The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-06
When 4 Girl M0rries
 
By ANN LESLIE.
CHAPTER 479

l CHAPTER 47s
 s"Yes," I replied, noticing she had made a statement instead of askirlg a | question, she nevertheless paused as l if for a reply.
 | "He hasn't seen Dick for several days. He appears to be worried about I that" she went on. still eyeing me 1 closely
 | Lonesome" I suggested. "But I | came in to tell you of an event which l may have some bearing on our friend West. Yesterday, with the help of a l good friend, I managed to have a | particular pal of Dick Vests taken by | the police. This man-Slim Darrow will be sent to the penitentiary for l a term of years for a bank robbery | he committed across the river some l time ago. So one foes out of the way, and Dick West has been warned that he can't--get away with mur- | der, to put it coarsely.'' Mabel Storrs's usually impulsive face went crimson.
 "Oh, why did you do that?" she cried. Why did you make such a radical move without consulting me :? I told you I knew West down South | where they called him bad hombre This isn't a way to treat man of his calibre. You don't warn a rattle
 
 you'll shoot if he moves '1m sorry if you think I've blum dered," I replied. "But I had my brother to consider. If Dick felt drunk with power, there was terrible chance that he'd attack Neal again. This arrest is a moral 1esson''- I couldn't bring myself to add: And as I'm afraid that Dad Lee is one of Dick Vests spies and I can't cf n T wise to warn Dick that we understand that he has ring of accomplices and don't intend letting them work un- checked"
 Your brother. Well-you'd sacrf- flee your husband and his interests to protect hfm!"
 Her voice held a note almost fanatic in it's loyalty to my husband "Of course I wouldn't sacrifice my brother" I replied to Mabel Storrs' l charge, holding on tight to my feel ings as I explained in a tone I de- termined shouldn't hold one trace of resentment. "But the situation hasn't arisen. I feel sure that in getting Barrow out of the way and intimidat- ing Dick West a bit I've served both my husband and my brother 'Tndeed!" Miss Storrs' voice was almost arrogant. You don't favor me with your confidence in such i'm portant matters as this il1-advised ar rest. You don't tell me of the return of your father, who happens to be a Friend of Dicks. How are we to work together. Mrs. Harrison, if there isn't frankness between us?" Are you frank with me?'' asked. It was a shot at random, sped merely to protect myself from what I feared was costly secrecy. It had unexpected results.
 "Is there any reason why my pri- vate affairs should be dragged into this?" asked Miss Storrs with heat, which cooled suddenly to an apol- oogetic, "But if telling you the whole story of my life could help MT. Harri- sons business, I'd do it.'
 'I think you would" I relied slow ly, liking her for the 1oya1ty-rd felt at white heat little while before, but resenttng, nevertheless, this attitude toward my husband on the part of a young aDd beautiful woman. 'Tn future, Miss Storrs, perhaps we'd bet ter both err on the side of safety by telling each other too much instead of too nttle- I'm sure we both want to see things through at this end-to a successful conclusion. So let's do better team work. As a sample: I've had a letter from my husband. I hope the office has also heard, since my letter was so personal, that it don't do the business any good to have its contents revealed
 I smiled when I said this, feeling sure that the honesty and friendli- ness of 1t must advance cordial feel ings between this cryptic young woman and myself. Nor was I wrong this time. Miss Storrs relax ed into som ething like a grin as She replied:
 The office had letter, too, Mrs. Harrison. But 1t was so impersonal and business-like that I don't think, even in the interest of teamwork, there's any reason for burdening you with it's details. Beside all of which, it is written in code. Sti11-here it it."
 She held it out, expecting, I'm a1- most certain, that I'd make a dra- matic gesture and refuse it. But how could I? Just to have Jin's writing in my hands was too much for me to resist. I read the mass of figures and sentences in a gibberish recognized must be code: Then I handed 1t back, saying frankly:
 "I wanted to look at it.-even though knew it would be Greek to me. You understand the senti- ment, don't your"
 1he smooth DlanKneSS or MISS Storrs' face puzzled me. She didn't seem to understand. Instead, she said suddenly. with the air of dis missaI:
 You haven't forgotten your fa- ther? We've probably nothing fur ther to discuss that he can't hear just as we'll as not. Shall I tell Oliver to send hias in again?''
 No, I'll go out and join him." replied, feeling a tiny bit miffed- Then, feeling ashamed of this, I add ed, 'I have things to talk over with him, Miss Storrs. If they turn out to have any bearing on my husbands affairs I'll come straight to you with them. Your loyalty and your good judgment are things of which can't say much-but appreciate them, and know you want me to feel free to avail myself of them
 of course,'' she said "Au 'voir Mrs. Harrison