The Washington times., 1937-01-05
NOW READ ON
By MAY CHRISTIE

than the dust to the merchandise
manager the knowledge that
once she had attracted him, to the
point of kissing her, however
lightly.
Rosalind had invited forty peo-
pie to II Rocco, in celebration OF
her twentieth birthday. 1t was
now quarter of eight. Dinner would
be at half past or thereabouts. To
| spend an hour in cocktailing was
fashionable. Got everybody jolly
and acquainted. Loosened you up
and put you in the right spirit.
BY the bar stood RoSeland, the
gang about her, already in mellif-
luous mood, it seemed. RoSalind
wasn't pretty, but her money and
herself we're noisy. She was care
lessly generous and good-hearted.
She could afford it, with her for
tune. Immensely popular with the
towns gilded youth. A jolly good
sport.
Ann liked her.
your beau's coming, darling"
Rosalind kissed her ecStatically,
rolling her eyes. my high-powered
charms were useless over the tele-
phone, so I got grand-dad to put
pressure on him-and he yielded,
more or less ungracefully, imag-
inc. He's a recluse, which is
shocking in an Adonis! But he'll
be awfully bucked when he finds
out who's his dinner partner. I've
put you next to him."
This was thrilling news.
In the long mirror behind the
bar Ann saw her own reflection.
and rejoiced at the same. Never
had she looked more bewitching.
She was far from being conceited,
but there was no gainsaying the
fact that beauty, daintily attired,
was a most potent weapon in
attraction :. fascination :. love! A!
Was she in love with him?
Captain de Freyn strolled Ian
guidly up, like an elongated beetle
in his dress clothes. so the little
working girl steps out, eh, what?
hear you're slogging night and
day. Most praiseworthy, of course!
But frightfully fatiguingy" He
smiled condescendingly.
Ann saw red. She loathed Cap
tain de Freyn. She looked him
straight between his near,set eyes
and said, meaningly: Anyhow,
it's an honest way Of making a
living"
Granted" He shrugged. The
grin slid from his face. But pre-
sumably a bit hard on the feet
and the temper" With that he
turned to RoSalind. Well worth his
while she was! HeireSS to millions,
and a wretched bridge player!
Thinking of Claire Claire's bad
luck lately-Ann's face dimmed.
Seldom recently had Captain de
Freyn partnered her. Was it
because of unfavorable gossip that
had linked them? gossip she
had been afraid might break into
an open scandal? Was it because
he had found a more stable part
ner? Or--waS it Rosalind?
He was chasing Rosalind?
In the past six weeks, Ann had
loaned varying sums out of her
weekly pay check to Claire. Con-
tract was food and drink and dope
to her eldest sister. Why, when
they weren't lingering the cards
her hands were twitching-actu.
ally twitching for the feel of them!
1t was horrible.
But what could one do about ftp
And wasn't Captain de Freyn in a
large measure responsible?
GordonAGavin was at the party
! at II Rocco, but no longer did he
gravitate about Ann.
She had made him realize that It
was useless. That she could never
reclprocate his feeling. He had
turned for consolation to Renita.
Or more accurately, permitted
Renlta to console him. Renita was
wonderful at applying balm on
WOUNDED feelings. And her looks
had come back to her a hundred
1old since she had stopped drink.
ing. Slim, vibrant, white-skinned
the money that had previously
gone on gin and Scotch and anti
dotes was now spent on pretty
dresses, or trailing chiffon tea
gowns she purchased with EN-
pIoyeeS' discount from Ann.
Renita was compelling eye.full
on such evenings as she enter
talned him, cooked delightful din
nerS for him in her apartment.
No bungalow aprons for the red.
haired comforter Of menl
1t was extremely gay at the bar
Of the night club that evening.
Ann was surrounded by old friends
Boys in the early twenties. for the
most part. Idle, also, partly from
inclination, but mostly because It
was so awfully hard to find icbs
despite the supposed lift of the de.
preston.
ITO Be COntinued)
Copyright, 1888. by King Features