The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-27


 bene living with an actor.
 Her parents brought her back and the story was hushed up. He learns that SERENA HART, For. syte girl and successful stage star recommended Nita for the job. She tells him that she met Nita. who was very kind to her, in the season of 1017-18, and that Nita was mar. ried and deserted before the show was over.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER xLIII.
 "No, never met Nita's husband, ' Serena Hart replied. "As 8 matter of fact. she told me extraordinarily little about him and did not discuss her marriage with the other girls of the chorus at all. got the i'm pression that MT Selim-Mat, she called him-wanted it kept secret for a while, but I don't know why. . This was early in 1918, as I've told you, though l have no way of fixing even the approximate date and New York was full of soldiers. remem Der jumped to the conclusion that Nita had succumbed to war TO- nance, but I don't think she said anything to confirm my suspicion
 When did she tell you of her marriage-that is, when-in rela- fion to the date of the wedding it. self?" Dundee asked.
 ''The very day she was mar ried." Serena Hart answered. "She was late for the matinee. Our dressing tables were side by side and as she slipped out of her dress"
 "This dress?'' Dundee asked, and handed her the photograph of dead Nita in the royal blue velvet dress she had kept for 12 years.
 "Yes," and Serena Hart shud- dered. "Her hair was dressed like that, too, although she had been wearing it in long curls, and had to take it down before she could go on for the opening number She whispered to me that she had been married that day, that she was ter r1bly happy, very much in love and that her husband had asked her to dress her hair in the French roll, favorite hair dress with him Between numbers she whispered to me again, telling me that he, husband was so different such q lamb'-totaily unlike any man she had met on Broadway. poor child For she was a child still only 20, but she had been in the show business since she was a motherless. fatherless little driftel of 16.
 "No, she did not tell me how old he was, where he came from, his business, or what he looked like and did not inquire. As the days passed-weeks. probably-she be- came more and more silent and re- served, though once or twice she protested she was still terribly happy. Then came a day when she did not show up for the perform ance at all. The next night she told me that her husband had left her. after q quarrel, and had not returned. It seems that she had vamped Benny Steinfeld. the big revue producer, you know. into giv- ing her a spot in his summer show. and that her Mat had flown into a rage. accusing her of having been untrue to him. She never mentioned his deserton to me again, but"
 ''Yes?" Dundee prompted.
 Well" Serena Hart went on, un- comfortably. "I'm afraid I rather forgot poor Nita after Teasing lilly closed, for my next work was in SLoCh HI DcS MOlIleS. Alter u year of stock I got my chance in legi- innate show on Broadway, and one day I met her on the street. Not having much to talk with her about I asked her if she and her husband were reconciled. She said no, that she had never seen him again. Then in burst of confidence, she told me that she had hired private de- tective out of her meager earnings to invstigate him in his home town or rather the city that he had told her he came from. The detective had reported that no such person as Mat or Matthew Selim had ever lived there, so far as he could find out. I asked her if she was going to get a divorce and she said she was not--that being. already mar ried was a protection against get ting married in. haste again. After that, I rather lost sight of Nita, and practically forgot her. our paths be- ing so very divergent"
 "And you never say her again ?' Dundee asked. Very much disap- pointed. .#
 "Oh, yes, two or three times-at openings or on the street. but we sation," Serena Hart answered reaching for her hat. ,"oh, yes! ] was about to forget! I had quite a shock in connection with Nita. One afternoon-let's see, that was when I opened in "Hullabaloo,' ir which I made my first success you know-I bought the New York Evening Star, which devotes con. siderable space to theatrical doings to see what sort of review the show had got. and on the first page saw a picture of Nita. beneath a head. line which said, Famous Mode
 "What!" Dundee exclaimed, as- founded.
 "Oh, it wasn't Nta Leigh Serena Hart treasured him. There was a correction the next day. You see. an artists model named Anita Lee had committed suicide and, as the Star explained it the next day, the similarity of both the first name and the last had caused, the error in the photograph There was a picture of Nita Leigh with Nita's statement that the re- port of my death has been exag. Anita Lee"
 "When did the mistake occur?' Dundee asked. in great excitement
 "Let me think!" Serena Hart drowned. 'Hullabaloo' opened in yes. about the first of May, 1922 v. Just little more than eigh years ago." s5
 Dundee reached for his own hat in fever to be gone, but to hi. surprise the actress stopped him faint color in her pale cheeks.
 "Since you're from Hamilton. and are Investigating the murder, yol have undoubtedly met little Pc. nelope Grain ?'' 7