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SERIAL STORY '
LADY BY REQUEST
BY HELEN R. WOODWARD
HI aKRVICB.
ran tout i ia
tapfcaB Curt, fuim wrltar an
ta aiantator, about to offrr fccr a
Joar Plana Tacker canat aaaar.
' ataai war b fallowed her waca
all lutt fha olllea at fcla lawrara
arfar trlllna her fnnarr rmplorrr,
Rlraara Thorpe, la Onrt'o area,
aaee, to so to tlia derlll war aa
aakad liar to dlaacr. CurCa latcr
aat kaa feeon. captured, br tka
veaatlfal tfciTt red-lieade alrL
fterorallr aba la latareated la alas
area aalda from her relnetaaea to
return to ber dowaatate farm
home ber hope that aba earn dad
another Job la the cHr. Dove Cart
know, abe wondera, that her die
anlaeal from Darbtn aed Thorpe
bad reaalted from ber reetetaare
' to fllrtatloaa Blebard Thorpe1 ad
vmaeeaf
a a a
STRANGE PROPOSAL
CHAPTER IV
TJIANA cat np traighter. Ste-I
phen Curt was going to offerj
her a Job as she bad hoped, but'
he was going about it oddly. Asi
her eyes searched his face he be-i
gan to speak very slowly as if;
choosing his words carefully so!
as; to not be misunderstood.
"My father died several years
go, leaving me a very respectable
though eccentric stepmother who
loves me and whom I love very
much. My own mother eoaldnt
have taken more tender care of
my . sister,. Adda, and me. But'
she's willful and domineering a
regular , termagant she grows
worse as she grows older and!
unhappily my father left his en-j
tire fortune for her to administer.
My father's will had several ex-'
traordinary clauses."
. "But what," Diana, was think-!
tog, "has all this to do with me?
I'm the one who's seeking a Job
I should be giving the refer
ences. How strange that Stephen
Curt should think I ought to know
this!"
Stephen Curt went on. "Know
ing my proclivity to bachelorhood
my. father made his will to read
that if I have not married by the
time I am 35, his entire fortune,,
except for a bequest to Adela,
will go to certain charities instead
of to me. My stepmother's one
purpose in life is to see that I
dent try to break that clause. She
has the devil's own stubbornness
and" he drew a deep breath
"my 35th birthday is approaching
rapidly. In fact by this time next
month, it will have come and
gone."
' Diana's gray eyes were wide.
open with astonishment. She wast
taring at Stephen Curt.
"I mean that there is at thei
moment no one whom I care to
make my wife literally. Neither t
do I relish the idea of losing ap
proximately two million dollars i
though . I shall certainly earn'
enough 'during my lifetime."
"He paused and Diana waited, :
unable to speak. .
"I was impressed by you as a
girl of spirit," be went on. "Whenl
I came down in the elevator, l
was hoping I might overtake!
you." ' ;
He reached In his pocket and!
drew out a small jeweler's box,:
Itoying with it for a moment
: Tve been carrying this about,
hoping I might find a solution:
to my problem," he continued.
"Since you need employment, I!
em. offering you a job as my wife'
(or a reasonable length of time i
until all conditions of the will'
have been complied with, and a;
divorce shall be arranged say six (
months at the most" He smiled!
briefly. "You see, my father failed
tto stipulate that there should not!
be a divorce. I assure you it is!
ia job which will place no require-!
ments on you In any way, except
your presence in my house with
me and my sister, Adela. And of
course you'll be free to come and
(go as you like." ,
a a a '
a quick twitch of his i
finger, he opened the lid of!
e box ana thrust it into Diana's
land. Her-amazed eyes beheld
two rings one a large, square'
ion oiamona, ana the other
Inone-incrusted wedding ring.
I "I hope you won't think rm
(Utterly out of my mind," he said1
hvith a rueful smile, "but if you
(will wear those rings for a short
Itune ana help me out of this diffi
culty I will pay you $10,000 at
Ithe conclusion of our contract!"
I .Ten thousand dollars! It was
Ithe most amazing thing she had
lever heard.
i, "But surely you're Joking!'
"I was never more serious ini
tmy life," he said. "Take a mo
toient get used to the idea.
There's really nothing alarming
(about it A purely business
josition. we're both civilized prod
ucts of the 20th century liked
each other on sight" He smiled.
"Or didn't you?"
-on, yes."
"If I had offered you a job as
my secretary, you'd have accepted'
eagerly, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, of course."
"This will be nothing more.
(really. If It will make you feel
Better, ru even let you type notes
for me."
"Please." said Diana, tremblinff.
"Stop talking!"
He sat quietly then. looMnc at
her, while the dinner cooled be-
ftween them.
Finally. Diana said slowly, "But!
surely your stepmother doesn't
want you to man? just anyone!"
He smiled. "Decidedly not
she'll have to pass judgment on
you, but I'm sure shell approve."
"You have no way of knowing
anything of the sort Besides,
(there must be someone you know
iwe 11 someone you care for
I Stephen spoke gravely, as if
snylng the words cost him a great
(effort "There is no one. You see,
Ithe woman I love is married to
another man.'1
e(-)Hl" So that was It! He had
not used the past tense,
either. He had said "the woman
II love." He was carrying a torch
.for someone someone who had
lloved another more than he.
"I can be safe with a man like
jthat," Diana was thinking, "until
'I get my bearings. Really estab
lish myself here. It's not selfish
ito think of my future he's mak
ing all the suggestions. Then
after a few months 10 thousand
dollars a little dress shop of my
own perhaps. Security I could
always live here be independent
ilt's honorable, too his loving
someone makes it all very safe
and sure."
"Well, what do you say?"
"I I dont know. When would
'it have to be?"
"Within the month, naturally.
Come, my dear, I'll see that you
have a very pleasant time."
"Yes, I can see that" She faced
him squarely. "When would you
want your stepmother to to pass
Judgment on me?"
"Why not now tonight?"
"Tonight!" Again she had that
breathless feeling of running to
keep up with him. Life was cer
tainly rushing her today. To lose
one job and one's temper, to meet
a fascinatingly briliant man and
lhave him propose marriage to be
ioffered a contract calling for pay
iment of $10,000 any one of these
i events would have made an excit
ing day. But to have them all
crowded into one! Having the
'eccentric old woman who con
trolled the Curt fortune pass judg
iment on her would perhaps pro
vide the climax of the series.
"Very well," she said steadily.
"Let's go."
He looked ruefully at her un
touched food. "You were so
anxious to dine at the Savola and
here I've made you lose your ap
petite. I was a chump not to wait
until you'd finished. Never mind,
we'll come again."
They waited in the foyer while
Stephen's car was brought around.
Then they were on their way to
Ellen Curt s apartment
(To Be Continued)
SLEEPER PLAY
CHICAGO, Wi A Maxwell ,
street employer and employe '
teamed in a perfect passing play
to frustrate a holdup and save ;
$000.
When Phillip Yudkoff, 22,
shoe store owner, felt a revolver
against his back he tossed a bag-j
containing $800 over his head to i
Irving Schwartz, 38, an employe. I
Schwartz SDrinted around a cor-
nor to safety; the robber fled.
OUT OUR WAY
By J. R. Williams
OUR BOARDING HOUSE, with Major Hoopl
Read the Classified page.
w drawn
THIS CURIOUS WORLD
8y William
Ferguson
OPAMOWAV ISLANDS LAV THEIR. K
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PLACES... OFTEN AESELV X J )
BALANCIN TWEAA IN THE V J
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rr takes
ABOUT
TO DEVELOP A
, AUTOMOBILE
OOrR, f941 VI MU SEMVICr. MC
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Tip SET UP ftj THE WOULD
you MUST SET DOWN TO
EARTH," SbyS
JOSEPH WEISS,
6SONX, NEW VOKK. CcTX
-NEXT: r Wis helium ras - d in he first World War?
SOVIET GENERAL
HORIZONTAL
1 Pictured
Soviet army
commander.
13 Intermediate. '
14 Scandinavian
coin.
16 Within.
18 Auto.
20 Suitor.
22 Proceed.
23 Afternoon
meals.
2$ Trinitroto
luene (abbrs)
.26 Exclamation.
27 Noun suffix.
,'29 Music note.
1 30 Deeply
. malignant
83 Ducks.
34 Fasten.
;38 Shield.
139 Exist.
;40 Calls back.
143 Form of "be."
45 Tree.
47 Populace.
48 Mountain
pass.
49 Genus of
Answer to Previous Pnzzle
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32 Nickname for
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55 Untwist
57 Spirit
59 Figuratively.
VERTICAL
2 Print meann-e 11 Tidy.
3 Myself. 12 Near
4 Branches in
tracks,
8 Upon.
6 Beverages.
7 He defended
21 He gives hii
commands
24 Gatherings of
people.
28 Knots.
31 Register
(abbr.).
32 Limit (comb,'
form).
34 Suppress,
35 Either.
36 Crimson.'
37 Title.
41 String
instrument
42 Long (comb,
form).
44 Raced.
46 Throw.
48 Scottish
Highlander.
JO Gallon 1
(abbr.).
51 Hail!
53 Girl's name, i
15 Poker stakes. 54 Nothing. !
17 State of being 56 For exampls !
noisy. (abbr.),
19 Philippine 58 Out of i
dwarf. (prefix), '
the
region.
6 Doctor
(abbr.).
9 Goddess of
dawn.
10 Compass
point
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ITTnl Ifw
tell'IIIIIIJIIil H0W SMOL'Lf 1 Y IP WE ALU tm WB'r OWLV BE MfESAD.WACKlMSTOM.OLD f THANKS, -
I ' I 8vL&k TVi!' I VmN.' ACCEPT THIS CRISP ( I'MMHAPPYMA J'Wi,
feriM rSStS J sVSa? aIpTv'Is-. ; ' BILL, EPW.NS VOU -MOB V3 OBO WITH A NEW jW.
.hSi3S'l 'irt r Ht.VicVj"CLcw:-fcL,c, j tham ioo percemt for . eETV pin.'h
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Bil life MvrtQ .7 ASFOftVOURVeOMAsJ Jz BROCCOLI (
few! i O 1 CT1H6VLP. I ! , 'I SERVICE 1M FINDING A HERE COME-i iS f.
IMI i! itiVoJ llPlMllIW'.tf WW CUPREC SHOES S A' ' Cf I l PUPrUCvcicn ucse Cnonm ruK-r a, !-,-. r-,rx U j 1
, r reward such shoulder- Krrr Jf,
J$)y RED RyPER By Fred Harma.
i I Dill T Tfr n 5eM XLi -"-i XlrAlUlV T rm . Wkv-m lx m
LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE
CfHE PLANE LAHDED SAT"ECf AT THE
EMERGEfCY FlELD-BUt OK THE TRIP
BV CAR. THROUGH THE FOGGY tflGHT.
SUDDENW THERE WERE CLARIHG LIGHTS
SCREAMING BRAKES AND A TERRIFIC.
RENDINC CRASH
By Harold Gra
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1' he skidoco ' 'A--Y V ' (. thing-we must Up J assictants- jnfS, )
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BOOTS AND HER BUDDIES By Marth
WASH TUBBS
By Cram
I KNOW, SWEET, BUT VOU WANTED TO
HBLP eA,Yi6 6-MBU tUBRV NtSHT, ANO
1 rnoMl-sEp N3T TO TELL ANYONE, Oft
I" INICKPaKt, YDU fcAID JU'.T TO
1ST PEOPLE TALIC...AWO THEV'RE
CERTAINLYMIW6IT
By Blossa
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VWU'RE WOUNDED i JTAhAi SABOTEUK'AjJ WAS CLABENCE. JEUHU' ( BODVi SA.YIM6 I 1
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FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS
1 J 1 vHE'9yu S0M' miluf BurVr1'' Vou r'"' ""'H f i qubss ip Im csonna 1 r Tuie has aows TOO FAR ' ) .
Ain't You A 1 you Domt sound as if vou dont well I've ee soSL STEp-Fatmer i r uadJ.t' 7r
SToiW' V MUCW MOI"WER IN9TWCT THROW JUST'BBM I MIGMT AS WELL SwJw WmOtSb oS '" Tl
HIM OUT? V ' Him our, WAITIN' FOR. YOU WHO'S v ANYowe I ' H "V.v- '
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ALLEY 00P- - , " " " "" By V. T. Hamfli
SO Cdesr HAS BEEN THE SUCCESS OP Trie L rJH AT PVQI I I r!J ..nuci at -r.-.' A " ' 'v j ' ' rniinii
THEIR FCACES.THAT-THSy FIMDTHEM-K.fM Wimiil aT k(n oVPT ,I?2' ' Y L JOVES IT UP BIDUT IAW'
SELVES FACIMG THE FLOWER OP KINS JLS'At V, N l ?u?t-?P L?AkrEJf c f V! ? ' f 00,J-' THA,T IT'LL WORk i TOO
JOHS POWERFU. MERCENARIES jj "e WB'ST VlL ALkvK C"
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