Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-06
The Sealed Trunk
BY Henry KteheIl Webster
VIM Service

warned her in the letter against an
Swering his advertisement and had
rubbed the warning in today mt
lunch. Well then. why not 20 To
him now. a quickly as a taxi could
take her to the Worcester hotel?
That was where Martin said he
lived. Take Claire's letter along as
C. bit Of documentary evidence.
She got the letter out or the
drawer Of the writing desk.
crammed It into her ulster pocket
slammed the studio door behind her
and darted down the two long
flights OF stairs to the street.
Worcester hotel" she said 10
the taxi driver who pulled I'D TO the
curb when she signaIed him
II was quite q ride-the better
part OF a mile. at least-and though
she didn't want to chill with wet
blankets. the fine warm resolution
that possessed her. she couldn't helr
doing IL.
Forster might not be a desirable
ally even II Claire hated him. He
might be as bad as she said he was.
He might have been her fathers
arch-enemy. There wouldn't he
much satisfaction in spelling
Claire's and Max's game II doing
that involved delivering herself
over. tied hand and foot into the
power OF a man like that.
And could she spoil their gamer
Could she convince Forster that
Claire and his nephew were con-
spring against him7 TO what ex-
tent had Claire given herself away
in the letter.
She got IL out TO read IL, but
her gaze didn't 20 beyond the first
two lines: Calre's address written
across the top. Claire's tiat-or was
II Max's? Was Claire his mistress7
That was what the relation looked
like certainly. She was that sort
or woman. all right. with her story
or the wicked nan who had ruined
her when she was a mere girl, and
the confession she'd extorted from
him. And now she was thinking
Of getting married and wanted II.
Rhoda froze again like a pointer
getting wind OF a prairie chicken.
Had that statement been a care-
less bit OF TRUTH Did she want
to marry Maxi And was she afraid
that Forster would disinherit her
II she did?
With another plunge. physical as
well as fgurativelr, Rhoda opened
the front window and spoke again
to the chauffeur.
I've changed my mind" she said.
Heres the address I want you 10
a. TO" And she read him Clalre's.
she hadn't a doubt she'd find the
pair OF them there. up 10 the e.
bows In her fathers papers.
The building before which her
taxi pulled up was m oldish. three-
story stone house. remodeled. as its
two front doors indicated. into fats.
Rhoda was trembling a little an she
got out. but she didn't feel afraid
And she made II sound almost Ike
a joke when she said the taxi
driver. wait. please I don't think
I'll be long. But II you do hear
anybody screaming for help In
there. rome IN and see who II Is"
There was a momentary delay
after she rang Caire's bell-hers
was one vt the top iats-before the
buzzer released the catch On the
vestibule door. but Rhoda heard a
door open et the top OF the house
the instant she started up the
stairs A little surprising. that
was. She hadn't expected them to
be eager 10 receive visitors Just
now: had wondered. indeed. wheth-
Ell they'd let her In at all. Per-
haps they wouldn't when they saw
who she was
The woman alone was waiting for
her. Max wasn't In sight.
What do you wantTr Claire asked
sharply when she saw who II was.
But almost IN the same breath she
tried 10 change her tactics. adding
with IN uneasy laugh. Heavens, !
didn't expect you to find my paper
as quick as that !" Her color had
changed under her makeup, though.
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