Evening star., 1941-08-03
UP TO KILLEN
by Kelley Roos

smiling voice, "that If I had, my
play should have been very diff
1erently cast. Am I suspected of
having poisoned this Miss Blan-
ton?"
Bowers interrupted quickly. "Of
course not, Mr.. Morris. It's merely
-. merely police routine more or
less. Mr.. Peterson has already estab-
ilshed the fact that the poisoning
was done by by member of our
company and not by any outsider.
That's so. isn't it. Mr.. Peterson?"
Peterson nodded. Right" He
smiled complacently at our play
wright. However, Mr.. Morris is not
an outsider and I am including him
IN the company. He knew this play
as we'll as any one in the company
We know that it was possible for
MIN to have been backstage during
that intermission. I'm afraid, Mr..
Morris, that right now you are as
much a suspect as any one who be-
longed backstage."
Morris seemed oroughly
amused. Really, officer, the only
thing in which I'm interested Is
the theater. And the poisoning of
one ingenue wouldn't help the
American theater much"
Apparently you didn't care for
our production Clint Bowers said.
The deep hurt stood out on his face
and cut through his voice. TT got
rather good reviews"
And Mr.. Bowers got raves for
his direction" Phoebe put in
stanchly, but her lips trembled at
the corners.
"Oh, was it directed?"
Carol Again.
Hate f1ared in Phoebe's eyes as
her face went white. The pencil
she had been toying with cracked
like birthday party snapper in the
silence of the room.
Tell me, Bowers" Morris con-
tinued. This Eve North. Why2 Is
she your mother?"
I couldn't bring myself to look
at Bowers then, or Phoebe. or any
one. All New York had been asking
that question, I guess, but they
hadn't used the word mother" !"
And no one had used it any place
but behind Clint Bowers back.
When he spoke at last his voice was
calm.
Il think that the critics. were
most unfair to Eve. She held the
whole play together without star
ring herself. If at times she looked
bad 1t was only to make some one
else seem good. Eve North is the
most unselfish actress have ever
known
Morris shrugged. well, of course.
hope you have a run. After all, it
is my play, although I scarcely rec
ognized it."
"Weu try to do better for you to-
night I said, bitterly.
Please do. Only not for me. I'm
leaving for Hollywood on the 5
O'Clock plane. They've offered me
more money than I knew existed,
and although I'm fairly sure I'll
loath it I'm rather anxious to CO."
You'll stay in town" Peterson
sounded like burlesque on a tough
cop, but he didn't look like one.
you'll do me that favor. Mr.. Nor
ris, so won't have to 60 to the
trouble of making YOU"
Carol Receivers
Morris looked at him through
half-closed eyes. Very we'll. Only
I make one stipulation. I absolutely
refuse to subject myself to another
performance of Green Apples"
You don't have to subject your
self to anything but New York"
The policeman tipped his hat on
the back of his head and opened
the door. Facing him was pale lit
tie girl in a navy-blue suit and a
turned-up hat.
We sat and stared at her as If she
were ghost. She put up one hand
and grasped the open door but made
no other move. Her eyes swept over
the room. For a moment I thought
that she would turn and disappear
as suddenly and quietly as she had
come.
And then we came to, and Bow
ers was dragging out chair for her
and jeff was trying to make her
drink a glass of water and Phoebe
f1uttered around helplessly. There
was a hasty, blurred introduction
to Greeley Morris, and every one
asked questions that no one tried to
answer.
Carol said: There's a taxi wait
ing downstairs. I didn't have any
money"
Jeff took charge. LET it wait.
You tell us why you're running
around the streets like this. When
did you leave the hospital? Why
aren't you in bed taking care of
yourself?"
Carol smiled. Under her eyes were
dark purple hollows, and her mouth
seemed tight and thin. I'm all
right, JEFF. And they discharged me
at the hospital; I didn't escape. I'm
not running around the streets,
either. I just stopped in to tell Mr..
Bowers that I could play tonight"
Continued tomorrow