The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1932-12-29
CHAPTER 1

: subterfuge quite in keeping Win
! certain salient characteristic OF
his which, quite early in his career
had earned for him the not inap-
nropriate sobriquet of CROOKED
puln Not that the old rascal was
crooked in the commonly accepted
sense of that term as employed In
the quaint patois of our times TN
hood he was most honorable mani,
but because he was possessed of an
uncommon degree of craft, of auda-
cious and generally amusing sly
ness In business and out of ia
sort of super-prudence born of un-
canny innate ability to read human
nature. He was popularity believed
TO have more money than some folks
have hay; he had no wife TO bother
his life and he padded his own
canoe; also, he enjoyed excellent
health. s.... ..
It pleased William b. Latham
this late afternoon to pretend to be
asleep in order that he might, from
under the drawn-down rim of his
hat watch his late wife's niece en-
gagged in a pastime peculiarly dear
to that most attractive young wom-
an, to wit, sharing and breaking the
heart of a youth whose manifest
decencies appeared, to Crooked Bill,
sufficient Justification for receiving
from the young lady in question
what her uncle and guardian de-
scribed as "a whole lot of letting
alone"
With the odrinary run of young
gentlemen who laid their vealy
hearts at the feet of Miss Roberta
Antrim, Crooked Bill had little sym
pathy and less patience. The ma
jority of them were he-firts. anus
Ing themselves with Roberta as out
rageously as she amused herself
with them, or else frankly attracted
to her as a moth is attracted to
candle fame. Crooked Bill had more
than suspicion. too. that, in addi-
ton to ROherta's undOubted charms.
the fact that she was his heir was
not negligible attraction to her
continuous and shifting encourage.
In the case of the young gentle
man who sat with Roberta on the
stone bench under the elm. Crooked
Bill could find no extenuating cir
cumstances to adduce as to why Ro-
berta should not be. convicted of in
ficting cruel and unusual punish
ment. Glenn Hackett. to begin with.
was of good family where brains
and money, In evidence for three
generations, had always been used
wisely. He was rather tall, loose
Jofnted and angular, with plain
honest face like kind horse. He
was thirty years old. a lawyer and
q good one, which is to say that
Crooked Bill gladly paid him large
annual retainer.
Crooked Bill wished he might
have been privileged to hear what
Glenn Hackett and Roberta were
saying. However. he was a fairly
accurate reader of gesture, facial
expression and mods, so he was as
sured that Hackett was proposing
marriage to his niece.
It'll be like her to refuse him, !"
ne decided. "and him the only real
man I've ever seen on the prem
Uses. And for once in his life he's
doing ali the talking while Roberta
does the listening. / know that
meek. sad resigned bend OF her
mead while she tugs at her hand
kerchief and tries to appear sur
prised. She mRst have admiration
from men or life Is delusion and
q snare! And now she's picked on
Vlctim that's bound to back fire
On her, or I'm no judge of men
neiio, he's talking too much He's
getting oppressive. She's finding the
gong not to her liking-ah, l
Thought sop
ofooKed Bill drew his hat brim
uoWn over his nose, opened his
uoutn q little and commenced TO
ureathe in long even respirations
he aeard the rapid patter of Ro
oer.as little feet as she passed him
anu entered the house. In about
1--WE minutes he heard the firm lefs.
, I.e,y tread of Glenn Hackett. fol-
Ewing living, and was aware, presently.
= '' lae young man had sat down
= chair beside him. So he pre-
. .eaued TO sleep on for five minutes
tae en ne stirred uneasily, gritted his
Ssna signed, opened his eyes, and
presumably.
We'll, now that you haven't Ind
s sour forty winks," Hackett oh
lon ~ quiefiy, whats your opin-
no, = % what my next move should
c I've just Tilted Roberta !"
shruU eAed Bill sat up with the
wh;ap p'ness of a Jack-in-the-box
~. en' IN all fairness, he resembled
tS ~. little. "Shoot me for q horse
and LIE ue CALCULATED. played fast
aNa 'ose with you, Ell, boy?"
a no. Just tried to-"
sou - you you threw the daily over
All, ~ pommel and gave her tho hnst
scha aree cheers for our side"
This ~ 10 your hearts content
pUUr 6Qvii