davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1936-09-14
ow anything In the end-nobody

know anything In the end-nobody
didl"
what I resent" said Blackwood,
"is the current notion among women
that gunmetal eyelashes and blood.
colored nails give them the right TO
be impertinent." He inhaled deeply
and breathed forth q little fog Of
tobacco smoke. well, I suppose
you're looking forward to some sleep"
I'm hungry" said the novelist.
Il was thinking about sandwich and
q pot of coffee"
Good idea! My rooms are only
few blocks from here and I've got
a Chinese boy who makes remarkable
coffee"
But Constantine shook his head.
my dear man, we'd be up all the
rest of the night discussing the mys-
terry of Percy Jones. Take walk
with me If you're not sleepy. There's
little night club at Chicago avenue
thatIl still be open. You probably
know it. often drop in there for
coffee and atmosphere"
La Cucaracha? It's an amusing
dive. All right-let's CO."
They strolled southwark in the
deserted boulevard, turning up the
collars Of their topcoats against the
breeze that blew in from the lake.
Their sticks struck sharply on the
cement sidewalk and their footballs
returned to them as ghostly echoes
from the tall cliffs along the western
edge of the avenue. Here and there,
high up. were squares of yellow
light, marking the presence Of cit
liens as sleepless as themselves. But
for the most part the cliff dwellers
were in slumber. At intervals along
the way the street lamps clustered
eyeballs Of white fire, coldly watching
the outrageous phenomenon that was
the city of Chicago.
"Of course" said Blackwood, break
ing a silence that was becoming
solemn, "it was the red-headed woman
who called him"
1.-THE deuce it was! What makes
you think SOP"
"The pattern demands 1t. I think.
Granting, that is. that his original
story was the truth-or even the ap-
proximate truth"
"We don't even know that 1t was
woman at ALL" the novelist de-
INJURED. "He didn't say So"
Riley Blackwood swung his stick
and frowned. THE Lansing female
thought it was a woman" he said.
She gathered it from something in
Percy's attitude-and I'll bet a hun.
dred dollars she was right"
The fictionist appreciated the point.
"Well. possibly" he conceded. But
why was it necessarily this mysterious
Evening star., 1936-09-14

stranger? Why does the pattern de-
mand 1t? What PATTERN"
you're novelist, Constantine. You
think In terms Of plot. Well, the plot
demands it, II you prefer the term"
I'm not mystery novelist"
grinned Philip Constantine. "And I
doubt that life is greatly concerned
with problems Of plot or pattern.
However, it's an interesting point Of
view. But I should think the plot
might just as well demand that this
dead woman-Rita Wingfeld-turn
out to be the woman who drove Pe1cy
Jones to get a Persian kitten. In
which case your theory wouldn't work.
Rita Wingfield was quite dead when
somebody called Percy on the tele-
phone"
That's true" said Blackwood. He
threw away his cigarette. I'm as
suming, of course, that Rita and the
redhead could not have been the same
woman"
Because Rita's hair Is black"
nodded Constantine. Still, you'll ad-
NIT that Percy may have lied. 1t
wouldn't be the first time. In the
circumstances, his whole story Is open
to suspicion"
you agree with the police, then,
that it was a fake-a sort of fantastic
alibi to cover the time he spent with
Rita Wingfield?"
The novelist hedged. I'm not sure
Evening star., 1936-09-14
|Es'S]1zMzhmqMmf2l
~ - 2PezcY9opse5 s1

Blackwoodp" asked Dallas, with his
savage smile.
Mr.. Blackwood rationalized his in
clination to be silent. His faint lis
like of Percy Jones seemed negligible
beside his mounting dislike of this
insufferable policeman.
"You haven't seen Persian kitten
around here?" he inquired.
"A Persian-kitten!"
"A blue one" explained Riley
Blackwood. "It may possibly be q
clue"
II may decide to throw you into
Jail, Mr.. Blackwood," said the de-
tective chieftain ominously. He
brought the folder forward until it
was within an inch of his antagonists
nose. "Do you know anything about
this paper of matches?"
Mr.. Blackwood shrugged. "By Jove,
Dallas. believe do" he admitted.
smiling. We've been reading the
initials wrong, that's all. They're P.
j., not J. P. Percy Jones, of coursel
Funny I didn't think Of that before"
The detectives face had fallen sew
eral inches. "You mean the radio
announcer" he questioned, after q
silence.
The deputy coroner and the others
were staring stupidity.
"Of course" said Riley Blackwood.
There was another silence.
"And where was Mr.. Percy Jones
when you last saw him with paper
of those matches, Mr.. Blackwood?"
asked Dallas slowly. WAS he up
stairs at your party?"
"You would ask that" said Black
wood. THE answer is Yes, he was!'-
but I wish you wouldn't keep calling
it my party"
Quite suddenly Dallas grinned his
appreciation Of the situation. For
an instant he was almost jovial.
Come with me, Nethersole." he
ordered. 1.-THE eleventh floor, you
said, Blackwood?" He grinned again.
stay here. the rest Of you, till come
back"
But it was Nethersole who re-
turned-alone-so quickly that 1t
ScCulco uiiPOooAbAc tiAoS lac iidO iiIdOC
the trip. His face was serious.
"The chief wants you upstairs,
Riley" he said. Percy Jones is gone.
He got a telephone call, little while
ago. and jumped the party!"
The cold air of early morning was
pleasant after the narrowing inquisi-
ton in Janice Hume's apartment.
Blackwod and Philip Constantine
stood in the doorway of the tall build
ing and lighted cigarettes with relief.
1t was getting on toward in the
morning.
The novelist looked at his COM
panion. well, it was quite session
while it lasted" he observed. His
smile was intended to be humorous.
A dozen cars had just driven of
into the darkness. each bursting with
departing guests, each guest still
simmering with indignation at the
inquisitorial Dallas.
Blackwood agreed, II have a
sneaking admiration for the fellow.
he confessed. There's ruthlessness
about his methods that Is really ad-
mirable. And he's certainly impair
tial! For his handling Of such spit
fires as Zelda Lansing he may be
forgiven much"
The novelist laughed. "She didn't
Evening star., 1936-09-14
INSTALLMENT 4.

THE folder was a dead black
paper, its upper surface set OF
with silver lettering and a
L small crest of silver touched
with gilt. The letters were inter-
twined and were quite obviously a
simple set of initials. A monogram,
as Dallas had remarked.
Nothing at ALL" said Burke, having
made his test for fingerprints. His
voice was gloomy as he returned the
matches to his superior. "One little
smudge-it dosen't mean a thing!"
"J. p" said Dallas, continuing his
monologue. His brow contracted.
Now what the devil would j. p
stand for? They might be a mans
initials, suppose"
Justice of the peace?" suggested
Blackwood facetiously. John Peter
son? Jersey Police?"
But he was thinking furiously un-
der cover of his persiflage. Con-
sidering this responsibilities as a citi-
zen. Weighing them against his wish
to handle tbs extraordinary develop
ment himself. Ought ne to confess?
To this unfriendly animal named
Dallas?
Sooner or later the folder was sure
to be identified. The monogram was
literally known to thousands. The
initials were not j. P. but P. j., and
the folder of matches was, or had been.
the property of Percy Jones; he had
them made to order. Blackwood, in
point of fact, had seen duplicate Of
this one only a little while before,
when the popular announcer had
plucked it from his waistcoat to light
a cigarette.
What he wanted was to question
Percy Jones, himself To stalk that
sleek mouse in his own way and in
his own time. There was, of course,
no certainty that the fellow was
guilty of murder. A paper OF his
private matches simply had been
found on Rita Wingfield's bed.
But, after all, the girl might have
had them in her bed room for weeks.
And Rita Wingfield was certainly not
red-headed.
A little smile was tugging at the
corners of his mouth. The chief OF
detectives was watching him.
Something cross your mind. Mr..
Evening star., 1936-09-14

that I believe he killed her, II that's
what you mean. He may have, Of
course. think that paper Of matches
is going to require a lot Of explanation,
anyway"
I'VE agree on that, at any rate"
said Blackwood, laughing. "It was
certainly godsend to Dallas. But.
oddly enough, Constantine. the blacker
the case appears against Percy-and
I have no love for the fellow-the
more inclined I am to believe his
story. It's. almost too silly a tale not
to be true" His stick swung upward
and became pointer. "Well, there's
your night club"
Across a small park, from the far
side Of the avenue, cleaned the lighted
front Of the cafe. The night club
was still scene Of activity. despite
the hour. But the diners and the
drunkards were beginning to depart.
Evening star., 1936-09-14

The newcomers handed their outer
wrappings to q smiling girl in uni
form and pushed forward into the
depth Of the establishment.
Immediately they noted that they
had not been alone In their idea. At
an aisle table clustered a group of
drinkers. from the party they had
recently left-Archie Dunning and
Daisy Archer. Tommy Lester and the
giggling debutantes, whose names. as
Blackwood recalled, were Borland and
Smale. Dallas examination had left
them sober enough: they were OBJ
viously making up for lost time.
They greeted Constantine and Black
wood with squeaE and invitations.
But the newcomers resolutely shook
their heads and pressed on after a
floor captain who had taken them
In tow.
(Copyrisht. 1895. by Vincent starrett.)
(To be continued)
Evening star., 1936-09-14
MENTS.

SYNOPSIS o MENTs:
Riley Blackwood drama critic for
the Chicago Morning Chronicle. Is
sS0ds iovsly W1idoMsd 12 ess J-nfee Hume when she
asks him to dial in Percy Jones. IA
nous radio announcer. Janice expects
him after midnight. Riley does so,
ALTHOUGH he. dislikes Percy. snd starts
to leave, but chat with Philip Con-
s aay n9vsIt sm un aaf ySass oaaser .rEs Tss
Siood Ds,otea5g ON his ii lace face BY SAYING Blue
Persian kitten scratched him. In ex-
planning the kitten. he says q pretty
red-headed girl practically kidnaped
him as he left the mike and asked II
she could give him lift in her cal.
He explains his lateness by the girls
sr she she Etsen to Tes had e
% drive back. she blew the horn, and i
was brought out by turbaned Hindu
from an old-fashioned house in q cross
Hotel which She entered. and he took
story Sr1' isn't entirely believed. Just
then the radio blaTes: nGar 14s ,,...:
address also. Riley goes to investigate
and finds Rita Wnseld dssa sss,ds fpy hey
and bullet wound over the heart
thus BY Mrs. Morris her housekeeper;
Nethersole It looks to him like murder;
Detective Chief Dallas. finds folder Of
monogrammed matches under the
Woman's body.
Evening star., 1936-09-14
Wants Economy in Burial.

BURLINGTON, N. G. R.-Law-
renee @. Freeland has built his own
coffin, designed his tombstone and
picked out spot on his 396-acre
farm for his grave. He explains:
Il witnessed the death and burial
Of several brothers and sisters and
realize the expense. The thought oc-
Cured to me that might practice
economy"
Evening star., 1936-09-14
SENATOR BYRD "FINE"
FOLLOWING TREATMENT
Brief Hospital Stay at Baltimore
Brings Report Major Opera
tion Is Unnecessary.

Py the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, September 14-The
condition of Senator Harry Flood
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia was de-
scribed as "just fine" today at the
Union Memorial Hospital, where he
underwent treatment by an urologist.
The Senator went to the hospital
Friday and was treated Saturday
night His physician said major
operation was not necessary. The
patients condition was highly favor
able.
Senator Byrd is expected to return
10 his customary duties toward the
end Of this week
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14

iein tool and cutter er.nder. one
Lincoln arc welder, and one acety-
lene gas generating plant.
At Imperial, the district also
GYMS and maintains a complete
automobile shop, blacksmith shop
and wood WORKING shop.
The shops, offices, stores and
yards at Imperial occupy about
thirty acres through which is a pri-
Yate railroad siding.
The river shop contains among
other tools and equipment: One
five-ton travelling crane. one Gin
cinnati drill press, one Lodge and
Ship'ey lathe, one Gould and Eber-
hard shaper, one 3G-inch and ! 81
nch Cincinnati drill and one Sui
ivan air ompreS3o~. one G00-0ound
Massilon steam hammer, and one
Westin9 house are Welder.
This river Shop is primarily FOR
maintenance and repairs OF loco
motives, suction dredges, dump cars,
railroad crane and steam shovels
used in connection with diversion
and maintenance and construction
c. 67 miles OF river protection
laVppS
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14

merchandise departments, ele-
phone and power headquarters and
other important branches of the
districts inner government.
Division Chiefs
From the Imperial office, too, are
controlled the six operating diVi-
sions of the district, each under a
superintendent. The division super
intendentS are A. Brown, CaleXico;
M. M. Sweeney, Holtville; H. G.
Miller Imperial; Homer Chisolm,
BraWiey; Byron Walker, Westmor-
land; and Charles f.. Guest, Cali
patria
Another outstanding figure IN
the Imperial office is r. H. Mad
duX. the efficient business manager,
through whose hands pass all eX-
pense and receipt items Of the dis
trjct.
Other key men in district oper-
alton at Imperial are w f. Hart
2Cg, who has been in the district S
employ since 1915, assistant general
uperintendent; Charles f. Delp, Of
flee engineer, j. F. Lamb, construC-
tion engineer, G.. H. Knight general
water master; l.. V. Hess, master
mechanic, and L. M. Templeton,
chief electrician.
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14

mody returns in a moment with
Aten in tow. Aten is followed by
three women, two MeXicans, a
Hindu and five Negroes)
MorroW-"Call some one and let's
get something done"
A rancher takes his place at the
foot of the board table and begins
an involved story concerning q piece
OF property of unmentioned size
and location. Goodson interrupts
to give the legal description. Twen-
ty minutes are devoted to the ranch
er in an attempt to get him to state
what he wants. The rancher wants
drainage canal. just as the di-
rectors agree to give him what he
wants, DoWd walks in.
DoWd-"That is impractical from
an engineering standpoint. If the
board adopts that policy it will
mean we will have to build such
a drain for everyone who asks
for it."
Young-"We can get together on
this What do the rest of you
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14

Irrigation District, which maintains
.Ho complete machine shops, one
at Imperial and one at Andrade.
In the imposing list OF district
equipment are seven one-and-a-
half yard draglnes, three three
quarter yard draglines, four one
nalf yard draglines and two one
yard draglines. In addition the
district owns and operates a 20
inch suction dredge. an l3-.nch
suction dredge, 35 Ruth dredges,
two wheel type dredges for ex-
CaYation. two Browning truck
cranes, two standard locomotives.
one standard locomotive crane, so
standard 16-yard air-dump cars,
two three-and-a-half railroad steam
shoyels and 100 trucks and cars.
The Imperial snop contains,
among other toos: One fiVe-ton
travelling crane, six lathes from u
TO 81 inches, one Universal iron
yorker, one bolt threader, two
Bender power hammers, one Lucas
boring and milling machine, one
Kempsmith milling machine, one
Smith and Mills shaper, one Baker
Brothers keyseater, five drill press
eS, one hydraulic press, one OSter-
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14
Present Organization Forges Ahead To
Solution of Difficulties Met
During Recent Years

New mechanical equipment has
been purchased and put in opera
ton by the board causing saw
ings In some cases, of as much as
60 per cent over OLD methods OF
cleaning canals. Also, new meth
cd of building structures, at the
main yards in Imperial, shows a
savings to the taxpayers of ap-
proximately SO per cent over the
cost of the old method.
Chemicals Used
The district is now using a
chemical to kill the vegetation on
the ditch banks that is non-in-
furious to the water, and if this
experiment is as successful as it
appears to be, it seems as though
the last most expensive problem
in the way of maintenance, con-
fronting the district, will be solved
for a minimum cost
One other important activity OF
the beard, in the last three years,
while not realized by many people,
has been the carrying on OF a
systemized method OF securing all
lands below the minus 230 foot
contour around Salton Sea, by
trade-outs with the residents of
that area, in exchange of lands
held by the district under district
assessment deed, located else
where. This eliminates much cost
ly litigation pending against the
district, and also preserves for
this community an adequate drain
age basin for all time to come
During the past three years, one
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14

AS the curtain rises the hands on
the clock move slowly to 10. 1t is
morning. Goodson enters with a
frenzied air and distributes sheafs
of papers, books of maps, piles of
letters, checks, demands and ex-
pense accounts around the big table
: Immediately a big roar is heard
outside. 1t draws nearer and HeWes
and Rose enter in the throes of
argument.
Hewes-"I tell you it isn't so.
Besides, you said something entirely
different a couple of years ago"
RoSe-"I did not and you know it.
Look at the mess you have this
thing in. Why &. ="
In the meantime various person
enter in groups and in couples and
take their places in the audience
section.
Young and Morrow enter together
converse sotto voice for a moment
and then greet Hewes and Rose.
Goodson Gin a resigned voice.
"Dermondy, go get Aten." DER
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14
The Greatest Peril q Thing Of the Past

There were days
and nights of
coaseicSS vigil
when the ColOra =
do reached this
flood statge in
The dos before
Boulder Dam wa
completed a n d
the All Am erican
canal start e d.
The large rock
levee had to be
reinforced tim e
and again after
the river swept
away parts of it,
threatening To I'M
undate n G arb y
lands SUCH floods
were made i'm
I3gsible by BOui-
der Dam.
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14
MEETING OF BOARD
As Seen Thru a Reporters Eyes
A PLAY IN ONE ACT

the Irrigation district
at Sixth State streets El
Time-Any Tuesday
CharactersEvan I.
also veteran board member W. E.
Charles Morrow j.
chief counsel ant
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14
Thousands of Feet
Of Lumber Used

Several hundred thousand feet
Of lumber were used in sheet piling
which the engineers found it neces-
sary to drive below the proposed
canal banks between Imperial and
Laguna dams TO prevent the see
page of water from the canal to
the river.
The canal and diversion struc-
lures at both ends OF Imperial Dam
will rest on long concrete piling
manufactured at the site under su-
perVision OF the reclamation en-
.gineerS.
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14

but it viii not be placed IN the
hands Of noYices. Its total cost is
stunning TO the casual observer. but
men who will operate it have dealt
in millions before.
What is the makeup of this cor
poration? Most Imperial Valley res
idents know. but the knowledge has
become such matter of course
that it has been forgotten by many,
except for a few major details. 1t
is like a great business organiza
tion, of which most people see only
the most important items.
We'll Known Facts
Most Well known is the board Of
directors, elected by popular vote
Headed by Chairman Evan T. HeWes
of the CaleXico Ell Centre division,
it includes Directors Ira Aten Of
the III Centro-Imperial division
Mark Rose of the HoltVille division,
aCharles Morrow OF the BraWley
division and W. f.. Young of the
Calipatria division.
Other elective officers are T.. H.
MclVer treasurer, and Miss Winnie
\ Barry, assessor collector. w. W..
eGoodson, secretary is appointed by
the boald All of the elective of
ficers and the secretary have their
headquarters in the El Centro Of
flee Of the district. They are elect
ed to lour-year terms
General Supervision
On the board OF directors rests
the responsibility for operation of
the sytsem in all details. In such
an organization, obviously, there
must be one man upon whom res
sponsibility is centeret9 and in
whose hands rests the reigns of
operation, subject to approval by the
directors.
That man is NJ. j. DoWd, en-
gineer and general superintendent
of the Imperial Irrigation District.
His office at the Imperial head
quarters plant is the heart of the
districts system. From it radiate
the wires which keep the system
operating in orderly fashion. From
it, directly or indirectly, the 75O
employees Of the district receive their
orders.
Operating under DoWd in Imper-
ial are the engineering, accounting
and purchasing departments, the
main water office, the stores and
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14
ELABORATE
EQUIPMENT
AVAILABLE: ::
Tons and Tons of Heavy Machinery Ready
For Use in Maintenance of Canal When
District Assumes Charge

There are tons of heavy machinery working on the
All American canal-and there will be tons of equipment
available maintenance and other work after the canal
is completed.
The available equipment will be that of the Imperial
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14
'$24>O00>00O
DIS 'ERHCT TO
TAKE HELM
All American Canal Will Be Under Control
Irrigation Corporations Expert Staff;
Vast Organization InUoIUed
90

$2400O00O corporation will take the All Amer
lean canal when it is completed
The people OF Imperial Valley the stockholders in
the corporation; its is the Imperial Irrigation Dis
trict The All American canal will be something unique
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14

think about it. If some one will
recommend it I will agree to go
on it," Hewes produces proposed
agreement which DoWd and Kirk
Immediately appropriate.
Legal Angles
Kirk-"Let me see it. There may
be legal angles" Kirk and Dowd
go into a huddle over the agree
ment)
Morrow-"Ill SO move" (He then
goes away to telephone)
Young Second"
Hewes-"Call the roll"
Aten-" What's the question:"
Rose-"Yes. What's the use of
wasting time. We have to do it,
Young-"Yes."
Morrow"Yes." (He speaks from
the doorway
Goodson repeated the question.
Aten-"Yes."
Hewes-" Yes. There's no way
out of it,"
Imperial Valley press., 1936-06-14

Continued from Page -
nance and operation of the district,
was the destructive earthquake in
December, 1884, in which the
Alamo canal, the main artery car
rying water to the valley was
shaken to ribbons, and several miles
of the Solftara canal was COM
pletely demolished. Great praise is
due the operating department on
account Of the short delay and in
convenience suffered by the water
users,
The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-06
Paris Styles
By MARY FENTREss

United Press, Staff Correspondent
 Paris (UP).-Vera Borea has gain- cd a reputation as a creator of ex- pertly tailored sports clothes and of charming youthful evening gowns. Her spring collection features for the most part these two types.
 Two-piece suits stress slightly the broadened shoulder line which has been revived at almost every house this year. The new suits are in wools and linens, also flannel. Tn sand-colored wool, the lapels and certain seams are outlined with coarse peasant stitching in 6 con- trasting reddish brown shade. Tn linen a two-piece dress of rough linen in navy blue fastens down the front with the famous Vera Borea buttons, made Of a com- position material and painted Dy hand.
 For spring and summer there Is a white plque dotted with small rcd squares made Into . short-sIeeyed dress with q squared shoulder yoke of erocheted linen thread. 4 pique Breton sailor with uptnrned brlm matches the dress.
 A girIisb dinner gown Is fasll- i0ned in white satin printed in flower circlets. Tine square neck L. edged In q double. Tnfiled band of pure white satin, and the same edges the hem Of the full skirt