Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-20

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hIament OF smoke stfu rising from
It's barrel. lay on the carpet three
or four PAGES away. Forster had
fallen back Imply in his chair. Evi-
IDENTIFY he thought he'd killed her.
for he was bleatlng frzntieally, ~
didn't DO II! She did II herselfI
She pulled the trigger His voice
rose 70 q yelp as he cried to Con-
ley Take her away Don't leave
her lying therel Take her where ]
can't see her"
Conley picked her up IN a mat
ter-of-fact sort OF way which led
Martin to think that he'd come TO
the same conclusion as his own.
that she was not dangerously in
jured. Martin opened the door for
him. but as soon as he'd gone out
with his burden. closed IL after him
and turned back to Forster. The
old maa looked from one 10 The
other OF them I'm bewilderment, and
nc last weakly demanded OF Mar
tin, who are your What are you
doing herer'
-rm the reporter from the News,
Martin said, who wanted an inter-
view from you about the dIsap-
pearance OF Rhoda Mcfarland 7
am up TO your apartment and
found her here We happened 10
be where We could see everything
that's gone on In this room since
that woman Conley Just carried out
came into IT,"
More blackmailr" Forster snarled
IT'S q conspiracy that's what IL
Is. You are all In It."
He looked as he said that like
nothing In the world but a rat In
a corner. darling helpless venomous
glances this way and that toward
the picture owe the fireplace, be-
hind which he knew his bodyguard
was no longer on watch: toward
the closed door through which no
cry OF his could be heard: even
toward the revolver lying on the
carpet hopelessly out OF his
reach.
IL was Rhoda who answered him.
She was SO pale. Martin had
feared that she might be going 70
faint. But the giittering timber
OF her voice as she spoke con
WINGED him that she was white only
with anger. There Is only one
conspiracy ! know about" she said.
That's the conspiracy you went
into with Claire Geveland-only
she was called Clara Bowman then
and the man who vas your secre-
tary-I think his name was Stat
ford"
Martin held his breath as he
looked from one OF their faces to
the other.
You don't know what you're
talking about" Forster wheezed.
But the CONSERVATION In his face
proclaimed that she did know.
You had your secretary hire
her." Rhoda went on. That's why
you didn't know who she was when
she came back here and got a Job
In your oficA. You didn't know
/ that Stafford had told her who you
were And when he died you
thought you were safe You thought
you didn't have 20 pay the money
you'd promised her for running my
father
She turned away from him as "
the sight OF his goat-lIke face had
become uncomfortable 70 her, and
went on speaking TO Martin That's
what he did. They hired this wom-
an-Stafford found her-to 70 west
on the same train my father was
going on Shs was TO CRY and pre-
tend she'd lost her ticket and her
money, and get him 70 take pity on
her and pay her fare They must
have known how kind he was and
how innocent he was or they
wouldn't have thought the trick
would work. II did work. partly.
He paid for the ticket and her
berth and loaned her some money
besides to buy her meals with on
the train. The rest OF the plan
didn't work. He didn't eren look
at her. She said SO herself TO-
him, just now. He never even
guessed what she was trying TO
make him do. But she went ahead
just the same--I suppose they'd
promised her more moneT--and
made her complaint before the dis
trict attorney. And she testified
against him at the trial. only the
Jury didn't believe her and set
father free. But enough other peo-
pie believed her 10 that be had 70
resign from the university and
come out here. like q man IN hid
Ing. 10 70 70 work. without know
ing II, for the very man who had
ruined him" She whipped around
upon Forster again. her eyes blaz-
Ing win furious anger. II wish
she had shot you, Insteadl" she
told him deliberately. Il wish she'd
shot you dead. Y0n deserve IT, II
anyone ever did"
TO BE coNTInrwEms9