Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-05-04
CHAPTER X-COntinued

IL
Moby looked troubled. II don't
get it. I don't get either of you.
He says he's always known you"
$50 he has," returned Marine.
Ear be it from me to gum your
game, baby" said Moby. II guess
I've been shootin' off my face too
much"
81 don't know what you've said,
but you might as well finish it. Tell
him, Moby."
The Dickstein jaw wobbled. ''The
whole thing?"
"The whole thing. If you don't, I
will. He's a strong, experienced
man of the world. He can stand it. I"
"O-kay, baby. If you want it that
way, you get it that way. This gal"
he informed the wondering Mr..
Morse, ''is strictly synthetic. I
made her up, myself. Out of the
society columns and the Blue Book.
Built to specifications. To match
the boss notion of what a debu-
tante-"
tDay-bun-tay," corrected Marine.
Forget it! Of what a swell young
society girl ought to be. She picked
the name; give her credit for that.
But it was me that fixed up the
family to fit"
Liggy appealed to Marine. "What
is he braying about?"
Marine winked shamelessly. "The
Van Strattens. Moby's been play
ing their supposed glories on me
like spotlight"
''The society Van Strattens," that
gentleman amplifed. "The kid
hadn't even heard of old Mfs. Mar
cia Van Stratten, who's headliner
if there ever was one"
Lines of bewilderment corrugated
Mr.. Morse's candid brow. "What
the devil is all this?" he barked,
shifting his suspicious gaze from
Moby's ingenious countenance to
Marne's subdued grin.
''No, sir. Wouldn't have known
whether the old dame was fe-
male mountain climber or an op-
cratic star till I dug her out of the
files"
"Did you tell him that?" Liggy
demanded of the girl.
Anyway, how would she know"
pursued Moby charitably. "She be-
in from the sticks somewhere where
they don't prob'ly get the New York
papers"
"Did you tell him that, Marne?"
insisted Mr.. Morse.
''I'm tellin' you," continued Mo-
by, intent upon his theme. 81 hand
ed out old Madam Van Stratten
neatly done up in blue ribbon. She's
your grandmother says I to the
kid.
A suffering repetition of the word
Grandmother" was jolted forth
from Liggy's numb amazement.
"That's what l said: 'Grandmoth-
er. She's your grandmother like
that. For the purposes of this pic
ture,' I says. No, she amt says
the kid"
Liggy said: "Of course she isn't"
you're tellin' me! So l says:
All right; we'll make her your
aunt
'She is her aunt"
''Huh? Whassat?"
"She is my aunt" confirmed the
girl.
Moby's eyes bulged out. "Wh-wh-
who's whose wh-wh-what?" he slut
tered.
whats the matter with your
brain?" demanded Liggy. Cant
you understand plain English? Mrs.
Van Stratten is Miss Van Stratten's
aunt. AUNT, aunt. Anything
strange about that?"
"She told me-" began Moby in a
faded voice, "that she didn't"
81 never told you anything ex-
cept that Aunt Marcia isn't my
grandmother"
"Aunt Marcia! Oh, my sufferin'
tripes," moaned the stricken re-
searcher. "And Scoopy Van STRAIT
ten, the polo player. You certainly
let on you didn't know him. Was
that square, ask YOU"
"Well, you see, Moby-"
"And him your cousin all the
time. Or maybe your uncle"
81 hope not" said Marine cheer
fully. Ellis real name is Stratsky,
l believe. He's social inventor,
too"
"Migawd! What'm I goin' to tell
the Big Boss now?"
you've already told him all he
wants to know, haven't your"
"And more. gave him the origi-
nal Van Stratten build-up. Then
got soused and told him it was all
the bunk"
The girls eyes opened wide. She
began to laugh. "You told him
was a fake?"
''That's it. And here you are, the
straight goods" lamented the un-
happy schemer. "How'm goin' to
break that to him?"
DON'T" advised Marine, dim
ping. "Life'll be simpler if he
doesn't know. Maybe he'll let me
alone now"
'What's this about letting you
alone?" queried Liggy, frowning.
"Where does this Big Boss person
figure in your life?"
eff it comes to that" snapped
Mobv Dickctain ST don't iI,ct fouro