The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-01-30

the vacant seat behind her. But he'd
hardly begun thinking about Rhoda
when his attention was sharply divert.
ed. He felt a jar as somebody heavy
sat down beside the woman on the
other sofa, and heard him say to her,
"Well, you were right. She's the girl. .
"Where is she now?"
"Out on the floor. She can't see us
here. Well, I guess I've beaten the
old man to it this time"
"You?' the woman questioned IRON
ically.
"Oh, that was 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 more conciliatory manner.
"Tell me how you made sure. ]
suppose you got her to tell you the
whole story of her life"
II made pretty fair start with
her." he said complacently. "She's a
cagey little brat, though, and | didn't
want to press too hard. I'll get more
next time. But found out her first
name, and it fits"
"Kept her own first name, did she?"
the woman said. "She's the one. then.
I was practically sure when saw
her."
ST guess it's all right" the man said.
SIT won't do any harm, though, If l
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 / can get her address, we'll have
G. 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. don't want to
take a chance on her seeing us to-
gether. So longr'
She came around Martins side of
the sofa, and without stirring he
watched her all the way to the stairs,
with mind quite blank however, as
far as she was concerned. He had
something else to think about.
He had spotted his association with
the name 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. It 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 oddly 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, 1t had
said, would learn something to her adj
vantage by communicating with
"X-203": Rhoda Mcfarland, though;
not Rhoda White.
What had made the memory Of that
series of advertisements pop into his
head so suddenly? Max was to find
out where the girl lived tonight, be-
cause they hadn't any time for fooling
around. She might see that ad in
the paper tomorrow and answer it.
Martin sat suddenly erect and then
slumped back again into the corner Of
his sofa. Had it been his Rhoda they
were talking about?
He hadn't yet seen the man who
was still sitting on the sofa behind
him, but the woman had called him
Max. The obvious thing to do was