St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1937-08-27
CHAPTER 2
d.

Verda awakened in her comfort
able, modernistic bed at eleven
o'clock of the morning following
the party at the SCOTS. Her apart
ment was above her invitingly ap-
pointed beauty salon.
Her awakening was accompanied
by a persistent sense of uneasl-
ness for which, at the moment, she
was at a loss for an explanation.
Stretching luxuriously, sh e
glanced at beautiful bed clock,
mounted in a solid block of onyx,
on a stand at the head of her bed.
She recalled that she had yester-
day accepted a personal appoint
ment to do a facial for Eleanor
Allen, sepia star of stage, radio,
and screen, who was playing a cur
rent engagement at a large down
town theatre. l must get up, she
said aloud, Ell will be expecting me
at noon. Wish I 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 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. I 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 a small down state town, he
had expended a small fortune on
making her into a successful bust
ness woman and an 18 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. / 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 intC
this, the one and only crack in his
granite heart, he must carry hi;
policy of swapping sunfowers fol
orchids. He had expected and re
ceived Verda's unerring loyalty anC
attention. She did not now, moi
ever had loved him and she hat
never made any pretense about it
No tougher position ever existeC
for a desirable woman than this
but Verda, good soldier that sh,
was, played the game tears
longing and all.
Interest was aware of all this. Blu
whatever prick this was to his hare
pride was more than Offset by tn,
fact that Verda remained at leas
submissive and loyal. And to |
man of his incredulous tempera
ment, that answered about all tn,
questions anyway.
Verda accepted the situation il
proper philosophical manner. He
chief concern had been building he
business-in which endeavor sh
had succeeded admirably-and tn
men she knew had fallen into thre,
classifcations: The brilliant one
who contributed to her-cultural de
velopment; the moneyed one
whose personal and family patron
age had aided in charging he
business, and the remainder {,