The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-06-16
Chapter 2s
BATTING FATHER HOBART

''' ''"S f' t0S SN'ht FATHER HOBART looked down A and hastily swerved just in time to prevent Pucci's sudden transla. tion to undoubtedly a warmer spot.
 Pucci crooked again and fiuttered strugglingly upward to a chair and looked at the priest with his sus. picions confirmed.
 The priest in the meantime nut. tered something that sounded very much like Curse the bird" and was most unsuitable to his cloth, and had regained his threatened balance.
 "Why. Father Robart!" 1 mur- mured in representing way.
 He stood. long black figure. with the wind sweeping the skirts of his robe outward and threatening his shallow shovel hat. In spite of his trappings he looked anything but pious.
 Still. priests are but normal, and perhaps the mysterious illness that had brought hm to Armene had made him little more peeyish than ordinary. peevish. however. was scarcely the word; the man was glowering town at me. he was fairly bubbling with wrath, but he was still silent.
 Father Robart!" said again in gentle reproach. Such words from a man of God.-May 1 trouble you for match?"
 His rage bubbled over at once He took a menacing step or two toward me, his long black arms look. ing, must say. anything but feeble.
 "I suppose" he said, that you've told the police."
 'No. Not yet"
 "Why?"
 Why what?"
 He forced himself, I thought, to take a long breath and to become steady.
 Why have you not told the police what you ve just told me?" he asked more coolly. but with the still look deepened in his light eyes.
 q haven't had tine." 1 said with degree of honesty. q had more i'm. portant matters to explain to them yesterday But it's my duty. of course, to inform them of It."
 Tt doesn't matter" said Father Robart. Having no alibi Is noth- ing"
 Nothing at all." I agreed. "Still, suppose the police will ask-why has this man been at some pains to prepare a false alibi?"
 GA QUESTION that is easily 3A answered." he said coldly. Tn these unsettled times. when the Church itself is assailed. 1t is un- wise for men of the Church to per. nit themselves to be entangled in any way with such things as" He made a gesture toward the north wing of the hotel. with its shining glass wall looking down at us and the little iron stairway at its end. "As that" he said concluslvely.
 Keeping myself completely clear of the thing was merely another duty. MT. Sundean. which you who talk so glibly And familiarly of duty will understand" With which he said good-morning in a way which hinted at triumph and turned sweep lngly away.
 The dignity of his departure was. however. somewhat ,marred by the cockatoo's making a sudden clutch at his soutane with a long gray claw, and hanging or for dear life. and squawking like very devil. and having to be forcibly released. During the releasing l think he nipped the priest slightly. for the priest uttered suddenly an enraged ejaculation and put his finger in his mouth in a most undignified way, and altogethe- 1t was a con- fused moment or two before Father Robart resumed his exit, which was. then, a ruffled and rather nasty affair and gave me some small pleasure.
 Pucci, perching on the chair. gave me diabolically knowing look. shook his feathers gleefully. and all but chuckled. It was possible. it occurred to me. that he had a nat. ural antipathy for churchly vest. ment.
 And what" said Sue behind me. "did you do to Father Rohart?"