The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-11-09
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GHAPTERI

"They couldn't prove it," jim
Paxton told him across the table.
Wasn't a scrap of real evidence.
Four or five days later his cap
drifted ashore. Aside from that
well, ne just disappeared and no
body knows any more about It to-
day than they ever did. The wo-
man wasn't even questioned. I've
never understood that part OF II.
she was mentioned in his will, but
not for a large amount. | think
the wife contested later
poor old Louie" BanmSIer
raised the cup of coffee. then set
j. down again. 'It happened thaG
fall T was in Mexico ne S2io.
"Never heard the whole story BE-
fore"
"And neither has anyone else.
The whole story of what happen
ed that night on that yacht would
interest a lot Of people. II Lou'e
Kane was murdered"
~ can't believe it9' Banmster
interrupted. Il simply can't be-
Iieve anyone would bump off Old
Louie. It just doesn't seem ike
ly.' =. a.,
cot course. Lots of them do
when you know the facts. newt
able! But / can't believe Louie
Kane was murdered, even II ne
was a double-dealing old pirate
with. plenty of enemies" BannlS-
ter looked uU suddenly. There
was something about the whole
sale cussedness of the fellow
he went on. "Why. Louie would
stand and lie to you until he was
black IN the face-and know that
Won knew he was lying-and I'm
damned if I didn't like him while
ne was doing it! Say. do you re-
member the time Alex Schneider
was so sure he had the nomna--
ton for senator sewed up ana
Louie goN the boys together IN ms
room at 4 o'clock in the morn
ing?"
"Sure / dow Paxton grinned.
"And / remember how Schneider
hit the ceiling when ne found ne
was beaten. But the best trick
Ionic Kane ever pulled was that
time down in Pittsburgh
They were at it then. For hall
an hour the two men were lost IN
"reminiscences. Stories about Lou
lie Kane, the ruthless local pollti-
cal boss whose death on his prl-
yate Yacht IS months before was
stil surrounded by an aura OF
mystery. Stories of the adventures
and such adventures-ot two
Young newspaper reporters VINO
had followed run-of-the-mill news,
written about politics and crime
and the conventions of fraternal
organizations, about court battles
and beauty contests and the mine
strike. The two had worked TO-
oether some times; at others they
6ad been rivals. Dave BannlSter,
still in his teens, and Paxton a
wear or two older. Both OF them
willing to break leg to give the
fremont Evening Post an excluS-
i've banner line story for its nome
edition.
All that had been 10 years ear
her. but as the mems voices DRIFT
ed on, rising and falling, now and
then interrupted by quiet laugh
ter, the 10 years disappeared.
Others in the room turned ire
ouently to glance at the table IN
the corner. to nod and murmur
and then to look again. Always
the gaze of these men fingered on
Bannister. They seemed just a lit
tie in awe of this broad-shoulder-
ed young man with the chestnut
hair slightly rumpled, and the
dark ewes, Paxton's rather square
face was animated and his words
came nervously, with a rush. 1t
was Bannister who sat back, rs
tening intently, now and then in
terrupting. Not a hadsome man.
The most generous judge would
have rated Dave Bannister's Tea
lures no better than common or
garden variety" Nevertheless
there were qualities in that face
Intelligence, tolerance. generos-
ity. That much of what Dave Ban
mister was could be read at a
glance.
fremont society - for it was
chiefly fremont society that was
gathered about the tables in the
oak-panelled, crimson tapestried
hotel dining room-enjoyed this
opportunity to inspect David Ban
mister. fremont society had known
him not at all in the old days.
Now they were aware that, with
the publication of his first novel
a year before, Bannister's pucture
had appeared in newspapers and
magazines. There had been a mo-
ton picture made from the novel.
There had been some short stories,
too, under his signature in week
" magazine boasting the largest
circulation in the country. Ire
mont society was glad to have a
close look at this home town boy
who had made good IN New York
and in Hollywood.
1t was the Hollywood phase of
Bannister's career that seemed
most glamorous to fremont whose
100000 population patronized
two dozen motion picture houses.
There were those who wondered
why, after such triumphs, the
young man should be back in the
home of his boyhood. Looking at
him as he sat at the table with
jim Paxton, it was hard to believe
Bannister was making a visit to
his amt hapauSa as +ha Eyop;no