Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1937-08-27
CHAPTER 2

ment was above her mVltlngly ap-
pointed beauty salon.
Her awakening was accompanied
by a persistent sense of uneasi-
ness for which, at the moment, she
was at loss for an explanation.
Stretching luxuriously, sh e
glanced at a beautiful bed clock,
mounted in a solid block of onyx,
on stand at the head of her bed.
She recalled that she had yester-
day accepted a personal appoint
ment to do facial for Eleanor
Allen, sepia star of stage, radio
and screen, who was playing a cur
rent engagement at large down
town theatre. / must get up, she
said aloud, Ell will be expecting me
at noon. Wish / hadn't promised
her. But what is worrying me,
anyway?
And then through the fog of the
aftermath of last nights hilarity
came the sudden realization that
Clark Griffith had brought her
home. Came rushing, too, the
memory of the incidents that had
led up to that memorable event.
Upon reviewing them now, she ex-
perienced a thrill that was at once
pleasant and disturbing.
She recalled the glowing interest
that had been Immediately aroused
within her when Jim Scott had in
troduced them; of the apparent
chagrin in the great Slim Walters
attitude when Clark, with winning,
courteous persistence, had at last
inveigled her into dancing with
him. How he had monopolized her
attention for the remainder of the
evening. She hadn't minded, it
seemed, when he requested the
privilege to drive her home; and
his grave, respectful goodnight
there. She had promised to lunch
with him today!
All! Now it comes out, she
thought. / DID promise to lunch
with him today. How foolish of
me to offer him any encourage
ment. Yes-a tinge of bitterness
coursed through her-how foolish
of me to encourage anyone.
In this last thought she realized
she was one hundred per cent cor
rect. No one on earth knew more
deeply than she to what extent she
was indebted to Interest Craddock,
Picked up by him when just a
young and pretty beauty operator
from small down state town, he
had expended a small fortune on
making her into a successful bust
ness woman and an 10 karat jewel
of beauty and desire. All within
five years. Or has it been, she
thought-again with bitterness
five cons?
She had paid a price, and don't
forget it, 1 have said that Grad
dock loved her, if whatever the
ultimate consideration and devo-
ton of which his mind was capable
could be called love. But even into
this, the one and only crack in his
granite heart, he must carry his
policy of swapping sunfowers fol
orchids. He had expected and re-
ceived Verda's unerring loyalty and
attention. She did not now, mol
ever had loved him and she had
never made any pretense about it,
No tougher position ever existed
for a desirable woman than this,
but Verda, good soldier that she
was, played the game-gall, tears,
longing and all.
Interest was aware of all this. But
whatever prick this was to his hard
pride was more than Offset by the
fact that Verda remained at least
submissive and loyal. And to a
man of his incredulous tempera-
ment, that answered about all the
questions anyway.
Verda accepted the situation in
proper philosophical manner. Her
chief concern had been building her
business-in which endeavor she
had succeeded admirably-and the
men she knew had fallen into three
classifications: The brilliant ones
who contributed to her cultural de-
velopment; the moneyed ones
whose personal and family patron
age had aided in charging her
business, and the remainder to
whom she gave only passing at
tention. Her personal interest in
them all had not been aroused.
Verda never kidded herself. One