The Million Dollar Doll

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 26

The Million Dollar Doll

CHAPTER C-XXXIII. On the Terrace. "As Madame desires," Estelle, the maid, meekly agreed, delighted with the lit of temper into which she had thrown her mistress. "I merely wished to show Madame that so much trouble was not needed for my sake." | It was noon when Betty, her maid,' and luggage arrived on board Silverwood. She was not consciously hungry, but she had a throbbing headache, and felt rather inclined to faint, therefore . luncheon was hastily ordered. She ate little when it was served, crumbling a roll, tasting some delicately favoured riz de veau, and drinking three glasses of champagne. The cold, sparkling wine soothed her nerves, a3 she had hoped (there was only one thing better, but she'd hacj none of that—or almost none —for months), and, sleepy after a rest-, less night, she wrote a short note before going to lie down for an hour. ; Estelle had been told to call her mis- j tress at three, and was prompt. ' "Madame looks much better!'" tho Frenchwoman remarked, when she had i drawn back the curtains. ! "Did I look badly before?"-the ques- ! tion had a note of sharpness, for Betty j wished to be at her best to-day. I "But no, Madame, only a little pale : and tired. The rest has done Madame , good." At four o'clock Betty was dressed in a bewitching frock of knitted silk, of the same pale, primrose yellow as the tint at which 6he had kept her hair. She wore a Parisian evolution of a toue that matched in colour, with a deft touch of j turquoise, like her eyes. Suede shoes i and filmy silk stockings were primrose j tinted, too; and when, ' half-an-hour j later, a taxi deposited her at the door of | the St. George, the dainty figure in j yellow seemed to be illumined by the afternoon sun. There had been no open scandal about Betty Sheridan's flirtation with Paul di j Salvano or any of the men she had j favoured; and she was sure that Miles' | conduct must have made of her a sym- j pathetic figure. She was horribly un-'j happy about Paolo, yet she had a thrill > of something like pleasure as she sauntered out upon the terrace. She j thought of herself as very beautiful, j more beautiful than any of the women who sat at little tables looking up at ber as she slowly passed. If Rose Callahan were there with Paolo, he could not help being struck by the contrast between them; the exquisite, perfectlydressed woman he Joyed, and the common creature he sought for money. Betty shrank not at all from the eyes that stared. There was no reason why she should object to being seen. Khe bowed to four or five, people from Ne* York whom she knew, smiling a sad, sweat smile, and, hoping half-conaciously that her blue. eyes looked tragic. Her friends pushed their chairs back and got up to greet her. Several pressed ber to join them for tea, but Betty gently refused. She was rather hoping that her husband might come, she said. She'd arrived only that morning, to surprise him, but he was away for part of the day, not having expected her so soon He' might return at any moment, and come to meet her, as she'd left word on the yacht where ehe meant to spend tho afternoon. "Poor girl, can it be sne really doesn't know!" the women whispered to each other. "How awful for her when she finds out!" And one or two murmured what an odd coincidence it was, Prince Paul di Salvano being in Algiers at such a time, because he'd been talked about a good deal with poor little Betty before the Callahan affair developed. Everyone felt faintly excited, wondering what would happen. They thought that they hoped nothing would happen; but in their secret hearts they yearned for a thrill, as if they waited for the curtain to rise at the Grand Guignol. Betty indicated to an admiring waiter a small table laid for two, and sat down to gaze sorrowfully, with raised eyebrows, out over the violet expanse of bay. She looked as if she were thinking: "Why is the world so fair and happy, when lam so sad ?" But under that "attractive expression she was wondering whether Salvano and the Callahans—or Paul and Rose alone—would presently appear. On entering the hotel she had stopped for an instant to question the concierge. She' had written a note, which she wished to leave for Prince Paul di Salvano. Was ho still stopping at the St. George. Yes? And Monsieur Callahan and Mademoiselle, his daughter 1 Ah, that was good! She would g've the letter to the concierge, but, perhaps, the Prince and his friends might be having tea on the terrace? In that ease she would meet them. Betty knew that if she did there would be little, if any, chance for a private word with Paolo. Still she was nervously keen to gee him. Her letter left with tiie hall-porter had been a threatening one. Salvano could sue her for blackmail on the strength of it if he cared to do so But that would be the last course of action he would take. Even if .he was married to Rose, she could ruin him with old Callahan, she j thought. And if he were not yet mar- I ried, ho would have to como back to her. : If he looked agitated at sight of her, | all the better! The Callahans would • notice, and she wanted them to notice. I She wondered if Paolo would take I the letter from the concierge and glance it over before coming out on the ter- ' race—-if he dared to conic out after that! ! He'd recognise the writing on the en- I velope, and; hearing from the porter that' it had been left by a lady, he would j be frightened—traitor that he was! j Betty ' imagined that in self-defence,' lie would open it at once. Then, he would want to turn back, and avoid seeing the woman whose love he had betrayed—or tried to betray—even if he loved her still in his heart. He wouldn't however, dare take the risk of letting her meet Rose Callahan and the girl's father with him away. Altogether, Betty convinced herself that Fate would soon deliver Paolo into her hands. And she hoped that Eustace Nazlo would keep out of the way till the meeting was over, for good or ill. After that, the Shoe Kinfc might join her, and weteome. "China tea, please, with orange flower-water instead of milk; and nothing to eat," she instructed the hovering waiter. He hurried conscientiously away, and as here eyes idly, followed he short black figure, ehe saw Rose Callahan come out on the terrace. Behind her strolled the old man; and behind him was Paul di Salvano.

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CHAPTER LXXXIV. Law of Love and Decency. Betty saw the three from a long way off, t>ut she looked only at Paolo. His dark face was haggard. His eyes glanced about anxiously. He had read the letter. I Callahan, a big-headed, short-necked man, with grizzled, curly hair, made straight for a table whose three tilted chairs indicated that it was reserved. Ho had a sullen, bull-dog air, Betty thought, as if life had gone awry woth him, and he was trying, without knowing how, lo make the best of it. He i had been very different when he first arrived from the West with Rose, to I conquer Now York. His biunt-featured face had been fresh-coloured. He had worn an almost perpetual grir. of selfsatisfaction, and pleasure . in his pos- | 'sessions—including Rose. He had : walked with a swagger, almost a strut, his chin up, glancing about to see if i (he and his daughter were observed. I Now he marched doggedly, his head down. I F/vcn a casual observer might have |guessed that the man was morose from some secret disappointment; and Betty 'more than guessed. She was sure, and Ishe knew what the disappointment was. All that had glittered afoout Paul di j Salvano wasn't gold! Once Callahan had wanted the Prince for a son-in-law. Now he didn't want him. But was Paul his son-in-law? That was tiie only part about which Betty felt uncertain. Rose's looks told nothing. Tne girl was pretty, with the beauty of youth, ' but her features were blunt like her father's, and already she began to be too full-blown. As the old man strode ahead, the girl had time to throw Salvano a smile, with raised eyeibrowß. Whether it were a married siaile or an , engaged smile Betty could not tell. ; The three sat down, Rose between the two men, and directly facing BettyMiss Callahan had never been introduced to Mrs. Miles Sheridan, but they had often seen each other in New York; and father and daughter would at one time have given a good deal to squeeze into Betty Sheridan's set. Later, Rose had doubtless heard of the flirtation between Salvano and tho ynung married woman; or Betty's firm intention to snub had made "an impression. At all events, the girl's wistful admiring glances at theatre or restaurant, had changed to a stony stare; and it was now with gravenimage (raze that she regarded the lady from New York. Betty saw this without looking up: just the ordinary trie/ that women I are born with, and men can never learn. She saw also that Rose turned to Paolo, and spoke. He kept his profile in Mrs. Sheridan's direction, but Mr. Callahan's head moved, and Betty felt his gaze upon her. This little drama, just *jegun ; meant joy or misery for her future; but it hadn't developed to tragedy yet, and Betty found herself slightly amused, as if she were a spectator of the play, instead of a leading character. Could it be that Salvano would try to brazen it out, or was he working up the scene to make things easy for himself? She would know' soon, because in the note she had warned him that Eustace Nazlo was in the offing, and that they had better have a talk 'before the latter came to her table. The tea she had ordered was brought, and as she glanced up, after pouring herself a cup. she met Paola's eyes. He was deliberately looking at her, as i if seeing her for the first moment. She bowed, and he bowed, slightly rising from his chair. Then, with a word of excuse or explanation to Rose and Callahan, lie walked to her table, "How do you do, Mrs. Sheridan!" he asked, in a tone audible to everyone near. "This is a surprise I thought you were in New York." Betty held out her hand, and Salvano toot it in his, pressing it sharply, so that the rings hurt her fingers. In spite of the pain, however, an electric thrill shot through her arm to her heart, for there was hope in that pressure, hope in the one flashing look telegraphed from the Italian's eyes to hers. "He carcß!" she told herself. "May I sit down and talk for just a moment?" Salvano asked, still in the same "everybody c-An hear" tone. "I've promised Miss Callahan and her father to see a moving picture with them after tea, but "Is she 'Miss Callahan?'"" Betty broke in. Her tone was not meant for everyone. It was for Paolo alone. "You mean > " "You know what I mean." "I know there's been talk." "Of course there's been talk! Paola, you've got to tell mc Are you married to the girl?" "No. I " "Are you cngapred to lier?" I "Betty—yon shoot accusation at mc ' I've allowed them to t'link " "And everybody else to think! Paolo, what did you take mc for—a. marble statue? It's to mc you're engaged." "Mv dear," he soothed her, "you'ree a ! married woman. I heard that your husj hand wouldn't go in for a divorce, after I all. What hope was there? I was ' desperate, and—these things ha-p----[pen " i "Listen, Paola." she cut him short, j don't try any melodrama with mc. You I know all about Miles and his girl. You j can't help it? One's only got to look !at old Callahan to see that he doesn't j trust you, or like you." c "I realise that you need money, but i I'm not poor," she. added. "I'll have more even than we thought when we thrashed things out one day you won't have foreotten. I'm doinsr you a good j turn, taking you away from that girl ; nnd that old man who despises you. You won't have to be ashamed of mc as your wife—and you would, of RoseBesides you love mc! You can't have changed so soon. I've come half across the world to claim you, because by tbe law of love and decency, you're mine." I (To oe continued daily. ) NICE AMERICAN CUSTOM. Maurice Lux, 13, of Shelbyville, Ind., won the title ot "corn prince" of the International Grain and Hay Show, when his ten ears of white dent corn won over several hundred other junior entries. Besides winning a part of the 12,000 dol. prize money given by the Chicago Board of Trade, Lux also annexed the Junior Cbrp Cup, won Ia« year by Glenn Tharea, also of .. Indiana.