The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-08-24
RECIN HERE. TODAY
By.Mary Raymond

Molly Milford, rich and popular
had received proposals OF mar.
rage from three suitors, but Brent
Stuart, whom she loves mas ho'
asked her TO marry him.
Bored with parties, Molly goes
to "The Red Poppy" questionable
night club, with another admirer,
Wick Ross. The lights go out and
when they come on Molly finds
herself dancing with handsome
stranger. He tells her his name
is "Nelson Whitaker" In reality
he is Nelson Ferguson, bank rob-
Der, one of a group planning to
spirit Molly away and hold her
for ransom.
A few days later he asks her
to have dinner with him and she
agrees. Waiting for him at a
downtown store, Molly encounters
a girl who is her exact double,
Impulsively Molly exchanges her
luxurious costume for the other
girls shabby one.
Molly and Whitaker" go to q
place called "Frenchy's." Police
arrive and there is shooting in
which Whitaker" is fatally in.
jujred. Molly is forced into a cal
and takes to a deserted farm
house.
Brent Stuart, convinced that
Molly is still alive, sets out to
NOW CO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER x
Brent sat in the office of the
city's chief of detectives. "What
do you know" he asked bluntly
"about The Red Poppy and the
man who owns it,"
Michael Donovan studied Brent
thoughtfully for a moment before
he replied. "Maybe more than has
been in the papers. It's no place
for fools and babies. AS for the
man who owns it-Black is his
name-I'd say he has a tough
heart under soft shirt. Out
wardly he keeps within limits
that is, the legal limits stretched
by his smart counsel. Some day
he's going to step over little ano
become too confident. We're wait
ing for that slip, Mr.. Stuart"
'I'd like the license number OF
his car" Brent said, land a de-
scription of it,"
Doravan turned to a file. "Glad
to accommodate you. It's an ordi.
nary black touring car, nickel
trimmed. License number
here, I'll write it down for YOU
He handed Brent a card.
"Thank you, Chief" Brent got
to his feet.
"What does Black want now?
A fine new house," the detective
queried. 81 didn't know he could
afford one. Had an idea he needed
money. At one time he could have
paid for several without noticing
it, I guess. Those were the days
when he ran a string of gambling
houses in Chicago. There were a
lot of tributaries feeding money
into Blacks pockets, but the gov
eminent located those filthy
streams. Black came here and
opened The Red Poppy He's
tanned down, according to popu-
lar opinion, but I've always done
my own thinking and I'm not con-
vinced."
"I'm not doing a house for
him." Brent said frankly.
The detective chuckl.d. 81
would have been a mighty poor
detective if l hadn't known that.
Just wanted to hear you talk a
little. Pm going to give you some
advice, Mr.. Stuart. Keep away
from Black. He's dangerous and
smart-which doubles the danger.
By the way, Blacks out of town
Has been for a couple of days.
His right-hand man is Bill Pat
rick"
"Thank you, Chief. Blacks the
man | want to see." Brent smiled
a little, but there was no smile
in his eyes.
Anything / can do?"
Nothing. Thanks just the same.
If l find l need help, I'll call on
you"
eff you ever found you needed
help, monkeying around with
those fellows, Pm afraid you'd be
beyond it. Well, good luck"
When Brent was gone the de-
tective sat alone for a while, a
frown between his keen, dark
eyes.
The sudden notoriety that had
come to "Frenchy's" resulted in a
capacity crowd for the evening
meal.
One garrulous person on the
grounds had won an audience of
sensation seekers.
81 saw that couple-the robber
and the girl-when they came in"
he said. "She was pretty as pic
ture, but she looked worried and
didn't seem to be eating much.
She kept sending. notes to the boys
in the orchestra, asking them to
play different pieces"
A man, who had driven up a
short while before in an anti
quated automobile, pressed closer
while the short, baldheaded man
was speaking.
"Then what happened?" the
stranger asked.
'"Then the police came," the
baldheaded man said. Everybody
thought the place was being raid
ed, but the police were after this
bank robber and darn if they
didn't draw a bed on him right
over my head! My table was close
to this couple, and if I hadn't
ducked when the firing began