The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-17
y Alma Si0ux-S
CHAPTER THIRTY-E CHIT

Romany walked into Joe Telling:
office the next morning and handed
him the check for two hundred dol
lars.
81 hope''-she looked coldly re
gal-"you will give this to Mr., Mel
son for me right away. And | hope
YOU will be as anxious to spread
this story as you We're the othel
one.
Joe's face redeemed.
81 don't get it," He avoided hel
cool green eyes.
Don't you?" Romany closed hel
handbag with a snap. perhaps &c
better explain. The day Mr.. Nelson
gave you the check to pay for my
pictures he told you you Weren
to tell anyone. Not even me.
didn't know about it until last
night.
But a little later you went into
the cocktail lounge and had a lew
drinks with Myra Moves. That
night you told several people all
about it. I'm reminding YOU, just
in case you don't know how your
tongue rattles when you're drink
ing"
somebody's crazy" Joe's hand
trembled holding his cigaret' IL
must have been Moves.
Romany's eyes narrowed.
"Perhaps you don't realize that
is an admission that You told her.
Otherwise, how would she h a
found it out?"
From Brent, I suppose" Joe
stammered. II don't know a thing
about IT,
Romany looked at him whitening
".
Don't get in any deeper, Mr..
Telling. You're not very good at
this sort of thing, And let me warn
you. if there's any more gossip
about me that m out OF the
press department, YOU and 1 are
going to have a little conference
with the head of this network. Do
l make myself clear"
Sure. sure Telling clustered.
'There won't be anything like thai
around here"
"I-just wanted to make sure
pcmany walked TO the door. And
make certain YOU send the story OF
this check along the grape vine
In the afternoon Joe Telling lost
his lob. Dreading a meeting with
Brent Nelson. he had gone down
stairs for lunch after his visit with
Romany and had n drink TOO
Staesering into a board meeting
fifteen minutes late, his end at In
telstate came swiftly and suddenly.
Into his place the mex day stepped
the publicity head Of an advertising
agency, Milton Gale.
Gale was an old-time newspaper
man, popular in Chicago. One OF
the first things he did was get a
list of all newcomers to Interstate
and find out whether there were
pictures and biographies on file OF
them.
Milt's determination to see fair
play around the broadcasting stu
dos wa responsible for Cholly
O'Neirs being sent for and enrolled
in the television contest the next
day.
You're going up the ladder so
fast" Milt grinned at her, I'D like
to see if you couldn't give these
old-timers around here a little run
for their money. Besides, I always
was a little partial to r~ed-heads.'
We'll" Cholly grinned back at
him, II won't stand a chance, but
since you feel that way about it.
III do as you say"
1T can't do you any harm" Gale
picked up some pictures on his
desk. you've got some pretty stiff
competition, though. I'm sorry your
friend, Miss Halle, pulled out. /
think she might have won IT,
"Romany wouldn't stay in after
She found u what they were say
ing about her."
Think I could talk her into com
ing back in? She's got good pub
licity value. I'm thinking Of the
publicity more than the individual,
Giving the gang over at the other
network a little competition"
"Romany isn't very easily influ-
enced after she's made up her
mind" Cholly assured him. Shed
just be unhappy anyway. She's very
sensitive about the gossip"
TOO bad said Gale. by the
way, they tell me there's a big in
e in Hayworth syrup sales since