Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-10-04
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cHAprER XIX

lights she saw that something was
wrong.
For Beau's bed had not been
touched. The spread was as smooth
and white as q drift Of virgin snow.
His pajamas were folded over the
foot-rail, and on the little beside
table lay q package Of ciga!ets and
an adventure" magazine.
But his d~resser-top had been
cleared of everything except one
thing. The brushes were gone. Tie
whisk-broom, the jar Of hair pom
ade, and the tin of talcum powder
were all gone. Nothing was left but
a large picture of Mabel Wilmot in
q Dutch silver frame.
Mabel had given il to Beau the
Christmas before, and Sally knew
that Beau priced it beyond all other
earthly possessions, just as his pas
sion for Mabel was far and away
the biggest thing in his life.
As she looked at the photograph
Sally knew that wherever Beau had
gone, Mabel was with him. He never
would have left that picture behind
him unless his l~ady-love, herself
were with him in the fleshl That
much was certain.
But everything else was mystery.
:. Why had Beau gone away when
ne had the money to make good his
~dlsgraceful debt to Ted Sloan?
Where had he gone? ... And when
he'd he packed his bags and made
his plans to go?
he must have slipped out Of the
house while ] was bathing and
changing my clothes" Sally said to
herself, slowly putting the thing to-
gether like a paper pattern.
Then another thought struck her.
Beau had been telephoning Mabel
when she same in 20 minutes agoi
They had been making their plans
TO get away thenl 1t was Just like
Beau to run away from the scrape
he had got himself into, instead Of
standing pat and facing the thing.
Beau was weak and foolish, and
there was no getting away from it.
But he didn't have 10 20 after I
gave him the money for Ted"
thought Sally, opening the empty
dresser drawers one after another
and closing them again. "He had the
money to square himself with"
But had he given the money to
Ted? (. -. The sudden thought that
perhaps he had not, but had kept II
instead. took Sally's breath away for
an instant. . The hundred dollars
she had borrowed from Mr.. Peevey
was a small fortune to Sally. Wasn't
il going to take her a whole year to
pay il back at SO a week? And what
II Beau had taken il along with him
instead Of paying Ted Sloan?
ooh. he couldn't have done such
a thing! He wouldn't have dared to
do such a thingl" Sally told herself.
But she wasn't really sure that he
Rad not taken Il. and with a rush Of
her small-slippered feet she was out
down IN the dimly-lightcd first-floor
landing, knocking at the Sioan's
front door.
After four or five minutes there
was a faint sound within the flat,
the door opened and Ted stood there
in his bothrobe, staring at her and
much too surprised to speak.
HAS Beau seen you? Has he
given you the money?-that is, has
he given you a hundred dollars?"
Sally's words tumbled out OF her
mouth in queer. jerky little SEN
fences.
"Oh, sure, that a game of his
handing me out a hundred dollars in
the middle Of the night" Ted an
swered. his lips twisting in a sar-
castle smile. Sure, he gave me the
money! don't think"
Sally groaned.
"Oh, but / gave it to him Tedi"
she half whispered. leaning against
the side Of the door. II gave it to
him and he said he'd take il to you
... and now he's gonel Most of his
clothes are gone! And Mabel must
be with him"
She stopped suddenly. Oh,
but she mustn't do thisl She mustn't
give Beau away like thisi Ted knew
far too much about him and his dis
honesty a. it was.
HE probably tried 70 wake you
up and couldn't" she said recover
ing herself. II had to pound on the
door for fully five minutes before
YOU heard me just now. He
may have left the money upstairs
somewhere. I'll run up and look"
But she knew that Beau had not
left il there. She knew exactly
what Beau had done with the n
He had put it in his pocket and gone
to meet his Mabel.
Ted Sloan knew it. too. His sus-
picious eyes told her that as she
looked back at him on her way up
the stairs.
Il won't come down again to-
night" she told him in a whisper.
IF your mother finds me out here
she'll never get over it. -. See you
in the morning"
Ted's mother was just as afraid
that he would marry Sally as Mrs.
Jerome vas afraid that Sally would
marry Ted and leave her to shift for
herself.
There was a light in the kitchen
when Sally reached the living room
OF the flat. And through the door
way she could see Mile, standing
beside the table. holding a bit OF
paper in her hand.
"Sallyi" she cried, raising her
head at the sound OF Sally's soft
footballs on the dining room rug.
Come here and look at this. Beau.
He's eloped with Mabell Did you
v hear Of such a thingl"
Sally read the note, looking over
her shoulder. It was addressed TO
her.
Dear SAL" Beau had written
Sorry to have 10 borrow the hum
bred, but it's q Godsend TO me right
now. Mabel and l are going 70 get
married some time between now and
tomorrow morning. We were going