Evening star., 1928-11-13
THE EVENING STORY

VI avn bllC AhSt uOAAh& OA AAAo SAVINGS ~
count. He'd keep on his makeup
when he went home tonight. Alicia
always considered that q special favor.
It wasn't easy to perform for another
half hour when every muscle ached,
but it was worth it to see the spar
king eyes and flushing face.
Cunningham Reed eyed his secretary
sternly. That young lady was nearly
in tears. II c-couldn't help 1t, sir.
Said his orders we're to put 1t in your
hand, and there was just no stopping
| himl"
Reed dismissed her with q nod and
turned over the missive that the de-
termined telepragh messenger had
showed at him. He wouldn't have been
human if he hadn't been little cu-
| riouS What peculiar urgency was there
| that mere boy should storm q VIC
torious way through three ofices? Why
| hadn't he held the boy? He looked at
the penciled address, ripped open the
envelope and scowled unbelievingly at
the owlish characters that staggered
uncertainty across the pale purple
page.
,"1497 Bonant Street.
Dear Mr.. Reed will you please come
| here at tonight. Not any later.
"A LADY IN DISTRESS"
what the devil!" muttered Reed
Hey, Welton!" A young man appeared
| from some inner recess. What do you
| make of thiS?"
Welton studied the note. Doesn't
| look good to me, sir"
Reeds eyes softened with a twinkle
he carefully concealed. "Why?"
We'll, they've made it look like a
child's writing and, obviously. no child
would be writing to you. I'd say that
| it looks a plot of some kind. Shall 1
| get hold of secret SERVICE"
Moo" decided Reed. with seri-
GUS face. "And you need say nothing
about it 20 any one, Welton"
No, .I1 sir; Of course not. The best way.
things"
Alicia was almost in tears Here it
was nearly 10 o'clock and there had
been no knock on her door. She had
directed Mrs. Glandon to show up at
once any gentleman who should call.
The landlady supposed that the child
was playing some game with her ia
ther so was hardly prepared, when she
answered knock at nearly 10 O'Clock,
| to confront gentleman whose clothes,
even to her unfamiliar eye, spoke that
magic word, success.
IT was told" said the gentleman,
ito call at 1497 Bonant street this
evening"
"Yes-oh, yes! Well" huttered
Mrs. Glandon, her landladyship aplomb
for once completely shaken. "I'll show
| you right up. This way sir" and then,
Alicia, here is the gentleman"
| "Oh!" said a voice that seemed to
take hold Of Reeds heart, he couldn't
for the life of him tell why. He en-
| tered the room to see an eager head
1 Paicnd from a Y1iIInm H0 1NOlroA around
expectantly. There was no one else In
sight, except Mrs. Glandon, who had
planted herself inside the door. Reed
| looked at her, just q glance that slid
on and slid of, and Mrs. Glandon
went out and closed the door and they
could hear her retreat down the hall
| 1T can't be-" said Reed, smiling at
Alicia, that you are the lady In
| distress"
sit down? We must hurry because,
you see, Daddy Comp will be home in
a few minutes and If he finds you here
don't know what he will think!"
| The words came stumbling forth al
| most in one breath, and when they
were out Alicia did not know what to
say next.
Reed was entertained. He had a
dramatist's taste for mystery and the
| face against the pillow was very ap-
| pealing. He leaned comfortably back
of upsetting Alicia's equilibrium COM
| pletely. She had looked for an uncom-
promising individual who would have
to be won.. But this man seemed so
| ordinary that for q few minutes she
| was literally tongue
| While they sat gazing mutely at one
f, another step sounded in the hall
and Alicia sat up In despair. "You
see!" she cried reproachfully. "Oh, why
didn't you come before!"
Reed answered involuntarily. "I
couldn't get away"
The words were not out of his
mouth before the door opened under
| the hand of most villainouS looking
person in Topping everalls and a vio-
lently checkered shirt. Reed had seen
this apparition before, but for the
minute there was no connection in
his mind and he came to his feet.
startled, Alicia clapped her hands in
voluntarily.
"Oh, Daddy Comp, you kept 1t all
| on!''
Compton Mel was grinning feebly
out of his impossible mouth, though
there wasn't a particle of grin in his
thoughts. What was Reed possibly do
| ing here?
Then recollection began to assail
Reed and he calculated slowly, well
I'll be-!"
The tone, for some reason, rendered
Mel furious. 1t implied something out
rageous and he retorted, so will I,
for that matter"
Alicia look from one to the other.
understanding nothing but their tones,
but sufficiently alarmed by those.
"It was a clever dodge, Mel" said
Reed deliberately. "I don't know where
you learned that I was especially sus-
ceptible to children. I don't deny the
weakness, but it is the first time
have ever had any one try to play on
it. YOU
But Alicia had suddenly compre-
hended the spirit if not the words of
Reeds charge and she few cut of
bed, stumbling over her nightgown as
she confronted the dumbfounded thea
ter owner.
ooh, aren't you horridl You knew
my Daddy Comp didn't-didn't--I told
you'll What makes you so mean?" and
she burst into tears and quietly tainted.
Mel had her back in bed on the in
stant He took the water Reed hand
ed him. then commanded savagely,
Get outl"
Reed sat down and when Mel again
turned on him spoke quietly.
when she Is feeling all right so she
can watch, too, we'll listen to that new
act of yours"
THE END