Evening star., 1942-01-07


the smile that was on Johnny S
lips; he couldn't know that the next
words Johnny spoke were the purest
bluff.
.I know what you did and how
YOU did it." Johnny said in a harsh
undertone. That device you used to
keep your name of those stock Ger
tificates was good, but not good
enough"
Johnny Retaliates.
Owen Morgan paled, but before ne
could speak Patty entered the room,
followed by Sheila. The latter looked
at her father strangely, but dis
persed the charged atmosphere IN
the room by laughing gayly and
saying, Daddy. aren't you going to
tell us how nice We look?"
A bell sounded in the hallway at
that moment and the butler opened
the door to admit a good-looklng
young man about Johnny's age.
"Oh, my date!' Sheila exclaimed.
She let 60 her fathers arm and
went to meet the young man.
Hello, Freddie" she said Tilt
ingly.
Hi, Sheila. Gee, you look nice"
There you are!" Sheila said,
laughing as she turned to the 9TH
ers. "Freddies the only gentleman
in the crowd" She led him into the
room. do you know every one,
Freddie? You met Patty the other
night, didn't you? . And this Is
my father. Freddie Greer, Dad. =.
And this is Johnny Mulvaney, but
YOU two must know each other
Yes" Freddie said stiff1y. Il be-
lieve I remember Mulvaney."
Johnny knew perfectly well that
he did. They'd been through gram
mar school together and, although
they'd never been pals, had always
called each other by their first
names. But the Mulvaneys were in
bad grace, he recalled.
Glad to see you," he said. turn
ing indifferently to pick up pack
of cigarettes he'd laid on the table
before Owen Morgan came in. He
got small satisfaction out of seeing
Freddie's outstretched hand drop
slowly back to his side.
Owen Morgan retreated from the
room then, apparently unaware OF
the frowning glance that Sheila shot
after him. But despite the inauspi-
cious beginning. the two couples.
when they got into Johnny's coupe,
were in good spirits.
Johnny couldn't help but feel the
almost icy GOODNESS with which
every one at the club greeted him,
but he rather enjoyed making
equally grudging and caustic re-
plies to their remarks He had been
a little apprehensive about how
Sheila would behave, but she seemed
to take a special satisfaction IN
being seen with him and watching
the eyebrows that were lifted IN
their direction.
Sheila Wants to Know.
Aren't you ever going to ask me
to dance?" she asked him after
thev'd been there nearly an hour.
She and Freddie had danced only
once and as she asked the question,
she pushed Freddie gently toward
Patty. -.
Il was just about to ask you,'
Johnny said, grlnnlng.
"Oh, I'm sure you were Shella
replied. But frankly it isn't be-
cause you dance so beautifully. It's
Just that I have to talk to you
We'll let's not dance then. Let's
20 out on the terrace"
For answer Sheila slipped her
arm through his, waved briefly to
the other two left standing there,
and together they crossed the dance
floor and passed through the open
French doors to the moonlit terrace
beyond. They found an unoccupied
bench a little distance from the
Illuminated swimming pool in which
several couples were splashing
around and making lot of noise
among themselves. They watched
them in silence for a while.
Mother promised to get dad to
come tonight" Sheila said finally.
"Really?" Johnny couldn't man-
age to sound enthusiastic.
Yes. said thought they ought
to come, out Of courtesy to Patty"
She laughed ironically, Johnny
didn't know why. AFTER they arrive
I want you to take me for a ride
You mean to forestau any fric-
ton between your father and me?"
He knew that Sheila had overheard
at least part of their heated ex.
change a little while back.
That's only a minor part Of it,"
Sheila said. Mainly I want to find
out just what kind Of a father I
have"
They returned to the dance floor
after they'd finished a pair of ciga-
rettes and they had only begun to
dance when Sheila saw her parents
enter the lobby They kept their
eyes on the older couple as they
danced toward the door, and when
they saw Owen lead the way into
the cocktail lounge Sheila asked
Johnny to meet her at the car and
she went to say hello to them.
Now to 90 back to the house."
Sheila said as she got into the car
a few moments later. There was a
tenseness and q determination the
way she said it that made Johnny's
heart quicken apprehensively.
Whatever you say" he said. But
hope you aren't" He was going
to say do anything rash," but he
changed his mind.
you hope what?" Sheila said.
Nothing. Skip it. talk too much
anyway"
That's what I'm afraid Of"
Sheila said. But I've got to make
sure"
tcopyrisht. 1912. chieaso Daily News. Ine)
Concluded tomorrow.)
Sheila takes matters into her own