The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-04-09
g Eow GO on WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

" Dundee. her topaz eyes widen
ing to enormous size. Then sud
denly she got control of herself;
terror changed to blank innocence
on her childish face.
"A-what?" she asked.
Don't pretend innocence, Gigl!
Dundee commanded sternly, but his
eyes were filled with pity for her.
Il have more than enough evidence
that your mother is addicted to
drinking perfume for the alcohol it
contains. Now, will you please tell
me how long she has had the
habit?"
She crumpled suddenly and sank
upon the beautiful old four-poSter
bed.
II don't know, exactly" she
shivered. "Oh. why can't you let
us all alone2 We haven't done any
thing to you"
Doris Matthews has been muir
dered, Gigi," Dundee reminded her.
''Bus Abbies drinking perfume
hasn't got anything to do with
that!" Gigi protested, with too pas
sionate vehemence.
"I'm-afraid-it has, Gigi," the
detective retorted slowly. Doris
knew, didn't she?"
Il don't know" Gigi sobbed. ooh,
yes, I suppose she did, but if you're
thinking Abbie would kill Doris, just
because she knew-Doris wasn't the
only one who knew"
Who else, Gigi?"
ooh, shut up!" Gigi cried wildly.
The whole family and the other
seIvants?" Dundee persisted.
II suppose So" she sobbed. 1--WE
we didn't talk about it"
Doris did" Dundee corrected her.
For your sake, Doris begged your
mother only last night not to drink
the stuff any more; refused, in fact
to open a new bottle for her. And
your mother slapped her for her
impertinence!"
"Was that why Abbie slapped
her?" Gigi stopped crying and stared
fearfully at the detective. How
do you know it was for my sake
that DoriS-?"
Because Doris said so in letter
she was writing last night to her
sister," he explained gently. "Has-
it been very bad, honey?"
A WFULi" Gigi began to sob
IA again. "Abbie and I had got
along together pretty we'll before
before she went abroad for that year
with Clorinda, but as soon as she
got back I could tell something was
wrong.
"She acted so peculiar! She was
either awfully sentimental about me.
or-or horribly cruel. Then-I
found out. found her that way
one morning when went in to kiss
her before she'd got up. and II
smelled perfume on her breath and
IL knew what was wrong with
her.
"I-well, I guess I wasn't very
tactful. I'm terribly frank, and 1
II told her she was making a fool
of herself. She-She'S had it in for
me ever since and I guess 1 can't
keep it out of my eyes when look
at her-what I think of her for
for"
II understand, Gigi. Have you
talked with any one about thiS?"
"Only Mrs. Lambert" Gigi con-
feSSed miSerably. Il can tell her
anything, because - because she
loves me and simply adore her.
She said Abbie must have got the
habit in Paris.
ut seems that a lot OF people do
it, and-and maybe Abbie thought
1t was the smart thing to do. You
see, Abbie's father drank-a regular
old town's-drunkard, and-and 1
guess Abbie and-and Dick both in
herited the craving from him.
when Abbie quit high school she
went to work in Dads Office, and
he felt sorry for her because she'd
had such hard life, and-well, he
married her"
Did your father suspect?"-
Dundee hesitated.
I guess he always was afraid of
her, and for Dick, too" Gigi adj
mitted tragically. Not until I was
a great big girl would Dad allow
any wines or liquors to be served
at dinner, unless it was a terribly
formal one. and then he'd try to
keep Abbie from having more than
Just a taste