Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-15

of her evening dress, and quickly
donned walking costume suited to
the climate. a light dress with a white
skirt and n top of gaudily lowered
stun, which she had purchased in
Washington az the very latest thing
for Southern wear.
With a jaunty light hat set well
down over her blond bobbed hair.
Mary started out again. leaving the
hotel in the night by another entrance,
so that she did not pass through the
| lobby. If she had. she would have
seen Mr. Jones seated Familiarity by
the side of Col. Ball. now and then
placing his hand on the latter's knee,
| as he waxed in praise of Florida.
Mary Rogue ducied out into Central
! avenue. started at last on her chase
Of the genuine Maisie Ball, the real
purpose for which she had come to
Florida. She was Il feminine blood
hound was Mary Rogue, who stuck to
| the scent until she found her quarry.
She did not imagine it would be
difficult to locate Maisie Ilennick, nee
Ball, for the old man had told her
the daughter was a dead ringer" for
herself, only "meatier," as Col. Ball
phrased it. not being able to get away
from the talk of the hog business.
A meatter Mary Rogue" grinned
Mary TO herself, walking rapidly down
the well lighted main street of OIoi-
keye. Everything was bustling. A
big band was playing down the street
in the Central Park. while along the
avenue men and women We're seated
solemnly on gaylv painted benches.
The air was balmy. with just cool
something in it that made a light 1vra D
| acceptable. Mary. having none. did
not regret its absence. She kept her
cleaning eyes wider open than usual
hoping TO run across a iight-haired girl
she expected to instantly recognize,
although she had never seen her.
| Mary Rogue had that sort OF luck. 1t
Is The sort of chance sometimes called
ones star"
Mary never went down r street
back in Washington, with out run
ning across friend she wanted TO see.
IL she had arrived at that particular
spot 10 seconds earlier, or Is seconds
later, she would have missed them.
She was always there at the pre-
cisely necessary second. Tonight she
was hoping to walk right into Maisie
Ball, as impossible as such a happen
ing might seem. Stranger things had
happened, Mary kept telling herself.
| Then it happened
Just as she was crossing the street
| into the park. the blare of the band
growing louder at each step Mary
saw the fifty sixth blond girl she had
| passed since leaving the hotel.
Something seemed 10 Jingle inside
her, as If an electric button had been
| pushed. 1t was the flash that thrills
| the neWspa per man when he sudden
| ~ realizes that he has run into n
| real story. 1t was the electric mo-
| ment that comes TO a detective. when
he finally starts on the real trail. 1t
was the exact second when the blood
hound begins to bay, deep-throated. in
| the night.
| The girl there was Maisie Ball
| there could be no doubt of that sflIv
| laugh. that cheap imitation of good
! clothes, that terrible spit curl" over
her bold forehead, that made-up com
| pleXion. that too short skirt
| "A meatier me-thank heaven I am
not fat" said Mary to herself, push
ing into the crowd. 4 surge of sor-
| row swept over her. Maisie was
worse than she had pictured her
and the old man did not even suspect
| IT. He had "fapper" daughter of
the extreme type-and he remember
ed her as dainty. lovahle-
| 'Like-like me-" breathed Mary
Rogue. with a catch in her throat
utterly without pride in herself
| glilnpsing haZily a fleeing vision of
what women ought to be, but seldom
are, and for which she made no claim
| for herself