“TOO WISE TO MARRY”

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 39, 16 February 1938, Page 7

“TOO WISE TO MARRY”

Synopsis of preceding Instalments ■ Sterling Lord’s wife gets a divorce when Bomanza is 4 years old. Lord becomes New York’s foremost divorce lawyer and Bonanza, now 23, is a member of his firm. Justin (Dusty) Rhodes, whose father was Lord’s, college mate, gets a job with a rival law firm. At the Lord’s Long Island home he meets Aliah Sandell, popular radio singer, and Dr. David Tree a neighbour. Dusty twits Bomanza, saying no judge or jury can resist her beauty. Soon afterwards she wins a divorce for a husband whose wife Dusty represents and Bomanza's picture appears in every paper. Aliah retains Dusty in a suit for divorce against Honest Jim Sandell, wealthy contractor. Jim goes to retain Lord but in his absence tells Bomanza Aliah’s evidence is a frame-up and agrees to her handling the case. Previously, Frank Talmadge, a young Sandell employee, shot himself at Aliah's penthouse door. At the hospital he tells Bomanza Aliah vamped him into planting a woman in her husband 's room at his club, then laughed at him. Frightened now, she offers him 10,000 dollars to disappear, but he says he will testify for Sandell who took him out of the bread line. When Bomanza pleads with Dusty to drop the crooked case he angrily refuses. Bomanza, busy with the case, suddenly remembers she has been neglecting her foster-sister, Patsy O'Day, who eloped with Mike Casey, the Lord’a young chauffeur. After visiting the Caseys at their cottage on the estate, Bomanza is discussing with her father means of helping them, which the high-spirited Pat will agree to, when Aliah is announced as a caller. Bomanza’s hand went to her throat in a gesture that seemed near to fright. Then she smiled crookedly. “She's got her nerve—coming here," she said to her father. “Let me go out and send her away,” Sterling Lord started to get up. Bomanza held him back. “Sit right where you are! If she has the colossal cheek to come here and try to bribe, scare or wheedle me into going over to her side, I'll certainly see her. I think it will be a very interesting experience. But you stay here. There may be language no gentleman should hear." The older lawyer was proud of his daughter’s nerve. At least it wouldn't do any harm to Had out what Aliah's little game was. “Keep a stiff upper lip," Lord warned his daughter, smiling encouragement. “Kemember, the guy who keeps his head in a light always brings home the big end of the gate receipts." Bomanza stood up gamely. At the door she blew him a mocking little kiss and, holding her head high, walked down the hall and into the reception hall. tihe decided the best pose for her to take was one of not being at all surprised that Aliah had decided to call on her after so many months. The prima donna wculd have to Are the opening g&n. Bomanza ’a jade eyes were inscrutable when she came upon the little singer, huddled into her sables in the hall. “Do come into the living roow where it’s more comfortable," Bomanza said in a cross between formality and his* pitality, opening a door and leading the way. s»he felt as though she wanted to be in the largest room in the house during the ordeal. With plenty of room, to breathe. Aliah followed like a child, obviously casting about for something to say. Bo* mauza had taken her quite off guard. The lawyer «at down in a chair, motioning Aliah to a couch. “Won’t you lay off your furs! It’s quite warm in here. * “Thank you.’ Aliah wet her lips nervously, fumbling at her exquisite sables—but forgetting apparently to remove them. The prima donna’s hands fluttered in her lap. She was so obviously frightened that Bomanza knew she had the upper hand. The lawyer sat, cool as a spring dawn, waiting for her uninvited guest to make the first move. At last Aliah plunged. “Bomanza," she began, and hei voice shook, “it’s ridiculous for us to go on like this—after the friends we’ve been. I—l’ve come to talk to you about it." “Just what do you mean!" Bo* manza made a polite show of interest. “I—X mean I’ve been heartbroken—that we’ve had all this happen between us. It’s—hurt me more than you’ll ever know. I—just had to come to see you. To see if there wasn’t something we could do to straighten it out." “There isn’t much we can do now, Im afraid." Bomanza smiled dryly. “Unless, of course, you have come to say you will withdraw the charges you have made against your husband." Bomanza saw Aliah stiffen. She hada’t quite hidden the malice in her eyes before she answered, “That is quite impossible. If my husband chooses to make a laughing stock of me by taking a woman into the Contractors Club, don’t you think I should resent it: —and demand my rights." Bomanza shook her head wonderingly.

“You have the nerve to come here %nd sit there and tell me that Jim Sandell was fool enough to compromise hittiself in such a schoolboyish way—and expect me to believe it! I’m sorry, but I’m afriad I can’t. You underrate my intelligence."

It was quite obvious that Aliah Sandell was fighting hard to keep her temper. Bomanza went on, speaking softly:

“Of course, as t said before, if you came here to tell me you are big enough to admit you’ve practically lost—that

(By Alma Sioux Scarberry) Instalment 21.

you know your little game isn’t going to work —and that you are willing to be a good sport and withdraw tho charges, I’ll listen." “Otherwise, you wasting your breath. I’m not inclined to fall for the love and friendship Tacket. It so happens that I’ve been wise to you for a long time. Even when we still made a pretense of being friends. I found you interesting and amusing and overlooked your weak points. I always was rather tolerant of human failings. We’ve all got so many of them." Aliah, Bomanza could see from the glitter of her brown eyes, saw red. The even, mocking voice of her erstwhile friend sitting there telling her she was just an amusing little microbe to study under glass was too much for the famous personage’s vanity. Suddenly she lost all control of her attempt to be a lady. “X think I understand." The singer’s brown eyes narrowed to two slits of fire. “Perhaps I’ve been smart, too. It isn’t reasonable to suppose you would have turned on me the way you have without a real cause. Perhaps you’d like me to tell you what it is!" “I’d love it." Bomanza leaned back and waited. “You’re in love with Dusty Rhodes. ’’ Aliah’s childish lips curled in scorn. ‘ ‘Any dumb-bell could see that." Bomanza was so surprised that for a minute she almost went off guard. Then she shook her head coolly. “Wrong. Make another guess. Maybe you’ll do better next time." Aliah sniffed disdainfully. “Anybody with an ounce of brains could figure that out. You’re afraid I'm going to take him from you." “You couldn’t very well take something I haven’t got." Aliah got up, breathing hard. She crossed to Bomanza, to bend over her threateningly, as she said. “You’re a deceitful little sneak—that’s what you are! Don’t you think I know about the time you took Dusty Khodes out to lunch and tried to get him to drop my divorce case! And how you got him out here the week-end my husband came to see you and went to work on him! Well, Ido know. And I think it was vile of you." Bomanza was a little disappointed in Dusty for having betrayed her confidence. But she smiled again. “I did ask Mr Khodes at lunch one day to get out of this silly mess before it was too late. Before he made a fool of himself—and ruined his career. I’d do the same thing for any friend. But I had nothing to go with his coming out here for the week-end. My father brought him out without my knowing anything about it." Aliah laughed scornfully. “Don’t expect me to believe youl Not after all you’ve done." The prima donna sat down on the arm of a chair near Bomanza, breathing with difficulty. She would have given every cent ho had in the world to break the lawyer’s icy barrier of reserve. She knew she was making a fool of her own self. But there was no controlling her temper. Bomanza smiled again. “Mr Rhodes no doubt told you also of ‘the nice little close-up under the maple trees in the moonlight? And how I practically forced him into kissing my sweet lips—much against his will! [ do hope he didn’t leave that out." Aliah looked as though she were going to get up and dance with fury.

Bomanza arose languidly. “I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me, Mrs Sandell. There’s really not much good in going on like this. It’s hard on tho blood pressure. But before you go, if you’ll give me a moment I’ll tell you something that might refresh your memory. A few little things about the good old days back in San Francisco." For a second or two Bomanza thought Aliah Sandell was going to faint. The radio star couldn’t have Bpoken if her life had depended upon it. Bomanza went on again as though Bhe were telling a story to a child: ‘Once upon a time there was a little girl by the name of Elia Dolan. She was born thirty-six years ago on the wrong side of the railroad tracks right in the hottest section of the old Barbary Coast. From the time she was young enough to pick up pennies thrown at her in the sawdust of her father’s saloon, she sang. Everybody said she’d get somewhere some day! “‘When Ella was sixteen years old she came to New York with a whisky salesman. They were married here finally. He committed suicide by jumping into the East river two years \ater. He left a little money though. “Five years later Ella Dolan met a young contractor with an interesting looking bank roll and a future—and he fell for her charms and offered marriage. But wasn’t it strange that she tompletely forgot that she’d been married before to a whisky salesman! And can you imagine how surprised the contractor was a few weeks ago when he found out about it?" Aliah turned and walked from the room—like a woman in a daze. Bomanza smiled after her a little sympathetically—then went back .to her father. Poor little fool! (To be Continued.)