Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-18
CHAPTER XIV.

-E RRY paused for a moment
and bit his lower lip. John
Storms father has had a
Il stroke, Betsy" he said. John
left right away for Boston. I drove
him to the airport. He didn't say
much, but he took the news hard.
Tough on him, starting month late
at the university and then having to
lose this time, too. But to get back
to the party-I could get Dizzy Mel
son for you if you're not so squeamish
about blind date as you used to
be. That is"
John Storm has gone to Bostonl"
Betsy said, more to herself than to
Terry, experiencing a pang Of loneli-
ness at the thought of Johns being
out of Washington mentally
following every step of his dolorous
journey-to the airport, getting on
the plane, landing and hurrying to
hospital where the stern, gray
haired man of the photograph lay i'll,
perhaps dying. Suddenly she felt that
she would like to be with John, to
comfort him, to say gentle little things
that would help him to bear this
trouble.
Yeah, Boston. And not the North
Pole" Terry laughed. You sounded
as if I'd said the North Pole, Betsy.
Did you know that? Not falling for
him. are you? wish you would He's
right guy"
Terry, don't be absurd"
absurd, Ell? Listen, tell me some
thing" he asked, cooking a brow at
her. why are girls always like you?
II they have Is swell men TO choose
from they always pick out the six
tenth, who is more than likely to be
louse!"
Terry"
I'm sorry" he said quickly. II
told you I'd try to be more decent
about Marshall Van Devanter, and
here I go backing down on my word.
Well, it won't happen again. ]
promise"
The Cats Eye was at once a dis
reputable and a fashionable eStab-
lishment. People like Libby Stock
ton and Jennie Travers often sat
there, right next to people like Sonia
KarSof, burlesque queen whose
father was q drunkard, and Tige
Williams, notorious New York
killer, who had made a fortune in
liquor before repeal, had done
ct inn RI Nd
was now cleaning up in the snatch
racket" Tige had kidnapped young
Chauncey Willoughby, 4th, and the
opulent Willoughbys had paid over
100000 in cash to Tige and his gang
Of hot shots - "quick-on-the-t trigger
men," Upon receipt of the money
Tige had sent bullet through The
young mans heart, had weighted him
with rocks and had dropped him of
the coast into the Atlantic.
The night club occupied what had
once been a ground-fioor store of a
cheap Office building. BY demolish-
ing the plaster partitions the owners
had made four dark cubby holes into
one long, narrow room. The walls of
this room the decorators had caused
to be painted with the green eyes of
cats friendly eyes, glistening,
angry eyes, large eyes, small eyes. The
windows and doors were the faces of
cats distorted with bullying, prominent
orbs-"Like pussies with thyroid trou-
ble," as Terry had told Betsy that
afternoon on the way home.
That night when Betsy and Terry
and Dizzy Nelson, a dark, studious
young man, who looked as if he had
been born wearing tortoise-shell
glasses and reading Cicero" went into
the Cats Eye, Betsy saw Sonia seated
In a far corner of the club. There
were several young men and girls
around her table, young men, who, in
the vernacular of the hour, might
be called mugs" and girls who were
obviously destined to become fat,
frowsy women.
Terry looked first at Sonia, ap-
praisal and gentleness in his eyes
Then he saw the man who stood be-
hind her like a shadow an
arrogant, squat, oad-Shouldered
man with heavy. pouting lips, rheumy
black eyes, shaggy brows. One thumb
was caught under broad, candy striped
Suspenders as he slouched in his chair,