The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-18

"VXTHAT mother? What is it?'
w Ashtoreth's voice caught
raspingly in her throat.
There's plane missing" re-
ported Maize. 1T left New York
at 6 o'clock. A commercial plane,
piloted by a man named Burns He
had two passengers aboard. They're
worried because of the fog, and the
plane hasn't any landing lights for
night flying.
"The man on the desk said he'd
call back. He knew your father.
They used to work together, he said.
And he'll telephone us, as soon as
they hear anything
Maizie put her arms around her
daughter. There, honey, you
mustn't take on. You got just as
white as a ghost. Lands, I didn't
know anything'd give you a turn
like that"
"And you told me she wasn't in
love!" bantered Sadie, looking at
Maize. Say, when a jane like Ash
comes so darn near puIlin' faint,
l guess she must be in a tough
way"
ut isn't Montyp protested Ash
tireth.
mop" Well, it must be something
you et," Knocked Sadie. only I'd
call it love-I would"
The telephone rang sharply.
There, bet that's Monty now"
declared Maizie.
She took the receiver down.
"Yes-yes, Mr.. Burton. What!
What's that you said? Oh, my God.
no! There's some mistake. There's
some mistake, r said. Yes, yes-she
was. Yes, this evening. Mono, I
tell you.
Ashtoreth gripped her mothers
shoulders. And Maize, as she
turned from the transmitter,
thought that she had never seen
eyes so big and frightened. Nor a
living face before that was whittier
than death.
She put her hand over the mouth
OF the instrument. NO. dear
it's not that. Not Monty"
Then, into the phone, "Just a
minute, Mr.. Burton. Hold the line
a moment My daughter is here
now. Will you hold the line, please,
until I speak to her?"
MAIzIES pink cheeks were pale,
4YA and there were lines, that had
come like lightning, to crease her
face in ugly folds.
Il tell you, DEAR" she insisted,
"it's nothing about the plane. They
haven't heard anything. For
goodness sake, take that expression
off your face! You give me the
horrors.
Sadie, take her in the other room,
like a good girl. :. It's little pri-
vate business I have with Mr.. Bur
ton"
She turned to the telephone again.
eyes, Mr. Burton. Now will you
repeat that, please? =. Yes, yes,
I told you she was Yes, this eve
ming. No, she hasn't. Not a thing
no. I tell you it's a mistake.
"You-you wouldn't print any
thing like that, Mr.. Burton? It's
lie, that's what it is. A lie, I said
you heard me. What! Who did?
What papers? But it's lie! ]
don't care if every paper in New
York printed it-that doesn't make
it the truth, does it? Listen, Mr..
Burton" Maizies voice was wheed-
ling now.
"You said you was friend of
Joe's, Didn't you? Well, no friend
of Joe's is going to print stories
about his daughter. =. Yes, yes.
know. Well, New York isn't Bos-
ton, and we can't help that now.
=. The other papers all have it?
Oh, my God. Mr.. Burton! Can't you
stop them?"
Ashtoreth threw aside Sadie's en-
circling arm.
Mother, what is it? Tell me this
minute! It's something about me- p
She drew Maize from the tele-
phone. !. Let me speak to him. 2
But Maize pushed her aside.
Listen, Mr.. Burton, you call me
back in ten minutes. Yes, I'll speak
to my daughter. I'll give you a
statement in ten minutes. :. You
can talk to her yourself if you want
to . In ten minutes, said"
CHE hung up the receiver, and
~ walked, like a person in her
sleep, into the living-roon. Sadie
rose dumbly from the divan, to face
her.
Ashtoreth put trembling hands
on her shoulder. And they stood,
white and cold, like tableau.
Waiting for Maize to speak.
"It's about you," she said, look
ing at Ashtoreth, and her voice was
strained and jerky. Not at all like
Maizie's voice.
"Mr. Burton says there's a story
in New York about you and Hollis
Hart. Some New York papers used
it in the afternoon, in the last edi-
-tions.
"They didn't get it in time for
Boston. It's going to be in all the
morning papers, he says. About
you and him being together,
Ashtoreth."
Maizie's voice broke. :. ut amt
true, what he says?" she cried. Say
it amt true, Ashtoreth."
81 what does he say, mother?''
Ashtoreth's voice was cool ano
smooth, and IS pale as her waxen
face.
"He read me the wire. 1t said
Maize gulped. ut said something
about Hollis Hart, well-known man
about town, returns on S. S. Juanita
with stenographer' And he made
some crack about a tropical island
romance :"