The Washington times., 1937-09-04

Sne opened ILle uOOA "ANSA "AN
he walked into and down the mar
row hallway. He was a blonde.
soft man in his early forties with
light eyes and a sallow complexion.
His clothes were extreme Broad,
way, blazing with color and a
little too tight for him. He carried
a copy of the "pay-off edition OF a
morning tabloid.
With his hat still on, he turned
into the living room and dropped
into a deep, comfortable chair
where he took off his hat and
placed it on the floor beside him.
He was nearly bald. His hair Gov
cred his scalp in lace of wiSps.
Better wiggle, Cora" he Sug-
gested, looking at his wrist watch.
Its nearly 8 and I'm as hungry
as a wolf. What you been dom?
Just get up?"
The woman lounged into the liv.
ing room, pulling the negligee
more closely about her so that it
accumulated her softening curves.
She was a shapely beauty just
starting to go to seed.
mo" She met his fond, ques-
tioning eyes. Il got up at noon.
Right after you left, Joe. l was
just foolin' around, 1 guess. III
get ready"
She slouched past him to the
bedroom door through which she
disappeared. His eyes followed
her and stopped at the door and
stayed there for a long moment.
Then he sighed and shook out his
paper.
HATES HUSBAND
In the bedroom, Cora shuddered
at the sound. She hated it. She
hated everything Joe Dilbow did,
everything about him. She could
not understand whatever had
made her marry him ten years
ago when she was featured Fol
lies beauty. She could have had
her pick of any of New York'S
richest men.
And she had to pick Joe Dilbow.
A bookmaker. And she had been
paying for it ever since. Living
from hand to mouth. Up and
down. De luxe hotels this week
and cheap walkups the next. I'm
til lately when things kept getting
worse and worse. Now she didn't
even have a decent dress to her
name.
Sullenly she took off the negli-
gee and stood looking at herself
in the glass. Her body still had
all its curves, a little pronounced,
maybe, but still there. A little ex-
erciSe. There was still time. She
could get rid of Joe. 1t might be
hard. There was only one ground
for divorce in New York and Joe
was no lady's man. She knew he
had never been untrue to her.
But Toni Rubini could fix that.
Toni could fix anything. He was
just a dark kid now, eight years
younger than she. But he was 60
ing places. He knew everybody.
Already he had sense enough to
live well without working. And,
God, how handsome he was! No
wonder women were crazy about
him. Like she was. She adored
him!
LOVES TONI
With the negligee on her arm,
she stared abSently at her almost
naked image and thought of how
she loved and wanted Toni. She
wished it was last night again.
She had been with him last night
while Joe was in the Paddock
Tavern with his horse-playing
friends. But that seemed a hun
dred years ago.
That was because she hadn't
had a chance to talk with him
over the telephone. She had tele-
phoned him at his hotel at 3 that
afternoon but he had hung up
suddenly in the midst of their
conversation. She had waited
five minutes and called him again.
But he had said, "Oh, hello,
George. I haven't had a chance
to see that guy yet. When I do,
I'll call you back"
That meant there was somebody
there in the hotel room with him
and he couldn't talk but he would
call her back when the man had
gone. But he had not called her
back and it worried her. She
knew she was fool, but she could
not help it.
She heard her husband groan
in the living-room and then call,
Hey, Cora, come here!" The ur-
gency in his voice made her hurry
out, the negligee still on her arm.
DilboW was staring at the tabloid.
Look, Coral" His voice trembled
and he nodded at the paper. You
remember Toni Rubini. He was
rubbed out in his room in the
Hillard this afternoon! Somebody
shot him twice." Cora'S eyes swept
the headlines over his shoulder.
Gambler Slain. Toni Rubini
Shot BY Unknown Gunman." Her
legs were shaking and she grabbed
the top of her husbands chair.
LAST BET, LIFE
Dilbow did not notice her. He
was staring at the paper, mum
bling as he read the details.
"Gosh!" he said in an awed whis-