Evening star., 1933-11-09

1Orth the length OF MS once.
Sue thinking He's year!
older. Old and sagged and gray
Women can do this to men
Bend them. Sap them. Smash them
"Everything's being done that can be
done" Henry Hume said, interruptine
his pace to emphasize his avowal. my
people over there are checking up or
this fellow Baltino--JuleS Baltino. She
met him some place along the Riviera
Cannes or Antilles. He's the regular lot
Kid gloves and no socks. About hall
her age. She fell for him hard from
what I can learn. He's butterfly
chaser. Chases rich women, older ones
without escorts, looking for fling. He
steers them to certain smart restaurants
fer the food and tips"
Doesn't she know he's Just cheap
parasite?" Sue asked.
mo. She thinks he's pluned knight
sent from heaven to be her private
Casanova. She expects to marry him.
She may, If she can get enough money
out of me to make it worth his While:
silly old fool" Mathilda Snorted.
when they get that way, their families
ought to use an ether cone on them"
"I wouldn't care" The pacing re-
sumed. I'D welcome the chance to pay
and get out of her life, If she hadn' t
used Miss Santry-Mrs. Randall, that
is-to Dry me loose from my money ana
from her. I knew about the fellow
Baltino this Summer while we were In
Paris. 1 was glad he'd turned up be-
cause While she had him she wouldn't
annoy me. 1t didn't work. What l
failed to figure was the cupidity OF MS
sort"
IF YOU offered him money, sub
stantial lump sum- Mathilda said, he
might be glad to disappear and forget
all about being a bridegroom. On the
theory that a bird in the hand Is worth
two in BUSH
1--WE thought Of that. But first I
must find If there Is something we can
get on the fellow, something he has
done or is doing that won't stand the
light of day. II I don't, there's the
danger he'll take the money and then
turn up again. I've got to have him
where I can squeeze him any time he
raises his head"
What are the chances of squeezing
him?" Sue. asking.
Il should say they are excellent
The best agents on the continent are
working to uncover him. It will take
time. We must hold of the trials OF
the divorce and the suit against Mrs.
Randall until everything possible has
been done over there. If we get the
right evidence, the case against Mrs.
Randall may never come to trial. and
the divorce suit will be on my basis. Ii
we don't get the right evidence. we will
at least unearth some weapons which
will be valuable to our attorneys. Our
first big ace in the hole Is that my
wife is infatuated with Baldino. She'll
90 to any length to protect him. We
must give her cause for protection.
"It may take months" Sue, mu-
tinous against delay.
1.-TWO or three at the least" Henry
Hume said. owing to the thriving
business done by divorce mills we
couldn't expect to have the case tried
before that time even though it were
uncontested."
Sue, twisting a handkerchief to
shredsl TITS Incredible Innocent per-
sons can be accused. Their whole lives
can be wrecked while they're waiting to
prove their innocence"
mo, they can't" Mathilda insisted,
'unless the innocent parties haven't
the spineS to prevent wrecks"
I'm sorry to lose you, Mathilda,
from the Office" Henry Hume said
You're more valuable to me than three
men and boy. But it's better that
you remain with Mrs. Randall. She'll
need you and this promises to be the
kind Of game in which wits will be at
a premium"
1t was arranged that Henry Hume's
lawyers would take care of Sues de-
tense as well as the answer to the d.
vorce.
'Matty, you must wire JEFF at once
to stay where he is" Sue said as they
left the building Maybe it isn't nee
essary. But just in case he might feel
obliged to come back, I want him to
know that his muddling In this affair
with Mrs. Hume is the last thing I
want him to do. It's my own battle
and want to fight it in my own way"
Good We're making progress.
Growing spines. can't answer for
Jeffrey, though"
Make him understand that because
Of what's happened Mr. Clifford will
never approve of me- JEFF and I have
been chasing pots Of gold at the end of
rainbows. We've missed the rainbows
and we've lost the pots of gold"
Maybe your spine isn't growing so
strong after al" Mathilda said.
It's grown strong enough to hold
my head up"
That's the spirit. Well dismiss your
chauffeur with limousine Well have
tomato and lettuce sandwiches with
chocolate sodas at the drug store
around the corner And we'll arrive
at the Randall town house by taxi. A
taxicab under that porte-cochere will
be a novelty"
"Mattyi" Distress signals from Sue
t"We're not going back to that"
"Morgue? Deed and we are. We're
the bad pennies that roll home when
we're least expected. Our heads are
up and that's the way we're keeping
them"
You mean we're staying therein
prison"
Long enough to let the noble cousins
know we have spines. Tell Conner he's
through for the day. Tell him to take