The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-30
CHAPTER TwENTY-THREE

"CAY it again and say it slower,
- will you? You've got me rat
tied, with your Careys and your
Rites and all the rest of them. A
girl just out of a hospital hasn't got
her wits about her"
YOU'D have to have twice the
wits God gave you to kid me- he
assured her. But the ring of con-
f1dence in his voice was not quite
as round and full as a moment ago.
I'm not trying to kid anybody"
Cynthia replied. Il don't know
what you're talking about. Here I
am just out of a sick bed on my
way back to Marietta, o., packing
my trunk, and you bust in here and
begin talking as though you be-
longed in the same hospital, but in
the goofy ward"
You mean to tell me you're just
out of hospital?" demanded Ben
ME. Whats been the matter?"
Operation" she calmly lied.
Cynthia felt herself the mistress
of the situation. If the chorus man
listened to argument, then he was
not nearly so sure of his ground as
he had professed to be.
But Bonnie resumed his con-
f1dent air: Say, lay off the bunk.
Can this hospital stuff. I tell you,
was talking to you at the Ritz
half an hour ago, and you were
telling me that you weren't Cynthia
Brown of the Zogbaum show. Now
you're trying to tell me that you
amt Mrs. Carey"
Mrs. Carey?" Cynthia laughed.
ST want to tell you that the doc
tors did plenty to me. but they
didn't sew Mrs. on my name
Take a long drink of water, open
the window and let the wind blow
on your forehead, and tell Aunt
Cynthia what it's all about"
Bonnie Thompson stared at her.
Against his will belief came to
him. This girl, in her cheap fan
mel dress, in her shabby apartment,
with her slangy speech. might look
exactly, like the ariStocratic Mrs.
Dean Carey. but that's all it
amounted to: a resemblance. He
kissed his hand and airily blew
upon his fingers.
What's that for?" asked Cynthia.
I'm kissing a million good-by,"
he told her.
His suspicious apparently were
dead. but they had a feline quality
of resurrection. From what he had
admitted to her he must have been
convinced that he had made a mis-
take when he accoSted Mrs. Carey
in the hotel, but later thought had
caused him to find out the address
of Cynthia Brown and call here.
If dead suspicion could be reborn
once, how could she be certain that
it would not have further sudden
reincarnations?
She must be very careful not to
assume too much. must call into
play whatever histrionic gifts she
possessed. She was typically the
chorus girl as she looked whim-
Sically at him.
You and Andy Mellon" she
jeered. THE way you toss of
million is nobodyS business. You
smoke double-action stuff. don't
you2 1t makes you think you have
a million and then makes you grin
at losing it."
I'm a good loser" said Bonnie.
How do you make that cut?"
she scoffed. Honestly. you talk as
though this million was real"
1T didn't look like stage money
five minutes ago." he returned.
She stared at him. you've al
most convinced me you're in earn
est. What's it all about?"
CHE perched herself on the edge
- of chair. Bennie's eyes which,
despite the bravado of his speech.
had taken on a sick expression.
lighted with approval Funny he'd
never given Brown a tumble dur
ing rehearsalS.
OF course, he'd looked her over
and known that she was consider
able Jane. But she had been one
of those girls that played a lone
hand, sort Of herded by herself, so
that . guy didn't make any ad-
vances.
But now, looking at her with APP
q