Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-08
cHAPTER VI
stealing an idea.

stealing an Idea.
ATARIIN had cot one thing out
wi of his otherwise barren en-
counter with Rhoda that morning.
and this was his days story for
the paper. AT least be wouldn't
have got II II he hadn't been
standing at the curb to see the
limousine that Babe and Rhoda
arrived In drive up. The license
plate on that car caught his eve
and fixed itself in his mind by
virtNe or a small oddly that he
noticed about IT, II was a four
number arrangement OF mines and
Fights which would make Just as
good sense upside down as right
side up. only II would make differ
ent sense.
Probably IL was his exasperated
determination 10 dismiss Rhoda
and her wrong-headedness and her
red hair completely from his mind
that caused this notion Of an IL
verted license plate to fructify
swiftly into the amusing sort of
tale OF misadventure that he spe-
cialized in. II was what the editor
liked. and the fact that he made II
up out OF whole cloth didn't matter
a BIT.
When IL was done, since he knew
n was good. he found himself in a
placable enough humor 10 turn
back to the Rhoda incident and
consider dispassionately what had
gone wrong with 1t.
Under his eye. as he sat musing,
was the scrubbed sheet OF scratch
paper on which he'd drawn the H.
cense plate right side I'D and up
side down in figuring out his story.
It had been a handsome car, all
right, that the girls had had n
ride I'm, even IL they had had TO
sit on the little folding Seats.
Rather comic. that was, now he
thought about II. And a bit queer,
too What had the old billvgoat
stopped his car for. IL not for the
sensation OF having a nice young
thing sitting close beside him7
He was stu staring at the H.
cense number or that car. Sud
denly, under an impulse too fanci-
full TO bear arguing about. he de-
cided TO look up the owner. II
wouldn't do any harm TO find out
who the old bloke was
When he found q few minutes
later that the car was registered
as the property OF @. J. Forster he
felt for a few seconds as II he
must be q victim Of a practical
joke. What the DEVIL
he telephoned up to Rhoda's &C.
partment TO find out II or when
she'd gone out to lunch and when,
II they knew. she was expected
back When they told him she
wasn't coming back that afternoon
al all. he crammed on his hat.
squirmed into his overcoat as he
ran downstairs. and started out
for the Tip-Top inn
Martin. considering his plan of
action on the way over. had decid-
ed TO wait In the lobby until
Rhoda came out. He hadn't yet
settled down 20 his wait on the
sofa-he was az the cigar stand
buying some cigargttes-when q
woman came up beside him and
bought a telephone slug. He'd
been u reporter long enough 10 re-
press the start her voice gave him,
though IL was a voice he knew. and
he checked his impulse TO turn and
look nc her. much M he'd have
liked 10. He never had a really
good look at her. Luckily she'd
never seen him NJ all. nor heard
his voice. On the strength cf that
reelection he bought a telephone
slug. too, went into the next booth
10 hers. dropped his nickel an
called his own telephone humble
4 which. or course didn't answer.
l GRO nE cCrgTEHUEn1