The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-04
Murder Al BRIDGE
ON b>l ANNE AlSEIN ouLzo4> THE BLACK peron. *
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cotton dress. Pathetic, too, with her
thin, iron-gray hair. and that apron
concealed the left half of her face.
1t was odd, Dundee thought, that
it was not the swollen jaw she chose
to cover.
Mrs. Dunlap sprang to her feet
and hurried across the room to
where Lydia Carr stood.
Don't mind, Lydia, please. You
must not be so sensitive" she said
gently, and even more gently pulled
down the concealing apron. -.
Good Cod" Dundee breathed,
and Strawn nodded his understand
ing Of the younger mans horror.
For the left half of Lydia Cars
face was drawn and puckered and
ridged almost out of human SEM
blance. Even the eye was ruined
milky ball which the puckered,
hairless eyelid never could cover
again.
Poor Lydia is ashamed of her
SCARED face" Lois Dunlap ex-
planned, her arm still about the
maids shoulder. "She isn't quite
used to it yet, but none of us
mind"
You were burned recently,
Lydia?" Dundee asked pitingly.
That's my businessl" the woman
astounded him by retorting harshly.
How did it happen, Lydia?" Dun
dee persisted, puzzled.
Il had an accident. 1t was my
own fault"
q Il
7 OBS DUNLAP'S kind gray eyes
II caught and held Dundee's
firmly. Il think, if Mia could speak
10 you now, Mr.. Dundee, that she
would beg you not to try to force
Lydia's confidence on this subject.
Mia was devoted to Lydia-we
can all testify to that!-and one of
the sweetest things about her was
her constant effort to protect Lydia
from questions and curious glances.
I, for one, know that Mia often
begged Lydia to submit to a skim
grating operation, regardless of ex-
pense-"
When that kind voice choked on
tears, Dundee abruptly abandoned
his intention to press the matter
further.
Lydia, your mistress had been
married, or was married, wasn't
she?"
The woman's single, slate-gray
eye stared into his expressionlessly.
"She had Mrs in front of her
name, to use when she felt like it.
That's all know. I never saw her
husband-if she had one. 1 only
worked for her about five years."
You say she used her married
name when she felt like it. What
do you mean by that, Lydia?"
Il mean she was an actress, and
used her stage name-Juanita
Leigh-pronounced like it was
spelled plain Lee but she was
mostly called Mia Leigh"
can actress, you say?" Dundee
repeated thoughtfully. Il had heard
of her only as director of the For
syte school plays. What shows
was she in?"
She was what they called a spe-
cialty dancer in musical comedy
Lydia answered. Sometimes she
had a real part and sometimes she
only danced.
''She was good hoofer and a
good trouper," she added, the Broad
way terms falling strangely from
those austere lips. And when she
wasn't in a show she Sometirne5 got
a job in the pictures.
She never had a real chance in
the movies, though, because they
mostly wanted her to double for the
star in long shots, where dancing
came into the picture, or in close
ups where they just show the legs,
you know"
II see," Dundee agreed gravely.
Where were you during the fifteen
minutes or SO before your mistress
was shot, Lydia?"
L WdS OOWn III my IOOIII III CIlG
basement" the woman answered.
"Nita-I mean Miss Nita-was 60
ing to get Judge Marshall to build
me a room on the top floor. She
hated me to have to sleep in the
basement, but didn't mind"
You were not required to be on
duty for the party?"
mo" she answered in her harsh,
fiat voice. I'D fixed the sandwiches
and put out the liquors for the cock
tails-set them all out on the din
ing room table and sideboard, and
Miss Mia had told me to 60 and
lie down as soon as 1 was through.
So I did.
Il had an abscessed tooth pulled
this morning, and 1 was feeling
sick"
Did you hear the kitchen bell
at all?" Dundee went on.
Il
T DROPPED off to sleep-that
4 fool dentist had shot me full
of dope-but I did hear the bell and
/ came up to answer il. Mrs. DIM