Nogales international., 1929-06-21
Ninth lnstal!ment
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
Che Sheridan Dramatic Club, of whicl
Tom Bilbeck, the narrator, Maryella, thu
girl he cares for. and Jim Cooper, hi
rival, are members, start performance 0
Pygmalion and Galatea at the Ole SOL
diers' Home, but are interrupted by fire
During the rehearsals Tom Bilbeck is &C
cused by the husband of one of the actors
Mr. Hemingway, of being in love with hi
wife.
Riding away from the scene of the i'll
fated play in their costumes and overcoats
the group of players is held UP by two
escaped convicts, one of whom is captured
by Bilbeck after a struggle.
The captured thief is tied to chair al
the Old Soldiers Home Unable to leave
the home as the car refuses to bulge, the
players must stay there, and Mr.. Heming
way, hearing this over the phone, says he Is
coming right to the home--as he is suspicious
of his wife and Bilbeck. Meanwhile the
Sheriff arrives.
Hemingway arrives lust when Bilbecl
is assisting Mrs. Hemmlngway' who ma. ma
tainted and Of course thinks the worst
Meanwhile a disturbance is heard in the
cellar. and all in the house rush dowr
to it.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY.
"We1l, I'm jiggeredl" exclaimed
the sheriff. There's lot of life in
that old horse yet. l didn't suppose
he could do that"
'Is he frightened" Mrs. Lille
love asked.
"No. He's just lonesome. He
amt used to being alone at night,
and I suppose he was going to look
for me-"
The inference was that either the
e1o +nh 10 a
horse or the horse slept in the
house with the sheriff. At any rate
I had an explanation of the ghostly
sounds which had wakened me
from my doze when I started on
my ill-fated expedition downstairs
which had eliminated in the sensa-
tiona1 nix-up with the Hemming-
ways.
While the sheriff and some of the
others recaptured the horse and
tied him to ring in the stone wall,
i went back to the main floor. 4
wanted to be alone and think.
AS came up from the basement
to the living-room, which was now
beginning to get light with the
first chill dawn of winter morning,
/ noticed Mr.. and Mrs. Hemming-
way in eager conversation. Appar-
entity they were approaching some
sort of negotiation for peace be-
cause they were standing quite
close together and once or twice he
made as if to take her in his arms.
Far be it from me to interrupt
Rny reconciliation between the
Hemmingways. There and there
only lay my hope of retaining my
job and incidentally the respect Of
the community.
I was carefully tiptoeing across
he 1iving-rcom to the door which
led to the stairway, perfectly willing
70 have my progress unnoted, when
/ was arrested, nay frozen in my
tracks, by the piercing voice of Pix
Henwether cautiously subdued to a
1ongshoreman's hail.
Hey, Mr.. Bilbeck!" he called. "I
want to warn YOU There's fel1er
here trying to steal your girl away
from you,-the pretty blond one that
was making eyes at you last night"
Mr.. and Mrs. Hemmingway, who
had reached the sobbing-on-shoul-
der stage of their reconciliation,
now separated suddenly as if a
shell had exploded between them.
sol" the husband shouted, his
anger at white heat once more. "My
suspicious were true after all You
made such a fool of yourself that
everybody noticed it. And to think
that you would trv to lure me back
by soft words! You vampirel"
He struck his forehead sharp
Blow with the palm of his hand.
"My Heaven To think I am
married to youl'
Mrs. Hemmingway's eyes, usu-
ally so placid, Rlazed in response
to his anger.
"You needn't be any longer than
it takes to get DIVORCE" she ex-
claimed, ha1f-hysterical with anger.
IF you're going to believe every
thing you hear we might as well
separate and get it over with"
Comrade Henwether and l were
observing the seen he with ap-
praising looks seeking to read in
their faces what he missed in their
speeches, and l with a chill horror
at the seriousness of the breach.
II think she likes you best after
al1," vouchsafed Pix. Hes mite
better looking than you be, but
you've got a way with you that
goes with the ladies, burned if you
amt"
Mrs. Hemmingway shrugged her
shoulders helplessly and started
from the room. Mr.. Hemingway
followed to the door, which she
slammed in his face.
/ quickly gave up my intentions
of going upstairs, which involved
passing through the 1iving-room,
and went back to the basement in
stead, convinced that safety lay in
sticking to the crowd.
We went back to bed later for a
morning nap. When they woke me
up next time-this was for break
fast-I refused to arise until was
provided with some clothes.
1t was ali very we'll to Prov
around in white tights at nigh
when I was hunting ghosts, but il
would look rather silly to appear il
them in broad daylight going abou
the ordinary business of life, such