Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-04

self hung I'D. thanks to that chest trick
of yours she knows how we framed her
and Max this afternoon. But she hasn't
got Rhoda, or she wouldn't have called
up here to ask for her. That makes the
Worcester our best bet. I'm going there
tight, you understandable that tele-
phone so that you can answer the sec
ond she calls, If she does call again.
I'll call up myself as soon as get to
the Worcester to find out If you've
heard from her. So long, and don't 60
to sleep at the switch"
With that he snatched his hat and
fed.
Fifteen minutes later, from a tele-
phone booth in the lobby of the Wor-
cester Hotel. he called the studio and
asked Babe if she's heard anything from
Rhoda. She hadn't and she was on
the point of mutiny. She wanted to
go out and try to do something herself
When he'd dissuaded her from this, she
demanded to be told what he was going
to do.
81 can't tell you over the phone" he
said irritably. I'll find her all right
But he was feeling rather small and
disingenuous as he hung up. for the fact
was that he'd as yet formed nothing
that deserved to be called plan.
Rhoda needed help and she'd called
to him for it-or tried to. Whatever
her plight. he believed Forster was re-
sponSible for it. So he meant to get at
Forster and put the screws on him
though Just what his resources were, in
the way of screws application to the
crippled old millionaire, he hadn't tried
TO reckon in detail.
1t struck him now, as he was on the
point of leaving the booth, that it might
be better strategy to try to make his
appointment for an interview over an
outside line than by going to the hotel
desk and asking for him. So he looked
up Forsters number in the book. went
back into the booth, and telephoned
from there.
When a mans voice answered with a
Hello? Who is this?" he said that he
was a reporter from the News and he
wanted a personal interview with Mr..
J, c. Forster. The rather surprising
answer came back, This Is Mr.. Forster
speaking. What was it you wanted to
speak to me about?"
Apart from the fact that you wouldn't
have expected Forster to answer his
own phone, there were two queer things
about this. The rhythm of his talk
wasn't right. The man wasn't speaking
for himself. He was being prompted.
Forster, but was iInperSonating him un-
der orders from some one else. The
other strange thing was that his voice
was one that Martin half-recogniZed;
felt, at least, that he ought to be able
to recognize.
81 don't much want to talk about it
over the telephone" Martin said, and
then added casually, g. and don't
believe you do either"
Evidently they-whoever they were at
the other end-had to go into confer
ence over this remark. for it produced
quite a silence. Finally the man who
said he was Forster asked who are
you? What is your name?" On Mar
tins telling him he asked Where are
you talking from? How long would 1t
take you to get here?"
Over that question Martin paused a
moment But even so he answered
without having quite thought out the
consequences of his reply. II think I
utes," he said. There might be some
strategic advantage In not letting them
know that he was already in the hotel.
IF you've really got anything to say,
you can have your interview. But you'll
have to tell me what it's about"
Its about" said Martin, 1.-The disap-
pearance of Miss Rhoda Mcfarland.
Do get my interview"
There was a long silence at that.
Evidently they were having an argu-
ment about it.
Nothing doing" the voice said at
last. IT don't know that she's disap-
peared. I don't know that there's any
such person"
you don't want to say then why
you've been advertising for her?"
The only answer he got to that ques-
ton was q click, which meant that the
other receiver had been slammed down
on the hook.
CONTINUED in Tomorrow's Starr