The Washington times., 1937-01-09

Mo a tumble when she's around
everywhere with Tim O'Halla-
ham," Brenda replied.
$50 she steps out with him,
huh?"
"He had her in a box at the
opera last night, and what she
wore certainly didn't come out of
her pay check-not out of 40 a
week-you understand"
II get you"
'It's a shame" said willy Brenda,
"that you should be landed with
q big consignment of goods that
won't move. And the space that
was given it in the Sunday layout,
and again last Wednesday. People
have been kidding about 1t-1
mean, the other buyers"
Does Bradley know all this?"
ct haven't any idea." said
Brenda.
"He ought to-" Herman pressed
q button on his desk, and rose. He
had his own opinion of Ann Della
field-those stuck-up Delafields
who had dared to snub his daugh-
ters-why! Now he remembered
that Becky had had quite a crush
on Tim O'Hallahan, and Tim
hadn't been around to see her in
the past week or so, and Momma
had told him Becky had been cry
ing about it. The tickle Irishman
had dared to double-croSS him in
two ways!
His secretary came in from the
outer office.
y "Get Miss Delafield on the
phone Immediately, and have her
come right here"
Brenda departed, looking exactly
like the cat that had swallowed
the canary. Herman sank back
In his chair.
Not only was Delafield a rotten
buyer, putting him in the red and
all, with this consignment, but she
was accepting graft, he was as
sured. Instead of giving her
money out his own pocket, that
tricky O'Hallahan, the Irish devil,
was charging extra on the goods
supplied to her department, on
her orders, giving her the surplus,
making the store pay through the
nose.
"Iu fire her! But first she'll
get an earful that'll surprise her!"
said Herman balefully as he
awaited Ann.
CHAPTER XXVI
Ann did not see Mr.. Herman
Weiss that fateful afternoon.
For disaster had hit the house
of Delafield, with the likelihood
Of reverberations much farther
reaching than the accusations of
sraft-taking to be leVelled at the
youngest daughter.
While Brenda Selz was closeted
with the Store-oWner, pouring out
her venom, Ann had received a
frantic telephone call in her de-
partment from Claire's best friend,
Carol Ditmar.
''For lands sake, Ann, come
home at once! There's a detective
in the flat, and Claire's going to
be taken in front of the district
attorney"
Telling her assistant to carry on
that afternoon, Ann leaped into
a taxi, promising the driver an
extra tip if he could reach the
house between Lexington and
Third Avenue in record time.
He did so.
Whitefaced, Ann raced up the
steps of the old broWnstone build
ing and let herself into the apart
ment. The sound Of half-muttled
Sobbing smote her ears.
Lollie? It would kill her mother
II disgrace came to the family!
Or was it Claire crying? For a
long time she had dreaded while
she anticipated calamity to her
eldest sister, with her mania tor
contract, her mad passion to win
At the turn of the key in the
lock, Carol Ditmar came out into
the little entrance lobby, ordered
Ann into the nearest bedroom
which was Lollie's - closed the
door.
"If she'd only told me she
wanted money I'd have got it for
her somehow! But it's too late
now! She'll get a Sentence!
Carol announced dramatically.
"What's happened?" In the
midst of her own shock and ter
ror, it was amazingly borne in on
Ann that Claire's best friend was
revelling in her downfall, or some
thing very like it. 1t was horr1'
BILE.
"she's done something terrible!
Why, there was case in the pa
uers similar, only week or SO
ago, and the man got from 10 TO
20 years! Of course he's spent
the insurance money on the jew
elry, and fortunately Claire hasn't
for she hadn't got it"
Ann gripped her wrist so hard
that Carol stopped short. For
heavens sake, cut it out, and get
to the point!" snapped Ann. .
Let go! You're hurting! 1t
isn't you who should take that
attitude, it's 1 who have a right
to be annoyed! Dragging me into
a criminal case, hauling me up
before a jury! Herbert'll be furi,
ous!" CHerbert was her hus'
Ann shot at her: What has
Claire done?"
The false friend tossed her
head. "You may well ask! Only