CHAINED ADAPTED FROM THE

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 29, 25 January 1935, Page 48

CHAINED ADAPTED FROM THE

ADAPTED FROM THE

METRO-GOLDWYN

MAYER DICTUREI

by

BEATRICE

FABER

WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE. Diane Lovering has married Richard Field, forty-eight and wealthy, her lover for jive years, although she is really in love with Mike Bradley. They have met on board ship when Diane sailed to Buenos Aires while Field adjusted his marital affairs after his wife’s discovery of Diane. Arriving home, intending to tell Richard of her coming marriage to Mike, he has confronted her with news of his divorce, and the whole world knows it has beer for Diane. She cannot tet him down! She has never mentioned Mike, «ithough she has written, saying "that luxury ts more important than love." A year later they meet accifentaily, and Mike takes her to a private restaurant, NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY. _ CHAPTER TEN. Locked Hearts, "And-" there was a slight insinuating note in Mike’s voice, "providing you let me pick the place." "Anywhere you say, Mike." Mike smiled ironically, "I guess that’s fair enough, isn’t it?’. , "I-I do want to talk to you." "Sure." ; Entering the brownstone house that

had once been a luxurious "speak," Mike was greeted with a vociferous welcome by Felix, the proprietor. With a knowing air he acceded to Mike’s request for "a place where we can hear ourselves think," and escorted them up the stairs to a private room. Lunch ordered, cocktails were served, "Well, what'll we drink to?’ Mike asked. "Let’s see-Johnnie." "We’s a scoundrel. Not wo2th it." "Well, then who is?" Mike’s lip.curled. "Is anybody?" A cloud passed over Diane’s face. But she couldn’t relent now. She had wanted Mike to despise her. "Of course, I know. Chili Beans! "All right. To Chili Beans!’ Mike echoed her with a hard chuckle. "You know-I sold him," he added,- overcasually, Diane’s lips trembled. Mike had made himself only too clear She had loved Chili Beans and Mike had known it-knew it now. "TIs-is this where you-I mean--you come here often when you’re in New York?" "First time this trip." He.went on blithely. "Yes, Pleasant place for the out-of-towners and for some of the citizens, from what I gather. There’s more _ Of it, upstairs," "Mike-" Diane pleaded. -- |

There was a suggestion of a sneer on his face. Then-lunch was set before them.. . The food barely tasted, the waiter cleared .it away shortly afterwards, then addressed Diane: "Benedictine, Miss?" "No, thank you." "No?" Mike asked. "No, Mike." "Anything else, sir?" "Nothing else." The waiter. bowed and discreetly withdrew, carefully adjusting ¢he Jatch so that it would lock. As it clicked Diane looked up to meet. Mike’s quizzical gaze. ' "Well, Mrs. Field," he said evenly. Her eyes were downeast and she plucked at the tablecloth nervously. "That’s the first time you’ve called me that." _ Mike, sorry he had rubbed it in, 1%plied gruffly, "Okay. It’s the last." He addresed her more pleasantly. "But while we’re on it, how’s it working out??? ° "Why-splendidly." "For you and for him both, hm? "Of-of course." "That’s fine. How’s his heatlh?" he. shot at her with edged sarcasm, "Why he’s-." A slow flush crept up her face as she grasped the import of his question. Her mouth turned down in a pathetic, tragic droop "Do Ireally deserve that much, Mike?’ she asked with a sharp intake of ber breath, Mike decided not to spoil the tryst "Sorry. If you felt that below the belt, I didn’t mean it. Skip it." "It’s-it’s skipped." Diane asser ted bravely, tears behind her ‘desperate gaiety. "But I see you’re still. the same healthy girl, aren’t you?’ Deliberately she misunderstood hit. "Not a doctor’s bill," she laughed, "not a dentist appointment-not evenMike caught her hand. His soft laughter held nothing but naked desire. "Not even the sun, hm?" ‘Diane: caught her breath. "What, Mike?" "The sun, Don’t you remember? We went a little balmy under it-once and were going to settle down there for life or: something." "Mike!" . Diane rose, her mouth twisted ‘agonisedly, Mike rose with her and drew her nearer, still holding her wrist "Wellthat’s out, and I don’t blame you. But we'd blame ourselves if we didn’t take an hour or two of it, now that they’ve stopped the clock for: us,"

His eyes burned into hers, and as Diane felt the menacing insidious danger of his hands on her shoulders, she tore herself away and pushed"past him to her coat. Feverishly shewastrying ° to adjust it when he swung ‘her ‘around. "What's the matter? Do-you. like to run away-and be ¢aught?" he demanded with a giuet chuckle, +." Diane Jooked away, "Really, Mike -l've got to go"... Her voice rose hysterically. "I don’t know--why I came. I-I don’t know why-I. spoke to you, You+-you've changed ¢9-! >". Ignoring: her: words for the ‘niintite, ; Mike slowly and forcibly: stripped : off «- her goat, then | pull ed her oto him: roughly. A "Because you vemernbered something : you missed," he: said- in a hard voice, "that’s: why." ° Fiercely he covered her mouth with his, Diane hung limp and unresisting in his embrace, her taut arms. and fingers half suspended in midair at" her sides. Then the sweet nectar of his lovemaking defeated ‘al! will;. her’ arms went about his neck and she was returning his long, burning kisses with a fierceness that matched his: own. Not until Mike lifted her into his arms did awareness crowd back to Diane---or Richard, bis faith-in her and. their marraige. She must notshe could not violate her own code of honour, "Mike-no, no---not that way," she begged, clinging to him, tears of entreaty in her eyes, Setting her down, his puzzled expression answered the plea in her voice, ; But he asked with hard mockery, "How else?" She turned and met his eyes, ‘Then, with tender ardour, she put her lips to his, just brushing. them, and. murmured his name, Somewhere in Mike’s heart, a chord was struck. Then it. swelled to a crescendo of beautify] sound, He folded her in his arms again. With a stifled cry of. relief and ecstasy, Diane returned the touch of his lips, It was the same -kiss that they had known that day in the sun. "Dinah-" Mike,. purged of his bitterness, dwelt on the name softly, wonderingly, Diane’gs cheek was against his, "Dinah, I’ve waited so long to hear you say that," "Dinah, why did you do it?" ' "What?? She caressed his temple, his hair, hardly hearing the question. "Why did you write that letter, and let me spend a year-thinking of you---you---as just a-" She lowered her arms’ Jt came to her that she had overstepped the mark and given herself away. Pitifully she made an effort to cover up, to maintain the ghastly comedy, to make him hate her again, . "T-TI thought I owed you the truth, Mike," Mike laughed triumphantly. "And like a poor, daffy kid I believed it, but," he whispered in her ear, "only because I was counting the days, I guess.". Diane, torn, determined to stick to her guns. She shrugged her shoulders. "No, Mike, really. It was true then--and--and it?s true now." Disregarding her words, he ewent her into his arms, ‘Only’ this is true," he cried. "You here--saying meaningless words, while all the rest of you keeps telling me differently every second," "Mike, there’s lots of men and women

who are-well---drawn to each other," Diane said, steadying her voice, as she endeavoured to make her false logic appear, to be the most reasonable way of looking-at things... "Sort of a little spark that--that flashes up as a skyrocket every now, and then, hut-" Mike took her chin. and laughed gently. "Are you trying fo. turn the sun-our sun into a firecracker ? ?’ He shook his head and smiled happily, "It can't be done, Dinah," 7 Diane sank into a chair. :-A sad, completely revealing smile trossed her face. ‘No, I guess it-can’t be dune," she admitted. Mike sat beside her. ‘So that changes everything." a "Nothing is changed, Mike. There is Richard. And there always shall be." Mike remembered something. "Why -why didn’t you tell him when you returned ?" "He’d already given up ‘everything I conldn’t let him down then, Mike. He’s turned his whole world, his whole life, over to me-in front of everybody. And I can’t ask him to take it back now, It would disappear, and he’d be alone," 1 "How about you-and me-" Without answering Diane started to put on her hat and coat, "How about us? Mike repeated insistently. She made a little broken’ gesture of futility. "We grin and bear "ht "Oh, no, Now that I know, do you think Yl stand here and-" Diane held herself off. "Please, Mike. This can only mean one thing for us. I-I think you’d rather love me than hate me--and now you don’t hate me any more. And I thought I'd rather have you hate me than love me, . But now I know why I spoke to you to-day, . Because I hoped your eyes wouldn’t be hard. They were-" she. shuddered . slightly, "but now they’re not again. And this is the only way I could ever think about them-and go ou, Mike," "Dinah, you’ must, stay," ; "No

"Then [ve got to see you again. Tomorrow." She shook’ her head. "We're going away to-morrow ‘hight. I’ll he busy-’ "Where’re you going?" Thé'tears flowed from her eyes now, "Good-bye, Mike---Mike, darling." She groped for the door, Mike caught her as her hand was on the knoh, __‘Do-you realise what you’re doing?" His voice was harsh with despair, Diane took both his hands and held them together in hers, "Yes I’m keep- ., ing you, locked in a part of.my_ heart where nobody else, will ever he--wliexe only I can talk. to you, without ever seeing -you. again." Her tears were blinditig ‘her, "Listen for me in. yours; Mike-always." She. gave him a soft kiss, then hefore he could take her in his arms again she ’ tuted and dashed out the door, He started after her, hesitated, then, almost in a stupor, closed the door and leaned heavily against it.’ Arriving home at dusk, Diane, still ' in a trance-like state, opened the door. to the luxurious entrance hall of their ‘Fifth Avenue home with ber key. James, the butler, looked at her curiously as he noticed the snow. thes dropped from her wet shoes, "Oh, good evening ma’am. Roy was waiting with the car, but. you didn’t. telephone," He was. politely servile, but there was reproach in his voice. "Were you forced to take a. taxi, maam?? . "No," she answered vaguely. "Ts. Mr, Wield home yet?" "Roy left to’ pick him. up at the Union Club some time ago, ma’am.": "Oh," Walking into her bedroom, she found Amy packing, "Well, it’s about time," that good soul’exclaimed. "You said you'd be back at three." "Did 1? Amy took her hat and-coat:. "Land sakes, where you been, darlin’? What with all this packin’-" ~ "I’ve been walking in the park." (To he continued,