Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-03-20
CONVICT $A2AUGHTER
CA.A/~ i
CHAPTER 80

The MAN called Jack Price had
checked out. So the clerk told Iona
the second time she called at the
hotel hoping to see him. Just five
minutes ago. No, he hadn't said
where he Mtasys going. To the rail-
road statiCn, probably. Leaving
town. The eyes the clerk bent on
Iona were family scornful as if he
resented her curiosity about one
of his guests.
Iona smiled to herself as she
went back out on the street for the
second time that morning, and
headed for the city market to pick
up her groceries for the day. Fate
must be taking care of her, she
thought, gratefully. If she had
actually talked with the fellow per-
haps he wouldn't have gone away.
AS it was, she had been worrying
about nothing. She was glad she
hadn't bothered Jim about it, she
thought, as she prolonged the mo-
mentous decision between steak
with mushrooms, or chops with
dressing, just for the pure enjoy
ment she got from wavering.
She decided, finally, on the chops,
and went on up Main street feeling
very housewifely and conscious of
the package under her arm.
She had no presentiment of what
was to come as she set the dinner
table that evening in readiness for
Jlm'S return from work. Looking
back, later, she wondered how she
could possibly have been so happy,
so unbelievably happy.
The chops were neatly Dreaded,
waiting to be popped into the pan,
and she was arranging bunch of
velvety red asters from the Morris
garden in a round blue bowl for
the table center piece, when the
creak' of Dinah's chair sounded in
the hall outside.
"Busy?" the girl sang out, and
there was an odd hesitancy in her
voice. She smiled almost apologeti-
cally as Iona helped her through
the door and into the room.
There's something I-ought to
tell you,' she began, evidently en-
barrassed. II don't want you to
think I'm prying into your affairs,
but there was "a man here few
minutes ago. He was asking about
you"
"a man! Asking about me 2"
Lona's heart sank. "Was he-was
he a reporter" she brought out.
"a reporter?" Dinah sounded
surprised. "I don't think so. He
was hunting man by the name Of
Rankin. He seemed to think that
might be Jim's name"
Rankin ?n Iona shook her head.
"I've never heard that name. What
made him think that jim" She
broke off, her eyes searching the
bright face before her. did he
have a picture cut from newspa-
per?" she asked, tensely.
Dinah nodded. cit looked like
Jim, too, ILona," she admitted, un-
happily. >"I told him your name
was Bennett and that-that 1 was
sure it wasn't Jim in the picture.
It looked a lot younger than Jim"
Younger ?" Relief took hold of
Iona. ooh, then it couldn't have
been Jim. It's some mistake. The
only picture know Of was taken
lately. When we were married, and
I was in it, too"
"But It was Jim, Lonaw Dinah
looked troubled. "I could have
sworn it. And the man was a de-
tective!"
"a detective?"
Eyes. He left this card. He said
he was going to the bridge to get
a look at Jim when he leaves work.
He's been called back to Chicago,
he said, but he wants to see Jim
before he leaves. He wouldn't say
why he was looking for this-Ran-
kin man."
For moment Iona stared down
at the piece of cardboard Dinah
had thrust into her hand. "Jack
Price, Western Detective Agency"
it read, and feeling that some
thing had gone wrong possessed
her. :, Something besides her own
fear of reporters. A detective! No
newspaper hunting copy would
work through a detective agency.
Could it be that Jin-after all, she
knew so little about him. Conscious
of Dinah's eyes following her every
move, she put the card into her
apron pocket nonchalantly.
Thanks for telling me, Dinah, -
she brought out, and removing her
apron, casually reached for her
coat. 'It's nothing to. get hot and
bothered about. just some mis-
take in identity.
She smiled as she pulled her hat
down over her curls. II have for
gotten the cream for the salad. .