"
"So that is why Nita tried to commit suicide on February 9--and her
attempted suicide, with its tragic consequences for Lydia Carr, is
probably the reason Sprague gave up his movie star," Dundee mused. "Did
Nita let him persuade her to go into the blackmail business, in order to
hold his wandering, mercenary affections?... Lord! The men some women
love!"
The second bit of information which the papers supplied him was winnowed
by Dundee himself, from a news summary of Nita Leigh's last year of life
as chorus girl, specialty dancer, "double" in pictures, and director of
the Easter play at Forsyte-on-the-Hudson.
"If Nita got a divorce or even a legal separation from her husband after
her talk with Gladys Earle a year ago, she got it in New York and so
secretly that no New York paper has been able to dig it up," Dundee
concluded. "_And yet she had promised to marry Ralph Hammond!_"
A bellboy with a telegram interrupted the startling new train of thought
which that conclusion had started.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
With a sharp exclamation of excitement and triumph, Dundee read Penny's
telegram:
"HAMILTON EVENING SUN DATE OF MAY FIFTH NINETEEN TWENTY TWO
PUBLISHED STORY OF SUICIDE ANITA LEE ARTISTS MODEL BUT PICTURE
ACCOMPANYING WAS UNDOUBTEDLY NITA LEIGH SELIM'S STOP NO CORRECTION
FOLLOWED STOP WHAT DOES IT MEAN"
"What does it mean?" Dundee repeated exultantly to himself.
Pages:
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343