Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-10-07
By Emile Loring
@ Emile Loring.
WNU Service.

silver, JED. l can account 1Or the
will being lost-if there was one
but what has become of the silver?
I've had it so much on my mind
that I consulted Bill Harrison.
"Who's he?"
1.-THE inspector in charge OF po-
lice headquarters across the cause
way. He's been on the force here
since I was small boy"
"What did he say about the sill
ver?"
"He didn't say, he doesn't talk
much. He asked few questions
about the jacques and said he would
drop in here this afternoon to take a
look around. Mr.. Gregory is COM
ing later-hope they don't meet
asked her to have tea with us. Met
her yesterday on the street, and
she let it be known that her feelings
were hurt that I had not invited
her before. II asked her to bring
Miss Reyburn."
Mark Trent slid from the desk
and absentmindedly twirled globe
which showed the countries of the
world as they had been before the
Treaty of Versailles had remade
the map of Europe.
ttDo you think Brooke Reyburn
suspects that we are here as anna
teur detectives, jedi"
Amateurs! We may be, but
you've called in a professional on
the job, haven't you? You can't tell
what that girl thinks, but why
should she suspect our reason for
being here more than Fields, and
one couldn't suspect that lad of
Interior motives. He always looks
to me as if he were on the verge of
kissing a lady's hand. Why didn't
you accept the lead in Sans COM
edy? 1t was offered to you, wasn't
it?"
"It was, but long ago I outgrew
dramatics. What do you think of
Islands Arise'-that's the name of
the play, isn't it?"
"That it will get a fair hearing,
at least. The theater-going world
isn't so cocky and hard-boiled as it
was some years ago and it may
appreciate Sans ideas and ideals.
You'd be a Knockout in the lead,
fella."
81 wouldn't take part in the play
if were aching to act. see the
Reyburns as seldom as possible.
Thanksgiving day when Brooke
started to thank me for pulling her
from under that car, I burned with
shame when remembered why I
had accepted her invitation. I don't
care for this spy stuff, even if I do
believe that the girl by some hocus
pocus hypnotized Aunt Mary Aman-
da."
"You show it. Getting to be the
strong, silent type, aren't you,
Mark? If you feel that way about
her, why did you ask Mrs. Gregory
to bring Brooke here this afternoon?
You never have been fair to that
girl. You started with the idea that
she's crooked, and you're sticking
to it like honey to glass DISH
Trent blew a shrill whistle
through his fingers. Stewart
laughed.
81 get you, the stop signal. I'll
toss her posy, then I'll quit. I'm
supposed to be stage manager of
Sans play, but I'd sure make a
mess of it without Brooke as my
property woman. She's executive
and then some. She never forgets."
"When does the play come OFF,"
"First Thursday in January. Sam
thought of New Years eve but gave
that up for fear he couldn't lure a
producer away from New York fes-
tivities."
''That isn't far off. Well have a
grand celebration here for the cast
and friends who come from town.
Well invite the neighbors to supper
and dance after the show. Have YOU
speaking part?"
Mark Trent stopped speaking to
stare at the ceiling. Had door
banged overhead, or had he mag
ined the sound? The servants, Taku
and Kowa, were in the kitchen at
this time of day; they wouldn't be
on the third floor anyway, he had
not had that opened up, plenty of
room below for Jed and himself.
A man entered the room with a
purposeful stride. He was ample of
jowl, slightly opulent at waist
line; he had the f1inty eyes of an
eagle who can stare straight at the
sun. A sense of force was his out
standing characteristic
Here I am, Mark. That Jap out
side wanted to bow me in, but I
shooed him off" Inspector Bill Har-
rison's voice was surprisingly soft
with persuasive infection.
"Glad you've come, Inspector.
This is my friend Jed Stewart"
Inspector Harrison nodded. ''How
are you, Mr.. Stewart. Does he know
about the silver, Mark?" He low
cred himself into a deep chair and
accepted a cigar.
eyes, he's staying here to help
me-us solve the mystery"
"What else have you lost?"
"Why do you think we've lost any
thing else?"
"Would you two city guys come to
this burg to stay just to find lot of