Evening Star Newspaper, August 12, 1935, Page 22

B—8 & THR EVENING LOVELY LITTLE FOOL oA Story of Washingtons Social Set o B PHYLLIS MOORE |, ¢ GALLAGH ER WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE. Betsy Seymour's love alfair with Mar- Shall Van Devanter does not run smoothly for her. Marshall is ciandestinely meet- ing Libby Stockton. who is immensely ‘Wwealthy but spoiled. Beisy 4s also tractive to Raoul de Prudentio. a Li American djplomat. John Storm youth studying law in the Capital, rooms at Betsy's home and has once kissed her and told her some day she would love him. Her brother Terry has been in difi- culty over Sonia. a burlesque dancer. Betsy has accompanied Raoul to a lega- tion reception. where she meets a num- ber of the diplomatic set. ‘While there Raoul takes her into an unoccupeid room, then suddenly disappears through a secret pancl. When he returns she discovers that he has stolen a sccret treaty that means much to his country and his pos- | sible succession to the presidency of that land. CHAPTER IX. AOUL didn't deny Betsy's ac- R cusation, though she saw the guilty, uneasy flush that came across his cheeks. He just stood there looking down into her stricken eyes . . . eyes with little gold flecks of fright sparkling on the blue circling the dilated pupils. He told her nothing; nothing about that draft of the treaty drawn up by Minister Planiol, who had oeen secretary of ‘war prior to his appointment to Wash- ington, which Raoul had stolen from the safe—that secret pact of aggres- sion with two powerful South Ameri- can countries aligning them against his own country in the event they declared war. That pact lay close to his heart now and as scon as his father received it he would publicize the arrangement and tiaus prevent its completion. After a moment all the uneasiness drained from Raoml's face and only tenderness was left in his dark gaze. He said, throat-deep, & murmur only, “I love you, Betsy. I'm serious.” He paused, waiting for her to speak; and when she did not. he went on, softly: “I'm sailing the day after tomorrow for South America and I want you to go with me as my wife. I shall not return to the United States | for many years.” He didn't try to kiss her; indeed, he | neither said nor did any of the things she might have expectea of a fiery young Latin asking the girl he loved to marry him. Betsy sought a light, conclusive an- swer. But when her lws moved to speak, Raoul touched a gentle re-| straining finger to them. “Please don’t answer me now,” he begged in a whisper. “You might say no. Think it over I'm taking the 6 o'clock train tomorrow evening for New York and you will have until then to decide. I'd rather you would be sure before you answer.” And without another word about the “joke™ he had ju: iaved on Jose Ravero, he caught y's arm and hurried her up the marble stairs to the ball room. No one paid any attention to them as they came througn the columned black marble arc of the door. The center of the room had been cleared for an entertainment and all the guests were clustered n groups around the edge of the waxed flooring. Betsy noticed that Raoul's eyes moved quick and secret over the guests; she saw the relief that traversed his face when he observed Minister Planiol, Jose Ravero and several members of the diplomatic corps talking with Mrs. Simpson. Mrs. Simps>n was flutter- ing a glittering fan, her faded eyes straying from the men at her side to the assembled groups. frying. Betsy thought, remembering what John Storm had told her about this social climber, to weigh the effect of her popularity on social Washington. The marimba music broke through the voice-filled air, sudden and wild and abandoned. Betsy tipped up on the toes of her silver sanaals to peep over the heads of those in front | blocking her view. A zirl with beauty dwelling in her luminous black eyes, & body as slim and golden as a sun- beam, all sensuous and supple grace, flashed into the room. Her bright red lips were curved 1n a smile un- like most theatrical expressions, in that it seemed to come straight from her heart. Her rhinestone sandals twinkled over the floor. Her shim- | mering legs gave off warmth like a white fire and the abpreviated cos- tume of cerise brilliants caught all the pulsing lights of tne chandeliers, candles and women’s jewels, reflect- ing dazzling facets as she spun like & top. A young military attache’s gossipy wife leaned close to bim. “L-0-0-k out, darling!” she whispered. “Let me tell you about her! I'm fairly distended with rumors! She’s Sonia Karsoff! Dancer at the Burlesque House! Jose Ravero has gone for her in a big way. You know, I do believe that if Jose fell into a vol- cano he would come up on the first eruption with a harem!” The voices were drowned in a storm of applause as Sonia Karsoff cartwheeled so rapidly that she seemed to lose all identity of self and become only a glittering, spmning hoop of cerise brilliants. When the noise abated and one laugh ranz out clearly above the music, Betsy's face went quickly white like a moonflower under lightning. A shadow swept over the brightness of the sceme. Knowing whom she would see when she looked in the direction of that laugh. she caught Raoul’s arm and clung to it for support. There, with their backs tc the open French doors, a giant, increaible moon like a stage-set behini them, stood Marshall and Libby. With something very sick shrouding ner heart, Betsy looked from one to the other. Mar- shall's black head was thrown back in laughter; and Libby, In white satin with gardienias against her slick, dark hair, was leaning close to him, her scarlet-tipped fingers tucked un- der his arm, her drugged soft eyes lifting to his face. Standing beside them were Jennie Travers and her brather Lee and John Storm and the Llond girl whose autograph he kept nn his dresser— “To my darling John. JFrom Angelica. Christmas —.” It wasn't a simple tning to stand there watching Marshall catch Lib- by’s hand and draw her out on the balcony, where they stood limmed in one melting shadow against the giant incredible moon; it wasn't a simple thing to watch Libby break out of his arms at last and return smiling to watch Sonia Karsoff . . Marshall following her, wiping lipstick from his mouth and laughtngly showing Libby the red, like a pa‘ch of blood, that stained his white silk handker- chief. Be y would have fled the ball Toom in that moment except that her knees had no strength in them at all and her inherent pride and dignity had to be protected. “Why are you trembling, Betsy?” Raoul asked, facing her with his sharp dark eyes. “You aren't chilly, are you, dear?” “No-o, I . . . I'm just excited, Raoul,” she said. Her voice rang hollow in her own ears. It was so hard to look and speak like the same girl when she wasn't and probably never would be again; hard even to try; a little hard to care whether she succeeded. “Let's leave now, Raoul. Let’s go places where things can be done!” Raoul didn't argue. Betsy had a feeling that he was as eager to leave the legation as she. For all his exte- rior of casual calmuess she could sense his tenseness. She wondered vaguely what intrigue lay behind the inscrutable darkness of his gaze. She | didn’t know what he had taken from the chancery. But he hadn’t denied that he had taken something. Still it | didn’t matter. She was so sunk in her own unhappiness that she had no real awareness nor interest in his affairs. As they stood under the porte- cochere, the doorman, in bottle green and braid, shrieking Lthorugh his meg- | aphone the number of Racul’s limou- sine, Belsy saw a famuliar figure lean- ing against a lamp post at the curb, the red streak of a cigarette being discarded. She said to Raoul: “Excuse me for | a moment. There's my brother Terry. | Maybe he's waiting for me.” Terry jerked off his hat as Betsy ran up to him. | “Were you waiting for me? Is. . .| something wrong at home?” The color crept to his clear, burned brow. He didn’t look at her. He stared down at the cigarette butts on the ground, his felt hat crushed in his fingers. 5 “No,” he said so softly that she had to lean to hear. ‘I wasn’t wait- | ing for you. But I am waiting for some one.” | “Who, Terry—who on earth, here?” “Mussolini—who =lse?” His tone was grim. And then, almost fiercely: | | “I'm waiting for Sonia Karsoff. She's | doing a number in taere for your | high-and-mighty new friends. And don’t make any wise cracks about her. ,sne's working for a living just like you.” | “Oh-h,” said Betsv. She didn't speak for a moment. She couldn’t. | Finally she said with a calmness | that she did not feel: “Terry, if | you like her then I shall. too. You know that, don’t you. dear? She is —very beautiful. I thought so to- | night before I knew about you and Sonia . . ."” | “Betsy, you're a pesch!” Terry| broke in, his emotion a'most chok- ing him. “I might have known I could count on you.” | A few minutes later, when the lim- ousine drew up beside them, Betsy | | blindly hurried into it, closed her eyes and let her head rest against | | the comfort of Raoul's arm. A stag- | gering sense of the impermanence of | happiness gripped hei. An hour be- fore she had been Jeliriously happy, she had marveled at the ability of a | small body like her own to contain | s0 much pure joy. Then had come Marshall and Libby and Terry, spoil- | ing everything. And Rsoul. too, with | his strange actions at the legation. | Yes, and John Storm—with Angelica Dodd! Why she should resent An- | gelica Dodd being wia John, when | | he was nothing in her life she couldn't | | Teason out. But it had been almost | | as upsetting to see those two together | |8s it had been to sce Libby with | | Marshall. And througa ali the confu- | sion of Betty's thoughts Marshall's | words of that morning echoed faintly | in_her brain like the sound of a bell: “That was a hell of a thing to do! | Asking John Storm to kuss you! And | you crabbing about Libby and me!” | “Maybe Marshall was just looking | for an excuse to break with me,” she i | said in her mind. Raoul’s voice broke into Betsy's thoughts. “Well, what places would you sug- | gest where we can do those things | you mentioned?” Betsy sat still. The very complete- | ness of disaster . . . doom, nebulous, | invisible, gaining potency with every | second . . . beat against her. There | seemed to be nothing left in her with which to fight; almost nothing left to fight for. She heid her head serenely, though her nerves were tensed to her finger tips. She said, | impulsively: | “Let’s go to your pent house, Raoul, | and get drunk. I've never been to a man’s pent house and I ve never been drunk. I think I should like to get | so tight tonight that I would see pink | elephants or something'" 7 (To Be Continued Tomorrow.) Tries to Sell Wife as Sister. An Indian workman, needing money urgently, hit on the idea of disposing of his wife and offered her to a Mahometan near Calcutta for $712.50, saying she was his sister. The in- tending purchaser, however, lelmed‘ the real relationship and refused to | 80 on with the bargain. Now the | woman is suing for divorce. EASY! | WON'T SPILL) BECAUSE I'MCREAMED' RUBBING ALCGOHOL. YOU'LL LIKE ME BETTER BECAUSE DRY 'SK!N , on sale at all Drug Stores | CLEARANCE OF | MEN'S Men’s 15.75 to 18.50 Summer Suits 11.75 Even if you have enough suits to finish off this Summer—think ahead! You'll save plenty by buying an extra suit in a clear- ance like this. Sizes 35 to 46. Clearance! STUDENTS' SPORTS COATS 5.00 Don't pay any atten- to the former and 8.95 price -now you get the of these hand- Coats for 5.00. Sizes 12 up to 22. LANSBURGH'S STREET FLOOR. Look! Here go all our 12.50 SPORTS COATS, AT These will be great for Fall, too. Well uliloreg in Lansburgh’s selecte: . -3 }’l‘ibrim Sizes 35 to 40. Save $5.50 on every one! Sanforized Slacks Don’t miss the neat brown or black stripes and dark colors, now reduced down . to only - —— Youw’re in Luck! STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1935. WEAR! 8.85 White Cord Suits and Seersuckers 7.00 These were our best sellers! Now, when you can use them, we're closing out our remaining stock, all sizes. 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