Evening Star Newspaper, April 13, 1930, Page 94

10 U—— THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, APRIL 13, 1930. Fortune Teller's Secret The Story of Three Tangled Lives, All Thrown Together—A nd the Story Shows That When You Question Fate, You Hear What You Want to Hear. pre-Easter crowd was beginning to throng Atlantic City's Boardwalk. Within the small Boardwalk store which had been made to look the proper setting for Raj Hanoum the All-seeing, it was very stuffy indeed. The three women who waited in the reception room stiered uneasily, half impatient to hear their own fates unfolded, half sorry that they had come at all. On one of the rickety chairs sat Dolly Crouse, her legs crossed so that the shoddy red silk dress hardly covered them, her patent leather Swenson gir] try to double-cross her the very next day? Hanoum was the goods. Dolly would have been back to him ruch sooner but she had either. But that was all behind her now. A bad break. No more following her cwn hunches. These Hindu fellows could really see things a person had ahead of her. What Dolly had ahead of her now was the riskiest thing she had ever attempted. Get a job with the rich Mrs. Henry Rice out in Cleveland. Work quiet and meek and efficient, four months or so. And then one night when Mrs. Rice was out at some dinner party or other, let Sandy into the house. Let him knock her about a litle—bind and gag and chioroform her. And be brought back to consciousness a few hours later, by a doctor, and two or three policemen, probably, to be all bewilderment and outraged loyalty at the pews that her unknown assailant had made away with Mrs. Rice’s famous emeralds. All simple enough, really, if it weren't for that little visit Dolly had just paid the State. That rap was only for shoplifting. But a record doesn’t do you any good. Maybe it would be better not to try the Cleveland stunt, after all. But Sandy thought she was losing her nerve. She wished somebody would advise ‘Well, some one was going to. In just a few minutes Hanoum wauld be looking into Dolly’s future. And you could count on Hanoum. Dolly uncrossed her legs, ready to rise. The woman on the sofa looked to Doily like the kind who would sweep right in ahead of a person if you didn’t look sharp. These society dames had a nerve. R 35‘8’55 Tl ; -3 ofefi %‘Esg 555‘% LeH gsiggga Bei ] it [ 3 E Z 4 Efs gg EEEE s : ngk RRER 1 satisfy two or three ordinary women. But as the wife of Carter Avery—well, Carter Avery’s ability to supply the things Mrs. Reggie wanted was legendary and without end. And for the past year Carter had made per- sistent love to her—so convincingly, with such fervid promises of what life would be if only he could marry her (and why, oh, why, hadn’t he seen her before . . .), that now, this March in Atlantic City, Mrs. Reggie has about made up her mind that she would be free. And that marry her he not only could, but must. Now, that plan, like Dolly’s, would all have been simple enough except for one thing. That thing was that Carter Avery already had a most substantial wife—a wife who had held fast to her name and her place at the head of his table through a good many years. Mrs. Avery's friends said that she was determined to stay married to Carter for two reasons—that she Joved him and that she didn’t intend to have her three children’s lives complicated by divorce. Her enemies said that she stuck because she was & dull, selfish woman, who clung to Carter long after he was tired of her and wanted gayer and more decorative ladies about him. But both . ¥ H 2 2. 3 Hanoum himself, tall, clad in flowing robes, stood framed in the curtains. “Who is to friends and enemies agreed that she bad great power over Carfer (who wasn't distinguished for being strong-minded) and had more than once routed ambitious ladies who had thought themselves practically at the altar steps. So you see now what Mrs. Reggie’s problem was. Should she go out to Reno and divorce Reggie? He would let her, because he always gave her everything that she wanted. And should she then, bold and beautiful, and per- haps a little clinging and tearful, present herself to .Carter—free and waiting for him to make good all the promises he had murmured under the great white moon in the South of*France, or under cover of Markel’s orchestra at Pierre’s? But what about Carter’s wife? There is such an advantage in actually being the wife. Mrs, Reggie went cold with the fear that Carter’s wife wouldn’t let him go. That Carter wouldn't make her let him go. No use to try pinning him down now. Men didn't like that. She knew Carter. But maybe it was worth the chance of the divorce? He did care for her now. But what if his wife . . . ? And then what could Mrs. Reggie do . . . ? Well, you can see that she was confused, and discontented, and a little scared. And worry is so aging. Here she was sitting on the All- seeing’s sofa. And hoping that he was as marvelous as they said. It was unfortunate that those other two women were ahead of her. . . . If they would just hurry up. T that moment Dolly did hurry up. The curtains parted, and a stout woman came out a little shamefacedly, muttering her thanks to Hanoum. Hanoum himself, tall, clad in I guess,” Dolly answered. flowing robes, a turban wound above his dark face, a look of piercing understanding in his strangely blue eyes, was behind her. “Who is to enter next?” Hanoum's voice was deep, grave, dignified. “Me, I guess.” And the All-seeing stepped aside for Dolly to enter the room, where he, with the aid of the spirits of the dead, unveiled the mysteries. The other two settled back to wait. The girl in the rocker was big-eyed with excitement. A wedding trip at Atlantic City is pretty exciting at any age. But at 19, when you love some one as Cathie loved Jim, and when every hour is a golden delight, it makes your cheeks pinker than usual, and your red mouth always about to break into a smile. This coming to a fortune teller was an adventure, Jim had gone off to talk to old Mr. Vander- griff. So she started walking. And as she walked she turned over and over in her mind the offer Mr. Vandergriff was making her Jim. Would he take it, and go away up into the Canadian woods? And then she saw the for- tune teller's sign, and just decided to come in and see if he would say anything about it. People said these men really knew. Maybe Hanoum would tell her something she could repeat to Jim, which would convince him that a man should take these chances, and that his wife didn’t mind roughing it in a wilderness. Sendy sat up regarded Dolly with superstitious suspicion. The cold finger of fear souched him, too. All this talk of jail wasn’t healthy. ‘land job is out. % By Mary Chase enter next?” His voice was deep. “Me, Fifteen minutes later Dolly came out from her reading. A little flushed and shaken, it would seem. While the impassive Hanoum beckons Cathie into his sanctuary you may just as well follow Dolly. Dolly was not staying at the big hotel. Her way back to her room led her through a ~ tawdry tangle of cheap boarding houses, into the entrance of the Elite Hotel, rooms $1.50 & day in advance. Sandy was sprawling on the tumbled bed, dealing himself poker hands, when Dolly burst in. “Look, Sandy. I'm telling you. That Cleve- Nothing doing. I won't try it. Not for anything!” “Yeah? Lose your nerve again, eh? What's biting you, anyhow? Some sweet-faced oM lady adopted you because you look like her little Minny, who died the first year of the Civil War, I suppose, and you don't need money no more?” “No, I haven't lost my nerve. my head for a change. See? 1 just been down on the Boardwalk to Hanoum. And vou can't laugh off what he says, because you go to him yourself every time you've got the five bucks. And he saw the whole Cleve= land lay-out as plain as if I'd told him. And what will happen if I try to pull it ~“T!* I'm using SANDY got up and regarded Dolly with superstitious suspicion. “What'd he say exactly?” “Well—that I'd get sent up for 10 years. And said somebody was apt to throw me. You know I never did trust those fake ref- erences from Lena. Sid I might turn into a fine woman after the rap. . . . And I'm not taking any, thank you! You know he's the real stuff, Sandy! I don't want to welch on you, but I'm scared. I've had enough this WEAR 1, P UIR ARG S Unexpectedly, the cold finger of fear touched Sandy, too. All this talk of 10 years in jail wasn't healthy. For an hour they talked it out. And at the end of the hour the emeralds of Mrs. Rice were safe from an inside robbery, for a while at least. Though probably that lady, guite unaware, would never be grateful to Hanoum the All-seeing. About this same time Mrs. Reggie Banks, back in her breeze-swept suite at the hotel, was putting through a call to New York. Attired in a most becoming neglige, she held the receiver in one slender hand and a newly opened letter in the other. “Mr. Reginald Banks, I said. At Plaza 2406, operator. Yes., . . . Hello? . . . Reg- gie? This ic Alice, darling. I just got your letter, Reggie. Let's not bother about going on that trip to Placid with the Averys. It’s so lovely down here mnow. . . . I thought maybe you'd come down. I wish you would, dear. . . We could have a good time all by ourselves. I . . .” “What, dear? . . Of course not. How per= Reggie, I'd much rather just be with you. . . . All right, old thing. . . « Tomorrow. At lunch time. And, Reggie. . « o Hello? Deposit a thousand dollars to my ac= count, will you? I'm beginning to run just & little short. Goodby, dear. And you let the Averys know we aren’t going, will you?” s And when the maid came in to prepare Mrs. fectly silly you are! Continued on Thirteenth Page