The Washington times., 1937-02-18
NOW READ ON
Bv LLOYD G. DOUGLAS
Production Coming to Warner Bros Earle Theater
February 19)

A4 SAAA SAAAAA5
"'You can't believe everything
you hear around a place like this,
but there's a persistent rumor that
Endicott is tapering off and likely
to retire at the end of the year.
It would be rather too bad if the
Old boy passed out before some
body gives him a chance to come
clean and save his soul-in case
you've not become too sophlstl-
Gated to believe in hell and all
that sort of nonsense
Sonia had not been as much
amazed over the letter as Elise had
expected. She had listened calmly,
her eyes moody, meditative.
isn't that terrible?" regretted
Elise, prodding Sonia to some ap-
propriate comment. do you real.
ize," she urged, what a frightful
thing this is?"
After a long moment, Sonia
stirred from her catalepsy, brought
her eyes slowly back to the mySti-
fled and half-miffed Elise, nodded
several times, woodenly, and then,
leaning forward with an apologize
expression, she said, rather
huskily Pardon me, dear.
What was that you just now said
to me?"
Elise drew an audible sigh OF
carefully disciplined evaporation,
reached over the end of the daven-
port, and picked up the book she
had startled out of Sonia'S hand.
'Tll have to read this, think" ;"
she said, with precise irony. "1t
must berry absorbing"
=. Sonia had very soft, pretty
bands, and took such eXtraordl-
narily good care Of them that Elise
had not suspected the sharpness
of her claws, or she would-She
reflected afterward- been a
little more tactful in offering her
febuke. There came a sudden
hardness into Sonia'S eyes.
"You think I've not been listen
ing to that letter, don't you? Well
Jet me tell you something! I'm
q whole lot more stirred up over
it than you are, if you want to
know. And after all DR.. Paige has
done for you, helping you to a
career, you haven't the slightest
intention of moving a finger to
clear things up for him! 1 never
saw him-but I mean to get into
it,"
"Why-my goodness-Sonia"
Elise swallowed hard and her eyes
swan with sudden tears. who
would ever have thought that you
could pop off like that?"
Sonia laid a hand on her knee.
Forgive me, won't you?" she
entreated contritely. II didn't
mean to hurt you"
At / o'clock, her feelings quite
repaired. Elise yawned off to bed.
Sonia sat very still for an hour,
on the davenport, her forehead
pressed hard against her. knees,
her arms clasping herself into a
compact little bundle Of earnest
speculation concerning the auda-
cious thing she hoped to do. When
the clock struck two, she went to
the telephone.
'Information?. What time do
I get train East tomorrow night
on the New York Central?"
CHAPTER XVI
It was the last Sunday of Octo-
ber and the air was already crisp
with the feel of winter stealthily
slipping down the heavily wooded
slopes of Mount Boone into the
snug pocket that was Wembelton.
One didn't have to walk very far
in Wembelton to reach the suburbs
and the open country. The easiest
way led west and was Phyllis ia
vorite course, over the gently rising
wagon-road which, if pursued far
enough, was said to terminate
some four miles distant in an OBJ
solete logging camp. And from
there at least two well-won mar.
row footpaths diverged to straggle
circuitouSly up the increasingly
rugged flanks of Boone, the high
est mountain in that region.
1t would be pleasant to feel that
one might safely proceed alone
here as far as one cared to go,
but it seemed rather imprudent.
Phyllis had taken this walk sev.
eral times, continuing only SO iong
as the roofs of Wennelton were
we'll in sight and the wood was
comparatively open. This time she
was venturing a little further.
After another half-mile the trees
began to close in on her and with
slowing steps she decided reluc
tantly to return. 1t was deucedlJ
inconvenient to be a girl. Not more
than 200 yards farther on huge
plateau Of rock to the left Of the
road opened a generous space
where, she thought, one might
have a good view of the valley ir
which little Wembelton drowsed
venturing this added distance
phvlIis yvalked over the great flat