Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1943-09-24
Whats the trouble ,"

Katherine Chatfeld case"
Reed Barton shot quick glance
at Rogers but said nothing
Find anything to interest your"
Eyes. And no. It's one of those
cases you keep coming back to. Won
dering what the answer is"
Reed Barton ate mechanically,
like a man in a mild trance.
"Reed was telling me about Elsa
Chatfield as we drove out from
town." ! said to Rogers.
"You know her. Professor Rog.
ers?" Reed inquired quickly,
1--WE met her"
Interesting. isn't she?" He
sketched briefly what he had told me
on the way out, 'You know" he
concluded. even when they clutch
economic independence to their
blessed little bosoms they haven't
got all there is in life, Not even
halt. They've only got the begin.
ming
At the time ii didn't occur to me
that Reed Barton had never heard Of
the baby. supposed. of course, be
had, for he knew Elsa's friends.
But it was revealed subsequently
that, during the height Of the COS.
sip, he was in Mexico.
The conversation came back to
Aunt Kitty Chatfeld. Rogers asked
II there had been any physical re-
semblance between Elsa and her
aunt.
None whatever" answered Reed
Barton, THAT is, as | remember
Katherine Chatfield. I never saw
the two side by side, however. AS
matter of fact, | had never met
Elsa until today. She must have
been at home that night her aunt
died, for remember that the maid
asked me which Miss Chatfeld
wished to see"
you were there that night" In
CURED Rogers, his mild blue eyes
coming to rest upon Reed Barton's
face.
Yes. You see, I'm one of Cheese
bros slaves. At times only his err
rand boy, although I'm supposed to
be something Of mining engineer.
But I am required to run great
many personal errands for Cheese
bro. | think took Miss Chatfeld
a book-something that had inter-
ested Chesebro, and which he want
ed her to read too"
Il See" said Rogers. And she
died that night"
Yes She killed herself some time
that night"
Rogers was silent for moment.
then he looked at me. There's one
chap from the police department in
Pasadena whose report interested
me, Madison. He says that he
smelled chloroform family when he
went into the room to investigate.
That was several hours afterward.
No one else smelled it, however.
II might have been an overactive
odor Of it noted in the autopsy re-
port. But chloroform is peculiar in
that respect; the odor is not neces-
sarily present even at autopsy in a
death from chloroform.
eyes, Of course" | said.
You're not by any chance think
ing that Katherine Chatfeld was
murdered, Professor Rogers" in
CURED Reed Barton.
Rogers smiled family. II have
no opinion, Mr., Barton. The case
has been closed for over year
now. Who am l to stir it up at
this time? The police were satisfied
that it was suicide; there were no
fingerprints, except her own, on the
hypodermic syringe she used, or on
the bottle in which she kept her sup
ply"
II guess | was one of the last to
see her alive" said Reed Barton
after short silence, looking beyond
Rogers to a group making merry in
an opposite booth. 1--WE since been
glad it wasn't murder. The police
might have made it uncomfortable
for me; they could have saddled
motive on me that I couldn't have
denied. Because Katherine Chat
field killed my father just as much
as if she had pulled a trigger.
Things were looking up, you know
Father had struggled all through
the worst Of the depression to keep
things together; he'd managed
somehow to make the interest pay
ments to her. She held mort
gage. you know, on all he had. Even
as little as two months extension
would have seen him out Of the
woods. But-you know, there's no
Shylock like woman Shylock--her
pound OF flesh must come from the
heart. And-so," he shrugged his
shoulders, father jumped" He
went on after moment: THE po-
lice could have said I hated her
But I don't think ! did"
Reed Barton didn't want any more
to eat. He looked now at the empty
dishes before him in some bewiher.
ment. scarcely realizing that he had
eaten at all. Huntoon Rogers Of
fered his cigarettes and lighted one
himself There was no comment