Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-06-05
$500 e. p
CHAPTER TWENTY-EICHT

BILL DID rot see Lola Mon
tesa on the day after the play be-
cause she did not come to the man.
sion. But as he worked and direct
ed the work of clearing the thcatcr,
sending back the rented chairs, re-
placing the furniture, tearing away
the temporary stage, he did deal
Of thinking.
1t hurt him to feel that Lola was
guilty of theft.
Lola was beautiful. She typified
the Mexican senorita famous in
story and song. Somewhere down
Mexico way" he himself might
have fallen desperately in love with
just such person, he realized, ard
he knew she would tear a mans
heart out with the fierceness and
passion of her devotion. She was
that type; quiet, but powerful.
And she's probably as danger
Gus as she is pretty" he unused
here tonight. "A thief. smart
enough to do what she did and get
by with it. is likely to have all man
ner of intrigue in her soul"
He liked to mediate on such
things. Somehow it gave him a tin
gle of interest and excitement, and
he did not realize that this was
merely the boy in him. Some men
never grow up. Part Of Bill Baileys
charm was the fact that, in spite
of his maturity" of "a years, he
was often like Il lad of Il.
Thinking about her, therefore, he
built up quite romantic circum-
stance around pretty Lola, entirely
in his mind. He envisioned her as
embittered by some lost love down
in New Mexico. Possibly she had
killed a rival-dldn't senOritaS al
ways carry daggers hidden in their
hair, or somewhere ?-and possibly
she was wanted by police down
there.
Christopher, she probably was!
The police here had known about
her. They had seen the six girls
photos in the paper that first time
and recognized a criminal among
them Immediately, then sent a de-
tective out to work III the Merri-
field home. Doubtless when they
"got the goods" on her here, they
could send her back to New Mex
leo for trial as we'll.
There were some flaws in Bits
hurried reasoning. but the sadness
of it dominated his astuteness now.
He felt badly about the whole af-
fair because, in all truth, he liked
Lola. He saw Gayle Dixon come
out a side door of the mansion
the hour was just after dinner now
and he decided to talk it over
with her.
sit down." he invited, making
room on the stone bench where he
sat under the trees. Lola is nice,
isn't she?"
Lola? How tactless, Bill
Bailey You invite me to sit with
you, and at once tell me how pretty
another girl is"
Bill grinned. Il didn't say pref
ty. But she is I said nice"
Its the same thing. Anyway, I
can't be angry. Yes, she's nice"
You, uh-you know what I'm
thinking"
II can guess. Maybe. I hate to
think of it, but-Well, is there any
proof? Anything but thoughts?"
Bill nodded. I'm sorry to say
there is"
"Oh, Bill"
He nodded again, in agreement
now. II understand. 1t hurts,
doesn't it? I told you she was nice
I like her, matter of fact"
BILL, Lola's a darling. 1 mean
well, goodness, she is gentle and
kind, even if she is very shy at
times. And she looks as if she were
longing so for something, possibly
for happiness. I just can't think
that She"
Facts are facts, Gayle. I was
sitting he1e incoming about her my
self. She's been swell, though. She's
helped lot with Jeremy. l notice
her doing what we notwithstanding
Jeremy out of his shell. She talks
to him, and even sings to him some
times"
"She signs beautifully"
mo argument about that. But if