The Washington times., 1937-07-24


hugh?"
Tomorrow at noon," repeated
Toni, her face in a set smile. She
got into the taxi, giving the adj
dress of CasSie's apartment. The
cab swung round, and off.
Was Fatty annoyed with her?-
she wondered. But she'd handled
the situation beautifully, to her
own mind. He knew now that her
voice was good. That was the one
thing that truly counted.
Arrived at the tiny apartment
that had been her home for the
past three weeks. she heard a
mans voice, and Castles gay
laugh.
Cassie called:
THAT you, Toni? Say, I've a sur
prise for you! Who d'you think
walked in on me? None other than
the boy friend! Meet Hermann"
Toni stood rooted to the spot as
Herman rose, took a step forward,
stared at her.
"Why-you! You here?" Her
voice was angry, incredulous,
shocked! 1t was the man who, this
afternoon, had taken her ten dol
lars and palmed off the old catskin
on her!
CHAPTER TX
Toni aWoke at II O'Clock the
next morning to the loud ringing
of the alarm clock.
This was the all-important day
Of the addition. But merely a
matter of form now, she having
acquitted herself so excellently in
Dawes Blue Room the night be-
fore!
She turned off the alarm, not
wanting to wake Cassie in the
other bed. But, glancing over, she
saw there was no Cassie. The
bed had not been slept in. That
was funny. But perhaps the usu-
ally sleepy Cassie had risen early,
tidied the place, and then gone
out.
In the living room were empty
glasses, half sandwich on q
plate, cigarette ashes on the floor.
And if Cassie had gone out, she
hadn't made her morning coffee.
More likely she'd "done the town"
with Herman. And how had the
night ended? Toni was worried
about Cassie.
Ought she, on her return last
night, to have denounced Herman,
then and there?-She wondered.
Shown him up for what he was, to
the girl who loved him, and who
had been so kind to him?
She hadn't wanted to hurt Cas-
sic.
But Cassie had seen their mu-
tual shock at meeting. Had acted
in huffed, suspicious manner,
thereafter. Toni had gone to bed,
following Herman's brazen remark
that she was confusing him with
someone else. Cassie apparently
had not swallowed that.
Toni dressed, breakfaSted, and
was backStage at the Casino well
before noon.
She waited. Chatted with the
stage hands working with new
scenery. Noon came. A half hour
passed. No Fatty GuSheim.
She began to wonder if she had
made a mistake in not yielding to
his whim about going up to his
apartment. Often he gave par
ties. He was hospitable. Had she
been overprudish in SuSpecting an
Interior motive?
She sent a prop boy for a sand
Wich and a glass of milk and con.
tinued to wait, hoping. Hours
passed.
At half-past six, it was time to
snatch light dinner and hurry
back to the Casino. The director
would explain what had hap
pened. Something had prevented
his coming for her addition.
She was sure of that.
Arrayed IN a gorgeous gown
and a huge hat Swirled in ostrich
feathers, Toni and the other show
girls drifted about the deck of the
yacht in the first scene. The
principal sang as though she'd
never heard of laryngitis Had the
directors gesture been nothing
but a trick?-Toni wondered.
Calamity, for Toni, occurred
toward the end of the scene. She
was tripping down the gangplank,
right in view of the audience,
when the girl behind her, crowd.
ing her, pushed her suddenly, so
that her heel caught in the plank
ing. She fell to her knees, righted
herself, but an "Ah!" went I'D
from the diners. The rhythm was
broken, there was an awkward.
ness among the other girls, a loud
laugh from some one in the
audience. Then order and rhythm
were restored.
Ito Be COntinued)
Copyright. 1887. by King Features