Show r ui I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 11 I I I 1111 I I I I I 11 I I I I I 11 11 I I SEALED TRUNK t I IBy By HelY Kite lell w WU U by Th Tb Dobbs Dobb Co Cow I 11 I I I I I 11 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I n I 1 I TH THE STORY ORY At a pub public lie dance Martin Forbes a II newspaper man cuts cute cutsIn In on Rhoda White Whit a 8 danco dance with Max Lev Lewis Lents Is v whom horn Martin In- In dislikes Ho lie over over- overhears over hears a conversation conver atlon between and a woman which he realizes concerns Rhoda Ho lie re- re recalls recalls re recalls calls a blind ad InquirIng the who whereabouts rea bouts of Rhoda Iera land land and ami senses a no IS story tory CHAPTER I Continued I-Continued Continued 2 Later but not until an hour or two t 0 later going over the e evening on foot font as 08 It were were crt he was mis able to surmise that his complacency over o the lie ent success of this tills maneU maneuver maneuver er getting rid of ot both Lewis and Babe with n a single Ringle well placed Introduction might have had something to dolth do with hi his dig dis- discomfiture dis discomfiture In the scene cene which shish followed with Rhoda She of course couldn t have known how much deeper he hed d plunged Into her affairs while she shed d been finishing out the dance with th the negligible And It wa wasn n t sur surprising surprising It she sited shod d felt when hen he lie cime me up and took her arm her from her most recent with Ith barely a word that hI his manner was w nc um In Ing a good deal dealo Ii ho o 0 much as If their friendship had lC t yn n a matter m of rather than of ol minutes lIe He d been entirely of or this manner at the tire titre All hed he'd been of or oras was as the Importance of what hat he lie hail to tell her and of or what shat hat she In return would have to tell himlIe him He lIe was aware a that she tooled 1001 ed at him a little oddly as he started to lend her nay n and he explained his action adequately he felt by saving ln We vo ye got cot to find some place where we can talk Shan t we tet out of this I Ill III 11 take tahe you home It If you ill e At that she pot Jot rid of his Ills hand rather hru and turned to stare at him still half halt perplexed ed but hut In rip r idly moun mounting tin I I don t want to get out of or this tike he said I came cime here liere to dance Before he could speak peik she slie added more amiably W e a can talk tall now though tho can cant t c e see And look there s a place we se e can sit The sofa ora she flirted off to take pO possession of ot occupied per Imps the most moet public place In that en entirely n public dance lance hill h opposite the head of one of the of or the grand e That Is s nil all right Isn tit t It Italie ehe asked I suppose so he lie agreed lIcon At least Its It's got ot Its hick cl b to the will 11 and no one can cin heir r t shit wh we vo say without standing right In front ot of us and listening But Rut what hat have hale we got ot to sly ci she che dem that anybody an boll t thear thear hear bear he told her tier Of or course conre Idon I Idon Idon don t know v ho how serious It Is s I lou nu II know v better than I It sound sounded ell to m me melike melike like something you ought to he told about It Sounded Do vou sou ou mein n you 1 0 heard people tall Ing about me I I think they w were ere tall tailing In about you YO Im I'm practically sure they HIP 11 e His ln ch of Inferences had ben been straight enough h once but It six wis tin t tingled tingled now no noI I 11 start tart with something else elce he after a moment s silence Do Do you vou remember asking mo mp why I looked funny when nhen hen vou sou told me sour our name was Rhoda and antI m rov ms caving sa I had hadan an association with the mme nime tint I couldn t spot 1 ell ell I ha have spotted It noss no noI I lor or the last week I there s I been nn an advertisement ad In the personal onal col column column column of the sews e es s for tor tha tho address of Rhoda McFarland The reason on I d noticed It was that It wa was al always nl a blind ad the ad advertiser I mean never neer ne er ergh gh Ing his hb own name lie lad had ad Instinctively avoided look 1001 lookIng lookIng Ing at her while he lie was as speaking but the quality of the silence after he lied J finished drew his eyes eves e es around to bar hr herace I face lie He saw It deeply flushed Hushed Well she asked as she slie his gaze a sharpness that sounded like panic audible In her olce holt shat has that got to do with me He lie wanted anted to say lou lou are McFarland aren area t you iou ou but his Ills nere ner e tailed failed him lie didn t try to ans answer anser er her question as 1 as It Rhoda McFarland you them talking about she asked aked a ked at the end of or another silence her voice olce now In better hetter control and anti did you jou ou think there couldn t he be more than one person pu per son lion named Rhoda At last Us lis mind was on the lie rails I didn t hear any name men Honed at all Ill tell you vou whit h ht t I dill did hear The fhe man said She he s the girl nil all right the I he woman asked him hm ho hohe tow he knew He said III sa the girl us was as a cagey little brat me brat I suppose that she hadu hadn t told him a ab as much about herself ns as he lied hed d tried to find out but but that he be had got her first nime That name apparently cinched It since theom the worn suni in to had already half recognized your our the race face the girls girl's face I mean She noted the slip and pounced Jounced up It angrily hv h do y 3 vou ou au I 1 cop talking about me R hat hat mal es ca vou ou think It has bas anything to do with me I I II I heal d the woman somin tall call him hurt Max ht he he went on d g edly He lie He was I all wI right richt I got a look 1001 at him later I don t know now who the worna iwas 1 was as I didn t e even esen en see her property properly It came out In their talk that she d been going by on the all f ju Just justas t just as-just Just as tills thus girl they the thc were looking for turn turned Ill I'll In The woman thou thought ht she recognized her lier got hold of I cw en is 11 somehow and had hud him come to thin niP dance ance Just to scrape an si Ith you I can t help It I do o think It was sins as you vou they meant I knew he told you Ills hits first mme nime but hut I didn Wn t knoss kno until then tint th hit you oU oud d told him yours I didn't she Instantly put In with Ith the emphasis he thought of sudden relief The only person I told my m name was sms you II HP lie might hasp p heard me tell yon ou though thou she added I I saw a him cro crossing the floor right near nar 11 us while chile we sic e were talking about itI It I lor or a moment lie he thought she ehe d given In and J she slie was suns a Rhoda McFarland lIe He moved eLl I his hind liand to toCO CO corer COer er herse hers as is lie he said eald Ihen 7 1 hen It Its s my fault really r that he found out and that makes makee me the nn natural tur l per person on to help vou sou ou lIe He thought It warn wasn t his touch she minded for It t until he spoke of helping her that she slie he snatched her herstand stand hand away y nut But I don ion t nee need any I help she Ahe told him vehemently r I haven't ent anything am tiling to do with those thoe people I dont don't knows know who Max I ewis Is is but hut I don t helle believe bellese e that he had hind nn any reason con In the world for getting Intro introduced Introduced to me except e that thIt lie thought Id I II be he nice to dance with Ith They Thov were sere ere tr try In big to find you hI he stubbornly persisted he before fore I else e did they the there ire are afraid of or are tr trying to tike take advantage e or of nn an old man they thov spoke poke of or ors as s C J Do you vou knows know ho he l I I- I 1 I I hn has n en t the he I ides In the world II There sr was as as ro to d clip he meant thit Apparently App the question was a relief to her lier for she slie ad added lied Can t von vou SOP see e now nos Its It's all nil non nonsense ense Sit Sit still another minute nn how listen to the rest o of It Then per perhaps perhaps hap haps you iou ou wan on wont t think It Its s c nonsense It was w the woman who ho seemed seamed mo most t etched about you She told toll I Max fat It sas as hl his job to find out here you yon 11 Used etI tonight Sh She Slie said cud It didn t mat matter matter matter ter whether he took tool you vou home or tol foi followed 10 hosed you home She he said cud 1 III that th as soon as ae they knew tint they d have C T T hop hoper er he where I where the they v him She he said s th there re t tany tany any time to waste because you ou might see eee that th ad iii In the lie piper per any ny my dand dav dis and an answer It Shed he d tche sn her han lian 1 m away isay ay Ion long before bed hed he d finished speaking Nos No In furious furlou exasperation she cried I 1 I I I h 1 liv h do you ou 01 1 about hout me men Why hv should I anCI answer anCIer er nn an ad for Rhoda I won wont t I III Il II tell vou sou that much any anys s ay B Ind nd I won on t let Max fit 11 I r ass is Ie tike t me home either cither If that s any satis satisfaction fiction f to you sou Oll How low How will sill HI you iou ou keep him from fol fel following lox 10 In ing you home He fie saw V she flinched at that th and added I let et me go ro o with s Ith you now S e can n gh give gRe e them the slip hy Why not not W hii 11 won on t vou ou Because Its It's all non nonsense site she said ald wills e eh h Because I want cant ant to stay and dance nce Ili III tell you vou Oll shit Ill III do he said ILl It If you won t let me tike take you home homeI I II follow follO you vou ou myself f and see that h dop doesn n t She Slie was sas an angrier thin he lie now and apparently colder I hy arp are you vou ou so co to find out where hem I live she che asked Because you sou ou think I Im in Rhoda McI cl arland arlind And there must he be n a astory I story about me If It I m lh advertised for for- forand forand for forand and you want cant ant to get It for the paper Is that theay the way ay w ay reporters do It didn t occur to him him until quite i 1 abit bit later to wonder onder lions how she he knew knes h he was a reporter lor I or the lie moment he ju just t F sat at and stared at her lier id at the gross ros Injustice sl cl 1 e a had done him Before he could get himself to getter ether to controvert ert the mon monstrous trou charge he perceived ed the harmless h un unnecessary unnecessary necessary Higgins standing before them them Rhoda ChIm saw siy him too and nd spring to hu her feet Do you YOU ou want cant ant me to dance this one with you she slie he n asked him himI I Id d love lose to If Martin Soiling boiling a away way In Inside like a teakettle followed follo ed them as far a as q the edge of the lie dance donee floor and stood therea theren there ashile n making up hiS Ills mind Hat gnat he should do next nett sot ot t really that per perhaps hays hap he conceded afterward so much mucha muchas muchas a as fanning his perfectly perfect righteous lu In and rail er cr enjo enjoying it Presently Ire thou thought though h his ceased to be e even esen en duh duha a l lv enjoy enjoyable enjoyable able A chill chili misgiving In blew bless 0 over oser er him thit Rhoda might be right after nil all nilI allI I enis e eI I Ib he noted was wis 1 dancing situ J th J Jennings with a contented ted ab absorption absorption sorption Inexplicable under the hy by that Ills his hi only interest t tonight t a tit t lag or ln follow in another iri home lien hen 11 hen Martin perceived percel ed tI this he turned 1 away a disgustedly and went ent home bOUle himself CHAPTER II Why She Changed Her Name Rhoda tried to tell herself she wa was glad she hind had snubbed Martin She he enjoyed after a fashion the con cou of his hits glaring at her from the edge of or the dance floor but when hen she perceived cd that he was as no longer loner there and came to the conclusion lon that he bed d rea really 11 v abandoned her she found I rather suddenly that she wn was tired d of the Alhambra for tonight to and mantel I II Ito I to go Jo home And although she main main- maintained maintained that Martin s su suspicions of Max I Lewis were ere wild 1111 non nonsense ense she slie he was rather glad lad that lint I Higgins of offered fred to take tako her home Their trip mo mostly by trolley car cars s entirely without Incident Of course It would bet be Martin hind made up the lie whole thin out of his own o head She a was sas n as friendly lly as nl she he knew v hoto how Kos to be to tn I rill nil the thea a say to the studio door but nt at that hint point she che said good night to him firm firmly firmly ly Iy It hind been heen only b by bv the exercising of a n good deal of resolution that she sited d dI I 1 ept her mind on hum him up to that lint point And until Babe came home she canted anted to be let alone As she slie glanced around the studio after shutting the door on I her eye e fell on tonight s News Xe scattered about the floor as her room roommate roommate mute mate had hind left teft It as is that advertise nd L of I r i A 1 r l Hed He'd Smiled and Told Her He Was Not Rich Yet meat ment really rea II In the lie piper per or had far Martin tin Forbes ma made e that up too so o othel thel there e it was wa a In the personal column just as he lied d said I Rhoda will learn something to her lier a 1 an antage tag tag-e age She She dropped In to Babe Babes s and nd the section of the piper per slid from a i slick slack hand beck back to the floor It hid given 1 en her a n surprising shock to see cee her discarded name In print lil lit e hit It brought things back that shed he d bought she slie was doneth done with th for fore forever ewer eer e er some things that she hadn t thou thought ht about In y years rs e Their yard vani arll at t home the lie sener ener venerable able Ih live Ilse e oak oal In the middle of ot It in n hoce hi bt indies inches she ln and her lier three In- In In Inseparable separable friends used to about e a young oun moral e ethe es the three A b s they used usell to call them because their name nimes all begin began that th hit Ann nn way Annand and Mice lice and anel Amy They The were all allIn allin allIn In the suite same rade r-rade rade se seventh It was nhen h n her lier father told her lier one morning that chic slie he hea a n t to go 0 to chool school any anymore an more for the lie pre present int I or the pres present eat ent I She che il II nL lies nev er cr one to school chool liot tint since that lint day And m mv and and lice and raid nn inn f tided out of the pie pic picture turf ture They Ther didn t come to ph my In her yard ard an any more nd ind she slie had that It wis w because of something that wa was spoken of nhen hen It was mentioned it all as the trial trl her r 8 Prof tall Prof a W al alter I Iter ter hou McFarland p Shed She d had hada itada a glimpse of his Ills name flume once in ht black In the nivi paper newspaper paper Her fa thu had stopped being a prote professor sor sort t it itlie the lie came same time she d I stopped going to school HP lie was aCl as at home ill all the lie time and for n a while though while though whether It was days clan or fir weeks she he couldn t re- re re the th d made a sort of pro pre preten ten tense e of ha haIll having basing Ill school at home alth Ith him for teacher t Interrupted harassed da clays 3 s those thoc were wore with Ith people coming to see him and belli sometimes S told hit he was as out e even esen en when she Ines 1 I ne nehe he warn t reporters and men with battel battered cd looking cameras s taking pie pic tares tures-ot of the lie house when time the couldn t get anything am else 1 here were a few loss days da s toward to the end just before then the |