Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-10-23

here. My father and | Will be the
At least. he won't bother us If you VI
Drive out to that golf practice
port" Eddie said after moment.
IN be hitting some balls and III
come over to your car. I'd rather
1t didn't look like an appointment
or date or anything.
So shortly before dark Clare was
sitting in her car, parked back OF
the long, circular tee Watching
with casual interest score or more
men and women driving golf balls
at the 200-yard illuminated target
In the middle of the improvised fair
yav. Eddie Franklin was one OF
them and Clare thought he ranked
easily the best shot there. At least
he had emptied the small pail OF
balls and. handing his borrowed club
to the attendant. he walked around
the guard rail, looked over the as
aembled cars, and seeing Clares
among them, sauntered toward It,.
He grinned as he opened the door
and climbed in, and there was a
definite infectious quality about the
expression that made Glare smile
more than cordially, almost happily.
Something about Eddie Franklin
vas a synonym for fun It might
have been the brilliant, deep-set,
dark eyes. or the pug. freckled
nose, or more likely the wide mouth
and hard. white teeth. Even the
tough, jutting chin that gave him
such pugnacious- look when he
was straight-fac had humor to
IL when he smiled Clare was sur
prised at how clean his hands and
fingernails were and in his tan slack
suit with its tailored by-SWing coat
ne looked far more like son Of the
rich than the Woodworking me-
chanic she had seen him to be at the
airport. He hunched his broad
shoulders with the stretchy ease
of the athlete as he put an arm
across the back of the seat and
faced her
Franklin Is Frank.
How did you like Hanley's
plane?" he asked. skipping the for
malities of greeting. Did he tell
you anything about it?"
Clare shook her head, and she en-
loved seeing the mans eyes rest for
a moment on the sheen Of, her blond
hair He didn't tell me anything
about 1t, but it surely is beautiful
plane"
did he tell you he designed 1t
HIMSELF"
why, how wonderful I didn't
know he was a plane designer
Another enigma about the man
Hanley. she thought. And then. just
as flashing fast, came the apparent
answer to his owning this airport
and having so valuable a plane OF
his own. This was why he had the
backing Of important people in the
community. Betty Crowell had said
Mr.. Calridge himself was back Of
Hanley, through the bank, that Is.
Things were beginning to take
shape
HE isn't" Eddie Franklin was
saying. And he didn't design that
ship any more than you did. He
doesn't know anything about plane
design, certainly nothing about that
kind Of design. But he claims it's
all his own, from prop to tail skid.
He's a liar-maybe worse"
The smile was entirely gone from
his face now and his dark eyes were
narrowed. When he spoke his lips
closed around his words firmly.
Glare thought she had never seen
strength of character so completely
patent in persons way of speak
ing.
But where did he get the plans
for the plane?" Clare asked. And
then, unable to suppress the ques-
ton, And why are you telling me?
After all, you're working for him.
You'd be out of a job if he knew
you talked like this"
The Meeting Ends.
Eddie Franklin ignored her ques-
tons, only nodding solemnly as she
spoke. He said, CLAY Hanley makes
friends with them very quickly and
easily. He's what you might call
a mans man. But he doesn't know
what the word friendship really
means. He works hard to get men
70 like him and have confidence in
him and admire him. Then he pro-