Evening star., 1934-02-12


one at a first meeting as he had beer
attracted TO this Jane Opal.
There was something about her
he had noticed 1t even when she has
been very properly ticking him Off
which had seemed TO speak-perfectl,
platonically-to the depths of hi.
soul. A kindred spirit, If there eve
was one, and the thought that sh,
was madly throwing herself away on
fellow ike Blair Eggleston rathel
saddened him. Not that 1t matteres
TO him, personally, Of course, but h,
felt 1t was pity.
"Helloi" hs sid with marked Roo<
will.
"Oh, Mr.. Franklyn!"
1t became evident to Packy tha
something had occurred to induce IL
this girl an overwhelming excitement
She was gurgling and bubbling anc
squeaking. So much so that he fel
impelled to utter kindly protest.
Pull yourself together. chump," HI
urged. Il can't hear a word"
But I'm telling you"
Il daresay. But do it slower"
Can you hear now?"
"Yes."
We'll, listen" There was q gulI
at the other end of the wire Jane
was apparently going through some
process of self-mastery. Are vol
liStening?"
Il am"
"Well-oh. darn it, where shall !
begin? Do you remember, when yol
were cutting fathers hair, somethinJ
ne said about letter."
II didn't miss a word. He hac
decided not to make Mr.. Gedge Am.
basSador TO France. and he had writ.
ten to Mrs Gedge telling her So"
That's right" There was q pause
Gosh, I'm all jellied with excite
ment."
An idea occurred to Packy. He re,
membered that Mrs. Gedge had In.
terrupted Blair Eggleston's interview
with the Senator by announcing her
self on the telephone.
Did she call and sock YOUR father
with her unbrella?"
No, no, no! Nothing like that
ListenI I'd better go back to the
beginning Father wrote this letter
to Mrs. Gedge."
Right"
"But-this Is the point-he didn't
I mean, by the same mail he hap.
pened to be writing to his bootleggel
in New York, kicking about the over.
charges in his last bill. Yes, hi,
Hrr
but get the envelopes mixed up. SO
that Mrs. Gedge got the bootlegger's
letter, and Mrs. Gedge's letter is now
on its way to New York"
Good heavensl Not realIy?"
Packy was stunned. There came
upon him a feeling Of respectful awe
as he contemplated Senator Ambrose
Opal, that intrepid man who. with a
million drys of his voting list. dared
to order his private life so MOSTLY.
1t was, he felt, the spirit of well.
he could not say exactly what it was
the spirit of. but it was most GER
would have liked to pat Senator Opal
on the back and tell him he had
misjudged him.
Have you got all that?" inquired
Jane anxiouSly.
Every syllable"
We'll. listen. When I got to the
suite, Mrs. Gedge had just left, and
I've never seen father a brighter
purple. And must say, poor darling,
he had every right to look as purple
as he liked. Because, I mean, picture
his embarrassment"
IT do"
He told me the whole thing. Mrs.
Gedge says she is going to hold him
up. II he doesn't make Mr.. Gedge
TO France, she swears she
will give his letter to the papers, and
the whole nation will know that he
a bootlegger. And that will
be his absolute finish politically. be-
cause. you see, his whole position rests
on the fact that he is a dry leader.
and If this letter is printed in the
papers he will be sunk. There are
millions of people who have always
voted for father because they believed
he was strict lemonade, and II they
Knew of this they would simply tie
1 can to him. So that's what fathers
up against, and maybe you'll say it
sn't plenty"
ITS quite enough" agreed Packy.
Yes, I should say plenty Is about
he right word"
Squeskings broke out once more at
he other end of the wire.
stop It'll" said Packy.
well, I'm excited"
so am L But bark how beautifully |
articulate."
We'll, listen" |
There was pause. Stern self
discipline seemed to be In progress
nee more. This Is the interesting
art" said Jane, becoming calmer.
''It can't be more interesting than
Act One"
Yes, it is. You see, when father
old me all this, I suddenly saw that
here was where I got the chance to-
)ut in q little smooth work It took
/ bit of doing, as you would under
tand If you had seen father standing
here with ris face bright mauve and
elling me all the things he would
Ike to do to Mrs. Gedge, which in
'ludCu ohAAlAAAAB aA0 POASOAlAlB EcT
cup. I mean, you sort of got the
that he'd had already
bout as much as he could endure.
But thought of Blair and how much
loved him, and I shut my eyes and
anne through. I told him that I was
ecretly engaged to q wonderful man,
My he hadn't any money"
did you mention that he was at
resent acting as your fathers valet?"
mo. thought it wouldn't be WISE"
quite right"
That sort of thing wants breaking
emily"
Very gently"
$50 I simply told him I was en-
aged to q wonderful man, and I said,
Suppose manage somehow to get |
ack this letter from Mrs. Gedge, win |
on consent to our marriage2' And
ather said that II I got that letter
ack I could marry the iceman II I
7anted to and he would come and
ance at the wedding"
Fair enough"
so that's how things stand at
resent. Mrs. Gedge won't be back at |
81. Rocque tor . few days, but were