Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-12
The Sealed Trunk
BY Henry KitcheII Webster
Copyright by The BObhs Merrill Co. wEU Services
v dy .

though. I eve saw you u few times
out walking with him. / remember
your red hair. That's how ! rec
ognized you this morning. and I'm
glad ! found you at last There
have been times when I was about
ready to give IL up"
Why" she asked, were you SC
anxious TO find meY"
-Why5" he echoed. "Of course
I wanted TO find You. I'D never
have lost you II I hadn't been sick
myself when your father died. I
was a mighty good friend to your
father. You might say ! was the
only one he had. He was a fine
man. Smart, too, there's no deny
ing that. Only not practical. and
smartness don't get you anywhere
without that.
"But what I want TO tell you Il
that you've found q friend. that's
the long and short or IL. I'm an
old man, old enough 10 be your
grandfather. and I'm still an old
bachelor without chick or child OF
my own. So ] want You should
feel you can come to me with any
OF your troubles. Ask me for any
thing you want-within reason,
that is
I'm give you a better job than
you've got down there with the
newspaper. where you'd get more
money and wouldn't have to work
so hard. You could come here and
do secretary work for me- Settle
down and live right here, too. I
mean that. You can 20 home and
pack your trunks and move In here
this afternoon. The fact Is. it
would suit me IL you did that very
thing"
Rhoda had to admit 10 herself
that this was. intrinsically. q good
plausible explanation OF his search
for her. She had. as Il proceeded.
found herself wondering why she
wasn't believing q word OF IT, She
had known nothing OF the nature
OF her fathers actual iabors, but
she did know the passion that had
inspired them and the hope OF sud-
den great fortune that had still
been burning in him the very night
he died He begged the doctor
for enough Of the drug TO keep him
going a few hours more Those
memories couldn't be reconciled
with the sort or Job this man was
talking about. Why was he try
ing to make IL look like that7 Why
had he gone out OF his way to
lie about itl That was the question
IA her mind when be wound up his
speech. with the suggestion that she
pack up her trunks and move IN
70 this palatial apartment OF his
this very afternoon-and the word
trunk struck a spark from Il.
TT may be-" Claire had said at
lunch. in discussing Forsters rea-
son for advertising for her. 'that
he thinks you've got some paper OF
your fathers that he wants. Had
Rhoda's father been as near sue
cess the night he died as he be-
lieved he was? That would &C
1865 ~ EDArAEA > lying HDD0A lis
Job. for his b~elittling &c all he
could.
There was a paper. then. and
Forster knew It and had been try
Ing for nobody knew how long to
get H. But Claire knew about IL
too. and Claire had found her frst
Caire's scheme for getting the pa
per had failed. probably through
the treachery Of her confederate,
Max.
But Forster hadn't rot II either.
or he wouldn't be sitting there now
telling her how kind he meant to
be 70 her. urging her 20 20 home
and pack her trunks and come and
have her home with him.
She looked up at him now and
found him staring at her with a
look OF conformation.
What's rot into your" he asked.
What are you thinking about. all
Of a sudden. What makes you look
like thatT'
II was thinking" she said. that
even II 7 did come here to Live i