Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-15

Nineteenth Installment
Rhoda sat erect and held her
breath. Why, why hadn't she
caught that slip at the time? AL
IL meant, all IL could possibly
mean. was that II had been in the
san Francisco papers that Claire
had read about IL. She'd been III
San francisco. then. during the
trial. She hadn't said so. She
hadn't meant 70 give that away.
She's pretend that II was from
Walter Netherlands own lips that
she'd heard this story. long after
ward. here in Chicago. OF course :
Claire Cleveland was the girl on
the train
She recalled her first impression
OF Claire. her momentary belief
that she couldn't be the woman
because she looked rather nice,
and youne-not much over twenty.
Six years ago she could have
looked colvinclngly Ike an limo
cent young girl crying forlornly
owe the loss or her ticket and her
money and the prospect that they'd
put her OF the train. She had
something az that look left even
now. Martin had described her a.
looking younger than her voice
sounded. Why hadn't her voice
given her away TO Walter McFar-
land.
or course u was hard 10 tell
where the truth left or and where
the lies began. Claire's ~professed
hatred OF Forster was true, though
as yet specifically unaccounted for.
She had tried TO convince Rhoda,
though with a suspicious insist
ence upon her own lack or knowl-
edge. that Forster was the person
primarily responsible for the plot
against -er father.
That felt like the truth though
II obviously wasn't. Forster had
stopped being frightened and had
burst into q rage Of pure relief
when she had told him that Claire
had said that. That disposed OF
the possibility that he could be
the man who had compelled, or
persuaded. or coldlv hired. Claire.
And yet be couldn't be left out
OF the pattern altogether. He had
advertised for Rhoda Mcfarland
and no one but an idiot could
doubt after seeing him and hear
Ing him talk. that he had done 90
In the furtherance OF some mean
purpose of his own. Claire. who
had once been his private secre-
tary, and Max Lewis, who was his
nephew. knew, or thought they
knew. what that purpose was. and
had tried Is f~orestall him by find
ing her first. II was her fathers
papers Claire had tried to get a
chance to rummage through. and
at her own mention to Forster OF
the theft OF those papers he had
started
There must be something among
those papers that ne wanted pretty
badly: something that had nothing
70 DO with the work he had done
here In Chicago. Was there, or did
Forster believe there was. among
her fathers papers some precious
secret formulaf Was that what
with his dying breath he'd tried TO
tell her about? And va that what
Claire and Max had been trying
70 steal SO that they could sell Il
70 Forster on their own terms?
Was the conspiracy 10 ruin her IA
Their at the university an entirely
unrelated thing EXCEPT for the CO
incidence OF Claire's connection
with it,
What should she do when For.
ster came back 10 question her
further Stick 10 the truth. which
she wouldn't be able 10 make him
believe? lie he we're honestly con-
WINGED that she was an imposltor
and a confederate OF the Cleveland
woman, she was in for a pretty
bad time when ne came back. III
only she'd thought or telephonlnz
to Martin before coming up here
Her thoughtful gaze came sud
denly into focus upon the bust OF
Napoleon. IL she could find the way
90 open that little trap door he
might b. able 10 reach Martin.
Babe would be at home BY now,
and she might b. able TO get word
70 htm. That was the thing 70
try. anyhow.
IL must have been some sort 0t
electrical connection nat opened
the little trap door. she went over