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By Root 8921 0

Sam, say-ing he was sure it would kil him, ate a plate of lobstersalad. Margo was dizzygiggly drunk when she found that the Filipino and Sam Margolies had disappeared and that she and Si were sitting together on the couch that had the lionskin on it. "So you're going to marry Sam," said Si, gulping down a glass of champagne. She nodded. "Good girl." Si took off his coat and vest and hung them careful y on a chair. "Hate clothes," he said. "You must come to my ranch. . . . Hot stuff.""But you wear them so beautiful y," said Margo. "Correct," said Si. He reached over and lifted her into his knee. "But, Si, we oughtn't to, not on Sam's lionskin." Si put his mouth to hers and kissed her. "You find me exciting? You ought to see me stripped.""Don't, don't," said Margo. She couldn't help it, he was too strong, his hands were al over her under her dress.

"Oh, hel , I don't give a damn," she said. He went over and got her another glass of champagne. For him-self he fil ed a bowl that had held cracked ice earlier in the evening.

"As for that lion it's bloody rot. Sam shot it but the blighter shot it in a zoo. They were sel in' off some old ones at one of the bloody lionfarms and they had a shoot. Couldn't miss 'em. It was a bloody crime." He drank down the champagne and suddenly jumped at

her. She fel on the couch with his arms crushing her. She was dizzy. She walked up and down the room

-422-trying to catch her breath. "Goodnight, hot sketch," Si said and careful y put on his coat and vest again and was gone out the door. She was dizzy.

Sam was back and was showing her a lot of calculations on a piece of paper. His eyes bulged shiny into her face as she tried to read. His hands were shaking."It's tonight," he kept saying, "it's tonight that our lifelines cross. . . . We are married whether we wish it or not. I don't believe in freewil . Do you, darling Margo?"

Margo was dizzy. She couldn't say anything. "Come, dear child, you are tired." Margolies'

voice burred sooth-ingly in her ears. She let him lead her into the bedroom and careful y take her clothes off and lay her between the black silk sheets of the big poster bed. It was broad daylight when Sam drove her back to the house. The detective outside touched his hat as they turned into the drive. It made her feel good to see the man's big pugface as he stood there guarding her house. Agnes was up and walking up and down in a padded flowered dress-inggown in the livingroom with a newspaper in her hand.

"Where have you been?" she cried. "Oh, Margie, you'l ruin your looks if you go on like this and you're just get-ting a start too. . . . Look at this . . . now don't be shocked . . . remember it's al for the best." She handed the Times to Margo, pointing out a head-line with the sharp pink manicured nail of her forefinger.

"Didn't I tel you Frank was watching over us?" HOLLYWOOD EXTRA SLAIN AT

PARTY

Noted Polo Player Disappears

Sailors Held

Two enlisted men in uniform, George Cook and Fred Cos-tel o, from the battleship Kenesaw were held for questioning when they were found stupefied with liquor or narcotics in the basement of an apartment house at 2234 Higueras Drive, San Pedro, where residents al ege a drunken party had been in

-423-progress al night. Near them was found the body of a young man whose skul had been fractured by a blow from a blunt instrument who was identified as a Cuban, Antonio Garrido, erstwhile extra on several prominent studio lots. He was stil breathing when the police broke in in response to telephoned complaints from the neighbors. The fourth member of the party, a German citizen named Max Hirsch, supposed by some to be an Austrian nobleman, who shared an apartment at Mimosa in a fashionable bungalow court with the handsome young Cuban, had fled before police reached the scene of the tragedy. At an early hour this morning he had not yet been located by the police. Margo felt the room swinging in@great circles around her head. "Oh, my God," she said. Going upstairs she had to hold tight to the baluster to keep from fal ing. She tore off her clothes