Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-11

49, AAH1A - "AA@ - - @
to run. There wasn't anywhere
70 run to, for one thing. But she
might have tried II anyhow II she'd
remembered two seconds sooner
who the man in blue serge was
He was the man who'd come TO
their studio last night pretending
TO be a name-taker for the city
directory.
His manner remained perfectly
civil as he led her out or the eieva-
tor and ushered her across a broad
han into q room. where he asked
her X she would mind waiting a
few minutes. Mr.. Forster, she said
would Z her directly. " the jaws
OF some trap were closing upon her
she wasn't meant to be aware OF
them yet.
He closed after him as he went
out the door they had come In BY
and she noted in her first panicky
glance about the room that it,
other doors we're closed also.
There vas complete silence.
She checked her impulse 10
flight with the reflection that Il
wouldn't do any good. How had It
happenedl How could they have
known she'd come here when she
had only turned into the hotel on
the spur Of the moment. IL pursuit
o. Claire. Shed never even heard
OF G. J. Forster until Martin had
told her about him last night Her
notion hat the hotel clerk and all
the rest OF them had mistaken her
for some n else would no longer
serve az an explanation The man
in the blue serge suit mus have
recognized her. though his stiff
face had not betrayed the fact Il
had been rs Mr. Forster's agent
that he had come to the studio
last night TO see whether she lived
there. Ii had been on the strength
Of his report that Mr.. Forster him
self in his Limousine had followed
her and Babe this morning. offered
them the lift Babe had 50 gladly
accepted. and incidentally, found
U where they worked. That
seemed TO hang together.
II was a queer sort or room she
was in-large. well proportional,
with a high barrel-vaulted ceiling,
beautifully but rather hetcrogene-
ously furnished. partly MS n draw
ing-room and partly as an Office.
since there was an enormous fat
topped desk, bare except for a
bronze bust Of Napoleon. I'm the
middle OF il. What was IL that
made the place seem so uueer7
Why. there wasn't a window In the
whole rooml
The early twilight or q cloudy
autumn afternoon was already
closing 10. which might be why she
hadn't noticed the absence OF day
light In the room when she first
came In. But was that the only
reason7 Probably not. There we're
pictures all around the walls. big.
handsome oil paintings regularly
spaced oil Of them heavily framed
and In shadow boxes with N special
light over each. and they broke ND
the walls more or less as windows
would.
The biggest OF them all was
above the fireplace down at the
end Of the room. IL was a land.
scape which Rhoda decided looked
as II II had been painted from
stage scenery rather than from IA.
ture itself. The thing that held
Rhoda's interest down at that end
or the room was the fire that was
blazing In the CRATE Just before II.
II was an unusually picturesque
fire. with its leaping flames. and
Khoda stared az IL q full half-mIn-
ute wondering why she didn't hear
II purr or crackie before she dis
covered that II wasn't n fire at aIl.
II was a highly Ingenious electrical
counterfeit and must have cost a
lot OF money. No doubt Mr.. Fors-
ter was correspondingiy proud of
IL. though why. she wondered. vas
the chair that was obviously his
placed on the wrong side OF his
desk. not where ne could watch
the leaping artificial flames, but
with his back to them7
The door opened and III. Forster.
supported BY one or bis canes and
Oh the arm Of the ma IN the blue
serge suit. came into the room.
He paused just outside the door
for a sharp. family puzzled look
az her. rs II he'd expected bis an-
p~earaHce to produce some senSa.
ton that hadn't come or. Then ne
gave way what had been IN his
mind by saying. we've already
met today. you see"
Yes" she answered. a little
vaguely. II know"
ITO BE coSrnrrEn.D