The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-08-14

guardians of the peace.
They were inside now, and a
tall, suave-looking man came to-
ward them, smiling. Molly felt
his gaze rest on her for a moment
with sudden, sharp interest.
"He knows I'm. not a regular
customer" she hazarded mentally,
"and suspected. Pm all set for
something exciting e:1n. -,,vGs .
/. The proprietor signaled to q" a
waiter, who piloted them to a
table. .a.rl.. r... r.-.- e..
Molly curved her mouth down
ward to signify to Wick her dis
appointment. Wick had been
stuffy, deliberately building up an
atmosphere where was about to
collapse. There was absolutely
nothing here to thrill or excite
one.
The big room had the usual
polished dance floor. A large re-
volving mirrored disc in the cen
ter of the ceiling bathed the dane
ing area in a flood of shifting
rainbow squares. Mirror panels
other panels decorated with vivid
red peoples.
The crowd had not yet come to
life. People were sitting at tables
indifferently, looking at a quite
ordinary show with bored eyes:
Perhaps after a while that girl
with hair like green straw would
be crying in her cup and that
uglv man with her would flourish
a knife-as Brent's edition would
have it.
The music had begun. Loudly,
brassily and insistently, but the
tune was familiar. Nothing daring
or sinister in that! -,
cts a dumb sort of place,
Molly told Wick. "The Red Pop
py! Don't they get opium from
topples? The name suits 1t. 1t
could put anybody to sleep" .
1T could put people to sleep in
more ways than one" Wick said,
persisting in being stupid.
Molly's gaze roamed about, and
then she stiffened with resent
ment. The man who had well
coined them at the door was star
ing at her intently. He spoke to
another man at the table, who
wbirIed about in his chair and
stared at her, too.
She wouldn't tell Wick about
these obnoxious men. Wick might
magnify the incident and start
something. She smiled at the idea:
No, Wick wouldn't but Brent, II
he were here, would be certain to
start smashing things. =
AS though her thoughts had
turned into substance. thereon
tering the room-was Brent. .
Of all things! Coming here
when he wouldn't bring her. But
of course Brent was following her,
logging her footsteps, shadowing
her, protecting her when she
didn't want or need his protection.
"Look who's here! How did this
happen"
Wick's eyes travelled the diree-
ton of Molly's. He laughed. 1T
might be coincidence"
"But it wasn't" 49,
"The truth is, Brent called me
and asked what | was doing to-
night. / told him we were night
clubbing"
81 won't have Brent trailing me
like a bodyguard," Molly spoke
Indignantly. m-you shouldn't
have told him where we were 60
"Now, Molly, how could know
Brent would horn in? He isn't
that kind" ,
Her eyes concentrated on the
tall, blond young man VINO was
studying a menu with such aD-
sorbed attention, so obviously un-
conscious of her. She was trying
not to feel a sudden rush of pleas
ure. mingled with relief.
There was surely no need for
feeling hot and bothered. The
bold men who had shown such OBJ
iectionable interest were now en-
in conversation, evidently
having forgotten all about her.
The man she had mentally
dubbed "the proprietor" was
speaking now with newcomer,
who had sauntered by their table.
The new man was young and very
handsome, Molly marked. His
dark hair grew nicely on a poetic
kind of head. He was evidently a