Evening star., 1935-11-05
INSTALLMENT XIV.

USE III Trying W eueSI ousdA .
release until morning.
~ Even the thought of sleep
ing under the same roof with his
sister-in-law was repulsive to him.
So he took room at the hotel to
spend the rest of the night. But
there was no sleep for him. His
emotions were an incoherent mixture
of Joy at the discovery that he was in
love with Sugar. and sadness and fury
at the predicament she was in.
But he had absolute confidence in
his brother. In the morning Dick
would force Jane Lee to have Sugar
released. He didn't believe his
brothers wife actually thought her
guilty. 1t was just her way of paying
him back for humiliating her by TAX
ing this little nobody to sit in the
family pew at church.
It was wonderful. Jim Carter mused
in the wee sma' hours of the morn
ing, to be in love. And still more
wonderful to be so much in love you
didn't care in the least that your love
was a girl who. didn't even know her
right name She might be a princess
or a pauper. All that mattered was
that she was his.
Sugars cell was no longer dirty
old hole in the county Jail after Cart
had gone. 1t was a beautiful place
woven with dreams. and out of her
tragedy had come the only real happi-
ness she had ever known
She thought of Johnny, and was
sorry he was in trouble. There was
still no doubt in her mind that he
could not have actually stolen the
money. She would do everything in
her power to vindicate him.
. Knowing at last what love was,
Sugar was certain that what Johnny
felt for her was not the real thing
not the love of a man for the woman
who was to be the mother of his
children. For marriage without babies
was something that had no place in
Sugars thoughts. Babies were
blessed part of life.
If Johnny had truly loved her he
would not have lied to her. He would
not have deceived her about knowing
,Zanie Lou. and kept from her the
fact that Zanie was giving him pres
ents. Poor Johnny His besetting
sin was his impatience. and too much
ambition. They could never have
been happy together, really.
Thus Sugar reasoned it all out.
and was surprised that it did not
hurt more than it did. She was
surprised, too, that she did not know
Cart was the man she loved from
the minute she set eyes on him. But
1t was best, she decided, that love
hadn't struck her like binding light
that night down in the ratty old
cellar. Because it would have seemed
hopelessly impossible than that the
wonderful Jim Garter could love her.
And she probably would have run
far away from it all to die a lonely
old maid
Scoop was so busy picking up
threads and shifting out the truth
about the LIE Masters Theater robbery
that it was almost midnight before
he learned of Sugars incarceration
in the old jail. When he did he
grew purple with rage.
But there wasn't much he could
do after II in a town as small as
Lorien. Everything was closed up
like tomb. For hours he walked
the streets like Gagged lion, fuming
at the slow passing Of time. Finally,
too weary to walk any further, he
went back to his room to throw
himself on the bed, fully clothed, and
for In tar1ao lit
News of Sugars engagement to
Johnny had dazed him at first. But
as he thought it over calmly he didn't
see how it could possibly materialize
Johnny was only a 17-year-old pen
nlleSs boy. And he was a thief. There
was no doubt in Scoops mind that
he had taken the money. His disap-
pearance clnched that. He was
deeply sorry Sugar had cared for him.
But they had been thrown together
since they were babies. and it was
no doubt small case of puppy love-
two lonesome children clinging to
each other for love and companion
ship.
Sugar would get over it; then he
would have a chance to tell her of
his own love. 1t was clear to SCOOP
then, why she had suddenly cooled
toward going out with him: JOHNNY
had left the orphanage and she felt
that she had to be with him on her
nights off
Then Scoop fell to musing on the
red-headed mystery girl angle. Sud
denly he sat up in bed and crunched
out his cigarette. There was only
one other girl he had seen in Lorien
who might have been mistaken for
Sugar by some one who didn't know
her very well. zanie Lou!
r She had red hair. She was about
: the same height. And she wore
green oftener than any other color.
Inc green dress Sugar wore had
been given to her by zanie Lou. Did
rSlle know Johnny? Could IL be Dos |
-sible that it was she who left the |
theater about the time of the rob-
berry?
Scoop fumed impatientIy until 7
oclock. Then he felt he couldn't
restrain himself from calling the
lie Masters house any longer. They
would no doubt be up early on ac-
count OF the robbery. 1t was Eurasia
who answered the phone; from the
kitchen.
is Miss zanie Lou at home this
morning?' Scoop asked in his silkiest
tenor, and held his breath.
No. sub; she amt" Eurasia Won
dered who could be asking for Zanie
30 early in the morning. who dis
calm. please?"
, This is Bill Darwin, an old friend
OF hers from New York." Scoop fibbed
lightly. I'm motoring through and
stopped at the hotel last night. I'd
noped TO say hello. Can you tell
me where I can reach her please,
madam"
- The darky was taken up with the
respect and friendliness of the strange
= yNiPo Chn trioI o.