Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-06-22

How neglectful OF me-" apologized
the cripple, Il am called Limpy Ash
wood
Sorry" Jerry shook his head thot-
fully. That doesn't mean a thing to
me. But, as / started to explain. /
do read the newspapers and I'm afraid
that I've stumbled into a hornets
nest. There are a lot of people in this
country who would like to be intro
Guced to Miss Wentworth and One
shot Lucci. right now"
Then Tn SURE you'll understand"
murmured Ashwood ~suavely, why
you may as well settle down to be-
come q member in good standing OF
our little houseparty."
Jerry grinned ruefully and nodded.
Then he patted his dripping clothes
suggestively.
"a thousand p~ardons!' exclaimed
the cripple. alfred, show Mr.. Pea
body to his room instantly. Wen
complete the introductions at your
convenience"
The first oblique shaft of morning
sunlight snapped Jerry out of a sound
nights sleep. For a moment he gazed
in bewilderment around the plain
comfortably furnished room. Then
with a wide grin of anticipatory ex-
element, he leaped out OF bed and
~ IL WtliQUW. 1lG IulI vi
Mexico was an infinitely vast lake Of
molten silver, shimmering under the
cloudless sky. Another hot day was
indicated for not the slightest whisper
OF wind rippled the surface OF the
water. The palms leaned this way
and that as tho discouraged and
weary. Their leaves were dry, brown
ing at the tips.
No wonder. thot jerry, these people
were unstrung and ready to leap for
one another's throats at the flicker of
an eyelid. Never, even during those
last hectic days at the front when
pilots came in from patrol cursing at
the tops of their voices, had he known
such nervous tension.
That devil, Ashwood, had lounged
in his chaise Tongue, playing upon
their nerves as an organist manipul-
ates his banks of keys. A dozen times
during the hot, interminable evening,
Jerry a tensed his muscles, expect
ing the victims of the cripple's thrusts
to break into a murderous frenzy and
run amuck. But always, at the very
last instant before an outbreak, Ash
wood would smooth the others ruff
fled nerves and turn his attention to
the next. Only two Of all those who
had dwelt in that house for many
days had seemed unmoved by his
verbal efforts to arous their anger.
Hamilton, concentrating upon his ev-
erlasting solitaire. answered the Grip
pies quips carelessly, seeming to re-
gard them as only slightly irritating
Interruptions to the vastly more inn
portant business of placing one card
upon another. And Nancy somehow
came thru the evening unscathed.
Ashwood's sallies In her direction did
not cut to the raw. They were kinder,
perhaps. At any rate, the girl held
her own without great difficulty.
He knew, Of a certainty, that the
extraordinary Ashwood did not be-
lieve his ingenious story of being
cast away upon the nieghboring
Island.
He did not underestimate, In the
least, the difficulties before him. Ash
wood would be warned by his sus-
picious visit and would undoubtedly
see that his guards did not relax
their vigilance. This Ashwood was no
heavy-fisted moron; he vas infinitely
more dangerous as an enemy.
Jerry knew that the most practical
plan would be to find some way to
signal his friends to fly to the near
est town n secure adequate assis-
lance from the authorities. But, be-
ing young, reckless and headstrong, he
resolutely pushed the conviction
away.
Suddenly he stiffened in alarm. The
a. h0A Va a ROWCiiAl titOAOk
beat into his ears. It's throbbing roar
mounted as it responded to an ad-
yancing throttle until the entire house
seemed to vibrate. Then, dying down,
1t popped and back-fired unevenly.
Jerry's first Impulse was to rush to
the porch n signal the silver-winged
monoplane. But after the first in
slant of indecision, he realized that
he was listening to Ashwood's am
nhthfQn in her hangar Qf tho fnIaf
He dressed hastily and hurried out
into the fragrant morning air just In
time to see the odd-shaped plane
taxi slowly to the channel m take
off toward the south. He stood on the
porch, his hands clenching the rail,
watching the amphibian's rising
flight.
What a fool he had been to under
estimate Ashwood's shrewdness and
not to know that he would make an
effort to check up on his story! II
the amphibian continued on her pres
emit course for five minutes her crew
could not fail to see the monoplane
whose bright wings would loom up
In the sand like an air marker thot-
fully placed there to draw attention
to the spot.
The white coated steward appeared
at Jerry's side and bowed civilly.
Mr. Ashwood's compliments, sir,
anu Will the gentleman kUuiy JOIN
him at breakfast"
Jerry hesitated. He wished to watch
course of the amphibian. But the
steward waited as tho he expected
the m to be obeyed immedi-
ately, so the pilot nodded reluctantly
and entered the house.
In the long, dim dining room, Ash
wood awaited him, cool and immacul-
ate in a suit Of chinese pongee. The
table, set with places for two,
was covered with napery of magnif-
damask.
Good morning, Mr.-ah-Pea-
body smiled the cripple. 1T is so
good Of you to join me. Our other
will presently have their
breakfast in their rooms and / dis
ike eating alone"
Jerry acknowledged the greeting
ibsertmindedly. He was listening for
he faint whisper Of the amphibian's
Had it stopped suddenly or
it dwindled into silence in the
distance?
The ~soft-footed steward placed an
ced grapefruit before him. He found
hat despite his %disquiet of mind, he
"A - - a.