The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-02

the powder box playing its tune,
and that bang or bump 1 told you
about"
And just where was that?" Dun
dee persisted.
Il don't knowl" she shrilled,
hysteria rising in her voice again.
81 told you it sounded fairly near
the closet, as if--as if somebody
bumped into something.
That's what it was likei That's
exactly what 1t was likel And
was so frightened of being found in
the closet that I tainted, and didn't
come to till Karen screamed"
She was babbling on, but Dundee
was thinking hard. A very conven-
lent faint-that! For the murderer,
at least! But-why not for Mrs.
Miles herself? Odd that she should
faintl
Why hadn't she trumped up some
excuse Immediately and left the
closet as Mia was entering the
room? Was it, possibly, because she
could think of nothing but the great
relief of finding it was Sprague, not
her husband, who had been writing
love letters to Mia Selim? A
Jealous woman
miles" he began abruptly, II
think you'd better tell me how your
wife became so jealous Of you and
Mia Selim that she could get her
self into such a false position"
Tracey Miles Redeemed, but one OF
his sunburned hands restrained his
wife's passionate defense Of him.
TITS the truth that Flora is jealous
natured. And I suppose"-he falt-
cred a moment, and his eyes did not
meet his wife's-"that liked seeing
her a little bit jealous of her old
man. Sort of makes a man feel
well. big, you know. And pretty i'm
portant to somebody"
$50 you were just having bit
of fun with your wife, SO far as
Mrs. Selim was concerned?" Dun
dee asked coldly.
The blood flowed through the
thinning blond hair. 'Warell, not
exactly" he admitted frankly. "You
see, I did take a shine to Nita, and
if I do say so myself, she liked me
a lot. D.. Oh, nothing serious!
Just a little Irritation, like most of
our crowd have with each other"
Mrs. Miles" Dundee interrupted
with sudden harshness, "are you
sure you did not know that that
letter was from Dexter Sprague be-
fore you looked for it?"
"Sir, if you are insinuating that
my wife carried on a Irritation or
-an-an affair with that Sprague
insect" Tracey began to buster.
DUT Dundee's eyes were on Flora
ID Miles. and he saw that her SAL
low skin had tigntened like grayish
silk over her thin cheek bones, and
that her eyes looked suddenly dead
and CLASSY.
"You tainted, you say, Mrs.
Miles," Dundee went on inexorably.
WAS it because, by any chance,
that this note"-and he tapped the
sheet which had caused so much
trouble revealed the fact that
Mia Selim and Dexter Sprague
were sweethearts or-lovers?"
It was a battle between those two
now. Both ignored Tracey's red
faced rage.
Flora licked her dry lips. No
no." she whispered. mo! 1t was
because I was Jealous of Tracey and
Mia"
Eyes, and I'd given her cause to
be jealous, tool" Tracey forced him
self into the conversation. "One
night, at the Country club, Flora
saw me and Mia stroll off the
porch and down onto the grounds,
and she had a right to be sore at
me when I got back, because I'd
cut dance with her-my own
wifel
And it was only this very morn
ing that 1 made a point of driving
out of my way, toby this house
to see Nita. Not that 1 meant any
harm, but l was being a little silly
about her-and she was about me,
too! Not that I'd leave my wife
and babies for any Broadway beau
ty under the sun--"
"Oh, Tracey! And you weren't
going to tell me-" Was there
real jealousy now, or just pretense
on FloraS part?
"You understand, don't you, Dun
deep" Tracey demanded, man to
man. II was just having a little
fun ON the side-nothing serious,
mind you! But, of course, I didn't
tell Flora every little thing. No
man does! Ther've been other girls
other Women"
Tracey isn't worse than the other
men!" Flora famed up. Hes such
darling that all the girls pet him
and spoil him"
Dundee could stand no more of
Miles complacent acceptance of his
own rakishness. And certainly a
girl like Nita Selim would have
been able to bear precious little of