The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-01-10
How It Happened
By JUNE DALEY
g, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
WNU Service

THEY had been married six months
l. to the very day. Peggy wasn't
sentimental about anniversaries. She
didn't expect candy or flowers. She
wasn't even much disappointed when
Don forgot the date entirely-but to
have him choose that particular eve
ming to talk to her so dreadfully, and
in front Of all their friends, was real
1y too much!
''Jeepersr ~ Don had said. Haven't
you even brains enough to return
lead? If you can't learn to play
bridge why not admit it and quit"
Well, she had quit; she'd left not
only the bridge party but Don himself
several miles away. Peggy gave a
vicious push to the accelerator Of her
blue roadster and swung on two
wheels round the corner into Park
drive.
Early the next morning, Miss Vera
Stern, starting on her daily trip to the
meat market for Toddles' chop-bones,
paused before the closed door Of an
apartment on the floor below her own.
Usually at this hour q burst of sing
ing and the clatter of dishes an
nounced to passers-by that the pretty
little red-haired bride" was on the job.
Today the apartment was disturbing
ly silent.
"Not that I'm curious" she was
soon explaining to plump Mrs. Griggs
ct the corner grocery. "You know I
ever pry into other peoples affairs
but 1t did seem very queer to me, very
queer, indeed I went around to the
courtyard and looked up and every
window was shut tight. And there
was this peculiar odor. 1t somehow
suggested a hospital to me, but 1t
wasn't ether"
"Chloroform?
"Thats it. Yes, I'm sure that was
1t. Don't burglars use chloroform?"
'Yes, they do. Or sometimes people
kill themselves with 1t. But you say
they seemed quite happy?"
ooh, very happy! Just bride and
groom, you know. And she was such
a pretty little thing, with lovely red
hair. Oh, dear, what do you think I'd
better do?"
"Do? Well, of course your janitor
would have a pass-key, but 1 don't
really believe Oh, my goodness,
there's the trolley comingw
Decidedly out of breath, Mrs Griggs
sank into the seat nearest the trolley
door and discovered it's other occupant
to be a friend of her younger sisters.
They fell into casual conversation, to
which the older woman, after a time,
contributed the story she had just
heard.
"The Park Court Apartments !"
Elise exclaimed. "Yes-I know where
they are. I'll be looking for details
in the paper. SO long"
Don Bidf looked up from his desk,
annoyed by the chatter of the filing
clerks inside the next partition. He
half rose from his chair to ask for
quiet, overheard some one say 1.-THE
Park Court Apartments" and sank
back to listen.
"Do go on, Elise. It's like hearing
a newspaper story before it comes
out"
'"Only I don't know the end. Any
way this young couple had been living
there for six months, and they seemed
crazy about each other, she said
which doesn't sound like suicide. But
all the doors and windows were shut
tight and stuffed round the edges with
rags, and burglars wouldn't do that
Then there was this terrible smell of
chloroform, simply overpowering, and
no answer to all their pounding on the
door"
"My heavens, girls what ails Mr..
Biddle?
Hes been acting queer all morning
and now he's dashed off without his
coat or hatw
oil oet +ho {,,