Evening star., 1936-07-26
July 2o, 1896

island at brisk rate, through small town.
and pulled up before white house with green
shutters and slate roof, set back from the
street and surrounded by trellised grapes and .
espaliered fruit trees. Every inch of the half
acre plot was cultivated miniature vine
yard and fruit farm Not the hobby of an old
man, but the expertly planted and tended
garden of a horticultural scientist.
Sergeant Taite led the way into the house.
the front door of which was guarded by an
officer in uniform In the parlor we found the
doctor and middle-aged woman. Both arose
as we entered. Taite introduced us.
The middle-aged woman was the dead
mans housekeeper Her name was Maria
Chantroni. She was a small, dark gypsy-like
woman with thick streaks of white in her
coarse black hair. She had been crying, but
now she stood silently by as Sergeant Taite
led us into one of the bedrooms. Old Toni
Scarlatti was lying on the bed He had aged
hardly at all since saw him last. His hair was
little winter. that was all. 1t was difficult to
believe that he was dead His face was tanned
the skin of that healthy leathery texture that
marks the outdoor man. His eyes we're closed
as in sleep. The silvery hair above the dark
face gave him clriously youthful look. 1t
was incredible that he'd have crowded the
century mark had fate not intervened with
violence
Melee raised the head and bent over the
dead man. He examined the wound then
eased the head back on the pillow, as the
doctor said:
1T pierced the jugular. 1t must have been
driven with considerable force
Meaning that the woman in there - his
housekeeper - couldn't have done it?" said
Melee.
Sergeant Taite shook his head.
Maria wouldn't hurt fly. She's been with
Toni for twenty-od years. Besides. she's a
relative. A second or third cousin"
Relatives" said Melee drily. make the
best murderers. She's probably his heir. He
never married and he hasn't any brothers or
sisters that know Of"
Yes" said Taite, "She s his heir. The only
one except the Catholic Hospital This place
goes to them after she's dead. But, you can
lay off her. Mac. Toni's pension stopped with
his death. She'd d be better off with him living"
That's something you'll never know until
you've cooked a mans chow for him for
twenty-five years." Melee replied with a
shrug Lets go outside and look around
The garden was inclosed with brick wall
eight feet high. against the South and East
exposures of which grew espaliered peaches
and pears. The trees were heavy with blooms.
A grape arbor ran the entire length of the
plot from the back door to the rear wall. This
rear wall was all but hidden by espaliered pear
trees in full bloom.
Melee looked over the wall at group of
buildings that occupied high knoll four or
five hundred yards above us.
That the Catholic Hospital?" he asked
Taite shook his head. "Its the new Gre
matory," he said. He pointed to heavily
insulated wire that ran parallel to the wall
on short poles. That's their power line Toni
raised Hell with them for running the line
so close to his property. He got out an in
junction against them, but they had bought
the right-of-way from his neighbor, so there
was nothing he could do about it. Here's the
place where Maria found Toni He was lying
in that puddle of water"
Whats that dingus?" Melee asked point
ing to metal tank with short length of hose
attached.
"A fruit sprayer." said Taite. Toni was
spraying the pear trees the last time Maria
looked out of the window When she called