Evening star., 1941-08-01

or criticism, that you forgot to THINK
about her acting She herself took
her talent so much for granted that
you began to do the same.
I was sorry for Eve North. In
spite of a star complex had found
her fine to work with, and. once
she had been a really great actress.
Listen to this" jeff was saying,
"Miss Haila Rogers gives per-
formance that is both delicate and
charming"
Il am delicate! So delicate that
I'm going right home to bed
After gathering the papers to-
sether to show Carol, we paid our
check and went out into the street.
There were faint pink streaks in
the dark sky and street lights and
signboards were popping off. A few
people hurried along dodging the
spray of the sanitation truck that
passed. We walked slowly and the
pink light in the sky spread and
grew and 1t was daylight when we
reached my apartment. The eleva-
tor bell rang hollowly through the
silent building when I pressed it,
but no Jinx appeared.
Let him sleep" JEFF said.
"Softie!"
We trudged up the six fights
dragging our heels and resting at
each landing. I felt above the ledge
Of the door for the key that Carol
was to have left there The ledge
was smooth under my exploring
fingers Sleepily, I ratified the knob
and the door swung open. Then
stepped back and reached for
JEFF. There was a long thin man
asleep on my studio couch.
TITS an overworked burglar" I
whispered. Should I scream or can
you take care of him yourself?"
Scream" JEFF said.
The man stood up I guess he
hadn't been asleep. He looked at
me and I saw he had nice gray eyes
and sour looking mouth.
Miss Haila Rogers?" he asked.
"Uh yes. May 1 come in?"
"Come In" he said, not very
graciously. "and sit down. I'm
Peterson of the Homicide Bureau"
Questions?
How do you do?" I said charm
ingly and sat down. Then I stood
up again, gaping at him. "Of the
what did you say?"
Peterson" he repeated, "of the
Homicide Bureau" He was looking
at jeff. who's this?"
His name is Jeff Troy. and he's
q very dear friend of mine And
is it rude of me to want to know
Just how you got in here and what
you're doing here and where is my
roommate?"
Sit down" To my surprise I
sat down, unprotesting. jeff
slouched on the arm of a chair.
and we waited Peterson eyed us
quietly. You live here with Carol
Blanton?"
Yes. Or. rather. she lives here
with me. It's my apartment"
You're both employed by Clin-
ton Bowers in a play called Green
Apples that opened last night at
the Colony Theater?"
Yes"
How long have you known Miss
Blanton?"
-Four, no. five weeks. Since the
dav we started to rehearse Green
Apples"
And how long has she been liv-
ing here with you?"
Five weeks"
Since the first dav you met
her?' he grunted, giving me a
quick look. How Gomez"
Because she hadn't any other
place to live and because she was
broke. I invited her to stay with
me. and she did"
What do you know about her?"
Nothing very much. She's a nice
girl who wants to be an actress.
Why? What's the matter with her?"
He went right on. What about
her private life? Where's her home
and her family? Who are her
friends?"
she hasn't any family, but she's
never told me anything more than
just that. And as far as 7 know
she hasn't any friends in New York
just some friends of mine whom
she's met up here in the apartment
and Of course every one in Green
Apples"
How long has she been in New
York;"
Il don't know exactly. I think
about six months
Six months? And she hasn't met
any people?"
Who Is Lee Gray?
THAT isn't hard to do" I told
him Not when you live in a fur
nished room and eat in drug stores
and spend your days going around
to casting Offices"
What about Lee Gray?"
I frowned. "All right. What about
him?"
Hes a friend of hers, isn't he?"
Il don't know. If he is I've never
heard her speak of him. I've never
met him"
Peterson rambled over to the win
dow and stood jingling the coins in
his pocket and looking out at the
morning. He turned suddenly.
And you don't know any one who
might want to kill her?"
I jumped up and then thought
better of it and sank Imply back
into my chair. ITO kill her!"
said. My voice was such a tiny
thing that it surprised me- Has
somebody tried to kill he"?"
He nodded grimly. ANT damn
near made good job of it, too.
She collapsed in the elevator last
night, and the doctor who was
called discovered she had a skinful
of poison. He notified us and we
managed to get her to Bellevue in
time. She's going to pull through" J."
jeff spoke for the first time.
SWhat was the poison?"
Morphine
where did she get it?"
"At the theater During the last
act. 1t seems you got scene in
your play where everybody drinks a