The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-03-23
10 ON WITH THE STORY FROM HERR
CHAPTER Ii


NIurillo passed his hand before
his face, waiting the smoke.
"Whew! Quite a party. Smells like
roadhouse."
Don't be so optimistic, Benny.
Resemblance ends with the smell I'M
less you've a mind to treat US"
Sandy stared, hynotized at Muril-
los narrowed and gloating eyes.
They were fixed on the cigaret light
ed in her fingers. IF he starts
anything" she thought desperately,
I'll finish it! What brought him
back? What in the name of heaven
brought him back?"
''You seemed to have treated your
self quite WELL"
''Yes!' Alice cut in acidly. eve
brought our own"
"Indeed?" He smiled slowly, NOV
ing to Sandy's place as though the
lighted cigaret were magnet. Put
that down." he said quietly.
She smiled up at him, raised it to
her lips.
Put it down-Now?
The girls around the table pre-
tended not to see or hear. They
began talking loudly in haphaZard
tensity.
you heard me, Sandy, Put down
that cigaret and do it now"
Fire swept to her temples. I'm
smoking this cigaret.'
He reached down quickly, pinch
ing her fingers with sharp twist
SO that the cigaret fell to the table.
She turned white as death, the
smile freezing on her lips. She sat
down a moment with her eyes down.
pale. trembling, stifed. Then she
stood up with a shrug: Suppose
we go into the living room?"
She swept past Murillo as though
he didn't exist. Don't mind Ben"
she said with an attempted blithe
ness. ''FIe sees red when I smoke.
Just one of his old-fashioned preju-
dices. Give us a tune, May"
And she began to whistle, swaying
her shoulders. But she could see
him now, sitting at the dining room
table. Ida was bringing in coffee and
a plate piled high with chicken. He
hook up one of the cordial glasses,
held it to the light-sniffed it. Sandy
bit her lips.
Can we smoke in here?" said Ella
Rivers with a clumsy attempt to
make light of the incident.
"Of course-it's only Ben's pre-
cious wife who must smell Of laven-
der" She closed her eyes, seeing
him going into the kitchen-perhaps
to find out about the cordial-find
the bottle
Say, it's eleven. My sweetie will
be waiting. I've got to wander"
said Edna Stacy.
Sandy laughed with relief. Going
they were going because Muri1lo
had come home and made a scene
but they were going, she ran up to
her room, talking gaily, picking up
their wraps.
All this while Alice, with flashing
eyes and constrained mouth, kept
watching Sandy. you won't mind
drivin me home, May?" she now
asked and purposely delayed till the
others were gone.
She walked grimly TO the door.
Then she turned on Sandy: Where
is he?"
'In his rool.., Didn't you hear
the door bang?"
whats the matter with him!
You're fine spineless wonder, swaI-
lowing that kind OF stuff. Do you
suppose that bluff of yours got by?"
I'm not trying to put over any
bluff
You're not? He sees red when
you smoke, Do you think any of
us fell for that? DO you realize
that he never greeted a single one
of your guests? And he knows them
all. 'Whew! Smells like roadhousep
No thanks to him if it does! He
might just as we'll have ordered us
all out. He practically did. And you
take it,
what was she to do? I don't
see what else she could do but try
to pass it Off said May Arliss
.-sickened by the blarched, stark look
of Sandys face.
Sandy drew herself up-stiff-her
eyes filling. I'm not trying to pass
it off, May I've finished with COW
ering up Ben Murillo's meanness.
I've never had the crowd here be-
cause of him. 1 tried to pass that
thing off tonight because I didn't
want to make it more unpleasant
for everyone. He'd stoop to insult.
I wasn't going to help him insult
the people I care about. He's done
it. Now you all know. And if you
think I'm trying to cover up, I'm
not.
Hes my husband. He won't re-
lease me, but if you think I'll de-
fend him, I won't. And you can tell