Evening star., 1936-08-04
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sSl UbyPML6 MOORE GALLAGHER - Ms

with the bridesmaids, and Richard
and Ted drove off for Victor's fathers
home, miles from Annapolis, to
tell the old minister the tragic fate
of his only son. The Rev. Caldwell
lived In a small bungalow, white
painted, next to his rural church and
set in a wilderness of trees When
the two men reached 1t they found
him infinitely remote from the cares
of the world, working in a Kitchen
patch of vegetables in the side yard.
Near him a mockingbird was singing
in syringa bush. and on a sparkling
pond, set like a sapphire on the lawn.
little yellow ducks were bobbing for
their food.
The Rev. Caldwell looked up over
the cabbage he had just cut and
saw Richard and Ted coming toward
him. He met them halfway. one
sunburned hand outStretched. He
said, grinning, We'll, boys, this is
indeed pleasure! Let me think
1t must have been 18 years or more
since you two and Vic played Indians
around here!" But in the next mo-
ment his smiles turned to alarm and
he said quickly. Its bad news you're
bringing -
Ted said, Yes, sir. I'm afraid
1t is" and told him what had hap
pened as kindly as he could
The old man turned starkly white
beneath his sunburn and said in
shaken voice: I'll get my coat and
60 with you. No need to tell Mrs.
Caldwell-yet. Where-where is my
SOM"
AS the car slid rapidly toward An
napoliS, the three men sat tense and
silent. But when they stopped be-
fore the door of a little red brick
! house that was the coroner's Office,
the old minister blinked his pale wet
eyes and said, softly: That was
brave of my boy-saving Patsy's
life. Greater love hath no man"
Then he disappeared into the build
ing and Ted and Richard stood
silently on the curb waiting for him.
After little while Mr.. Caldwell
emerged through the door. His eyes
were red-rimmed and his lips were
blue and quivering. He went up to
Richard and with chilled and stiffened
fingers, handed him a stained paper
He said: You'll want to read this,
Dick, and to give it to Patsy. lit
was found in my boys coat pocket.
Richard took the paper and Ted,
opening the car door for the grieved
old man, said: "Ill drive Mr.. Cald-
well out, Dick. think you'd better
get back to Patsy as soon as you can.
She needs you, know"
And so Richard was left there on
the sidewalk. holding the paper in his
fingers. On one side, he saw, was
the advertisement of the gala OPEN
ing Of a new night club in New York
and on the back was an almost lille
| gible scribbling. Richard frowned
and stepped beneath the shade of an
old oak to shut of the binding glare
Of the sun. He began to read, slowly.
Victor Caldwell had written:
LAS write this I'm in a telephone
booth in Philly, supposedly calling a
dame for a date tonight. I've only
got minute. If anything happens
to me today, maybe Patsy Warfield
will want to know what I'm going to
write. You see, I've never forgotten
how swell she was to me in the Mercy
Hospital. getting me nurses and doc
tors and a private room-saving my
| life when didn't stand chance of
| pulling through. I've never forgot
ten, either, what sport she was that
time when I kidnapped her after I'd
almost killed Kitty Mitchell. I'd like
Patsy not to think too hard of me-
| I'd like her to know that I'm not bad
clear through. But nobody could
have had the breaks I did and come
out clean. married the wrong girl
in the beginning. I met the wrong
| guys in New York. I made money
the wrong way and I gambled on
the wrong things and went broke. !
guess the worst thing ever did was
driving that hack on the day Of the
Shaw jewelry hold-up when Patsy
was almost shot and Courtney VAL
lance-a white guy, if there ever was
one-was killed. But didn't do that
hlltng-Tony Bastian, Rock Fentriss,
Jimmy Drake and Red Keenan, pulled
1t. They're the guys who are out to
get Patsy today at her wedding SO
she can't identify them. They don't
STEAMSHIPS