“The PAINTED LILY”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 251, 22 October 1937, Page 3

“The PAINTED LILY”

Romantic Serial Story - - by

Olive Wadsley

‘And why on earth shouldn’t Mrs Warden ask me to go to a dance?” Ronald demanded frozcnly. “I have

known her, as 1 told you, for years, and ’pon my soul, I fail to see* anything odd in an old friend giving me an Invitation or in my accepting it if I chose—” tie paused a second, and added curtly; “My presence scarcely seems to afford you pleasure, so under the circumstances. . .” Then suddenly, looking at Vai, he felt the queerest, pang of pity—of something even stronger, though lie could not analyse it; all he knew was that his anger seemed to peter out, and that Vai looked like a tired kid. He went across to her ami smiled, “l.ook here,” lie said, “you’re doggo. I’ll run you on a bath, clear out for a bit and come back and get tea for you. How’s that?” Vai nodded, looking bravely at Ronnie, and keeping back the tears by a tremendous effort. She could not speak. He waited a moment, then, comfortably oblivious of the truth, nodded cheerily to her and went off. Outside, in the corridor, he stood still and mopped his brow. “Whew!” he muttered, “tough time that!’’ He went off to a florists, because, obscurely, he felt if anyone had flowers from him, he owed it to Vai to get her some, too, and ordered vaguely: “Oh, roses ” The girl who was wailing on him, and who was very pretty, smiled at him. “What’s the lady like?” she asked him. “She’s—er—got golden hair—” Ronnie mentioned. The girl smiled again. “What about those little golden roses then, they’re lovely.’’ “All right, golden roses, to match golden hair!” Ronnie agreed. ‘‘Anything else?” the girl questioned. “Thoso’ll do, thanks.” Ronnie said, ‘‘no. no card, they’re for my wife.” ‘‘Men! See that tall, good looking fellow? Was here an hour ago and bought up the shop for that little Mrs Warden, old Renalders always sends gardenias to. He, the big fair man, got roses and lilies and carnations, the whole bag of tricks, you know, and then comes in as gay as you please and sends two dozen Marshal Niels Io his wife—and Thosc’ll do’! Oh, well 1” As he walked along, his hat. a bit. tilled back, his stick swinging, Ronnie thought about, Vai: 11. had been a frost, her arrival, but it bad also been decidedly unexpected. “Always did hale surprises,” Ronnie mused, “never could see why anything sprung on you should be belter than somehting you’ve had a chance to look forward to. As for being surprised—help!” It bad certainly been a stirring afternoon all right ! First, the meeting with Iris, and then Vai’s descent out of the clouds, bang into the middle of everything!

He fell, a bit of a sweep about, it all. She was his wife; If It. hadn’t been for her. he wouldn’t be at. the Ritz at all, he’d have been In a board-ing-house, bed-sitting room, all found for ten dollars fifty a week! lie faced things squarely. He owed Dixon, through Vai, everything. And, If she was a bit wild in speech—well, she'd learn. They'd have a talk, he and she, that night, and plan out his scheme of marriage, got. this pal-ship idea straight between then). He turned to walk back to the hotel feeling rather virtuous on the whole; the flowers had been a good idea, and now Vai and he would have a jolly little tea together, and perhaps, if she. wasn’t too done, they might do a show later on—they could see. _ A ._ A peal of laughter greeted him as lie opened the sit ling-room door.

Then he heard a man’s voice saying: “You certainly are the loveliest baby in the world, Vai—but you sure have a rotten aim with a cream bun!” Ronnie walked in almost on I lie top of a huge young man who was kneeling on the floor, apparently looking for something; Vai was silting on the arm of a chair laughing, and she was clad in a white silk peignoir which made her look about ten. The huge young man straightened up, and Vai said unconcernedly. “Chick, meet my husband; Ron, this is Chick Buchanan. I’ve known him since lie was a kid; we went to school together.” CHAPTER VI. Mr Chick Buchanan, who toppc I even Ronnie, and had a dark red head, dark grey eyes, and the best teeth Ronnie thought lie had ever seen, said frankly; “Can’t say ‘pleased to meet you.’ 1 guess: I’ve been wanting, since I was fourteen, Io marry Vai, and only a prospect no man in his senses would have turned down made me hike oil to the South, an’ that hike, sir, has put me upon an odd million bricks — but too late. 1 was too poor to marry Vai before I went, an’ now I’m rich, you’ve slipped it over on me.” “You’re very open about it all,” Ronnie said, and laughed. “There’s only one thing I’d like to know: Had Vai consented to marry you?” Chick shook his head. “Nope. But she would have. If you want a thing long enough, and hard enough, and try hard enough, you’ll get it. Thai’s my belief.” lie looked at Ronnie out of rather smouldering eyes. “It’s bin a poser to me findin’ her married,” he finished brusquely. Ho left shortly afterwards, after kissing Vai resoundingly on her check. “Who exactly is your hefty young friend?” Ronnie asked. “He’s the Copper King,” Vai said defiantly, “that's what he is.” “Lurk chap.’’ Ronnie commented; he spun round with a quick “Splendid!” as I lolls s voice enquired: “May I come in ?” He. came in with his slight limp, his lace beaming, then, as he saw' Vai, he stopped, then hurried forward. “I say, you’re Ronnie's wife—aren’t you? This is perfectly bully meeting you so soon. Ronnie’d no idea when you’d turn up. Awf’ly tired, are you? I hope not. And, by the way, I’m old Ronnie’s pal, Holliday Carfax, at your service; but all the really nice and dear people I know call me. Holly. So I hope you will!” He sat. down beside Vai, talked with icr, laughed with. her, and Ronnie

saw a new Vai, young, charmingly uncertain of herself, gay and wistful, •he talked Io Holly of her father, and Hollv seemed to be able tn sym,.alh*ise, say Just the right things. Il was not he (It never would be, Ronnie. realised who mentioned Iris. Val lid, she asked him: “Do you know Mrs Warden?” “D’you mean Iris Warden?” Holly said. “Oh yes, rather—l should say so. Gives me the creeps a bit,” added the obtuse and happy Holly, “sort of vampire-like effect, what?” “She was here with Ron when 1 turned up.” Vai said. “Oh, really,” Holly said blithely, not blinking an eyelash in direction. “We’ve all known her umpteen years. “SVhat did you think of her?” “Much the. same as you.” Vai told him. “I'd say, too, she’s got a nerve!” Holly sat on, smoking, talking and laughing happily till it was nearly dinner time, and then he. . suggested Vai and Ronnie should dine with him at the new big restaurant downstairs. Ronnie glanced at Vai. “I’d love it.” she simply. “It never occurred Io Ronnie to wonder what she would wear. A man who is not in love with a woman thinks scarcely at all about details connected with her, and a man in love never misses one. All Ronnie did think when Vai came into the sitting-room was that she looked “all right”; she had on a very thick black chiffon frock, and she was wearing her pearls, which were exquisite, ami though Ronnie never noticed the loveliest, filmiest black stockings and liny, very high-heeled, black satin shoes. “Like my dress?” she asked Ronnie ami he told her: “Awfully, looks stunning.” “It's Laton,” she told him with an upward glance, but all he said was: “Is it?”

At that instant Vai could cheerfully have killed him. She had been, since the day be. had come to San Racos, 'madlv in love with him; at first she ■had loved him with that half-childish, idealistic love which only extreme, verv innocent youth ever knows; then later, as she had grown up, she-had I fallen in love with him. really in love. I She had been content to see him every day, to think of him, to ride I with* him, and listen Io him, and of I course she had hoped be -would love 1 her. as everyone who loves does hope. I And suddenly out of blue sky had come the. ghastly accident Io her | father, and only a little, later his suggestion to her‘that she should marry Ronald, that he should arrange this I matter with Ronald. She had agreed 1 because her father had been so deler- . mined, and so pitiful too; because she herself had been so terrified she would I have agreed to anything to please him. j And who, under Heaven, has not ’secretly believed because they love, thpv must be loved again. Of course, Vai* had held that hope to her with passionate intensity—some day—some day—Ronnie would love her, too. i Besides, she knew, he had told her, ; how he loved Charters, how penniless he was, and she had known what money must mean to him. She had longed for him Io be rich enough to | go hack, and it had been her chance to give him that freedom. Then they had married, and after that everything had become hopeless for a litlie while; she had scarcely seen Ronnie for a wook after her father’s death, and when she had, when they had really talked for the first time,*that cable had come, and H had taken every atom of joy out of life. """“But he’s mine—he is mine,” Vai told herself, looking at Ronnie, at the height of him. his broad shoulders, his ! imrnaculalcncss. “Ready, kiddie?” he asked her, and one went out ahead of him. In the big mirror-lined lift she saw herself rcllected over and over again— I couldn’t Ronnie see the wave in her I hair?—and her dress was r triumph. | Why. the Frenchwoman had raved over i it. amt she had been so deadly tired, but she had gone shopping first of all i in order to appear “right” for Ron- ; nie’s sake. Lil and she had talked it all over ] and over. “You go to one of those Frenchy j places,” Lil had said, “get a peep on ! the train at the label on some coat or ( wrap belonging to a swell dame, and I drive right there when you reach New 1 York. What about Consuelo Danvers when they struck it rich? She didn't mean to let on to anyone she knew | nothing, an' she put it right over on 1 everyone. She told me all about )t ’ when she came out last fall. She ■ thought out that train business, spot- 1 tin’ a New Yorker and getting the tailor's name, and she hit on one of the Rexels, ami’ they’re the goods all right, and in a week, honey, she was all dolled up as good as one of them. ‘Go to the best and let ’em do their best,” she told me, ‘don’t speak to ’em even. Tell ’em right away: ‘Now you know, an’ I don’t, but I’ll know all . right if it’s wrong I’-” Vai had gone and done likewise, and the result was utterly right; she was beautifully and charmingly clad, and Holly told her so the instant he saw

her. “You’ve got ’em all knocked, hasn't she, Ronnie?” he demanded. “Vai, you look like a golden rose on a summer’s night!” “Good Lord,” Ronnie ejaculated, and I stared at Holly, who grinned and look- | cd pleased with himself. The dinner was a success, even if I oyster forks and ice spoons arc not identical table weapons. The restaur- j ant was crowded ami everyone looked | at Vai. “You’ll have. Ihe. reporters after you | like hounds, mi a. trail.” Holly pro- j phesied blithely, ami Ronnie cursed I aloud. “D’you mean that?” “Sure Ihing! Romantic marriage of i English Peer’s heir and divinely lovely ; American girl—and quite true tool” j Yes, but it wasn’t going to pun out j like that, Ronnie thought, if these re- i porter fellers got hold of the truth, i and they seemed to get hold of any- •’ thing, no matter how private, or even : sacred. He felt the first flicker of ; discomfort, almost shame, and it did I not tend Io make him kinder tn Vai. I J X.T.O bo couUnued.L