The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-10-08
Lucille Gets a Closeup
A SHORT STORY By SEWELL FORD
By SEWELL FORD

HUH" thinks l. might be stray
dressmaker, or maybe a woman re-
porter collectin' society notes.
That last bunch seems to be worth
followin'. Anyway, it was time made
some sort Of break, so / edges in
casual until I'm almost at her elbow
and then remarks off-hand: "Could /
help you any with the names of some
of 'em' Miss?"
FL beg pardon?1 says she, after
a nervous little jump
"oh, used to be in the newspaper
game myself" says /. "Doin' society
stuff, amt you?'
"No-not exactly says she. "Pm
not reporter"
"oh!" says my error. But /
saw you taking notes, didn't II"
mo. mol" says she. starin' at me
panicky. eat least, not the kind you
mean. Really, wasn't"
So you see had her goin', almost
from the start. After that it was
simple. Merely case of stringin'
her along.
Lets see," says I. did I get your
name right when you came
Lucille Blodgett," says she.
"Blodgett?" says l, shakin' my head.
Sorry, Miss. but it amt on the, list"
That was bit raw, I'll admit, but
t seems to work. She glances around
nervous, to see if anybody's near, and
then she grabs by arm.
"Please!" says she. "I'll go right
away if--if it's necessary"
What makes you think it might
be?" / asks.
Why gays she, "you-you're de-
tective, aren't you?"
"Not SO bad as that" says I. "Only
private Sec"
"Oh!" says she, twistin' her fingers
in and out. "Then-then you know
I'm not really guest?"
Since you mentioned it, Miss Blod-
gett," says ], 81 expect do"
Well" says she, liftin' her chin
defiant, Ego ahead. What is it that
you usually do to them min such
cases?"
i.
Depends good deal on the case"
says /. Come now, what was the big
idea, your crashin' in on Dunmore
Hall function all on your own"
IL simply wanted to see how they
did such things" says Lucille.
That's little SLIM says /, shak-
in my head. Lots of folks are curl
GUS about the same thing, but few of
'em have the nerve to rush the inside
guard the way you have. Besides, that
don't explain the notes."
She lets out a sigh and shrugs her
shoulders. eff you will pin me down"
says she, Il came to gather material"
mot dress goods?" says /.
mo" says she. Fiction. I'm a
novelist At least, hope am. Any
way, have written some short stories
that have been published in one of the
magazines. Perhaps you've read some
of them about Corinne, the Cow
Girl?"
"Must have missed 'em," says l..
''But you wasn't looking for that wild
and woody stuff here, were your"
"Pm bringing Corinne East, you
see," says she. "That is, am writing
a novel about her in which she is to
marry very rich New Yorker and
live in a wonderful home like this
among the-the idle rich.
''Eh?" says /. 1.-THE idle rich?"
"The kind of people Robert Cham
bers writes about in his books, you
know" says Lucille. "The sort that
say and do such weird and eccentric
and-and naughty things. OF course,
i don't know any such persons, but
had heard of Mrs. Oakley Jones,
and found out where Dunmore Hall
was, and so I'll came ! had read
about such people being guarded by
detectives, but thought if just held
my head up and was bold enough
they wouldn't notice me. hadn't
thought about there being a private
secretary though
81 suppose you'll put me in now"
says /, "red hair and all?"
Miss Blodgett smiles uneasy. "You
haven't said what you were going to
do to me yet" says she. "Send me