The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-08-22

InaC was all!
Yes" Donna replied slowly.
mo, there was something else.
She didn't like vivid finger nail
polish. | do, but Molly always
preferred a natural shade. Her
nails were deep red. She must
have decided to change. l told
you about the mood she was in:
Fed up with doing the same, old
things, she said. 1t must have
been that Molly suddenly lost her
mind"
No" Brent said. "Molly's per-
fectly sane"
Donna did not notice that he
used the present tense. She said,
"You loved her, Brent"
Deeply, Donna. Ever since she
was in high school. But | never
told her. 1t didn't seem fair until
after her debut. / wanted her to
have her fun, and not be swept
into marriage because of any
early romance. Now" his voice
was tense with repressed emotion,
81 wish | had. Maybe we would
be married, and she would be
safe and happy now"
Donna watched him drive away.
Brent was taking this awfIlly
hard. What a strange st"te OF
mind he was in-asking all those
morbid questions. She had humor-
ed him because he seemed so des-
perately eager.
Driving rapidly, Brent found
himself talking aloud. THE girl
who killed herself wasn't Molly.
Molly sent me a message after
that girl was dead. She's alive?
He could have shouted the fact
aloud. But if he did, who would
believe him? People would say
grief had unsettled his mind.
That girl who was so much like
Mollv that her father, her step
mother, and the man who had
loved her for years had been de-
ceived, was not Molly. She had
worn Molly's clothes, but she was
not Molly.
Molly was somewhere in des-
perate need of him, expecting him
to come.
There was something that Molly
had to do. She shuddered a little
as she took out the compact and
lipstick that had belonged to the
dead girl. With acute danger over
for the time, at least-Molly
had lost the hunted, frightened
look. The drawn lines about her
mouth were gone this afternoon.
Careful makeup could assist with
her masquerade.
She frightened lips up to a vul-
gar vividness, spread crimson
flush on her cheeks, and applied
powder to her forehead and chin.
The door had opened quietly.
Frightened, Molly dropped the
articles in her purse and turned.
But the masked woman's words
harsh and ugly as they were
treasured Molly. At least the
woman had not suspected the real
reason behind her careful make
up.
"Prettifying, amt you? And for
what, my beauty? For Louis? It's
too bad, but Louis don't like girls.
He'd stand up before a machine
gun squad before he'd talk to one.
If YOU knew how Louis feels
toward you, you wouldn't be vast
ing no paint and powder on him.
He figures you might be the cause
of him moving to the Big House
as a permanent boarder. Maybe,
though, twas Steve you had your
eyes on"
''No," Molly. spoke carefully.
81 was just doing things to my
face--I guess it's just habit with
me-"
"You don't have to tell me
about the habits of girls like you.
You had me fooled for a while,
thinkin' you had been let down
like a ton of bricks. Say, l sure
was soft, fallin' for that line"
Honest, lit was just habit.
I wasn't thinkin' of nobody"
"Well, l don't like you with
war paint on. 1t gives me the jit-
tiers. Take it off and don't put 1t
on again. Wait, l'll get you
towel"
"Now, Winnie, wouldn't go to
so much trouble" The tall man
Molly knew as "Steve" lounged
in the doorway. The woman
whirled at the sound of his voice.
whats the sense of her maxim
herself beautiful? You'd think she
was going to a dance instead OF
spending the night in the wood
ROOM"
"It's a pity she got messed up
with Nelse. She'd look right nice
on a dance floor" Steve drawled.
$50 you think sop the blond
woman exclaimed angrily.
Hold your tongue, Winnie.
What's the excitement about any
way? Just because the little girl
makes her face all red and white
kinda OVERLOOKING, I think