The Million Dollar Doll.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 300, 17 December 1923, Page 14

The Million Dollar Doll.

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WHO'S WHO IN THE STORY. TKKK.NC'j: DESMOND (Terry), exquisite im.l convent-reared, uulielievably inno- • out. is forced to work as a cashier In her f;ithers road house. While JVI.IKT DIVINE, the'stage name of her beautiful hull' sister, whom Terry has not seen lor rears, lives like a princess, and lnlks vaguely of a millionaire. TKltnnXi'K DESMOND, their father. inoodv and selfish, formerly caretaker of an estate, is now the proprietor of tbe Itlue Mn.m. a road house. He is anxious 10 get Terry married and off his hand?. M!ts. PARMALKE. owns Pilverwood. the estate of which Desmond was caretaker, whose rudeness to Terry, the latter will never forget, is the wife of MILKS SHERIDAN, handsome and likeaide, who when Terry was a child, furnished the money to send her to the convent, partly to atone for his wife's rudeness. To Terry he is always "The I'rince." EI'STACE NAZL.O, a wealthy Greek, unscrupulous with women, is impressed by Terry's beauty, and her resemblance to Juliet" Divine, the famous stage beauty. He invites her to CO for an auto ride, ana nil the way to New York he kisses her. While Nazlo is arranging for a private dining room at the hotel, Terry slips away. Nazlo is furious. _ errv takes a taxi to Her sister s apartment, and begs the maid tv let her see J.-lia. CHAPTER XV. A Favour for "The Prince." "Well, she told mc she wouldn't be home to anyone, no matter who, while tliut gentleman was here," explained the maid. "They've got important business. That's what she said. But if you want to wait in the hall till I find out —or, no, maybe you'd better sit in the dining room." ihe woman stood aside, half reluctantly, and let the girl—"the picture of Miss Divine"—cross the threshold. Jt seemed to Terry that Julia's description of her apartment had fallen short of the reality. The square hall, from which several doors opened, had white ■walls with painted pictures set in panels. The doors were made of mirrors, with many small, square panes. On the polished floor was a rug of lovely pale tints, and immense vases held longStemmed roses. The dining room was white, too, but it was panelled with rose-coloured brocade framed in narrow lines of gold, and there was a crimson carpet so thick it felt like moss to the girl's feet. The chairs drawn round the table had carved hacks and arms. There was gilding about them, too. Terry thought it was like an apartment in the palace of s. king, hut she felt, dimly, that she would choose simpler things for herself. The maid, who was of Indian type rather than negroid in appearance, was paid high wages for tact and intelligence ■ —often needed. She had quickly decided upon the dining room instead of the hall for the visitor to wait. The door of Miss Divine's "den," where she had received her caller, opened into the hall. There, the girl must be within earshot, perhaps even catch a glimpse of Miss Divine,-and try to "rush" her if'she heard a refusal. Shut up in the dining room she could do no mischief. The mulatto woman tapped discreetly at the door of the room named by Miss Divine her '"den." "Come in!" cried the sweet, husky voice which was one of Julia's charms. The maid obeyed only so far as to open the door half-way. "Would you kindly . step into the hall a second, Madam f she suggested. (Miss Divine was always called "Madam" by her servants.) Julia was surprised, but she trusted Emlhelrne's tact and flew out, in a diaphanous vest gown, softly closing the door behind her. "What is it? Senor Fernandez hasn't come?" she asked anxiously, under her breath. "Xo, Madame, it ain't as bad as that," Emmeline replied, with an odd mingling of affection and impertinence in her tone. "There's a young lady. She says she's jour sister; but you didn't expect, her, so I wasn't sure if I ought to let her in. But she's the image of you. I thought she couldn't be a fraud. So I put her in the dining room." "My goodness 'gracious!" Julia gasped. "It must be Terry." "She didn't say her name. You never told mc you had a sister, Madam." "It wasn't worthwhile. Is she alone!" "Yes, Madame." "How did she come, I wonder?" "She arrived in a taxi. She wants to borrow money to settle with the chauffeur and send him away. I would have arranged with Joe, in the elevator, to pay whatever it wa3. But I thought, if you didn't want her to stay " "Oh, I suppose she'll have to stay. I must manage somehow. Give Joe the money. Did she seem upset about anything?" "Xo, Madame, she was real quiet, but begged awful hard to see you." "Well, she can't see mc yet," Julia decided. "Mr. Phillips won't stop long. If the child seems all right she can wait till we iinish talking. And it's better they shouldn't meet. Gee! It's rather complicated to have a sister!" - "It must be, Madam," agreed Emmeline. "Ask her if she wants' anything to eat," Julia flung over her shoulder, as she opened the door again, and, slipping through, closed it quickly. In the "den" she flung herself down once more on a huge divan, crossed her feet, admired them, helped herself to a cigarette from a gold box on a low table, struck a match, and said: "Well, I'm half dead with curiosity to know why the' great Mr. Hartley Phillips has honoured" poor little mc with a call for the .first time in his life. Isn't it about time we came to the point?" As she spoke, Julia produced a perfect smoke ring, so large that, as it floated away from her lips, it made a vanishing frame for her bright hair and brilliant face. The man who sat in an easy chair some distance from the divan smiled at the picture. But there are smiles and smiles. Juliet Divine knew all kinds of smiles on linen's faces; how much they meant, or "how little., This smile meant cool, slightly contemptuous appreciation of a physically admirable woman. ■- "J t isn't my fault that we've been some time working up to the point," he said. "You were kind enough to insist on my having a cocktail—and I'd heard you were famous for your cocketails—among other things.. In. fact, I've called on you this evening because you're famous." "Thank you!" Julia nodded to him with gaiety, real'or affected. He was a good-looking man, not more than 40 years old, and was high up in what she would have called the "Four Hundred"— a phrase never forgotten by outsiders. Hut you could see by the thin features, narrowing eyes, and the skin which shaded intp the same grey as the hair at his temples, that the man was cold as a December "frost.

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Julia was not inclined to help him. She saw that Mr. Hartley Phillips was not quite at case, and when she had almost forced a cocktail and later a cigarette upon him, he had tried to excuse himself by saying he hadn't long to stay. But it pleased her that somehow she had disconcerted such a man. She didn't like to think that a male type existed over which she had no power. "When I 'phoned and inquired if you'd be at home, I said I wanted to ask a favour," Phillips began. "Yes. you did." Julia shortly admitted. "I couldn't think what sort of favour you might want from mc." "And you'd never be likely to guess. But it's—er—a little difficult to explain at the opening—sounds rather bald." Julia laughed a hard laugh. "I'm used to bald men!" Phillips took no notice of this sally, though it did not pass over his head. In fact, it was aimed at the top of it. "I shan't ask the favour for nothing," he went on. "And it isn't for mc, personally. It's for.a friend. I don't know if you've heard of him: Mr. Sheridan— Miles Sheridan." CHAPTER XVI. A Doubtful Compliment. "Oh!" breathed Julia. She sat up straighter among her cushions. But she had spent enough time on the stage to call herself an actress, and she didn't show her slighter emotions unless she chose. Her thoughts travelled back, upon a road seven years long. She had heard all about the adventure of the brokendown motor car. and the "Prince's" generosity to "Cinderella." his name for Terry. Also she had often seen Mrs. Miles Sheridan's name in the society columns since the weddino- before the war. ° She had been interested because of the link with old Mrs. Parmalee and Silverwood. But "Oh!" was the only word •he spoke.

"Sheridan and his wife haven't-hit it off very well together," Phillips continued. "I'd like to tell you a fewthings in that connection, Miss Divine, if I can do bo in strict confidence. I must say I've always heard you spoken of as a—a thoroughly good sport, a person with whom one could be—er— safe. "By giving up a. few weeks of your valuable time to—a scheme I want to propose for my friend, you would earn— become possessed of a large sum of money." Julia smiled faintly. She had the secret pleasure of knowing that she would very soon "become possessed" (as this man put it, in bis floundering attempt to save her feelings) of bo verylarge a sum that never need she trouble about earning another dollar. She meant to spring this fact upon Hartley Phillips by and by, but—even though poor little Terry awaited her she was enjoying the situation too much to end it quite yet. "How large a sum?" she asked lazily. "What do you call large?" Phillips hedged. "A hundred thousand dollars isn't—to be sneezed at." "Good heavens! I should think not!" The man stiffened. 'I'm not talking in any such figures as that, my dear pretty lady. Ten thousand dollars,.or —" (seeing the beautiful face harden) "possibly twice that sum—would be the limit." "And what am I to do for you. or your friend, for twenty thousand dollars?" Julia coolly wanted to know. Phillips hesitated. "The moneys absolutely • yours for the taking," he prefaced. Then added sharply, "will you treat what I said as strictly confidential ?" "I will,'* promised Julia, her intense curiosity triumphing over the temptation to snub the "grand gentleman." "Very well, then. I'll trust you: My great friend Miles Sheridan—whom I've known since I was a big boy and he was a little one—is in heavy trouble. He's the best fellow in the' world, and his wife ought to be devoted to him. "But she's been spoiled—had too much of her own way all her life, and since her marriage she's lost her head." "Deceived her hubby?" Julia drawled. It pleased her to hear of women in a world apart from hers, who "went wrong," "kicked over the traces." "Well, yes. I'm afraid she did." "Was it that Italian, Prince di Salvano, who came over on some military mission after he got wounded in

the war, and liked America so much he's been playing around ever since ?" Hartley Phillips dared not order the impertinent minx to mind her own business. . "I daresay you've heard some gossip." lie admitted. "But Mrs. Sheridan's conduct is neither here nor there—between us. It's Sheridan I came to talk about. He ——" "I've happened to meet the Prince, that's all," Julia broke irt. looking reminiscent. "Awfully handsome fellow. Rather fascinating. I don't much blame Airs. Sheridan." "Sheridan is handsome and fascinating, too. in his different way." Phillips hurried on. "Ah, but a husband!" "Yes"—drily. "That was against him. Anyhow, he doesn't want his wife talked about more than she has been, if he can help it. "Her grandmother, Mrs. Parmalee, who brought her up, was good to him when he was a boy and he promised the old lady on her death-bed, I believe, that he'd always stand between the giri and trouble. What he wants is, to give Mrs. Sheridan cause to get a divorce from him." "I begin to see light!" said Julia. "The big idea is for mc to flirt with him. Well, that might have appealed to mc once, but it doesn't now. I have my own reasons. I'm not taking any, thanks!" "You don't understand what I mean yet," Phillips argued with flattering eagerness. "I'll tell you exactly what I do mean, without beating round the bush. Sheridan has a steam vaeht. She's named after the old place where" he used to stay as a boy—Mrs. Parmalee's place, 'Silverwood'.' He bought her to please his wife who thought she'd fancy yachting, but she hates it like poison. "All the same Silverwood's a fine craft, warranted not to make the worst sailor sea-sick. If you'll take a trip with Miles Sheridan, stopping at several well-known ports en route, where there'll be plenty of people who know you both by sight, not only will you "be paid twenty thousand dollars, half in advance if you like, but you'll be safe from— from what you called 'flirtation.' "Mr. Sheridan wants to have everyone talk about the trip, and he wants to be seen about with you. But apart from appearances, he "won't have anything to do with you. Miss Divine. Frankly, the less he sees of you the better." "Oh, indeed!" Julia said. She had enhanced her complexion a little—a

very.little—with powder and rouge for the last four or five years, but she flushed so hotly at Mr. Phillips, "frankness" that her natural colour burned through the false roses';' "Oh, indeed! Mr._ Miles Sheridan pays mc a beautiful' compliment.! I wonder you had the cheek to come.and make such a proposition! And I don't wonder he didn't care to come himself!"