Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-04-08
CHAPTER II

Shortly before noon the next day
we arrived at Professor Gardens
beautiful skyscraper apartment,
and were cordially, and a little ex-
uberantly. greeted by young Gar
den.
Floyd Garden was man in his
early thirties, erect and athletically
built. He was about six feet tall,
with powerful shoulders and slen-
der waist. His hair was almost
black, and his complexion swarthy.
His manner, while easy and casual,
and with a suggestion of swagger,
was in no way offensive. He was
not handsome man: his features
were too rugged, his eyes set too
close together, his ears protruded
too much, and his lips were too
thin. But he had an undeniable
charm, and there was quiet sub
merged competency in the way he
moved and in the rapidity of his
mental reactions.
'There are only five of us for
lunch, Vance," he remarked breezi-
ly. "The old gentleman is fussing
with his test-tubes and Bunsen burn
ers at the university; the mater is
having grand time playing sick.
But Pop Hammle is coming-rum
old bird, but good sport; and we'll
also be burdened with beloved cous-
in Woode. You know Swift, I be-
ieve, Vance. Queer crab, Woody"
He pondered moment with a
wry face.
"Can't figure out just how he fits
into this household. Dad and the
mater seem inordinately fond of
him-sorry for him, perhaps; or
maybe he's the kind of serious,
sensitive guy they wish I'd turned
out to be. I don't dislike Woode,
but we have little in common ex-
cept the horses. Only, he takes
his betting too seriously to suit me
he hasn't much money, and his
wins or losses mean lot to him.
Of course, he'll go broke in the
end"
Vance had been watching Garden
covertly during this rambling re-
cital of domestic intimacies.
II know you hate mysteries, and
there's apt to be some funny things
happening here this afternoon"
Garden continued. "Woode has
been acting queer for the past cou-
pie of weeks, as if some secret
sorrow was gnawing at his mind"
"Any specific psychopathic synp-
toms?" Vance asked lightly.
'No-o." Garden pursed his lips
and frowned thoughtfully "But he's
developed a curious habit of going
upstairs to the roof-garden as soon
as he's placed a large bet, and he
remains there alone until the re-
suit of the race has come through"
Nothing very unusual about
that" Vance made a deprecatory
motion with his hand. "Many gam
blers, d. We see, are like that"
you're probably right" Garden
admitted reluctantly. "But I wish
he'd bet moderately, instead of
plunging like fool whenever he's
hot for horse"
"By the by" asked Vance, "why
do you particularly look for strange
occurrences this afternoon"
Garden shrugged.
"The fact is" he replied, after a
short pause, "Woody's been losing
heavily of late, and today's the day
of the big Rivermont Handicap.
have a feeling he's going to put
every dollar he's got on Equaninity,
who'll undoubtedly be the favorite
Equanimity!" He snorted with
undisguised contempt. ''That rail
lugger! Probably the second great
est horse Of modern times = but
what's the use?"
He looked up solemnly.
"And that, Vance, means trouble
if Equanimity doesn't come in. II
means blow-up of some kind. I've
felt it coming for over a week. It's
got me worried. To tell you the
truth, I'm glad you picked this day
to sit in with us"
every interestin' situation" com.
mented Vance. II agree in the
main with what you say regarding
| Equanimity. But I think you're toe
harsh, and I'm not convinced that
he's rail-lugger because of any
innate passion for wood But
as you were sayin', the psychologist
cal situation hereabout has you wor.
ried. I gather there's a super
charged atmosphere rourd this
charnin' aerie."
'That's it, exactly" Garden an
swered almost eagerly. "Super
charged is right. Nearly every day
the mater asks, 'How's Woody?
And when the old gentleman comes
home from his lab at night he
greets me with left-handed We'll
my boy, have you seen Woody to
day?'"
Vance made no comment on these
remarks. Instead he asked in a pc
culiarly fiat voice: "Do you consid
er this recent apprehension in the
household due entirely to YOU
cousins financial predicament ane
his determination to risk all he ha!
on tie horses?"
Garden started slightly and the1
settled back in his chair.