The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-08-23
CAST OF CHARACTERS
BY EDWIN RUTT

CAS- Or SfANAS cNS
KlNkAID PARKER - hero.
Handsome, jobless, he has just in
.herited half-interest in a vacant
Connecticut home.
SALLY PENNINGTON-hero-
inc. Blond, pretty. she has in
herited the other half of the
home. Together they turn it into
= "Restratorium."
Yesterday: Grave days lie ahead
for Hay~ire House when the Lit
tie Cheese decides to visit Il and
rub out Bull Griffin.
CHAPTER XIV
Friday was the most peaceful
day that the Pennington-Parker
Restatorium had enjoyed since
it's foundation. The Great Pierre
had risen from his bed of disgust
and gone 10 New York on an
earlytrain. He had business there,
he announced. which would keep
him overnight. Bull Griffin and
Mr.. Spaldini settled down to their
inevitable pinOchle. Mr.. Hardness
worked furiOuSly at his wiring.
Mrs. Hardness and Miss Fenimore
red novels on the front lawn.
So the inmates of the house
passed Friday Scrcnelly, all un-
aware that Il presence was bear
ing down upon them, like ST.
George upon the dragon.
The Little Cheese. driven by
Mr.. Red Scala. neared WinStock
ut about 10 o'clock in the even
ing. All during the journey the
Little Cheese had been regretting
that moment of bravado when he
had undertaken TO rub out Bull
Griffin Single-handedly. 1t WAS 80
long since he had personally rub
bed out 4 guy that he felt tritle
rusty. At one time he had been
q fine. fluent rubber-outer. But
in recent years he had depended
upon lieutenants for the eXecu--
ton of dirty work. He had, he
freely admitted to himself, grown
soft. like prize fight champion
who doesn't fight. And electing TO
settle the hash of Bull Griffin all
by his lonesome might, he was
uereeiving now. have been a rash
thing to DO. Still, he would have
10 go through with il. Otherwise
nothing awaited him but fall
from grace and large order OF
the bird.
But there was one absolute pre-
requisite. Before tackling such a
formidable parsonage as Bull
Griffin ne would simply have to
have & drink. In surly tone he
directed MIR. Scala TO stop at -
roadhOuSe that now doomed on
their right.
II was not the wiSeSt course
that he could have pursued. For
some time the Little Cheese had
been abusing the privilege of the
crane. I'm fact. he had abused it
10 the point where his underworld
physician had issued Il dire proph-
ery. Unless the Little Cheese
climbed aboard the wagon IN 4 big.
way, he would become Il candidate
for that inexuuiSlte state Of beng
known loosely aS the ID. It's.
Under the stress OF the zero
hour, however, he forgot the doc
tors warning. The roadhouSe was
snug and slatternly, just the kind
of a roadhou>e he felt ut home IN.
He had 4 drink. tie had another.
He had Il third. lie bought the
bartender a drink. He had one
on the house. The result was that
by the time ne stood in the
grounds Of the darkened ReSta-
tUrium the Little Cheese was
somewhat polluted.
Il was the Little Cheese's boast
that, drunk on sober, he could
Jimmy u window 10 the queen S
taste. lie approached the house
on unsteady legs and inspected 1t
with slightly glazed eyes. II was
q, dark a. the grave. The Little
Cheese selected Il likely-looking
window that opened on the porch.
Taking out his jimmy, he set to
work.
And at almost the same moment
something unusual occurred with
in the house. 4 door on the upper
floor opened silently. An apparl'
ton in Il flowing robe, that might
have been Lady Macbeth in her
sleep. walking act but minus her
candle, issued forth. This pres
ence passed in ghOstly fashion
down the stairs. went unerriugly
along i hallway and entered Il
large bedroo mnear the kitchen.
The Little Cheese finished JIM
mying the window and climbed
stealthily into the living room. He
felt we'll satisfied with himself.
All ne had to do now was to find
out where Bull Griffin slept and
shoot him in the head The pros
pect pleased. With Il flaShlight in
one hand and his automatic in
the other, he began mincinp
across the living room.
Had he taken long. powerful
strides all might have been well!
Hut he minced. And when one
minceS his ankles are close to,
gether. In fact. and OF Il sudden
the Little CheeSe'S angles seemed