Show i i I THE SEAtED SEALED TRUNK TuNK By Henry Webster WeLster ly ty Th The Robbs C Ca m THE STORY ORY I At Al a public dance donee Martin Marlin Fortu a newspaper man ma fats eula eulaIn In on en dine donee with Walt Max I Iw whom Martin Marlin In In- i lie ov over rh r- r h hear heau r a r llon between Lewis and a woman which h he h. concerns concern Rhoda He Ue rev r r. r call calls a blind ad Inquiring the tin wh whereabouts r of McF rland r- r led land and un rinses a n newspaper w p r ator torn JU U. b belleve ll vt that is 10 RhodaS Rhoda'S Rho Kho- d. d daS dat sal al r l name nm fh she Ph r ru fut In to Ind toden d den nr or admit It however v r It noall II her h r childhood In Call Cali fornia Il r moth mother r deed Rd h eh h had hed b bun been n happy until b befell f ll h her r father McFarland Me Me- Varland Farland with I the lie blow la 10 h her r uncle unola William Royce Hoyc Th They y move to where wh h her hr r father U is enraged n Kg d In mysterious work take Uku up lap H 1 Her r tether father dice diu suddenly vatI vainly trying to In KV Kin give h her r a maag about boul ArU ina In Ina Ina a trunk Rhoda Rhod toe goes tn to ll live 11 with witha worker 4 a Jen Dings Ding i CHAPTER HI III-Continued III Continued 4 D Babe b sang out n R rather knowing hello Aello to the two Iwo of ot them lint hilt even eten It If Ith it h was III late lata camp came on unhurriedly Rhoda coiled colled pr o the Inter Inter- heads Martins coming to 10 sup cup p per It r with u us tonight ht and then with a trod Dod vanished Into Inlo the entrance to 10 the building The Th Implication hed he'd perceived 1 In that last Dork remark of ot disturbed diet abed so eo much that he forgot to be 6 polite f Look hero here hI he sold mid to 10 Babe Habe an RII she came ClIme up tip did that lint bird Lewis that I 1 Intro Introduced to you jou la lo last t night find out where Lere lived ed from you jou ou You tW two make a pair oil all right rl you yon and Max Mar It ni It semis you jou i both bolh went Int JOa JO fa ga a about Red lied lot loot nl night ht Why Max Jinx Iu took me mt home and niH since I 1 told him eh she and I r lived hived together I suppose he het knows known Why shouldn't lie hl t c u I Il o Will was loo 00 rl d-rl u 11 1 i anxious T 10 to aunt i nut cut Units Unit's oil nit III lies Hed n 0 hind bad boy If It I 1 Il J l' l know one when I see 11 him How much i more wore did you jou ou toll tell him about her 11 l Why we talked of ut little else dear dear- I orf or- or Set est 1 said Mid Italic lip Ill wanted to Know knows s all 81 11 about her and I 1 tried to 10 be bl accommodating ac tie- f I lIke like I 1 am nm no now Look iI here who elected you jou Reds Red's guardian j Ive I've e known her about seven even r times nn nil long as II you jou have hate and Im I'm not trying to 10 get her In dutch with any any- i. i body l. l He lie didn't know what to 10 In say to 10 that t tut but the look hook In hula his tarn fare must mint e hue hate an an- 1 for tor him for tur with n a complete change of ot manner she went on Ill on What Iti is It Marty Is there an anything thing wrong II with him 7 I Do 10 o you know anything shout bout him hl 1 No h he told her as aa they entered I tb the building together lit Hut I r think j tI hes he's up to 10 something queer and Im I'm t going to try to 10 fluid find out what hot It In Is And If It you OU happen on anything that i gives gUes hel you a alne line lne on It let me know kno H n. n thought site lie hesitated as aa though she he he had something on her hn mind but all In she h did dill was to nod noli assent and I say ay ny ayas 1 Z as eh she walked off that they'd see pe him t for tor supper tonight about seven ae Martins Martin's own d days day ya work was Will yawning yawn awn i t lag ing for tor him In the local room but he hei i didn't go ro there He lie went Into Inlo the jt t I morgue Instead on the chance cliance that ii I tt hed he'd find there some ome scrap crop of ut l shout about Max Lewis The i- i was Will much better rewarded than heI hed he'd hedt t i expected 1 It to 10 be i Max tu had bad had his hll promenade In the public eye ee by virtue of ot a breach brench of ot promise suit for tor one hundred thou thou- sand land doll dollars II that had hind been brought against him by a chorus girl He lie hilt haul written her hlf the usual half dozen Imbecile Im In belle lo 10 love e letters All that gave gate them interest either to the public or ur to the chorus girl herself had been the fact tact that Max though It wasn't clear that ho he lad had any property of ot his hili own had a vested Tested right no so to 10 I speak k In an authentically au t rich bachelor undo uncle who might be expected to come down don and settle lettle the girls girl's claim l- l The only direct find for Martin In Inthe i the mess mes was wu the uncles uncle's name and address It was Charles J J. J Forster I and he hI was I of ot as a capitalist j with willi oil Interests large In arlous various parts of ot the country Charles diaries J J. J Forter For For- t p ter star C J. J Jl I That practically tied tId It Itc c 44 up tip but not quite Not ot well enough J. J for fur Martin Marlin who was a good reporter i lie He went downstairs stopping ou on the tho thet t J way IY to copy CulY the want ad lid III In the tier per personal I I. I r column olumn for tor the address s of ot Rhoda l lr McFarland I think Im I'm on a n story he be told t Snow In charge charae of ot the advertising file fit t j If It Ill I'll promise to be discreet about It II f r will III you find out for tor me who the Ray X 03 13 Is la who who's been blen running this ad ad ti i Snow thought he might do that and went off to look It up coming back J within five fhe minutes with the name l written of ut X X a r on a slip paper was s. s r f C. C J J. J Forster just as Martin badi had bad i thought he would be III Ills His address ls was waa r the Worcester hotel The next nut step 1111 would be to Interview lew 0 Mr Forster all and try to persuade him It U to tell why lay he lie was all advertising for tor fort t t Rhoda McFarland This was a step o. o r t he tie didn't want to take toke without Rhoda Ithodas I permission So io he be made motle his way to the local room and wart eW to work for tor forthe forthe fi the newspaper Ii At half halt put pat fi five that night he arrived ar or- rived cited at lit the address had given him and end In paused II III for a survey ry of ot the Premise from trum the outside It W wa was I a 1 with Ith converted remotely remodeled l dwelling a basement huh Ii was n now an antique shop hop and n II nr first t floor finor guessing from trum the sign painted on nn the glass that hiu housed I i- i il l 1 a II dressmaking establishment It 11 1 same me commercial I purpose Irlo e during the day dRY but hilt It was U now dark It must mut be bl a rather lone lonely place at nt night he 11 thought Something hind had happened In the tile dlo dho nt at len tit Nome something thing hail It Plotted happened a to toone toone one of ot It Ito tenants state hed he'd seen een them that morning orn I II lie sensed ed It II the moment mo mo- meat ment they IhlY let ht him In nut he III grew surer Hirer 1 he was right n n as time lime went on there ass wn no luck lack of nt cord cordiality about their welcome they Ibey were lr Ir trying lie Ie saw to 10 keep up nil the tIe ff lh I spirit of ot a party They'd pot got up I H II really willy good supper creamed with lIh fried was the foundation of ot It II The flue studio w wn wn ne nn In place to 10 live In once mee jond you'd got Inside lit HIP door nod It wax was plain the girls were Irp proud of nt It II Hut tonight some Romp thing luau had gone wrong wrung It night might of nt course be bl nothing more I than i some small domestic quarrel that hind flared tip lap between them but bul It lIt didn't seem eem Im like IlkI that All that betrayed 1 was ass a II lack lock of ot Ih the buoyancy hed he'd felt In her last night and again during their brief encounter en counter this morning lie Ile noted that it hen he and Italic Babe were keeping things up tip between them and mad she he went wend no so to speak peak off duty she ahl seemed reamed to 10 be listless and As for Babe Habe she ahl seemed Deemed to 10 be bl bursting with some ume- ume thing Site She wits Willi excited II and she was WOI trying to 10 bp bl mysterious Martin Marlin found himself getting rather imaginative One minor episode while they were rl at lit supper nipper made him wonder whether ha hll was nas Imagining the whole thing t f 1 j R i The rhe bell 11 rang rang from from anti the rather nondescript visitor whom Untie Babe admitted announced himself as u II taker name for tor the Ihl new city Ily directory He lie wanted to II get the names nomel nomeland and occupations pat ions of t everybody hod who lived In the apartment Untie Italic recited them while he be wrote theta them down lna la In a little leather bound notebook He Ile had bud to 10 have hate Rhodas Rhoda's name spelled for fur him I There was wn no rent real reason for tor doubting doubtIng doubt doubt- I Ing InK that he hI was n what he lit pretended to 10 be bl vet It Martin did doubt the man almost to 10 the point of k him to show shuw Ids his credentials Also AIo lip he thought the titan man turned tur l a n rather penetrating look on him But he hI didn't went to 10 do something hI nJ officious every r time limp he was with Ronda mUllIn nor to 10 do III anything tonight tonight to to- night tint that would add to her disquiet It was Oil probably nothing but bit nation Dolton It wasn't woI though Imagination that something haul had happened lI to 10 upset the girls Babe Habe eventually y gave gate that away completely It transpired that she had a fairly heavy date dote at nine o'clock and she seemed worried over o the Idea o of leaving Inning Rhoda In order to keep kell It It II She even eten offered In what she elie meant for tor a ron confidential II II I aside to 10 break this date dale BO so that It If Martin Mar tin went home early should not be alone lIone In the studio Rhoda II vetoed the proposal with a rigorous vigorous shake of ot her red head and the cloud over oter Martins Martin's spirits pl lifted as 81 he realized that she phI meant to let him Mn stay on and haven l n v I sIt alone Ione with her after Babe Haue had hII gone onE Tho The last lost thing hale did did before In toll full panoply she left was to go JO to 10 Rhoda and hug hu huh h her J Dent Dont you worry any more about It pre precious cious dous she he 1 Bald 1 Something nice U is going to happen soon that'll make you forget all about it It II l' l 1 Ive I've e got a hunch about Ih that t that's string rl n enough to 10 bet money nn on n. n Martin bit down the IIiI question he liP worded wanted to 10 ask the moment Babe Habe had really gone and 1 said something nice about h her r Instead what a good loyal tort sort she ehe was Oh Oil she flit Is I Rhoda assented with lIh a ashok shok shaky laugh Hut But she's hes aho about t as liS easy to see 10 Into Inlo a as a goldfish bowl She promised she he wouldn't let you jou ou su suspect that an thing had happened 1 here und and she's gone Ione off oIT now without the faintest Idea that she's skee ghen n anything away Before Martin could think thick of ot appropriate to 10 say suy to that she wf went wenton nt on Ill tell you jou what It win was there was a burglar here this afternoon Did he lit get II awn away with lIh an ant anything thing thIn Important nl niB fits choice p of It that word seemed to 10 strike her but hut she hE didn't comment t upon upon It then lie got It three hundred 1 dollars of ot mine she olle wild said She Site went wenton on on In response to 10 of ot astonishment as liS- Im Tin ashamed to admit I f Iwas was I so lO silly as III to 10 keep a lot of ot money like that In cash In my illY ro room room m. m It a long time and I thought It W was l safely hidden Martin asked It If they had any Idea when It had happened or how boss the man had bad got In It would be an awfully easy place to get Into Inlo an any time during the da day she ahe admitted ruefully The dressmaking dress dress- dressmaking making people like to leave leate the outer door unlocked so eo that their customers can ran come rome right up Our door wasn't broken but I suppose lupOle a burglar could hav have hn picked the lock t easily enough Was the three thre hundred dollars dollar all betook he tie took Martin lI asked It enough h 7 she h he countered with lIh a sober soher smile He lie wa was n afraid It ft was RS thin Ice and ho he didn't want cant lint to get gel her angry with him again but he hI ventured to answer No No o. o That nl I U Is I wn wasn't nt surprised ed althe at al atthe the Ih burglary but hili I 1 was surprised that thai he h. took louk money nt haven't you jou ou missed an anything thing else A document of ot some sort orl or ur a letter or letter or perhaps a photograph photo photo- photograph graph Im I'm Just t guessing you jou set see She hE remarked I I dont don't think youre you're exactly l' l guessing Youre You're ig about stout Mr Ir Lewis and the things you jou OU heard woman telling him last night Iut I 1 1111 any document or any 1111 letter 1 letter 1 mean I 1 hn haven't lost II any mind any n-II n imd nIl I dont don't own any photo photographs graphs except pHIt of ot Babe and D Doris ont and andI I l ah ohI l h i 1 was wnM thinking about lewis ho he confessed I 1 know n a little more about him than limn 1 I dIe did last Int night I 1 l l v 1 M t i. i ft It Would Be Ba an In Awfully Easy Euy Place to Get Into wanted to 10 find out what he was up III to to especially after told 1111 mo me hed he'd taken her home hurne last lost night and antl asked her a lot of ot questions about you lie He saw v her face toce flame at that and he thought she Iho held her breath while white she waited for him to go on He Ile Isn't what nil anybody llOdy would call all n a valuable valuable volu- volu able citizen but at nt that he doesn't seem like Ilke the man to break In here and steal your jour our three hundred dollars lie He wrote some Indiscreet letters to a chorus girl once and she sued him for tor a hundred thousand Probably she ahe wouldn't have hate done dune It ItI ItH If he hadn't had hada a rich respectable uncle unde she hoped would buy her hll oft off Ills names name's Charles CharlesJ J Forster lie He lives at the Worcester ter hotel Did you ou eter ever hear of or Mm him Apparently she attached no Importance lance tance to the question for tor she answered It with a mere absent shake of ot the the head hlad tier Her thoughts were somewhere else I 1 want to tell you jou ou one other thing I did dill this morning went wenton on un and this brought r her focused In Inv Inquiring quiring look back to his hi t face ce I got gotthem gotthem them to look up In Inthe the want want-ad file fill the f real al the man who's been advertising for tor t r the address of ot Rhoda thoda McFarland Its It's the same man Charles CharlesJ J J. J C o sl C J. J J. J do o you jou III see T The Theman Theman e man mOil they ibey ivere were talking about last night nigh I. I The flash of Incipient pain hed he'd seen In III tier her face changed hanged to a look of ot mere perplexity before he finished speaking Hut But I dont don't know who he heIs heis Is she he told him vehemently v Then en suddenly udd Intent she asked Did IId you you do anything else There was only one llIe thing left len todo todo to to- do du and Unit that was al to look him Wm up and ask him why b hp bg wpm was advertising advertising- for tier her And und And and I 1 didn't want to 10 todo todo do that unless s you said ion you wanted me to tn You rou might have hate al asked him she said After what I tSI told lm last tight night you jou ou might have halE argued that it was no affair of |