The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-01-16
CTAPTFR TWELVE

pt-soutIv Daiev Gleason 81 able 70
dance acain end sheila finds herself out
SOW 90 on WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHEILA reached home one after
~ noon after a fruitless round Of
agents Offices weary hot yet
with that unmistakable feeling
that sooner or later something
pleasant was going to happen.
Could it be that Dick was back
and had telephoned? Dick had
been out of town for some time
writing Sheila a careless line now
and then
She descended into the odorous,
tidy Kitchen which was mas lair
only to find it empty. The kettle
on the cold stove was dead. Cur
tains blew on the mild breeze full
OF dead heat at the window.
Carefully washed milk bottles
stood in an orderly row. The clock
licked Importantly.
Sheila sank into chair and
famed herself with her hat. Ma
Lowell was down the block
probably, seated in a rocker in
some ones back yard, idly and in
nocently gossiping. Times were
slack in summer among theatrical
rooming house keepers.
But ma always left pitcher OF
iced tea in the refrigerator and,
pouring herself a glass, Sheila
fingered gratefully.
Then suddenly she sped it. A
scrap Of paper propped against
the sugar bowl on the red check
cred table. A telephone message,
a nickel carefully placed in
prominent spot lest Sheila might
not have the change.
Dear ma She knew that lack
of nickel could spell downright
disaster!
TIME note read; "Sheila call Mr..
i Mandrake at Bryant OOPS. 1t
mey be a job.--Ma."
Ma had taken messages before.
Scrawled in the corner, as an after
thought, Sheila found, Must OF
phoned around $50"
tt was hardly $3.50 now. If Man
drake wanted to see her that after
noon. she had time to reach his Of
flee even allowing half hour IN
which to freshen up.
She was trembling as the nickel
chimed in the pay telephone in the
street floor hall. Sheila gave the
Bryant number without looking at
the paper in her hand. Early in
the season she had memOrlzed IT.
Mr.. Mandrake's office? This is
Miss Shayne calling. I have mes
sage asking me to phone
The telephone operators voice
sounded aloof noncommittal.
Paine? What do you want to talk
to Mr.. Mandrake about?"
SheiIa frowncd unhappily. This
seemed a bad omen. The entire
Office should, she felt, have been
electrified to receive her call.
"Shaynel" she repeated patiently
"Sheila Shayne. Mr.. Mandrake
called me an hour ago"
After an interminable stretch OF
heart beats and telephone clicks,
another more decisive click sounded
in the receiver. A voice.
DUT it was not Mandrake. 1t
ID was a Woman's voice, clipped
and naughty this time, asking what
Sheila wanted.
MI. Mandrake called me at about
2.3O and asked me to call. This is
Sheila Shayne speaking"
There was silence.
Mr.. Mandrake was in confer
ence from 2 until g." the voice an
nounced as if that settled the mat
ter. Ruses to reach great produc-
ers are not uncommon and it is
secretary's business to keep such
calls away from her employer.
"The-the time may be wrong"
8heila stammered. But that was
the message I received"
Sorry" This time the voice dis
missed her. Mr.. Mandrake has
gone for the day" The connection
severed sharply. In daze Sheila
hung up the receiver.
Whatever the chance that had
dangled before her for a brief IN
slant she had lost it, Lost it by
few hours. while making useless
rounds among useless agents!
well" Sheila thought, trying to
laugh, L wanted shampoo and
can wash my hair now"
But it wasn't funny-loSing the
chance of Job with Mandrake. No
matter how she tried, Sheila
couldn't persuade herself that it
was.
Fitting downstairs, she lighted
the gas under the water tank,
waited fifteen minutes, turned it Off
and fitted upstairs again with an
armful of towels.
The next hour she devoted to
splashing. rubbing and rinsing her
dark hair diligently.
Outside the bathroom on the
second floor was a roof. Ma allowed
ON occasional roomer to sit there on
a chair taken from the bathroom
and view the beauties OF uoAen
hack wards while recently sham
Dooed hair dried in the wind or
hosiery huttered from a line
SheiIa belonged to the elect and
She clambered through the window.
Her hair, already half-dried, curled
in tight ringlets about her fore
head.
TINE telephone rang, sharply, in
L sistently.
There was no one else in the
bouse-unless that young man who
had lust taken the parlor floor had
come in. Another sharp peal
sounded.
Gee. I hate to go down there
Just to tell some one that Miss Bell
isn't here any more!" Sheila
orunted. Miss Bell was a popu-