The Washington times., 1936-07-25

Came q W0man'S voice, low anu
careSSing. Blood rushed to Luana's
face.
It couldn't be? What business
had "She" here in Jimmy'S studio,
without even the lights turned on?
Could it be possible? !
Luana crept nearer. ..
The woman was Mrs. Joel Van
daveer.
Luana crept back over the roofs
to her apartment, full Of trem-
bling indignation mixed with q
feeling that was entirely new to
her, and painfully disturbing.
With all her heart, she resented
Mrs. Vandaveer being in Jimmy'S
studio.
So it was she who had detained
him, made him break his appoint
ment!
Or perhaps Jimmy himself had
invited her, forgetting all about
his engagement with Luana, or
ignoring it?
Now. she had Inundated her
self by spying on them! II they
had seen her peering through the
Skylight window, she told herself
she would have died Of hlmilia-
ton, would never have gotten
over it.
Colonel McCarthy's admonition
against making herself cheap
came back to her in full force. At
every crisis of her life-and to
her, this was an important one,
flinging as it did a new light on
Jimmy and the woman who, in q
sense, considered herself Luana's
patroneSS-the words Of her step
father (old fogey that he was, but
didn't he know the WORLDLY re-
minded her forcibly, reluctantly,
Of his innate wisdom.
To Jimmy. considering the
manner Of their meeting, Luana
could well be classified as q "pick-
up.
The vulgarity of the term gave
it force and body.
In her humiliation she told her
self that That was exactly what
she was in the eyes Of Jimmy Ran
dolph.
A woman with the prestige and
name and wealth Of Mrs. Joel
Vandaveer might stoop to conquer
and get away with it.
But not a pennileSS girl from
nowhere. minus family, and with
q cloud over her name, SO that
she had been practically COM
PEELED to change it.
Added to her humiliation, her
sense Of cheapneSS, was another
and even more powerful emotion.
She hated the sight of Mrs. Van
daveer sitting there alone in the
fast deepening twilight with
Jimmy! A jealous pain filled
her, twisted like a live thing in
her bosom.
Never had Luana known a feel
ing Of that sort in all her nine
teen years. It came like an
avalanche.
Tears burned in her throat and
Stung her eyes and made her
heart swell so that it seemed as
though her chest would burst
with it. a
She had looked on Jimmy-fool
that she waS-aS her own posses
sion.
He had had no women friends
In all New York till that night he
had pursued Chou Chou, the mon
key, over the roof tops and into
her apartment, and they had had
their supper together.
The eXtenuating circumstances
Of his attack Of faintneSS of giddi-
ness on that occasion she ignored.
She told herself that as like as not
he had done it on purpose, to gain
sympathy or a drink. She had
fallen for his "act," like the silly
greenhorn she was.
Jimmy had never once invited
her to his studio, but at this very
moment he was entertaining Lor-
raine Vandaveer there.
Lorraine Of the strange fascina-
ton and the unplumbable poiSe.
Lorraine in an exquisite jade
gown that enhanced her red
haired, white-Skinned beauty, and
brought out the depth and color
Of her green eyes that were curl
ously slanting under the thick
black laSheS.
Lorraine was a woman Of the
world, practiced with men, en-
dowed with a faculty of setting
them at their ease while subtly
flattering them.
Hadn't Luana seen her with
Ramon, with her husband, with
Mr.. QRackenbush. even with Ar