The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-02-26
THE STORY so TAR

buzzlng with gossip over the slf9- den disappearance of FRANK KENDRtCK, whose engagesmesis to Marcia has been annonhceA. e,
 Since his disappearancc 6 sh0rt- age in Hendricks business ae- 2 counts hes been discovered, ss5 ; z
 Refusing to let others know i16w deeply she has been hurt MaFrth goes to the dramatic club tfy-euts and is given the leading part In the forthcoming play. DOROTHY OSBORN, who dlslikes Marcia, is given . less important part.
 Afterward Marcia, her friend, HELEN WADDELL. and several others step at TONY 9TELLlC- CTS restaurant. Four men enter and stage holdup. Msrete's purse containing ring that was her mothers, Is taken. s
 Next day Helen and Marcia dls- cuss the hOldup. Helen 0Onfides thet she has heard from her cOu. sin. JOHN WADDELL, that Frank Kendrick is in Chicago.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY. CHAPTER V
 Marcia did not speak until the Waddells' maid had left coffee on ( tow table where she and Helen sat before the fireplace. After two months of enduring the knowledge of Frank Hendricks thefX and diss appearance, Helen's news that his whereabouts had been discovered, by fnerest chance, came ag Q sudden and unexpected blow. sparAlyziiig coherent thought. v
 An automaton could not have added sugar and cream to A cup. with less consciousness than did Marcia. She stirred, drank, put down the cup, with a hand be- come mechanical. Yet her first words to Helen indicated that her confusion was already settling, that she was seeking q channel leading toward q solution of the problem presented.
 "The first thing that popped iil- to my mind. just now" she said slowly. twas the possibility of amnesia. That's always the pleas antest explanation. But think the embezzlement rule that out.
 Frank as c busboyl What does thAt indicate to you. Hclen2 Not only that he's short of money stranded: but that he Is living i1 desperation. feeling himself cut off not only from his old life, but from every manner of his old life. I pity him with all my heartt
 '"Eor weeks Marcia continued. looking Into the fire, "alI of us who knew Frank have been w0ri- deYing where on earth he could be. Now that he's found, who b clever enough to know what to do about him2"
 Helen nodded. but was silent.
 VI meai.," Marcia said, "that there k . problem of proced- ,ire, to say the least. Your infor. nation --- otr information, now -- properly belongs to c lot of pe0-. pie. To the people who lost money through him. Y we really owe it to ell those people to tell them. But, then what? Should they hold | fneet- ing to decide what to do since ali have an equal interest and there- fore equal rights? Somehow, the idea is ridiculous. f
 Should you and handle the thing ourseives7 Or should we take somebody else or two or tbree sombodies else into our cobfidence?"
 But Helen was staring into the fire. as perplexed as Marcia her- self.
 ,"As Franks tilted fiancee I wasn't supposed to know" Marcia went on, ?but I do know. that couple of weeks after he went away group of people who had lost money through him made in- Q,iirics about the possibility of getting him back here in case he should be found-jtist as he has been found now. Their idea was that they'd like to compel him to come home 10 gtraighten out his affairs and to help them salvage what they could, without bring ing charges against him. Tn other words. if he were found and wouldn't return voluntarily. they wanted the state to step in. bring him back and then step out again. Hut they learned that the state would very quickly take charge of the whole affair If it were ever taken 10 the authorities. And that would certainly mean prosecution. which no one wanted"
 Helen nodded again.
 (Which means" she responded. "tIfat although it Isn't what you'd cali . strictly private matter. still it is strictly unofficial, and no one concerned wants to make it other wise. As you say. there's daes. ton Of procedure. .. Marcia, this is 10 delicate case for deli- chte words. Plainly speaking. I feel that you're the person most concerned and therefore most to be considered. What do you want done? Wouldn't 1t De best to drop tho whole thing2 Wouldn't it save ail sorts O. pain and trouble and iil feeling. to you most of oil. to keep this news to ourselves7 Why shouldn't we send word to Prank. through my cousin ih Chicago. that we alone know where he is and that we'll keep the secret. while he makes amends as best he canY'
 Marcia leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes wear fly. Just 10 think was becoming more and more painful, but she must go on with it.
 "I'd hfve a hard tinie writing down just what do feel" she said with a haif-smiie. Credit what I say or not, but I can't manage [, feel that ! ain the per- son most concerned or most likely tA ha hiir I know the idea hes