The Washington times., 1938-12-14
By BELLE BRUCK

"ObAA w 0AOAAS AoOSAs
Hilda adored West Third Street
i. But still to be returning to it at Q
Il time when you had planned anc
!, believed and felt sure that you
+ would be in Paris! PariS That
t was where she, Hilda, would have
been this very minute only FOR the
. twins, her cousins, those jealous
: spiteful cats! Writing to Aunt
j Rose about the engagement to
=. Andre, which they knew full we'll
was really no engagement at all,
. merely lark.
And Aunt Rose, who had made
t it plain at the beginning that the
weekly drafts on her account
: which her three nieces were to
draw were for the pursuits of cu,-
| tue-not roma a n ce-had acted
swiftly. The cable had read:
Knew a Frenchman myself once
but married a man from Rochester
return New York at once the twins
can stay on"
THERE HE WAS
So here she was. She opened
the bedroom door-and saw him!
He was sitting on the edge of her
bed. He wore a black and white
striped beach robe and red leather
slippers and he was staring at her
in surprised indignation, quite as
if she hadn't the right to be there!
II say" he accused, you weren't
to be back till October"
Anger at once dissolved Hilda's
first feeling of fright. She also
couldn't avoid noticing that her
beautiful, tenderly guarded glazed
chintz spread was huddled in an
ignominouS, bulky mass over on
the wing-chair.
How dare he! Her eyes fastened
themselves on the telephone over
on the night-table. Thank God she
had forgotten to have it tempo
rarily disconnected!
The person on the bed read her
glance. Il know" he affirmed,
you're going to call the police. 1t
won't do much good, though. I
have receipts and things. They
might, though, get Columbus. I'm
not sure" he concluded, what the
charge would be-"
"Columbus!" Hilda faltered. Co.
lumbus was the building superin-
tendent. What has he to? You
better explain" she said coldly,
"at once"
The intruder settled himself
more comfortably on the bed.
AL right" he was beginning, "it
happened like this" I came here
about week after you left. Won't
you sit down? No? Well, Colum-
bus rented me the smallest room
on the highest floor in the hottest
part of the house :"
One night he had come in very
late, he went on to tell her. The
hot room had achieved the un-
achieVable. 1t had become even
hotter. 1t was, in fact, on fire.
He had given the alarm, the blaze
had been put out and so had he.
He had had no money for hotel,
it had been late and Columbus
had wanted, he supposed, to get
some sleep for himself. There
hadn't been a vacant room or
apartment in the house.
Columbus had escorted him to
her, Hilda's apartment, sworn him
to secrecy and care about cigarette
burns, linens and such, and left
him for the night.
NOT ON RECORDS
That was how, he explained, it
started. The very next morning
he had talked Columbus into what
followed. Nobody would know.
Nobody stood to lose by the ar
rangement. He enjoyed three
pleasant rooms at the same rate
at which he had formerly suffered
in one. He was sure that the
weekly receipt which Columbus
handed him had no tally on the
ledgers of the company which
owned the building. But-Colum-
bus was bably underpaid
anyway.
1t was deplorable-he admitted
that she had returned before
her time. Because if she had
waited even one day more per-
hapS, it was quite possible that he
would have been gone. She would
never have had to know then.
Columbus wife had been going to
straighten everything before her
return.
Hilda didn't know whether to |
laugh or to weep. But something
he saw in her face must have re-
lieved the young man. He stood
up, towering over her. you must
be tired. Would you care for a |
cup of your own coffee?"
II should notify the authori-
ties" she told him severely, but
there are the children to consider
1 suppose"
Now" she said briskly and as
If she had come to a decision, I'll
give you five minutes to dress and
go. I'll wait out in the living
room"
I'm afraid" he said with al
deep sincerity, that can't leave
right now. Not until my pants
come. They're at the tailor's be
ing pressed"
Put on another suit, or-any-
thlng-only please leave, Mr.
"Trask," he supplied eagerly.
Melvin TraSk. You're probably
| thinking this is nrettv lou, oovoarIxy