The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-08-15

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you're jealouS!"
1T seems I can't keep up with
the competition. Again may |
ask, who is paying for all this?"
II can't tell you. It's "a pri-
vate arrangement"
Not So private as you think.
You can't get away with things In
this town Luana. Did you see
the morning. paper? 1t was most
-enlightening."
IT didn't see any morning pa
pers. I've been much too busy.
$50? Everyone else has read
them. Mrs. Vandaveer on the
boat this morning"
"Ah! That accounts for the
way you're behaving to me! She
was travelling with you'll" breathed
Luana.
"You decline to tell me who
established you?" he asked
stiffly.
One week later, Luana's dress
shop had its opening, and the
richest women in New York
piled in.
The gowns were voted lovely.
Much more original and beauti-
full and becoming to the Amer
lean figure than anything that
had been seen in the town for a
long time!
He came on an autumn eve
ming when the sun was splashing
in dying colors over the Hudson
River. He came when she was
least expecting him, after day
so long and trying that she
thought it never would end.
That night, she and Jimmy dis
cussed their future. Until the
question of the annulment cleared
up, there could be no wedding
ceremony.
He left her at 10 o'clock, as un-
happy as she was, and as restless.
There was a flash of lightning,
followed by clap of thunder.
Luana shivered.
Then came the storm. 1t was as
though the very heavens were tear
ing apart.
In lull, she heard a step on the
terrace. Jimmy returning?
She rushed to the telephone, to
call up Jimmy, to ask him to come
back for her. Lifting the receiver,
there was a buzzing on the line.
Then-snap! Complete silence,
broken by another step out on the
terrace. Good gracious! Someone
out there had cut the wire!
Gerald Bruton looking in at her
in her pretty living room. Gerald
Bruton raising the sash, grinning
strangely at her.
Forgive me for cutting your
telephone wires, Elizabeth beg
your pardon, Miss Luana Waters
but having been betrayed once.
man takes his precautions the
second time. You can't COM
municate with the police this
time, my dear. Oh, no! I've
taken care of that! I bided my
time till your-loVer-departed!"
She screamed. She backed
against the wall. In her terror
she shouted: Jimmy! Jimmy!"
Revenge is sweet, Elizabeth
Luana. Call for your Jimmy all
you want to, but it's your husband
who's here - your husband who
wants YOU"
This was the real Gerald Bru-
ton. His was the face of a
maniac, coming nearer, nearer
Came loud knocking at the
front door of the penthouse. Sum-
moning all her strength, she gave
a loud scream for help.
In a flash Gerald was on her,
choking her, so that she fell on
the sofa with his two hands at
her throat.
Jimmy told it to her late that
night, when Gerald Brutons body
was lying in the Bellevue morgue.
after I left you, Luana, and
was walking down Madison Ave
nue., it was as though I heard you
calling me, calling me back. -"
1T seemed like an hallucination,
because I was so much in love with
you, but finally it was so strong.
turned and ran back to the build
ing. I'd just knocked at the front
door of the penthouse when I
heard you shouting my name. I
flew around to the terrace and
saw a window open and I jumped
through, and there you were on
the soft with that brute throttling
the life out of you.
II went right at him, Luana. He
had a gun and in our tussle it
dropped. He was shot full of
dope-I'm certain of it-ne fought
like a madman-but suddenly he
broke away from me and fled out
the window. I followed. He got
in the elevator and slammed the
door shut. I raced down the
stairs, but he made his getaway
into the street.
HE wheeled east across LeXing-
ton, the policeman followed him in
another cab that happened to be
passing. The streets were infer
nally skiddy in the rain and, turn
ing hell-for-leather into Third Ave
nue., he crashed head on into pill
low of the elevated railway.
On the train heading for San
Francisco were Luana and Jimmy.