Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-06
The Sealed Trunk
BY Henry KiteheIl Webster
Copyright BY The BoSsa Merrill CO. VIM Services
VIM ssrvse.

warned her In the letter against an
swering his advertisement. and had
rubbed the warning I'm today at
lunch. Wen then. why not 20 to
him now. as quickly as a taxi could
take her 70 the Worcester hotel7
That was where Martin said he
lived. Take Claire's letter along as
c bit Of documentary evidence.
She got the letter out Of the
drawer Of the writing desk.
crammed Il into her ulster pocket
slammed the studio door behind her
and darted down the two long
fights OF stairs to the street.
Worcester hotel" she said 10
the taxi driver who pulled up to the
curb when she signaled him
III was quite a ride-the better
part OF a mile. mt Ieast-and though
she didn't want TO chill with wet
blankets. the fine arr resolution
that possessed her. she couldn't help
doing II.
Forster might not be a desirable
ally even II Claire hated him. He
might be as bad as she said he was.
He might have been her fathers
arch-enemy. There wouldn't be
much satisfaction in spelling
Claire's and Max's game II doing
that involved delivering herself
over. tied hand and foot. into the
power OF a man like that.
And could she spoil their game?
Could she convince Forster that
Claire and his nephew were con-
spring against him7 To what ex-
tent had Claire given herself away
In the letter.
She got Il out TO read Il, but
her gaze didn't 90 beyond the first
two lines: Caire's address written
across the top. Caire's fiat-or was
II Max's? Was Claire his mistress?
That was what the relation looked
like certainly. She was that sort
or woman. all right. with her story
or the wicked man who had ruined
her when she was "A mere girl. and
the confession she'd extcrted from
him. And now she was thinking
OF getting married and wanted II.
Rhoda froze again like a pointer
getting wind OF a prairie chicken.
Had that statement been a care
less bit Of TRUTH Did she want
to marry Max? And was she afraid
that Forster would disinherit her
II she did?
With another plunge. physical as
well as aguratively, Rhoda opened
the front window and spoke again
to the chauffeur.
i've changed my mind,- she said.
Here's the address I want you TO
e. TO-" And she read him CaIre's.
she hadn't a doubt she'd find the
pair OF them there. up TO the el-
bows in her fathers papers.
The building before which her
taxi pulled up was an cldish, three
story stone house. remodeIed. as it's
two front doors indicated. into fats.
Rhoda was trembling a little as she
got out. but she didn't feel afraid.
And she made II sound almost like
q Joke when she said the taxi
driver. wait. please. ! don't think
I'll be long. But II you do hear
anybody screaming for help Tn
there. rome IN and see who Il Is
There was q momentary delay
after she rang Caire's belI-hers
was one AZ the top fats-before the
buzxer released the catch on the
vestibule door. but Rhoda heard q
door open ut the top OF the house
the instant she started up the
stairs A little surprising. that
waA She hadn't expected them TO
be eager to receive visitors Just
now had wondered. indeed. wheth-
er they'd let her In nj all. Per-
haps they wouldn't when they saw
who she was
The woman alone was waiting for
her. Max wasn't In sight.
what do you wantY' Claire asked
sharply when she saw who II was.
But almost In the same breath she
tried TO change her tactics, adding
with an uneasy laugh. Heavens. I
didn't expect you to find my paper
as quick as thatl" Her color had
changed under her makeup. though,