The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1938-11-18
BOOMERANG
81
BY cOSMO HAMILTON
Q Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service.

~ LIE CluO lOCACf xAoiIy 0iiolT
wood was initiating Chef Kir-
by's slow manner of speaking
when someone had said:
"Goshl Harry, II couldn't actll-
ally see you there I'd bet my last
dime it was Chef himself talking.
You'd make fortune doing that
kind Of stuff on the STAGE" 10 sdd-
ed, laughing and putting down his
empty hiehbalI glass.
Other golfers, In various stages d
undreso, noisily indorsed what the
speaker had said.
That Was what bred the idea IN
Harry Smallwood's brain. Il came
to him like fash as he sat ut his I
Office desk soon after lunch ON the
following day, Monday.
He stiffened, and thought furious
~. Then q smile passed over his
face, but it was not q pleasant
smile.
"And now is just the time to find
her out" he thought. "Chet said
he'd be at Rye all this afternoon
looking over some lots he thought
of buying. And if my voice doesn't
fool her I can pass it off as a joke
and say I really phoned to let her
know I'd be late for dinner or some
thing" Z.
Having asked the operator for his
home number, Harry Smallwood
cleared his throat and waited.
Presently his wife answered.
''Oh, hullo, Audrey" he said, sim
ulating Chef Kirby's slight drawl
to perfection. "You know who's
speaking, chr"
There was q short pause; then
Audrey Smallwood' 8 extremely pref
ty voice replied: well, no. Who is
ita"
"Come, comet" There was q hint
of affectionate reproof in the way
this was said. Mean to say you
don't recognize your old Chefs
voice?"
"oh, oh, yes. OF course. How
are you, Chet?"
Harry's eyes narrowed as he not
ed his wife's excited tone.
Listen, DEAR" he said. II got
through my business out at Rye SOON
er than expected. I'm just leaving
there now. Could you stand it il
I dropped in on you for hah-hour,
or longer?"
"Stand it! You know I'd adore
It."
You're q darling, Audrey. We
can have cocktail and coy little
chat If you've got nothing better to
do, maybe?"
what do you mean maybe?" Au-
drey said, gurgling deliciously.
Have I ever anything better to do
when you've wanted to see me,
sweetheart? Don't say things like
that"
An ecstatic murmur came from
the other end of the wire.
Audrey went on: How soon can
you be here, darling7" j.
Lets see. About three-thirty."
"But make it sooner if you can,
Chef dear"
"I'n surely try. And, by the way,
s'pose there's not chance Of any
one-you know who I mean-catch-
ing an early train and crashing in
on our party, eh?"
"Why the sudden panic7 He's
never walked in on us, yet. You
know he never gets here before
seven"
Audrey, you don't think he sus-
poets anything about US, do your"
mot a thing, honey dear. Don't
worry. He's much too dumb to sns-
pect so long as we go on being care
full. Now Jump into your car and
burn up the roads"
Whereupon, Audrey hung up.
At the other end Harry Smallwood
shuddered.
He was almost blind with rage,
yet he felt too, a certain triumphant
intoxication that his ruse had
worked so neatly.
On the plea that his wife was sick
he excused himself at the Office for
the remainder of the day. ''n she
isn't sick now," he told himself,
/ "she's damn soon going to be-"
In the train he rehearsed the
speech he intended to deliver to
Audrey.
Women were all alike, just q
bunch of cheats.
What suckers men were to marry
them. He'd show her whether she
could play fast and loose while he
was sweating his soul away to make
money and keep a roof over her
head.
And he'd show Chef Kirby some
thing too.
First, he'd wiring a full confession
from his wife.
After that, he would make up his
mind how to deal with the pair Of
them.
What swell shock Audrey had
coming to herl
A short taxi ride-he was too i'm,
patient to walk-from the station
brought him to his small stucco
house.
He paid the driver and went inside
purposefully. His expression was.
$780, .1~.,l h,,< H. h1>~S'