Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-12-01

mot the way I did It. The real in
spector is my friend; l had his per-
mission to impersonate him"
pretty good!" commented Rosalie.
AN you found nothing about-what
I'm after?"
mo. That was the suspicious
thing-1 mean. the absence of any
sign of Identification looked curious
to me. But found one thing which
didn't amount to much. except that 1t
was an opening. He has a camera.
I don't know why examined that.
unless 1t was hunch. It was foreign
made-American boxes are manufac-
tured by trust. and they all look
alike. Down by the range-scale l
found a nickel plate such as agents
always put on cameras. 1t read: J.
Lichenstein, Cameras and Camera
Supplies. Port Of Spain. Trinidad"
| Where's thatf"
Trinidad is an island OF the coast
OF South America-near Venezuela.
Port of Spain is the main town. It's
a British possession, but there are
many French and Spanish residents.
had taken the precaution. when
started out, to have the police photog-
rapher get a snapshot OF this Es-
trilla. took the picture lowell.
never mind who he is. He's lived all
over South America. He's almost sure
that Estrilla is Spaniard from Port
OF Spain named Juan Perez. The Pc
reg family were cacao growers in Trim
idad. The head of the family was
named Miguel Perez-I suppose.
though. you aren't interested in the
family"
That's Just what want to know"
Miguel Perez was this mans IA
ther-if the stool-pigeon is right in
his Identification. The stool.pigeon
was down there about three or four
years ago. At that time. Miguel Perez
had tust died, and this Juan had in
herited the business. 1t seemed that
he wasn't getting on well with It. At
least, that was the gossip. That's all
I-oh. yes. the stool-pigeon remembered
! one other thing about Miguel Perez.
He'd had an early romance with an
English girl-navy people. Miguel
Perez married her, and she didn't live
very long. After that. he married
again-a Spanish girl from Caracas
i
marriage. That was about all he
could remember"
still, the camera marked PORT of
Spain seems to fix It, somehow"
1T seems to. But, of course. you
can't be certain. He may be a rela-
tive and have a family resemblance"
Your friend didn't know whether
old Miguel Perez had any children by
his first marriage-to the English
girl?"
.He didn't say. at least"
| Rosalie CONCEALED to a pose with the
a6went of an idea.
| Tell me-" she asked, when a ia
ther and a mother are of different ma
tionalities-talk different languages
what language does the baby learn
first-the fathers or the mother's?"
"Oh, the mothers-always."
so IL there was a child from his
first marriage-to the English girl
he'd talk better English than Juan
| Perez?"
And a mother always talks to her
"Oh, of course"
AN II q foreigner-you. for in.
stance-gits real excited an talks
quick. what language does he use?"
"Oh. his own first tongue!"
Rosalie unused aloud: and in that
musing she cleared up for US one Of
her mysteries of method.
ut does look to me-" she said. "as
II I'd wasted lot of time brushin' up
my Spanish with the Martinez Phono-
graph Method. Still. it's bound to help
here and there Listen" she ad-
dressed Grimaldi, Il did a turn once
never mind what-on the Mexican
border-El Paso. San Antonio. an
places like that Circumstance was
such that / had to learn as much
Spanish as could-my business
called for it I've been studyin' 1t
again lately. You understand Span
ish. don't you?"
"As well as do English"
Then" said Rosalie in Spanish.
how does this sound? Is It good con-
versational Spanish? Tell me what
you think"
Well" said Grimaldi. "it runs all
right, but any one would know you
weren't Spanish born. Still. it's pret-
ty good. and I suppose you could fool
Spaniard for a few words. What
are you trying to do-with Spanish ?"
"Oh. nothing" replied Rosalie care
lessly. We'll. I must go on. Keep
him shadowed. an when you git any
thing new, you know where to find me.
Good-by."
-
At home in her own room again.
Rosalie pondered long, a nervous fin.
ger picking at a musing lip-pondered
until she stood frozen with new idea
Those rings of Miss Estrilla's-she
had long wanted a look at them. Es-
L naciallY that hip dIa annnd with n curl.