The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-14
CHAPTER THIRTY
WRITTEN FOR AND RELEASED BY
CENTRAL PRESS ASSOCIATION

viously was 'the green" Tall elms
bordered the wide strip of green
grass that ran between the two
distant sides OF Main street and
framed, with a natural setting, the
small freshly-painted white grand
stand in its center. The stand was
draped with flags and red and
white bunting roped off a section
where fireworks display pieces
were aligned in ghostly outline.
Back of them, magnificent in the
stern grandeur Of their Puritan
conception, rose the steeples OF he
three inevitable New England
churches.
The dusty coupe turned into the
road that led past the last n and
chugged laboriously up the hill to-
ward a white wide-porched house
with a carpet of petunias laid be-
fore it. AS if the climb had been
too much for its delicate connec-
tons, the car gasped and its power
died while still some distance from
the house.
Treading lightly, his rubber-soled
shoes making no sound on the dirt
path, Vance cleared the distance
to the porch. He had seer the
familiar contour of a dark head
over the top of a hammock.
'Is the lady Of the house in?" he
asked in a high falsetto voice.
The dark head didn't turn. No."
its voice said.
Il represent the Ajax Do-All
company, madam. I have here a
little gadget which cleans windows,
peels potatoes, sings the baby to
sleep and teaches you how to play
the harp in ten easy lessons; pre-
vents sun"
The dark head twisted about and
two gray eyes looked over the top
of the hammock. "Vance!"
'In person." he said, distribut-
ing his length in a porch chair.
mot to mention the wilted raiment
and a first-class huff. If you had
to find a retreat, couldn't you have
found one approached by a less
dusty road?"
That was one of the reasons
why I selected this place. How
how did you know where I was
am?"
Simple. Healey sees all, knows
all. A slight case Of house break
ing instigated by the worried in
quiry of our Fran. She got worried
about you and rang me up long
distance and gave me permission
to snoop in your apartment. So, !
did. Farewell notes, my chick-a'
dee, should always be left on pill
lows or pin cushions"
I'm glad you told me. I'll dc
better next time" she promised
him sweetly. "You see, I was fresh
out of pin cushions"
Vance clicked his tongue sympa-
thetically. mot ever a pin cush-
ion," he said sadly. could it be
that you also feel you lack other
things?"
1T could be-" she said agreeably.
"Have you added psychic powers
to your talents?"
ALAS, no. The deduction was
easy. Looking about for clues, !
al r the pieces of your nice
fat contract in a waste paper bas.
ket. So I asked myself, why? Just
Ike that said, 'Why?"
Wasn't it impairment enough
for you to read notes addressed to
other people. without adding to it
by seeking me out? When a per-
son is over twenty-one, a person
has privileges. One may even run
away if one wants to-"
'One may" he agreed, nodding,
"but that doesn't make it a wise
move necessarily. Also, I be-
thought me of my debt to you"
Shall we forget that one, Mr..
Healey? I am already enormously
indebted to you."
1T seems to me I've heard that
n before. Things are quite the
other way around, Miss O'Reilly.
You haven't any corner on the
good deed market, have you?"
II haven't got a corner on any,
thing at this moment. Also 1 am
no longer Miss O'Reilly. Lawrence
added that o. because he thought
it would make my name O
folksy for the radio public, but
now that I am no longer a radio
star"
$50 you've decided that?"
mo, it was decided for me,
Vance. If I hadn't been SO blind.
I would have e e it before I-be-
lore I saw the notices accidentally.
But nov I know all about it."
Good enough. Now you know,
SO nov you know what to do about
It,"
do about it," Her head came
up inquiringly.
"Sure."
'.There isn't anything to do about
it. Pm no star singer. I can't
sing!"
Fright on the first count, wrong
on the second"
'"This is no time for paradoxes,"
she told him.
That's my only one," he prom
ised. II came up here to help you,
Kit. I'm going to talk to you like
a Dutch uncle, and when I get
through"
"Supper's on the table, Miss
Reilly" Mrs. Lee said from the
screen door at Vance's back.
Vance's eyes appealed to Kit.