Evening star., 1940-02-18

In no uncertain terms he instructed her to
refrain from comment.
I'm sorry" Irene spoke swiftly. She must
get it in she must! Il was only going to say
Miss Clarkes nails always looked a. If blood
was caked on them"
Objection demanded the prosecutor.
This witness does not qualify as an expert
on color analysis. :"
"On the contrary, Your Honor" Max
Conrick's tone was 90 softly ingratiating that
Judge and jury had to lean forward to catch
4 the words, this young lady manicurist quail
fies as an authority on the tint Of women's
nails to far greater extent than my dis
tinguished opponent = There came chuclkle
from those who could hear him. a faint smile
to the lips Of His Honor, and pause.
How we'll Irene remembered Thelma's
hectic impatience that last night. More
polish, Doerant. Don't be 30 damned stingy.
Burgundy red down to the tips. Stop lights!
Traffic signals! Let him try to get past EN- -
Just let him try!" Sharp pointed claws, those
nails, the kind that dug into man and never
let 60 -.
Objection overruled," announced the
judge So Burgundy red, color of dried blood.
stayed in the record. Irene sank back.
when you cut Miss Clarke's finger. the
prosecutor said, did she make an outcry?"
"She said. What the - Irene halted,
asked innocently. Must repeat the word?"
Repeat the gist Of what she said. "
'Well, Miss Clarke said, what did mean
being 50 careless? And said it wasn't my
fault she was 50 nervous she kept jumping up
every other minute.
''Was she nervous before this prisoner came
into her bedroom?" popped from the district
attorneys tight lips like a cork from the
neck of bottle
IRENE felt sudden lump in her throat.
For a second no answer would come and she
covered the delay by pressing her handker-
chief to her mouth. It left foolish dab Of
rouge She stared at the imprint on the white
surface, a mouth without any face. She kept
on staring. She dared not risk even glance at
Neil McAllister. She knew he was hunched
forward watching her, waiting for this most
damning piece of evidence.
So she kept her eyes from his az she an
swered. Il didn't see Mr.. McAllister come
into the room while was there" It wasn't
lie - not really. Hadn't she gone into the
bathroom to heat the perfumed oil Thelma
always soaked her fingers in for fifteen min
utes? Hadn't she stayed in there with the door
shut while those two had it out?
The bedroom Thelma occupied when she
drove out with Neil for week ends was directly
above his studio and enter by circular
iron stairway Two of the servants had testi-
fed for the State that while setting the table
around ten Pm. for buffet supper in the
studio they heard angry voices. unmista.kably
Neil's and Thelma's, in the room above.
Irene had been with Thelma from nine to ten
thirty. If only she could stick to her story
that she had not seen Neil at any time during
her visit. then the servants testimony would
be of no earthly good. Well - and she hadn't
seen him! That was fact. She hadn't seen
him.
As though reading her thoughts, the dis
trict attorney put his next question: you
understand you are under oath to tell the
whole truth and nothing but the truth"
Eyes. SIR"
You understand, as well, that any lie
constitutes an act of perjury, punishable by
the law"
(Continvsd on poss ~