Show ci ON Mistake Annes A n n sM I s t a k e I By JOHN P LALLY INSTALMENT Peters Peter's preoccupation was so deep that he didn't notice Jane had ceased to talk He continued to study Annes Anne's face until Mrs H Herrick spoke Anne and Peter I What in the world are you ou two thinking about Peter laughed shortly Anne start start- ed nervously Peter said I 1 was thinking that Id I'd better be going home Dont go yet Peter said Mrs Herrick Why not stay awhile and then drive Anne home No n no mother Peter cant can't do that said Anne hastily Why not asked Mrs Herrick Anes Ancs rIght Mrs Herrick said Peter Mrs Richard Hardy now and Peter Nash doesn't know her hervery hervery very well You see he said lookIng at Anne Peter Nash's friendship was with Anne Hers Herrick He stood up and added and hes he's silly enough to keep on thinking of her as Anne I Herrick He tried to make his voice gay gny carefree but all three knew what he meant to convey and they respected hIs honesty Before Peter took h his leave the telephone rang Jane answered it and summoned Peter They heard him s say y Yes Mr Major What Right away All right Ill I'll start this minute lIe He hooked the receiver swept the three exp expectant faces with a glance and said Mr Major asked me to come down to lo his office right away He said something Important had come caine up that he wanted m my opinIon Ion on Anne gazed quickly at Peter Intuitively In In- she felt the message con her and DIck She got to her bet feet and saId wIldly Let me go with you you- Pet Peter r please He shook his head for tor Peter by a similar telepathIc vibration had a feeling feel feel- Ing that he didn't want Anne present I at the meeting But you will call me Peter she begged Dont make me promise Anne Just remember that Ill I'll take car carof care of everything He left She went back to her mother and Jane But her thoughts we were e with Peter and Mr Major And Anda a small voice whispered Dick is in trouble Forty five minutes after leaving the Herrick home on Touhy avenue Petered entered the reception room of the Major Advertising Agency and was met by Mr Major He gripped Peters Peter's hand warmly but hu his face was sober Peter had hada a presentment of disaster It It was not until they were seated in iii his office that Mr Major then 1 am iri In Ina rath-er rath he began beian I am a diffIcult position Peter that's why I called you And n now w that yo youre you're re here I what to say Peter knew Mr r Major wu was making mak- mak ing a mental s summary mmary of the facts to be set forth and he was silent It concerns Dick Hardy saId Mr Major mechanically as if speaking to himself He stopped The silence became op op- Yes Nt Mr MaJor Peter said en- en He was rewarded by a glimpse into two steel gray eyes that seemed to peer into his heart Another silence ensued The elder eIder elderman man appeared to be studying Peter analyzing him as though to determine deter m mine ne his worth worth-as 3 though reluctant to trust even Peter with what he wished to impart Then with a sharp intake of breath Mr Major stood up and began pacing pac pae- ing the floor his eyes eyes cast down Pc tar ter h beard ard him say Peter as you know Anne used to work here with me He lifted an expressive hand as though to silence any reply Peter might have been thinking of mak mak- ing I dont don't suppose theres there's another girl like her in the world Ag Again in he stopped Peter thought He loves Anne too He came over over to where Peter was sitting placed his hand on his shoulder der and said sard slowly Im not a good goad dissembler Peter And you know It It Peter gl need upward A ghost of a smile was wa pla playing fn about Mr Majors Major's MOl Ma- jors jor's fine modeled lips and In his eyes Peter thought he saw a er o of dancing light that indicated an emo tI Uon n n not t v aled o I fl ca There was a time Peter when I thought I could make Anne love when me-when I could ask her to be my wile wife But I was just indulging In dreams Just an old man trying to regain his youth through the medium of romance Peter wanted to say something but ut the tenseness in Mr Majors Major's voice silenced hIm He wished hed he'd go on and talk about Dick Instead ot of AnneThe Anne Anne- The few months Anne worked here wore the happiest I had known since the death of my own mother You cant can't realize what it meant to tome me mc to be drawn into a family circle like the Anne Herricks-Anne Jane and their mother I didn't know there was such a 8 person as Dick Hardy until that ve when he sent Anne a box of roses Even then I didn't realize real real- ize he meant anything to her I thought you ou were my my- my rival When Anne came here she gave me a blueprint of m an invention Hardy had been working on I thought the money would go to Anne 1 if I put it over So I hired a group of cog cog- They scrapped Hardys Hardy's idea entirely and worked out another scheme that was successful I 1 was going to surprise Anne I wanted to make her happy And I 1 thought money would do ILI It IL I 1 applied for the patent in her name without telling her ot of the changes chanies without telling her that Dicks Dick's idea had been found unsound Then who should come along but Hardy Peter stood up He went to Mi- Mi h Major their ex extended rIght hands gripped then Peter returned to his choir chair and Mr Major resumed lAnd And this afternoon I learned that Hard Hardy Is In d nger of being arrested Arrested exclaimed Peter Yes YC Peter arrested and sent to prIson What has he done cried Peter his tac fac He H h has lS sold more than radio sets and as yet not Q a penny has been turned over to the manufacturing company Good GOO God I What'll Anne do Peter exclaimed why I asked you to come here Peter said Mr Major steadily ly I 1 thought we might save her kill Anne Mr Major We must help her Peter some how Ill do anythIng anything anything- Wait Peter until I tell you the rest of the story When Dick failed to remit the mon money y for tor the radios the manufacturers asked me to find out what the trouble was You see I handled the negotiations for the of the patent I wrote and asked to be e excused sayIng say say- Ing I knew both Hardy and his wife and felt that I could not be an impartial im im- partial judge But I asked them to let me inc know theIr findings finding The report came just today PeterUs Peter Its Us almost incredible He went to his desk arid and picked up several typewritten shee's shee of paper peper He owes the company saId Mr Major glancIng at the re- re port And he has drawn his salary six months In advance He has been consulting lawyers for the last two weeks trying to revoke re- re yoke voke the deed for the house on Touhy avenue he gave to Mrs Herrick His constant companIon at night Is Isa Q a girl named Bobbie a playgirL He bought her on automobile that cost and he employed a leur cur to run It IL ILIn In a near north side gambling club he lost playing roulette on August Au Au- gust 30 On September 2 3 a 8 he remaIned away from his hotel overnight His wife is going to become a mother Peter jumped as hough touched by a live wire Perspiration was on his forehead enough Mr Major that's enough I He stood looking dazedly at the older man man But his bewildered expression gradually d and nd in I Its stead came a look of anguish as though his very soul had been seared Now now Peter said Mr Major quIckly we mustn't do anything rash I agree agree with you that Hardy deserves to be taken out and horse horsewhipped whIpped but we must think of Anne You know that But what can n we do rasped Peter Ive alre already dy started things going said aid Mr Major First I wired the manufacturers asking them to do nothing without first consulting me You cant can't mean that you'll make good the shortage No I dont don't mean that Peter What I had In Iii mind was this You know Hardy better than I do One of us must see him tell him plainly what's before him end and give him a chance to pay back the money If you ou d dont don't nt feel like goIng Ill I'll go goo Peters Peter's hands hand clenched and his jaws jaw tightened Ill see him Mr Major His words were Indistinct for throat was dry but a tremor of ex cx- ran through l him m. m To be continued Copyright 1933 ChIcago Dally Daily I News Copyright 1934 Register end Tribune Syndicate |