world-expect New York
to produce the improbable and they
both never fail to come through. Why
it's absolutely right and believable,
that 1, Johnny Parkes, should quar-
rel fiercely with you" Che grinned),
"Lucy Williams Belinda Terrell this
afternoon; that should be desolate
and in need of company tonight; that
should call preposterous agency
which furnishes custom companions
to lonely men; that I should specify
ravishingly beautiful brunette"
"You didn't do any such thing"
Belinda interrupted, with narrowing
eyes. 81 know what you did. You
called Foggy and she told you where
l was going for a job"
Johnny was sprawled in an over
stuffed tapestry chair, his. hard, quick
legs over the arm.
aren't you ashamed, getting a job
like that?"
"I'd be more ashamed, marrying
a show-off for his honeywell, here
1 am. You're paying for my COM
pany and I shall be as amusing as I
can" She moved toward console
mirror and adjusted her hair, touching
dab of powder to her nose from the
compact Johnny had given her.
"You're marvelous!" Johnny leapt
to his feet. you'll make the most
wonderful wife in the world. Imagine
loving a man enough to keep life full
of color and interest for him! For
a while 1 was doubtful whether any
woman could really deserve me-" His
ewes were active with cold mirth.
"Now know you can make the grade"
Belinda always had to watch Johnny
carefully to discover how much of the
cocksure nonsense he talked was sin
cere. She could never be positive,
a vagueness she shared with various
gentlemen, gray and grave, downtown,
gentlemen to whom Johnny gabbled
a bizarre mixture of practically and
floor plans for Lands of Or.
But she had a good time, a better
time than she had had with Johnny
in ages. She felt independent. She
was, she thought, deliberately polite,
business-like, about the whole even
ing, although it was hard to tell wheth
er Johnny noticed.
It was a typical Johnny Parkes
evening.
At the Central Park Casino the
table he fancied on the terrace was
occupied. He took the head waiter
by the arm and dragged him from
group of indignant patrons into a
corner. He emerged from the con-
ference to watch the table vacated
by red-faced gentleman in an apop-
lectic fury.
"I don't ee what difference the table
Makes" Belinda observed. "What did
you do, bride the head waiter?"
Johnny grinned. 81 told him who
was and that this concession was
being vacated tomorrow and turned
over to me-"
"And he believed that?"
"It might be true. I've thought
about it. AS a matter of fact, this
place ought to be a nostalgia cabaret
housing nothing but Viennese froth.
1t ought to be done in old rose and
lavender, full of Strauss waltzes and
beer, with tables on terrace be-
tween the acts where patrons could
weep into stems filled for a dollar
a throw"