Evening star., 1937-01-31
Mosoxiss Section

MIN. Ivy was white with fear and dis
may, but Trina was flushed and trium-
phant. She had not failed. She had not
been alone. Nicky had not abandoned
her
Old Mosk was ashen. his jowls we're
purple. his neck swollen. He spoke as
if he were being throttled: You've
played a trick on me. I'll kill you for
this. Ill - Andy, get her for me,
before - before l."
He tore his collar open and gulped
for breath. But Andy, before he at
tackled Trina, attacked the telltale
wires, seizing them and wrenching
them. trying in vain to break them.
He tore loose the microphone and
hurled it out into the dark.
Then he turned to Trina, fairly
sobbing obscene names. She backed
away from him. toward her door, and
whirled to dash through it.
But Ivy was there. She was small
and livid with hate. Trina could handle
her with ease. but while she was
struggling with her. Andy would be -
The doorbell rang sharply. Then
there was thudding sound. as if
someone's shoulder were being driven
against the door.
While Andy and Ivy stood frozen
like figures in living statuary. and
could not move because they could
not think which way to turn. and while
old Mosk painted and gurgled in the
chair into which he had rolled. Trina
ran out into the hall. turned the spring
lock and opened the door just as
Nicky hurled himself at it again.
He came in with flying tackle that
she just managed to dodge. But after
he had crashed against the wall. he
turned and seized her in his arms with
inarticulate murmurs of relief and
love. Over his shoulder Trina could see
in the outer hall Nicky's mother. the
old lawyer. Hoffen. and two big men
of a detectivish look.
Mrs. Allard caught Trina's hand:
MY dear. you were superb. Your
mother would have been as proud of
you as am"
The key" said Trina, sobbing with
relief. The key you were going to
leave as a signal"
The man forgot, darling" said
Nicky.
The detectives and Hoffen pushed
past them into the living room. where
Trina vaguely heard, through Nicky's
excited talk, something to the effect
that Mosk and Ivy and Andy were all
three already as good as on their way
to prison for conspiracy and various
other offences against the peace and
dignity Of the state.
Mosk, in the face of opposing coun-
sci. made quick recovery from his
collapse. and began to handy legal
terms with Hoffen. big Latin words of
sonorous emptiness to the rest. But
as good lawyer as Mosk confessed
himself to be, Hoffen was a bit of a
barrister himself. And he insisted
that he could not only get Mosk dis
barred and driven out of an honorable
profession that harbors some dishonor-
able men. but he could also send him
UP to Sing Sing for long period of
meditation.
But Mosk sturdily insisted that
Hoffen was as anxious to avoid pub
licity as he was He offered to swap
silence for silence. and keep Nicky's
name as we'll as his own out of the
courts and public prints.
Hoffen looked to Mrs. Allard and
both looked at Nicky and Trina.
Hoffen could see that the prosecution
of Mosk would set Nicky and Trina on
the pillory of worldwide publicity.
The gossips would sneer and laugh at
them as long as they lived. So he de-
cided to trade with Mosk. Ivy and
Andy Bowen were to him mere worms
not worth crushing, after he had
secured from them appalling docu-