Serial Story.

Putaruru Press, Volume VIII, Issue 359, 9 October 1930, Page 3

Serial Story.

“LET US BE BAY.”

(Adapted from the film of the same name) PART 11. “Who’s that?” Kitty asked, nodding her head toward the young man. “ Nobody you’ll care about,” Townley answered. “Yes I am,” Bruce answered, stroiling over. “ I’m sure you are. I can tell tnat at a long distance,” Kitty answered smiling brightly into his face. “ That’s Mrs Courtland Brown, Bound said to the young man. “ Now go over and tell her all about yourself and get it over.” “ I’ll save you that embarrassment, Townley said. “ This is Bruce Keen young—and very much in demand both with the upper punks and the best people. But by Monday you’ll 3»d me very much more satisfactory.” Tea was announced and much to Kitty’s surprise, her ex-husband, Bob Brown, very smart and dapper in his afternoon flannels, came into the room in deep conversation with a lovely young girl. This, Kitty decided must be Diane, the granddaughter, and Bob was the man she had to take away from her and leave the field clear for Bruce. She understood everything now. “ You two Browns must know each other,” Mrs Boucicault said, leading him up to where Kitty stood. “ Bob Brown this is Mrs Courtland Brown.”

Bob looked at his ex-wife, but made no comment, although Kitty could see that he had a hard time controlling his surprise. “How wonderful you long-legged Americans are! ” she enthused. “I’ve been avoiding you in Paris, but it is wonderful to see you again! ” “Do you mean that? ” Bob asked in level tones. Before she could answer Townley responded, “ Don’t flatter yourself too much Brown, she thinks we all have long legs.” The conversation ran a sprightly course until after the tea things had been cleared away. Then Bob, as unobtrusively as possible under the circumstances, led his ex-wife out on to the balcony. “ Why did you do this absurd thing? ” he asked. “ Why didn’t you say who we were at once? ” “ Why didn’t you ? ” “ I couldn’t speak. It was—” “ Neither ctould I. If we’d blurted

it out at once, but we didn’t and now we can’t.” . , ~ “ It’s ridiculous. I’m going to tell them now.” “Oh, no you’re not. We were bound to run into each other some time, some place.” “ Do you want me to go back to town ? ” . . . _ “ And leave this nice Diane giri: How absurd.” “ She’s going to marry Bruce. “ Oh, surely not! ” “ Why not ? ” Bob asked, puzzled. “That boy? He isn’t up to her. She’s ready for life. She’s gorgeous. I must tell you something—Bounci sent for me to take you away from her. Now you know, that’s rather good,” Kitty rattled on lightly. “You can’t be as hard as you seem,” Bob protested. “ You didn’t expect me to be soft, did you? ” Kitty asked. “ But you’re making them misunderstand you. They think that you’re a hard-boiled woman of the world—to put it mildly. Is that what you want them to think? ” “ I think it’s all a very amusing situation myself. For goodness sake, let’s be gay about it," Kitty said gaily. Bob winced. That night Bob found himself gravitating toward the corner where Kitty held her court of males entranced with her witty conversation. Diane, who had seen easily through her grandmother’s scheme to take Bob away from her, began to be worried. At first she merely laughed to herself, thinking it impossible even for_ Kitty to take suc/h a devoted cavalier as Bob away from her. Now she was frankly worried. To hide this she drank too many cocktails before supper and too many highballs after the meal, with the happy result that ner tongue was rattling like the clapper of a sleigh bell. As they sat down to the bridge table after supper she lost all control of herself and terminated a polite discussion of who should be whose bridge partner by divulging her true feelings in the matter.

" Put on the brakes, Diane, you’ve had enough! ” Bruce warned her as She uplifted another highball. “ Don’t be young,” she said, squelching him. “ Kitty,” she went on, “do you know what Bounci got you here for? To get Bob away from me. But it can’t be done, can it, Bob ? ” “ Let’s go outside,” Bob suggested, his face burning with embarrassment. “ Bob wanth me to thut up,” she said fuzzily, “ and leave the room. But why should I, I’m a great deal more decent than the other people in it.”

“ There isn’t any doubt of that,” j *,ltDy said. “Why don’t we all leave ; the room—in the order of our sins ?” j “ That’s a good idea,” Townley j said admiringly, seeing how cleverly j she was averting a painful scene, ‘ I’ll start the procession.” “ I’ll come next,” Kitty said, /parting to leave, but turning when Diane called out drunkenly, “ But Kitty, I want you to know.” j “ You’ve already disgraced yourself, Diane,” Bounci argued. “ Why do you say that, Bounci ? , She’s only telling the truth. I think it’s delightful,” Kitty protested, and then turning to Diane said, “ I know j just how chatty you feel; come out j with me on the balcony and tell me all about it.” As they left Kitty smiled ruefully at Bouncj, and remarked, “ I told you I I wasn’t smart enough for this job.” I That night, after Kitty had prepared herself for bed,there came a low whistle from the ground beneath her I balcony. She went over and looked I down. “ Not really,” she exclaimed on see- ] ing Townley on the lawn below, posing with the nonchalant air of a serenader. “ Inevitably! ” he answered. “ And I’m coming up.” “ Oh, I thought you were taking a walk.” “ Where do we sit? ” he asked, after he had climbed to the balcony. \ “ We don’t.” “ Oh, yes we do.” When they had seated themselves, and he was busy slapping at the mosI quitoes that hovered menacingly I about his ears, he remarked, “Kitty, I i love you beautifully. What are you j going to do with me? ” I “ I’m going to say good-night to | you—” j “ But I haven’t tol<) how I—” I “Go now,” she 'said decisively, “ while I’m still dying to hear it. ! That’s always a good exit.” “ I’m dashed if you get rid of me this way,” he burst out as she turned and left him. He followed her into her bedroom. “ I like you frightfully, Townley,” she said, “ don’t spoil it.”' “ Kiss me good-night.” Kitty was about to protest when they heard footsteps on the balcony outside. “ Please go through the hall,” she whispered. Townley spurted to the door and opened it softly, but shut it as soon as he had opened it. Diane was passI ing through the hall on her way to Bob’s room. Townley took refuge in a closet. It was Bob who had come up on to the balcony. “ I had to see you alone Kitty,” he said, by way of explanation. “ You’re glowing to-night.” “ Glowing and mysterious,” she rejoined mockingly. “It seems to me 1 I’ve heard that line before.”

“ Stop laughing, Kitty.” “ I’m dead serious. What happened to-night has made me so.” “About Diane? It was ghastly, Kitty. But I think you’re wise enough to understand.”

“ Just another instance of where J learned wisdom through you,” she re- T marked. “ Kitty, you’re beautiful. I could ! fall desperately in love with you.” i “ Oh, Mr Brown, this is so sudden,” I she mocked. ! “ But I adore yon.” “ It’s the negligee. I feel like an old-fashioned vampire. Look, slips off she shoulder and everything,” she said, allowing it to drop from her shoulder and expose her pink skin. “ Stop bluffing and hedging. Ido love you. Doesn’t that mean anything at all to you? ’’ . “ Yes,” she answered, her voice I like cold water on his passion, “it I means that I’m something new to ’ you.”

“ Isn’t there anything left of what you used to feel for me? ” “ No, I’ve filled my life with other things.” “ I don’t believe you’ve changed. You’re the same adorable girl I lov- ( ed, even more so,” he said, drawing her into his arms. “ Marry me again and I’ll always love you—always—forever.” Kitty laughed. It was like a blow across the face. He released her from his embrace. “ Do you think I’m fool enough to believe that ? ” she asked. “ Oh, no 1 Bob, I believed you once—and I bored j you. Now I find another young girl ! who believes every word you say. Oh, ‘ don’t worry, I’ll never tell her, but I | hope that she finds out about you— J about men in general—before she marries you.” “ But we’re not going to be married! ” he said quickly. “ No ? After what happened tonight? Then you’re more of a cad than I thought you were. I think | there is nothing more for us to say on the subject.” At that moment there was a sneeze ’ in the closet and a moment later Townley came out coolly, complaining “ Those moth preservatives always make me want to sneeze.” Bob stormed angrily out of the room. Kitty and Townley were still laughing about his departure when Bounci burst in upon them. “ Well, you have made a mess of things, Kitty,” she scolded, “ Diane— Bob—those idiots. They’ve just told me. They’re going to be married.” “ But Bounci, when did this happen? ” “ This very minute. I just left them in Bob’s room, locked in each other’s arms.” A week later Bounci was supervising the dressmaking of Diane’s wedding gown and Kitty dropped in to tell them of her own new-found happiness. She and Townley, she explained, were marriage-shy, they had both been divorced and they were determined to go on a trip together on Townley’s yacht. As she packed her things, while Townley waited for her in his car on the path below her window, Kitty was surprised to have Bob come in on her. He was furious. They had just told him what she planned to do.

“ Look here,” Kitty protested. “ It’s ! no affair of yours. To-morrow you’ll be married. She’s a darling girl—and I hope you’ll make her happy.” “ I’ll try to,” he said miserably. Kitty could see that he loved her and was jealous of her fondness for Townley. “ But you can’t go away with Townley,” he ourst out. “ But I adore him.” “ I’ll never sei ;ou again.” “Of course, yc will. We’ll meet often. Bounci and I are so fond of each other. You and your wife will be here often.” “ I guess you’re right. We’ll have to be friends.” “ Good luck to you, old man,” Kitty said, stretching out her hand. “ Townley must be getting impatient.” “You aren’t really going!” Bob pleaded desperately. “ Oh, yes I am. Townley’s so amusing, and I’ve natar been on a sea-going yacht.” f “ I could make our marriage now what you thought it ought to be,” Bob said. “ How can you be so hard ? Are you sure I couldn’t make you love ' me again? ” “That’s what I’m afraid of—that’s why I’m running away,” she said I seriously. “ Now let’s not make 1 fools of ourselves,” she cautioned, as I Bob tried to take her into his arms. “ But we—” ! “ No, I’m afraid, Bob, I’m honestly i afraid.” j “Why? Why, dearest? ”he asked j tenderly as she slumped into a chair 1 and covered her face with her hands. “ I don’t know, I’ve been so gay—so full of—so empty—” “Kitty!” he pleaded, dropping to his knees before her. “ so lonely —” I “ Darling! ” She put her arms about his neck. “ Oh, Bob, I love you so. Take me back.” In the hallway Bounci straightened up from her keyhole and said, “ Diane you’re going to marry Bruce to-mor-row.” (The End.)