The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-08-14

behind the sheltering palms, Toni
was certain that this wraithlike
creature had once been the daz-
zling beauty whose picture hung
in Niklas's office.
She was now painfully thin. In
spite of careful makeup and the
soft lights of LIE Chateau de la
Marquise, the skin that was
tightly drawn over the prominent
cheek bones seemed yellow as
parchment. The curiously slanted
eyes were deeply Sunken.
"She has loved him and has
suffered" thought Toni with
quick sympathy.
Hadn't she heard Lou Steiner
telling Niklas that Lola wanted
to see him at the sanitarium, and
the promoter CURLY refusing the
sick woman's request?
REPORT PROGRESS
1t had been Lou Steiner'S GUS
tom to pay her visits from time
to time, and report her progress
to his chief who, thought Toni,
was probably footing the bills.
And why not?
He was rich. The girl had
worked for him for a long time.
Probably loved him deeply. too.
Lola glided with the sinuouE
movement Of panther into Mix
lass private office.
More people came into lie Cha
teau de Ia MarQuise. Close to
Toni, on the other side Of the
palms, the boy who had ques.
toned her about Brock at Har'
riet BreWster'S party, seated him
self with a smartly gowned woman
at a table for two.
His companion, Toni noted.
seemed highly keyed UP. AS
jumpy as a flea, in fact. Toni
had met her at Miss Brewster'S
and knew she had a husband.
Probably, thought Toni, she had
come here for an evening on the
sly. There was something, re-
GREETED Toni, illicit in the roman
tic atmosphere of the place.
More than one married woman
had flirted here till dawn, in a
party of two!
Was marriage such a failure?-
Toni wondered. Or was New York
impossible for marriage? Society
women loathed monotony, the
humdrum life. How oddly, for in
stance, that woman with Teddy
LeStrange was behaving. She
would jump up, stare about he.
then sit down hastily. Too many
cocktails? Or did she fear the
arrival of an angry husband?
Nervous herself tonight. Toni re-
solved she would see NiklaS as
soon as Lola left his office, and
beg off from her performance.
ORCHESTRA BEGINS
Lola emerged and came round
the back of the orchestra, which
was beginning to tune up.
She was behind Toni now, close
to the couple on the other side Of
the palms. She gave a sharp,
short cough, at which Teddy LIE
Strange's companion swung around
abruptly and hastily got up.
There was something so dis.
tinctiVe in that cough Of Lola's
that TOMS interest was caught.
She rose also.
EXCUSE me( Teddy; I just want
to powder my nose. I'll be back
in minute"
This came over the palms.
With Lola standing there, Toni
could not follow the speaker d.
rectly, but went to the powder
room by a different route, via the
clubs private office. It was done
on an impulse.
Lola, she felt, would follow this
woman, though not by the flicker
of an eyelash had a sign Of recog-
milton passed between them.
The ladies' retiring room con.
sisted of a small sitting room with
a mirror in it, and beyond, bou-
doir full of dressing tables and
long mirrors.
1t was empty now. Toni slipped
into the boudoir.
Directly after. she heard the
outer door open, and the quick
rustic Of taffetas hurrying to the
boudoir.
SOMETHING WHITE
Yes, there was the woman who
was with Teddy LeStrange. She
was pulling something white. like
an envelope, from the bosom OF
her gown. feverishly gathering UP
the small cotton padS-used for
applying powder-out Of a large
container on a dressing table, SHOW
ing the envelope to the bottom.
and replacing the pads OF cotton
on top Of the envelope.
Toni waited till she heard the
outer door close.
Ito Be COntinued)
Copyright. 1881. By King Features
SV11iaata IWAA