Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-05
OF ROMANCE.
illustrated by Rex MdrOn.

IL ali al mere uIlLll 1lHQ OuI WIldb ILe UOuUAe
is"
You do as 1 say" snapped Mrs Moriarty,
cor I'll call your boss
You talking to him right now" he said.
Bill McMasters, in person. hoped over be-
cause all the other men are out on jobs and
your call sounded like an o S. If it isn't"
1t was. Mrs Moriarty accepted defeat you
might well look at it as long as you're here"
she snapped.
The look at it was to carry him upward to
the room under the caves where, in addition to
Nicky, the tank that fed the plumbing supply
was lodged.
There is a girl in there" explained Mrs. Mo-
riarty. "She isn't up yet, but it's time she was"
Her lips set mcompromisingly. Even her
knock was perfunctory, the merest matter OF
form.
what is it?" demanded Nicky, and if there
was the snap Of irritation rather than the
tremble of alarm in her inquiry, there was a
reason.
Four days before at o'clock in the morning
she had slipped out of the house in which she
had been born. At the station she had boarded
a train for New York. This she had done many
times before, although never at that hour.
This time, however, she had shifted to a train
for Boston at Springfield. In Boston she had
TAXED to hotel and registered as Jane Jones
of New York" That was against the law, but
none the less wise. For that afternoon the
paper carried the unacceptable headline:
NICKY JUDSoN
FLEES HER HOME.
And nobody needed to be told who Nicky
Judson was or what home it was she had fled.
"Or why" Nicky had summarized.
MO definite charge had ever been made
against her. She had been questioned re-
peatedly by police officers State detectives and
reporters. A picture of her, taken four years
beforehand fortunately before she had begun
to let her hair grow in again-had been widely
published.
This had been in the beginning, before Willie
johnson, the towns of all work, had
jumped into the limelight with his story.
Afterward she realized that she had been
suspected from the first. She came to that
realization when a State detective said abruptly:
There is rumor around town, Miss Judson,
that you were extremely Jealous of your sister
that you had not spoken to her for some weeks"
The implication had morentarily stunned her.
Then: Are you suggesting that-that gave
them cyanide?"
"Of course not" he had assured her hastily.
at am just trying to get at every report and
rumor"
Nicky had set her teeth. If the authorities
would only come out into the open! But the
only legal step so far had been the report OF
the coroners jury:
We find, therefore, that Breckenridge Tyler
and Mary Judson met death by cyanide OF
potassium at the hands Of a person or persons
unknown.
The jury of her peers rendered different
verdict. Even in Newfield.
IF I stay in the house, it's because I'm
guilty and afraid to meet anybody's eyes"
Nicky had informed herself "And If don't
stay in the house, it's because I'm just brazen-
ing it out"
No member of her family had known that
she was going nor did they know where she
was. She had started with $50 and a fantastic
idea that she might find work. How fantastic
that was, she now knew.
So there was no reason why she should be
up at o'clock. Life had become nightmare.
If as was possible, police officer stood OUT
side the door, she didn't give darn. She had
reached that point
But it was Mrs. Moriarty who entered.
1.-The plumber wants to look at the plumb
ing" she informed Nicky.
THE plumbing?" echoed Nicky
1.-THE tank-over in the corner"
Nickys eyes went back to the ceiling. We'll,
let him." she said.
The etiquette of the situation did not, OBJ
viously worry her 1t did Mrs. Moriarty. In
Mrs. Moriarty's opinion no decent self-respect-
ing girl would want plumber to come into her
room while she was in bed
Come in" she directed Bill
Bill came in bit abashed. But he paid no
attention to Nicky. He examined the tank.
Then:
THE ball is out of order,' he announced.
"You need a new one but can fix this one
so it will carry on. I'll get special wrench
carry"
He departed, leaving Mrs. Moriarty.
II think you had better get up and get