Evening star., 1951-04-14
CHAPTER SIX.

=. i
Lynn has gone to a country cot
,tnge to relar tollotDing the close
OF her ShoiD, Happy Days"
Only Mickey Rollins knoDs her
whereabouts and he comes to
inform her the papers are an
s1oulcing she ,Uas murdered the
night before. Mickey advises her
not to tell the police of their
mistake in identifying the mur-
dered girl for fear some one
might be out to kill TnniG. She
returns to the city auith him,
recalling an underStudy she
once had by the name OF Nina
sHordtoicke, l0ho looked Uery
much like Tania. Locating
Niaa'S hotel, Mickey takes Tania
there and she poses as Nina. In
the girls room she finds diary
explaining that Nina had de-
acided to pose as Tania. As she
reads the telephone rings. The
man identifies himself as Bill
and tells her, thinking she is
Nina. to meet him in the cock
Stail lounge. She keeps the ap-
pointment and is surprised to
find him a handsome man
,aDtose face seems familiar. He
.apbraids her for past decep-
tions and TGniG (now Nina
realizes he hates her. She agrees
to 90 to a hockey game with
Bill Reynolds.
Bill whistled softly as she made
her way out of the lounge. and she
thought. I'm playing with dyna-
mite, going out with him. But
can't lose him-I can't let him
go!"
The door of her room was
locked now Opening it with hel
key, she saw that Mickey had
pushed the spring lock when he
left. so it would catch automati-
cally, There was no obvious trace
OF his having been there, but
when she looked in the drawers
of the chest. she found the diary
gone, and pictures of her. Only
Nina's pictures remained. For just
a second she looked sadly al
Nina's picture.
= What a fool the girl had been
to cheat on a man like Bill Reyn-
.olds! "It's hard to feel sorry for
her. even though it looks as if
she died in my place." Tania
thought somberly. I'm sorry she's
gone. yet I scarcely knew her
and I can't help tim glad
I'm still alive"
More than ever now she hated
playing the role of the other
girl. She yearned to tell Bill
Reynolds her true identity. With
an urgency beyond understanding
she wanted him to know that she
was honest and generous, that
she had never cheated or lied OF
been mean to any or1e-to the best
of her knowledge.
:. Not, that her life had been any
bed of roses. From the time she
was tiny tot she had taken
dancing lessons, and spent hours
every day in, grueling practice
Not because she was greedy fol
fame and fortune, but for the
sheer love of dancing.
Year after year she had danced
first in the chorus, then in tiny
spots. then in specialties, working
herswas to the top of her pro-
fessiorsby hard work. Often she
just. missed getting a fine part
often she tramped from agency
to agency, seeking work, not find
ing it, waiting the long heart
breaking wait of all show people
between shows.
= But when things had been most
difficult she had stuck out he1
chin and somehow had come ur
smiling. and tried again, and al
last she had made it. starring in
."Rio Romance" and then Happy
Days
Well, she thought, this was just
sone more time when things hao
gone bad, when she would have tc
stick out her chin and try to keer
up her spirits.
She was in a terrible position
land she knew it. Her life, moi
.her career. hung on quick think
ing and courage. This was nc
slime for shaky knees and timio
.heart.
/. And-this was also no time tt
.get involved with a man who hac
.steel-blue eyes and a jaw like q
.bulldozer. She had to watch
sherself now. every moment. She
couldn't afford a slip.
To be as sure as possible she
burned on the bright light oyel