Show TELEGRAM FICTION I L I FUGITIVE T VE HEIRESS Priscilla Jf By Wayne Wayne- ayne CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR TWENTY It was evident event to Aunt Hester Hester Hester Hes Hes- ter who kept her bed and professed herself unable to leave it that things were rapidly nearing a climax in the farm house Polly kept quite close to Aunt Hester and the girl was distraught and troubled It was easy enough to tell that When she went downstairs to get geta a tray of food for Aunt Hester she came back immediately and she had even entrusted the care of the little chicks her darlings to Hannah Polly Feels Fear of Helen As a matter fact Polly felt ab absolute ab absolute absolute ab- ab solute fear of Helen In all her sheltered sheltered sheltered shel shel- life Ufe Polly had never met a person who possessed such a wild i unrestrained temper It seemed to Polly that she was in physical danger when she was with Helen It It wasn't the most valiant course and if Polly felt at all inclined to humor she would have laughed over overtaking overtaking taking aking refuge in a sick room from the he other girl But Helen never entered Aunt Heser's Hesters Hester's Hesters Hester's Hes- Hes ter's ers room and it was the only place I in the house where Polly felt safe from om the girls girl's tantrums Not once did Helen show her real self to Peter In his presence she was all gentleness ss itself anxiously anxiously inquiring after his aunt and ready to do anything that she could to keep the household regime running smoothly Peter felt grateful to her for her sympathy but he avoided her just as much as he could There was no longer any doubt in n Peters Peter's mind as to his real rear feel feel- ing He had held warm impulsive Polly in his arms he had kissed her sweet young lips and he knew as clearly as he would ever know anything in his life that he loved Polly Murphy that hat she was the girl he had been waiting for all of these years Helen Decides Decide's to See Lawyer This knowledge made Helens Helen's presence in his home grateful ashe as ashe ashe he was for her solicitude even mor more embarrassing to him He knew that he must find a way to tell the tall Imperious girl that he did not love her that all of the years he had imagined their friendship friendship friendship friend friend- ship to be love in had only been gratitude Gratitude because she was the link that reminded him of his home and bound him to his boyhood memories He knew that he must talk to her herand herand herand and tell her the truth and and- yet he scarcely knew how he could approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap the subject On the third day of Aunt Hesters Hester's Illness when the situation had grown almost intolerable for her Helen made a trip into Des Moines She went straight to an attorney whom she had known as a student when they were both in college She knew that she could trust trus him and she felt reasonably certain certain tam tain that he would not stop at ethics ethic If he saw a way in which he could help her especially If that hel help could win a good fee The mans man's name was Morris an and he listened carefully to the story she had to tell him You say th the girl just came along with them an and pretends to be the companion o othe of the older woman what I said What makes you think there i Is anything very suspicious in that thaU Helen Explains About Polly I tell you the girl is Is' not a servant ser ser- vant She hasn't been a waitress o oa ora or ora a companion or anything like tha that She he wears the grandest clothes exquisite exquisite ex- ex workmanship and labels and andall andall all 11 of that Only a man or an old woman wouldn't have got wise to her the minute they set eyes on her face besides she's got a lot of money Money The mans man's eyes gleamed greedily More than a thousand dollars in currency just crammed into her herId herold herold old Id suitcase Where did she get it Helen looked at him with unutterable unutterable erable scorn How should I know I That's what Im I'm asking you Does it look reasonable that a airl girl irl of her type would be a maid to someone and yet have more than a thousand housand dollars hidden away in her suitcase Well no it doesn't the attorney attorney ney ey agreed Unless she well she well uness unless unless un- un less ess she stole it Now were we're getting somewhere Helen elen declared quickly She did steal teal that money How do you know I dont don't know absolutely Its It's a hunch lunch Id I'd stake well stake well Id I'd stake anything on it Greedy M Man Mans ManIs n nIs Is s Excited The greedy little man was walking back ack and forth now thinking We might have her picked up up-on up on sus- sus But where does that get getus us Where does it get us Well it gets jets us right where we want to tobe tobe toe be e Helen shrilled excitedly It gets her out of the place doesn't it I told her she had to go Ive I've ve ordered her out twice But she just goes up into the theold theold old Id womans woman's room and stays there and nd I cant can't go up there after her because of Peter Any excitement would throw the theold theold old Id lady into a heart attack the doctor octor says and all of us just justh h have lave ve to walk on needles and pins there Then the old lady would have a aheart aheart heart icart attack if we went out and had ad the girl arrested as a suspicious character so where Would you be bethen bethen bethen then 1 I wouldn't care how many attacks attacks at- at tacks acks she had Helen said passionately pas pas- so long as I 1 wasn't responsible responsible re- re for them If you the he girl and took her away then there here Isn't anything Peter could do about it at least for a day or two I and a day or two with her gone is all that I need Very AVery well the attorney agreed at last I dont don't think that's exactly the he method to get what you want but Ill I'll do it if you say soI soI sor so I r still think the right method is a a breach of promise suit Uit Youre You're after his money arent aren't you Well youve you've got a clear case for It Youve got plenty of letters anc and evidence to prove that he asked you to marry him and that you agreed Business Deal DealIs Is Closed It isn't exactly his money Helen acknowledged miserably I find find find- well at first I thought I cared about the other man man but but now that tha hes he's gone gone gone- Now that hes he's gone youre you're thinkIng thinking thinking think think- ing its it's Harrington you want Helen nodded Since that red redheaded redheaded redheaded headed wretch got here I guess gues that's all I do want Just to show that I can get ahead of her justo just jus to that r proVe All right all right the attorney attorney ney Interrupted tartly Ill Til arrange to have her picked up I dont don't exactly exactly ex ex- know what the charges will willbe willbe be but well we'll find some way If we cant can't pin anything onto ont her then well we'll have to let her g go goin goin in a day or two and there may b be hell to pay then better be ready to stand the he consequences and to make hay while the sun shines in other words to grab your young man when you get the chance Leave that to me Helen said sale as she buttoned her coat and started started started start start- ed to go Just a minute the attorney said Miss Lane I knew you in the university I know In a manner of speaking were we're old friends but just th the same business is business business' and a man has to live Jive There will be a hundred dollars advance retaining fee for my ices ces Is a aLot aLot Lot ot of Money I thought so Helen said She wrote her check angrily If one deals with crooks one may just aswell as aswell aswell well be prepared She signed the check and flipped it t across the table see that she's he's picked up Yes When It may take a few hours to plant the he suspicion I just dont don't know yet how I can do it but I will do it WHEN He laughed Making sure that you'll get your moneys money's worth arent aren't you A hundred dollars is a lot of money Helen said emphatically Well dont don't worry I said that Id I'd d work out a plan and I will How do we know anyway If I get geto getto getto to o working on the thing I may dig up a real crime that she's com corn I hope to heaven you do Helen told old him briefly She drove back backo to o the Harrington farmhouse happier happier hap- hap pier ier than she had ben in many hours She knew that she could depend on her friend the attorney He was known not favorably in his profession and she could depend upon him to carry out his word But when she drove into the Harrington yard her instinct told her immediately that something was wrong When she left Peter had been out in the field with I the he men and she had been reasonably reasonably reasonably reason reason- ably certain that he would be there all of the day But now he was gone At least his car was gone She parked her own car hurriedly hurriedly hurriedly hur hur- and ran into the house Au Aunt Aun t tHester Hester sat all wrapped up in a comforter comforter com corn forter on a rocking chair In the kitchen and Hannah moved over to her Where is Peter Helen asked breathlessly Aunt Hester smiled Why didn't didn you meet them Peter and Polly just drove into Des Moines I thought sure you'd meet them Continued Saturday Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |