The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-10-28
q SERIAL STORY
MURDER TO MUSIC 81 Ss': ::s''s. '''
b.. BY NARD JONES
BY NARD JONES

Iarpearance of Media, bearing
.. three Martins and shaker on
tray. she held them before Iale.
IL have coasters somewhere, she
said. But | rever can find them.
Just use that magazine there
that is, if furniture marks spoil Il
drink for you. For my part
really don't mind -,
Thanks :" TAFT took drink
from the tray, brought magazine
nearer to him on the tiny mahog-
any table beside his chair. 1t IN
terested him 10 see what kind OF
magazine it was--a gaudy COM
les magazine made up of reprints
of "funnies" from the daily news
papers. A magazine designed es-
senlialy for the child - but, ne
supposed. suiting perfectly Media
STAIRS unfocused mind.
The recording of "The Cats
Meow" was co.ling to its end, and
Media was about to set the needle
ack to it's starting place when
Rogers said, Lets not have any
more of that, do you mind?"
"Uf course mind. This is my
apartment, Harris, and I'm the
only one who is entitled to be
neurotic in it," Imperturbably she
started the music again. for a
moment o.; two the three sat
quietly, listening 20 Ludden DOM
hey long after he had met his
death Co.,. .... ~.
Suddenly Media snatched up the
cocktail shaker. How about an
other, Nr. TAFT"
mo, thanks" TAFT said. 1--WE
really got to be running along"
80 soon? Pm sorry" Media
bent her blue gaze flatteringly.
You'll come again, won't you?"
TAFT promised, and shook hands
with Rogers. As he turned to the
door he half expected a shot--or
knife-in the back. But there
was nothing more dangerous be-
hind him than Media Starr. At
the door she took his hand again.
Looking at her, TAFT caught his
breath a little. No question about
it, Media Starr was a fascinating
womani
A month ago Bob TAFT would
have been intrigued. But tonight
as be left the apartment he was
thinking of Myrna rather. than ,
Media Starr and Harris Rogers. !
AS the date for the trial drew |
nearer, TAFT was becoming in
creasingly frantic. He wondered
what he might have discovered if |
Harris Rogers hadn't been in the !
Starr girls apartment. And he |
wondered, too, if Rogers very
presence there might not be a |
very important discovery in itself. /
He looked at his watch, decided
that. it might not be too late to
telephone Myrna- Anne Lester /,
had said that she was feeling blue /,
not at her own plight, appar-
emily, but at what Lud Dombey's |
records had revealed. For Feeley |
had returned the bulk of them to !
Myrna as owner of the band. And |
they had told Myrna the story of |
Lud's fabulous attention to a hun !
dred women. TAFT had upbraided |
Feeley for returning the files to !
Myrna instead of to him. -.
''Weu, they belong to her, don't |
they?" Dannie had said. "And it
won't hurt anything for her to
know that Lud Dombey was part f,
", heel.r TAFT could not restrain
a. smile as he recalled Feeley's
words. Good old Dannie had done
it for one reason alene-sto- help
Myrna forget the dream band
leader she had built up; and to
focus little ON Bob TAFT.
TAFT hurried into a drug store,
found its telephone booth and
dialed the number. of Anne and
Myrna's apartment. It was Anne
who answered. Her voice was
shaking. .
Bob? Oh, Bob-Myrna's dis
appeared"
disappeared? What do you
mean, Anne?"
"She went out about 5 and
hasn't returned or sent. any word.
She wouldn't do q, thing like that
unless she wanted to stay away"
TAFT did not tell Anne what was
flashing through his mind. "Stay
there" he said. "I'll be right
over. -" - -. : "a. 20. -. e. E..
| Outside he hailed a cab and
gave the driver the. address Of the
Claremont.. 1t would, he told him
self, be one sweet mess if Myrna
didn't show. up for 'Barklay.
They'd be sure to track her down
. in the end, and she wouldn't have
a 'Chinaman's chance. = =.
ITO be continued)