The Washington times., 1932-04-14

have that table tonight, except
a very certain lady"
AS he leaned toward Thatcher
Colt, the district attorney
added impreSSively:
That reservation is being
held for the woman I'm telling
you about. What's more, there
are tables for her in half
dozen other night clubs as well.
She pays for all those reserva-
tionS. whether she uses them or
not-alWays sure of a ring-side
seat, wherever her fancy takes
her. Money seems to mean
nothing to her. The Night Club
Lady, she is called by the Broad
way columnistS-and sometimes
The Mystery of Mayfair
Colts expression remained
stolid.
THE Night Club Lady'?" he
repeated. DO you mean Lola
Carewe?"
so you know of her, too?"
who doesn't Dougherty? The
widow of Gaylord Clifford, the
cotton millionaire.
But nowadays she calls her.
self again by her maiden name,
Lola Carewe. Mystery why she
does that, too. In fact, my
dear Thatcher, she is the most
mysterious woman in New York
today"
Colt seemed suddenly remind
ed of something.
"Old Clifford died a year
after that sensational marriage,
didn't he? And when his will
was read there was hardly
enough money left to pay the
undertaken. Did you want to
talk to me about Lola Carewe?"
Dougherty turned his head on
one side with a triumphant
smile.
Have you ever seen her?"
he countered.
II think not" replied Colt,
thoughtfully. But in a general
way I am familiar with her ca.
reer. She was a cinema per-
former-was she not?"
Her Big Hit
Ten years ago. She first
made hit in a French motion
picture about Pompadour-"
And then went to Holly
wood?"
where she was a success.
The people idolized her. Along
came old Clifford and married
her. The story now is that she
is thinking of going back into
pictures"
Here the district attorney ex-
tended one red and hairy fore
finger and tapped on the back
of Thatcher Colts hand, as if
he were telegraphing, as he
added in a low, accusing tone:
Clifford died a pauper. Yet
Lola Carewe continues to live
in luxury. The manager told
me she will be here any min.
ute now. I just want you to
take good look at her. Then
I'll tell you something"
At this moment, a group
from neighboring table de-
Scended on us in a gust of
Salutations. They were acquain-
tances of Dougherty who wanted
to be presented to the Police
Commissioner. Politely. Colt
surrendered to a barrage of
questions. Two slender fire
haired Hollywood sisters in
blue gowns at once demanded
to know the inside facts about
the latest gang war. Colt had
to assure them there was no
honor among thieves; he was
always being asked about that
by romantic girls. Next they
wanted to know whether women
were of any account to de-
tectiVeS. Presently Colt was
cornered by a jeweled dowager,
to whom he had to explain
how finger-print identification
differed from the Bertillon sys-
tenn. The dowager was sup
posed to be the mother of the
two red-headed girls in blue,
but she was merely an actress
hired by the film company to
play the part; she lived with
the girls and attended them
constantly, providing a digni-
fled family background which
greatly impressed the young
stars public.
Not Recognized
No one noticed me, the fate of
all secretaries of important men.
glanced around me curiously.
At every table I recognized faces
the shoguns of Hollywood and
Broadway. In this indiscrimi-
nate aSSemblage, some were IA
nous and others merely notori-
GUS, the good and the bad and
the inbetweens of the land Of
makebelieve.
With shrill partings our unin-
vited visitors hurried off, as the
music resumed. and Colt, Dough-
erty and I faced each other
again.
And So" resumed my chief,
as if there had been no interrup-
ton, "the mystery about the
former Mrs. Gaylord Clifford is
/Ta-ks-,a1 -. - r RN