The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-04-03

advanced their acquaintance another
step. He said to her as they danced
II don't like that name: Babe Jen-
nings' nickname for YOU"
She smiled good-naturedly. "Redi
Why not? 1t fits"
THAT'S just what 1t doesn't" he in
sisted. 81 want a better name than
that to think of you by. / wish you'd
tell me your real one"
She looked rather searchingIy into
his face for a moment before she an
swered, but the decision she'd hest
tated over was in his favor. "You
may not like my real name either
she said. Its Rhoda. You don't like
it, do you? Or if you do" she went
on, overriding the protest he made,
"what made you look so funny when
l told you?"
He didn't try to deny that he might
have looked funny 1--WE got some
association with the name that / can't
spot. I'm sure l don't know anybody
named Rhoda. But the names been in
my mind within the last three days"
swell, don't try to find it now" she
admonished him. "You don't dance as
we'll when you think"
So for the next few minutes they
dispensed with thinking altogether.
They allowed themselves, indeed, to
become a little too oblivious to their
surroundings. In the next pause, as
they stood waiting for the orchestra
to go on, Martin saw a flicker Of a
frown cross the girls eyebrows and the
next instant a voice said at his elbow,
MAY I have the rest Of this dancer
"a rather scared voice; it wouldn't
be Lewis, anyhow-and he turned to
see a blushing eager youngster who'd
cut in on him.
Annoying as the intrusion was, Mar
tin couldn't help liking the girl better
for her kindness in putting the shy
boy at his ease. She introduced him
to Martin-Higgins, his name was
and danced away with him. 1t pleased
Martin, though, to observe that he
danced badly.
He left the floor and made for a
vacant sofa, a low, high-backed, over
stuffed thing, one of a pair that stood
back to back thwartwise in the side
corridor. Its fellow had, he noted, for
its solitary tenant girl whose ag-
gressive blondness made really TO-
cused glance necessary to satisfy him
that she wasn't Babe Jennings. Reas-
sured on that point he dropped into
the vacant seat behind her. But he'd
hardly begun thinking about Rhoda
when his attention was sharply divert
ed. He felt jar as somebody heavy
sat down beside the woman on the
other sofa, and heard him say to her,
swell, you were right. She's the girl"
"Where is she now?"
"Out on the floor. She can't see us
here. Well, l guess I've beaten the
old man to it this time"
"You?" the woman questioned IRON
ically.
"Oh, that was a good bunch you
had" he admitted.
The woman's comment was con-
temptuous laugh.
Martin, interested without knowing
why, found that by turning his head
sidewise so that his ear pressed against
the back of the sofa he could hear
better. The woman was speaking now
in a more conciliatory manner.
''Tell me how you made sure. l
suppose you got her to tell you the
whole story of her life"
II made a pretty fair start with
her." he said complacently. "She's a
cagey little brat, though, and l didn't
want to press too hard. I'll get more
next time. But 1 found out her first
name, and it fits"
"Kept her own first name, did she?"
the woman said. "She's the one, then.
was practically sure when saw
her."
81 guess it's all right" the man said.
"It won't do any harm, though, if
try to find out some more about her"
The woman uttered another short
unpleasant laugh. you listen here.
Max" she said. you've got just one
job tonight. Find out where she lives.
If l can get her address, We'll have
c. J. where we want him. Until we
know that, we're nowhere. We haven't
any time to waste fooling around.
She may see that ad tomorrow and
answer it. Find out where she lives.
AS soon as you know, come around
and tell me. I'll do the rest. I'll go
now. No, sit still. l don't want to
take a chance on her seeing us to-
gether. So long"
She came around Martins side of
the sofa, and without stirring he
watched her all the way to the stairs.
with a mind quite blank however, as
far as she was concerned. He had
something else to think about.
He had spotted his association with
the n4me Rhoda. For the past week
some one had been advertising every
day in the personal column of the
News for the address of Rhoda Nc
Farland. 1t was part of Martins
daily routine to read the personal col
umn pretty carefully. Every now and
then he found the beginning of story
in it. He had especially noted these
advertisements for Rhoda Mcfarland
because of a minor oddity about them.
Usually the advertisers for the adj
dresses of missing persons were firms
of attorneys who offered their own
names and addresses in full. But
these had all been blind ads The an
swerer was invited to communicate
his facts to "X-203" or something of
the sort, care of the Daily News.
Today the form of the ad had
changed. Rhoda Mcfarland, it had
said, would learn something to her adj
hu communicative