Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-17
The Sealed Trunk
By Henry KtcheIl Webster
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TWenty-FIrst InstaIIment

Twenty-First InstalIment
Its about said Martin, -the
disappearance Of Miss Rhoda Nc
Fariand- DO I set my interview n
There was a long silence at that
Evidently they were having an ar
gument about IL.
Nothing doing" the voice said
az last II don't know that she's
disappeared I don't know that
there's any such person
~You don't want 70 say, then,
why you've been advertising for
herr"
The only nswer be got to that
question was a click which meant
that the other receiver had been
slammed down on the hook. So
Martin hung MP. too. and left the
booth.
The FIRST thing TO End out was
the number OF F0rSter's apartment.
and or course, the obvious way
would be 70 walk up TO the desk
and ask the clerk. But instinc-
lively be SHE'D a. that Forster
was no ordinary transient guest
here A man as rich as he was,
and permanently domiciled here.
would have special defenses. You
wouldn't be able 10 mention his
name without starting something.
The better way would be TO drift
into casual talk with somebody, n
bellhop or the girl who sold thea
ter tickets. lead up 10 his question
and ask IL idly.
But 1t wasn't 10 easy as II
looked. to frame that question 20
II would sound casual. And II he
failed. n his question reused sus-
pic5or. he'd Be worse OF than II
he'd gone straight 70 the clerk IN
the FIRST place.
His gaze was questing about the
lobby, noting everything that
everybody did. studying faces II
the hope Of finding one dull and
friendly and unsuspicious enough
to suit his purpose
The man who had Just come
down I'm one Of the elevators and
noe stood talking to the captain
hadn't a face like that; very much
the contrary. I'm fact. bleak and
rocky aS a chunk or the great
American desert and he talked az
Ii he were biting or the heads "
finishing nails.
Martin stared at him, regardless
Of the rfsk Of catching his eye, IN
ca. I'm his own minds eye, he had
put a derby hat on his head and a
brown ~overcoat on his back and a
little leather notebook I'm his hand.
and recognized him. lie was the
man who had come to the studio
Last night getting names for the
new city directory. And this Iden-
ti1cation led on 30 quickly TO an
other that II was Ike firing the
second barrel OF a shotgun. This
was the man whose voice he had
Just now been trying to remember,
the man on the telephone who had
been pretending be was Forster.
IL seemed q reasonable guess
that the instructions Blue Serge
was giving the captain were that
any reporter or other inquisitivc
person asking questions about G
j. Forster o. trying to get through
90 him was 10 be dealt with In a
special manner.
Satisfied that the captain under
stood these Instructions, whatever
they were, Blue Serge left him and
crossed the lobby 10 the desk. Here
his business was not with the clerk
but with the manager, who prompt
ly came out Of his little private or
fee TO talk with him. The mana
ger was taking orders, too. with
an alertness whkch showed he rec
cgnixed their Importance.
Leaving the desk and N complete
ly instructed manager behind IL.
the man I'm the blue serge suit now
started across the lobby I'm q new
direction: one that would bring
him unless he vuered on. unccm-
fortably csose 70 Martins chair.
But before this embarrassment be-
came aente hs was diverted BY q
OF the bgkzbrys who crossed his
path The hoy seemed perfectly
unaware q hm. but Blue Serge.
after a sharp look. turned On his
heel and went back to tire desk.
summoned the manager again,
brought hka out Into the lobby q
little way. and nodded AFTER the