The Bismarck tribune., 1931-12-04
HAZEL->
ROSS. J
HAILEY
'@N1 BY NR Scuce Inc!

Dack! Wildly ner thoughts new,
devising ways to get the purse away
from him. trying to guess what he
meant to do. Had Bates put men
on to watch the doors as he said he
would? Where was Bates? Panic
seized her utterly.
To cover her fright she firted
with De Iona with sort of fever
ish vivaclty. She knew she was a
hideously bad actress-that her
nerves were playing her false but
she couldn't help 1t. She read the
crafty. exultant CLEAN in De Loma's
eyes for what it was-a sure belief
that he had the Jupiter necklace in
his pocket at last.
He played up to her in kind
looking down at her with veiled
eyes and mocking smile that had
triumph in it and enjoyment Of her
terror. Dirk! It came to her as
faint CLEAN Of hope II he
could be made to help. They passed
and re-passed the table but Dirk
never once looked her way.
Doggedly. she resolved to pierce
that mask of his surely he
could read her need Of him in her
eyes, II he would only look. She
dared not ask De Iona for the
bag, for fear of revealing its con.
tents to him with certainty he
would not give it up now without
showing fight, she felt sure.
Never in her life had Mary be.
haved other than decorously in
public. but she was not behaving
like q lady tonight. Tucking the
thick red mass Of her hair behind
her ears. she let the rhythm Of the
music take her and do with her as
It would. De Iona, catching fire
from her. invented steps, rediscov.
cred old ones. They danced as one
and It was q sight to stir the
blood.
The floor began to clear, the en-.
tire room to grow still, watching
them with breathless attention.
"Bravo!" someone cried. and some
one else, unable to resist the
rhythm, began to snap his fingers.
Instantly q cracking accompani.
ment grew up to swell the efforts
Of the traps player. outdoing him.
self on the castanets.
Dirk was watching, now. Mary
saw his eyes on her, like slits,
through the fog Of cigaret-smoke.
His jaw was set, his face expires.
sionless. Cornelia watched. too,
but unwillingly. scornfully. Mary
felt q wicked thrill Of Joy.
De Iona. apparently wishing to
impress the open.mouthed Ethel,
now wheeled about and aimed their
steps deliberately at Dirk's table.
The lowering spotlight that fol.
lowed them included the three
watching faces In its white. reveal.
Ing glow. Mary saw Dirk was
frowning at the tablecloth now. He
had gone pasty white. His hands.
as he fumbled with a cigaret, were
trembling violently. a
She felt herself whirled about,
her body bent back until the thick
red bob Of her hair swung free.
Above her De Loma's grinning,
gloating face appeared for second,
like something In q dream
then she felt his lips on her mouth.
In the next instant Dirk, white
faced. his eyes blazing with mur.
derous fury. had sent De Iona
hurtling backward with one hard
blow. From the floor. where she
sank when De Loma's arm released
its grip about her. she saw Dirk
hurl himself at the reeling man .
second time saw De Iona
throw back his coat and reach for
his gun.
"Look out!" she screamed and
threw her arm before her eyes. She
crouched, where she was, terror.
stricken. waiting for the shot she
was sure would come.
\ Ito BE Continuedl