Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-15

Nineteenth lnstallment
Rhoda sat erect and held her
breath. Why, why hadn't she
caught that slip at the time? All
IL meant. all It could possibly
mean, was that II had been IN the
San Francisco papers that Claire
had read about Ii. Shed been in
San Francisco. then. during the
trial. She hadn't said 50. She
hadn't meant 10 give that away.
She's pretend that IL was from
Walter Netherlands own lips that
she'd heard this story. long after
ward. here In Chicago. OF course !
Claire Cleveland was the girl on
the train
She recalled her first impression
Of Claire. her momentary belief
that she couldn't be the woman
because she looked rather nice.
and young-not much over twenty.
Six years ago she could have
looked convincirgly like an limo
cent young girl crying f~orlornly
owe the loss OF her ticket and her
money and the prospect that they'd
put her OF the train. She had
something Of that look left even
now. Martin had described her as
looking younger than her voice
sounded Why hadn't her voice
given her away to Walter McFar-
land?
OF course II was hard to tell
where the truth left or and where
the lies began. Claire's professed
hatred or Forster was true, though
as yet specifically unaccounted for.
She had tried to convince Rhoda,
though with a suspicious insist
ence upon her own lack OF knowl.
edge. that Forster was the person
primarily responsible for the plot
against her father.
That felt like the truth though
II obviously wasn't. Forster had
stopped being frightened and had
burst into a rage Of pure relief
when she had told him that Claire
had said that. That disposed OF
the possibility that he could be
the man who had compelled. or
persuaded, or coldly hired. Claire.
And yet be couldn't be left out
Of the pattern altogether. lie had
advertised for Rhoda Mcfarland
and no one but an idiot could
doubt after seeing him and hear
ing him talk, that he had done so
In the furtherance or some mean
purpose of his own. Claire. who
had ONCE been his private secre-
tary, and Max Lewis, who was his
nephew, knew, or thought they
knew, what that purpose was. and
had tried to forestall him by find
Ing her first. II was her fathers
papers Claire had tried 10 get a
chance 70 rummage through. and
at her own mention to Forster OF
the theft OF those papers he had
started
There must be something among
those papers that he wanted pretty
badly; something that had nothing
to do with the work he had done
here In Chicago. Was there, or did
Forster believe there was. among
her fathers papers some precious
secret formulal Was that what
with his dying breath he'd tried to
tell her about? And was that what
Claire and Max had been trying
TO steal so that they could sell 1t
10 Forster on their own terms?
Was the conspiracy 70 ruin her IA
Their at the university an entirely
unrelated thing except for the co
incidence Of Claire's connection
with Il?
What should she do when For
ster came back to question her
further? Stick to the truth. which
she wouldn't be able 70 make him
believe? Ii he were honestly on
WINGED that she was an impositor
and a confederate OF the Cleveland
woman. she was In for n pretty
bad time when no came back. III
only she'd thought or telephonIng
TO Martin before coming up here.
Her thoughtful gaze came sud-
denly into focus upon the bust OF
Napoleon. II she could find the way
TO open that little trap door she
might be ab&e TO reach Martin.
Babe would be az home BY now.
and she might be able 70 Get word
to him. That was the thing 70
try. anyhow.
Ii must have been some sort VI
electrical connection nat opened
the little trap door. She went over