The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-02-27
CHAPTER III-Continued

Rhoda read the thing straight
through without making any pauses
for reflection and analysis, and 1t
wasn't until she got to the postscript
that the false note began to sound
loud enough to arouse her suspicion.
Down to the first signature she never
thought Of doubling that the woman
had worked for her father and had
given him paper to take care Of for
her. She wondered how the woman
had found her and noted the fact that
this wasn't explained, but she put it
among the details that had been too
numerous and complicated to write In
a letter and assumed that 1t would
be explained as soon as they met at
lunch.
But with the beginning of the post
script she began to feel herself bris-
Ting with suspicion. Nevertheless she
went on and read 1t through to the
suddenly affectionate "Yours, Claire"
before she let herself begin picking
It to pieces.
This treacherous trick that some
man had played upon her father, In
order to make himself rich-had such
thing ever happened? In itself, it
sounded fshy. Her father had never
told her anything specific about his
affairs, but she knew he must have
been trying to discover or to invent
something. The man might have
stolen her fathers discovery-if her
father had ever succeeded in making
It. But he hadn't succeeded. He'd
gone on hoping to make 1t right up
to the day he died.
When she reread the Injunction not
to answer any communication Of any
sort, the heavily underscored words
flashed like real danger signal. The
accumulation Of any sort" was the
advertisement fora Rhoda Mcfarland.
She knew who the woman was now;
the woman Martin had tried to tell
her about last night who'd been afraid
she would answer the advertisement
in the paper before they had time to
take whatever steps they meant to
take. She wished she remembered
better what Martin had told her.
Who was the man Claire wanted to
force to make things right-"as far
as money could make anything right?
(The Shiny hypocrisy OF that after
thought turned Rhoda bit sick.)
{ Wasn't he most likely the Mr.. Forster
whose advertisement she was not on
any account to answer Wasn't he
the &c. j. whom Martin had heard
them talking about?
Well. one thing was settled, anyhow.
Shed see Martin and get the details
all straight before she went to lunch
at the Tip-Top inn. If he happened
to be waiting again at the foot Of
the elevated stairs that would make
everything easy.
Martin was waiting at the foot Of
the elevated stairs. but beyond that
point. everything In Rhoda's program
went as badly as possible. To begin
with, she and Babe didn't come down
the stairs but descended at the curb
from lordly limousine, instead. 1t
was Babe who'd accepted the offered
1AAtp UuI AsuVuu nnu Ou ILLS OcCdSlO0
followed her companion gladly enough,
since they'd been hurrying and had
seen their elevated train pull out Of
the station just about minute before
they got within running distance.
Stopping his car for them must have
been an act Of pure benevolence on
the part of the owner, a respectable
old gentleman with beard. AS he
sat, he took up most of the back seat.
and instead of moving over he had
had them turn down the two folding
chairs to ride in. A pair or rubber
shod canes In the corner gave Rhoda
the idea he couldn't move about very
easily. He asked them where they
wanted to go, instructed his chauffeur
i to drive them there. and then appar-
emily forgot all about them. submerg-
Ing himself in his morning paper. He
acknowledged their thanks at the end
OF the ride with gruff, half-embar-
raised nod. and that was all there
was to 1t.
But when Rhoda turned from smll-