The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-12

| DNNH uScu ioT DltS ana as n dancing double" for stars in q
 number of recent pictures, in- cluding Night Life" and Boy. | Howdy! both of which have dancing sequences. Musical com edy programs for the last year carry her name only once, in the list of Ladies of the Ensembler of the revue What of It?" Miss Eloise Pendleton, head mistress of Forsyte-on-the-H Hud- son, mentioned in the dispatch rom Hamilton. confirms the re- port that Mrs Sclim, as she was
 known there, twice directed the
 annual Easter musical comedy
 presented by that fashionable
 school for young ladies. but could
 add nothing of interest to the
 facts given above, beyond assert ing that Mrs Selim had proved
 to be an unusually competent and popular director of their amateur theatricals.
 Yes, that's correct, as far as it goes," Lydia commented, resent nent in her harsh voice as she re- turned the paper to Dundee. Have you anything to add?" Dundee caught her up quickly.
 No, sir! Lydia shook her head, her lips in grim line. Then re- sentiment burst through: They don't have to talk like she was a pack number on Broadway, just be- cause she was tired of the stage and going in for movies!"
 District Attorney Sanderson took her in hand then, pelting her with questions about Nita's New York gentlemen friends" but he made no more headway than Dundee.
 We know that Nita Selim was afraid of someone!" Sanderson be- gan again. angrily. "NVho was if someone she'd known in New York. or somebody in Hamilton?"
 flatly. ~ ''"' But you do know she was living m rear of her life, don't your" Dundee interposed
 I-well, yes l suppose she was" Lydia admitetd reluctantly. "But thought she was just afraid to i've out there in that lonesome house away off at the end of mo- where
 Was she afraid of Dexter Sprasue?" Sanderson shot at her. would she have asked him to stay If shed been afraid of him 2" Lydia demanded scornfully. And would she have asked him to rig up bell from her bedroom to mine. if It was him she was afraid of?" "A bell?" Dundee echoed ! es sir. It has a contraption under the rug, right beside her bed, sos she could step on it and it would ring in my room, which was underneath Nita's room. MT SDraglIp h0IlOht tho ct, bored a hole thruogh her bedroom floor. and fixed it all hisself."
 Did anyone know Nita had taken this precaution to protect herself?" Dundee asked.
 Nils Lois did, because one day not long ago she stepped on it acci- dentally. when she was in Nita's room. The bell buzzed in my room and l came up to answer it, and Nita explained it to Mis- Lois'
 So that was why no attempt had been made to murder Nita while she slept. Dundee told himself tri- umphantly For of course 1t was more than probable that Lois Dun lap had innocently spread the news of Nita's nervousness and her in- genious method to summon help in Stantly.
 There was knock at the door.
 "Comc in. All finished. Carraway? Fine! I'd like to see the prints as soon as possible, and now I'd like for you to go over to the morgue with Lydia, and wait there until she has the body dressed in these clothes. and the hair done according to the instructions Mrs Selim left I'll leave the pos ing to you, but I want a full-length picture as we'll as a head portrait"
 As Lydia's workroughened knuck- ly ha"-. were returning the funeral clothes to the suitcase, another aues- tion occurred to Dundee: Lydia did you know, before I questioned you at the Miles home yesterday, that Sprague had re- turned for that bag he had left in the bedroom upstairs?" Her scared cheek flushed livid but the maid answered with defiant honesty: "yes, did! He spoke to me through my basement window Just before you come running down to talk to me. He'd sneaked back. but he could tell from seeing your car outside that you was there, and he asked me to go up and get the bag and set it outside the kitchen '''i ipI illIlI SdIu WOuiun | do It; 1t was too risky"
 Then you were pretending to be asleep when I entered your room ?"
 "4cs, l was! But I had been asleep before MT Sprague called me. While you was hammering at me about Nita burning my face l heard MT Sprague open the kitchen door. He had a key Nita had given him. He didn't hardly make any noise at all. but I heard it. because was listening for it. You'd left the door to the basement stairs open. and my door. too, so l heard him."
 Did you hear him come down."
 Yes, 1 did, There's a board on the backsiairs that squeaks, and 1 heard 1t plain, while you was still at me. hammer and tongs," Lydia answered. "He was in the house not more'n two minutes. all told, and when I figured he was safely out, l went upstairs with you to snow you the presents I'd give Nita after she burnt me, to prove I'd forgive her"
 "Why didn't you tell me, Lydia? Why did you protect Sprague? I know You don't like him." Dundee puzzled
 "I wasn't thinking about him." Lydia told him natly. "I was think ing about Nita. l didn't want any scanda! on her"
 Are you prepared to swear Spraguc had time to do nothing but go up to the bedroom and get his bag?"
 "I ann"
 When Lydia and Carraway had left together, Dundee rose and ad- dressed the district attorney:
 I'm going out to the Selim