Evening star., 1926-03-07
AN APRIL NIGHT
Maude Had Wilmer Had Suspicious
Manners.

Sure, sure, sure" Wilmer to his
great annoyance heard himself say
ing. Where was his line?
Mrs. Benja min Block was equal to
the moment. She lifted a glass which
hunc in ner lace and surveyed
| Maudie Weathers.
Indeed she said. And what is
your connection with Josephus Cole,
may ask
Maudie Weathers said, I'm his
| daughter"
His daughter" bust from Wilmer
violently. "My cousin" was his sec
ond thought.
How" he demanded with exceed
| ing foolishness.
My mother" said Maudie with
! lowered eyes. lived in the South. My
father was down there to buy phos-
| phorus lands-just as this lady said.
Indeed" said Mrs. Benjamin
Block, and said no more
Through Winners mind there
! flashed devastating suspicion. The
lovely and youthful stranger had
heard what Mrs. Block had said and
was deliberately using 1t. Maudie
Wea Tiers WAS AN adventures, Will
mer had but the dimmest notion of
what should constitute an adventur-
ess, but he felt that he had spotted
one
What" he inquired, was your
mothers name?" And not in that
husincsslike tone could he possibly
have foreheard himself, when he
crossed the street, putting his first
question to this stranger in blue.
"Maudie Weathers," she answered.
Il took her name when | entered the
dramatic school in New York this
Winter"
A likely story. Winners suspi-
cions now kindled; it was amazing
with how different an eve he beheld
this charmer. Wasn't her glance Sc
cretive? Wasn't her little face rather
hard? Wasn't her blue frock almost
loud? What?
Il fancy" Mrs. Benjamin Block
was saying coolly, that YOU have
ample proof of your claim"
Maudie opened her handbag.
There is my mothers picture" b"
she said, inscribed to my father.
There is his picture which he wrote
on for her. There are some of his
letters To her"
But see here" said Wilmer, rough
ly, why hasn't he been bringing you
up?"
When | was A." she said my
mother and father Quarreled. She
took me away and they ala not write
to each other any more. My mother
died when | was 6. | was brought
up by an aunt in Georgia.
How did YOU know my uncle had
died." demanded Wilmer. fiercely.
He was seeing himself in the role of
successful discerner of adventuresses.
MY aunt saw it in the Georgia
papers" she explained.
What do YOU expect to cla i'm -
Mrs. Block inquired. practically.
As she spoke. something in her
speech which had stirred Wilmer
as vaguely familiar took on name.
Her speech was like his uncles-like
his uncles after he had lived in
Georgia.
Are you from the SOUTH" he in
quired. bluntly.
1T was in a Georgia hospital that
nursed your uncle" said Mrs. Block.
Abruptly Wilmer was shaken by
second devastating doubt. These two
were both adventuresses. They
were in colusion. They had some
how obtained their evidence and had
come to Katytown for the express
purpose of getting possession of his
of the devil. had fallen squarely into
their trap. He tried to discourage the
idea but it did not want to be dis
couraged-and he clung to it as one
doomed to live in katytown might
cling to any stray romance.
His mind did it's hest to work
rapidly-he saw himself with his mind
working rapidly, as If he were in the