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

The first movement was complicated.
and, being the first, is probably worth
disentangling. Afterward, when there
was time to think, Martin Forbes went
back to 1t himself
He had come to the Alhambra to-
night at the suggestion of Babe Jen-
nings. She was going to be there, she
said, and il she gave him the high
sign he was to take it as permission
to cut In on her partner and dance
with her. Martin took partly profess
sional interest in Babe. She had a
very good job on his paper as an adj
taker, but she had an avocation which
he was given to understand was even
more lucrative. She was, more or
less, on the staff of the Alhambra. She
was what might be called a profess
sional nice girl.
Men in pursuit of vice didn't come
to the Alhambra. It wasn't that sort
Of place. But lots of men did come
who wanted girl to dance with and
take out to supper; girl whose de-
pertinent, though not prim, would still
reflect credit upon her companion; a
girl who, If she liked you, wouldn't
mind your holding her hand in taxi
as you took her home, nor your kiss
ing her good night when you got her
there. Well, Babe was one of the
girls who supplied this demand.
To the fiction writer, which Martin
meant to be, she ought to prove a
mine Of variegated raw material.
Even for his present job she was
worth cultivating, he thought. His
speciality was feature stories. Some
times the city editor sent him out on
assignment, but mostly they let him
alone to pick things up for himself.
He hadn't known whether or not Babe
had anything special in mind in sug-
costing that he drop around at the
Alhambra tonight, but he didn't much
care. He had a bunch that he was
going to pick up some sort of story
between now and bedtime.
At the moment, however, he wasn't
thinking about his story. He was
wondering vaguely whether he hadn't
discovered a new law Of physics. Was
your repulsion to the man you saw a
pretty girl dancing with directly pro-
portionate to your attraction to the
girl?
There was nothing glaringly wrong
about the bird. He might be some
thing less than forty. He had meaty-
looking face. with complacent smile
on it, and his dress was a bit foppish
He danced well, but you could see he
felt he was giving the little girl a
treat No, there was no law about it.
Martin would have hated him any
where.
Just as the music stopped they
turned so that he could see the girls
face, and. in sheer pleased surprise,
he smiled at her; involuntarily. But
It was like head-on collision, for her
look met his absolutely true. There
was a substratum of smile about it.
but above that there was a sort of
half-serious desperation that had refer
ence, Martin was sure, to the man
she'd been dancing with.
want to be rescued?" Martin asked,
safely enough, since she stood twenty
PAGES off and he didn't, of course,
speak the words aloud.
But, exactly as if she'd heard him,
she perceptibly nodded her head and
then looked up at her partner, who
had spoken to her.
ST can tha instant vnIl'va lonknd Z"
was one of Martins notices, and he
set himself in motion across the floor
to where she stood without pausing
to wonder whether he hadn't imagined
that nod, or what the consequences
would be If he had. Had he ever seen
her before? Was that why he had
smiled at herf Well. he was in for it
now.