The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-20

LOr0ly, am SOrryy" TreSSa
trilled sweetly. II forgot TO ask per-
mission" She gave Lame a stabbing
smile and marched OF on Gives
arm.
Lane felt suddenly very young
and inexperienced. An older woman
would know how to treat Tressa, she
thought f1ercely and Indignantly.
There was something deliberately
cruel in her batting. And yet the
barbed shafts were so carefully
placed no one else had taken note
Of them.
She said 'T beg your pardon" to
young Hammond moment later.
Want to try this one?" the
languid young man asked again.
Lame was rising with just the
proper show Of enthusiasm when a
tall man, like thin shadow in his
black and white, gilded up to the
table.
Mister Hammond" he asked de-
ferentially. "a message for you.
The telephone"
Curious" Lambert unused. mo
one knows I'm here" He turned
back to Lame, II hate to leave you
Nonsense" she cried, determined
mot to be a crab" GO along.
Give will be back in moment"
She sat alone at the table, fight
ing of that self-consciousness that
attends the young woman left sans
escort in a public place. It was
strange, but she could not see Give
and Tressa anywhere.
Strangest Of all, the dark man
who had summoned Lambert to the
telephone was coming back to the
table. He drew out a chair and
without permission sat down.
Lame made one startled move
ment.
The low voice, persuasive yet
with note of command in it, said,
"Sit still"
Lame did just that. In the mind
arose a troubled memory of all the
crime stories she had ever read.
"You have made a mistake" she
said steadily. "I don't know you.
Mr.. Cleespaugh will be back in a
moment
Il know you all right" the dark
man draWled. You're Miss Barrett
and you're engaged to that Clees-
paugh baby, aren't you?"
Lame nodded. She was too
frightened to resent his intrusion.
Were interested in you, the man
announced lazily. You wouldn't like
your part in a certain shooting in
a Twenty-fourth street speakeasy
to be dragged through the papers
just now, with your engagement
and all, would you?"
Cold fear clutched at the girls
heart. "I-I had nothing to do
with that" she Stammered. cit was
an accident. was blaneless. And
the man lived"
"Oh, yeah? Well, whether he
lived or died, there's a lot of people
in this mans town would be keen
to know this rich boys f1ancee had
such a past"
r lane sat frozen. Only her dark
IL eyes showed her terror.
"You-there's nothing you can
do" she said through stiff lips.
Anyhow, how do you know Mr..
Cleespaugh doesn't know all about
it?"
"Oh, it amt him we're interested
in. It's the old lady," the man said
dryly. "She's gotta approve the
bride, so hear. That's town talk.
And it seems she's pretty strait
laced.
1--WE want money to keep quiet
about it and we want it quickly"
Lame asked for want of some
thing better to say, ''How much?"
"Ten grand. And right away!"
He made an agile, catlike motion
rising. Your boy friends coming
back he said out of the side of
his mouth. "Be at Wilton Stream
station Tuesday at noon or We'll spill
it to the tabloids."
He moved languidly out Of sight.
Lambert Hammond came bustling
up to the table, stirred out of his
customary torpor. "Some stupid
fools!" he said in an exasperated
tone. "They kept me hanging on
the wire for ages and then an
nounced they'd got the wrong Ham
mond."
"You look queer" he went on
bluntly. "Air in here's like a ZOO!
D'you feel ill or something's"
Lame said, 1.-THE air-yes, that
must be it."
Ito Be Continued
AEAnA RAm ~ ~.