Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-30
MARY Roberts Rinehart' !
Thrilling Mystery Of
The Curve Of the Catenary"

you can call 1t the curve of the cate
nary.
I dropped around to see Lottie that
evening in her dressingroom. She
said Anderson had sprained his ankle
during their turn. and had sent for a
masseur to have it treated. She said
the papers were wrong and she wasn't
married to him, and that he had lost
his pep the last few days and was
hurting the act. But the prospect of
the supper cheered her.
Well. as I've said. we. never had the
supper.
They'd put Lottle near the end of
the program, which was a rotten deal.
for she can dance like a breeze, and
then, just as she came on, the lights
went out again. The place was dark
as the pit.
Everybody went home. The ushers
had pocket flashlights, and there was
no trouble. went down into the
orchestra pit and talked to Lottie
across the foots. which were out, too.
of course. I told her 1t was a rotten
deal. and knew the manager and I'd
see him tomorrow and get her moved
up.
She's an impetuous little thing. Lot
tie is, and she reached across the foot
light gutter and kissed me. Well
+ The supper was off. of course. I
suggested going out of town to a place
I knew, but Martin vetoed it. He
most respectable. Bit of prig, I
used to think.
He came down beside me and ex-
planned to Lottie.
"We1l have it tomorrow night,
Miss Murray" he said.
His voice was worried. I hadn't
thought he'd cared very much about
the affair. but it looked as If was
wrong.
What time is it, Ollie?" he asked
me. 1 struck a match and told him
it was a quarter of IL. Something
had put him out, for he turned
around. with a muttered good night
to Lottie, and beat it for the entrance.
We found a taxicab by it's lamps
and got in. The driver was asleep.
"Shake him." Martin said savagely,
and striking match, looked at his
own watch.
There was something wrong with
Martin. I'm not observant, but 1 knew
that.
Internal shame" I said. 1.-TWO
nights in succession!"
Whats two nights in succession ?"
This" 1 waved my arm at the
blackness around. Its good night
for burglars"
And, a minute later:
She was awfully down to-day I'm
sorry the supper is off"
He did not answer me. He was
sitting forward on the edge of the
seat, peering out.
THE whole town is out" he grum-
bled. Look at the streets. Don't they
ever go home and go to bed %
hot bn CT G hAH-
do. They all make for the river bed.
Good heavens" he snapped at me,
do you ever let your mind have a
chance to Think"
"Oh, very WELL" I said. I was
nettled. 1t was a silly joke, but the
occasion didn't seem to demand any
thing serious.
There was crowd at a corner and
for some reason or other Martin stop
per the car and asked the trouble
Whats wrong?" he called sharply.
1t was so dark that the crowd was
only thick shadow, with a police
man in the center, holding an electric
flash.
Man hurt" somebody called.
Nothing much. Brick from a chin
ney fell on him."
We went on. We had not entirely
stopped. I'll swear to that and that
nobody came near the car.
guess L III look IN at BOlSSeauS S,
I said. THE assembly is the big an
nual ball and it is always held at Bois-
seau's. 1t ought to be amusing. The
place will be black dark
stop in and have a pipe first, Mar
tin offered. I'm not sleepy. You
can go to Boisseau's later, if you've
got to play"
He didn't promise to be good COM
pany, but having started to make a
night of it. l hated like thunder to
go home, and I surmised that the fun
at Boisseau's would be over by mid
night. The dowagers would make a
break for home and bed.
The driver cut a corner pretty close
just then and scraped the curb.
raped on the window for him to be
more careful, and gave him the new
address. He nodded, and I'll swear he
| was alone then. Martin was back
in his corner again, and only grunted
when l spoke.
Its a curious thing" 1 said as we
changed our direction, that two
nights in succession the electric light
plant of a city of this size can get
out OF order. and people stand for it
In London everybody would be writing
to the newspapers"