Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1943-12-17

our departure He came back pres
emily without having seen anyone.
As he stood on the threshold his
gaze strayed to the shadows above
the built-in book shelves. His mus
cles frightened perceptibly and an
odd look came into his face. He
walked 10 the desk and lifted the oil
lamp overhead the better to see.
1T gave me start, Barry" he
said. so natural 1t looks as il it's
up there"
By this time ! was on my feet.
staring up at the mounted head OF
a marlin. its long spearpoint thrust
out into the room. the glass eyes
+, supplied by the taxidermist SEEM
| ingly possessed Of all the wicked
ness that must have shone through
the natural ones when its owner
swan the blue seas.
He continued for some moments
to examine the trophy then climbed
down, replaced the lamp and re-
sumed his seat. "Gfuesome thing
to have around now" he remarked
casually, His left hand strayed TO
the desk blotter where several let.
tiers and papers were tucked in the
! pocket corners, lingering them idly.
Rogers suddenly reached into the
center Of small bunch Of letters
in corner pocket Of the blotter and
drew forth clipping from the 70.
togravure section of newspaper.
What have you found?" l asked.
Something"
Yes, something interesting" He
passed it across to mo and I took
1t and held it to the light. II have
one like it. Exhibit A. think I
called it; you've told me that Reed
Barton has one. II seems that Sam
Chatfield procured one also"
1t was the picture Of Elsa and the
baby which had so startled US all
only few days previously. Tn
deniably it was a most appealing
picture; Rumble was right when he
said it contained heart Interest But
those damnable cut lines underneath
the picture: ELSA Chatffeld, whose
caricatures have recently won wide
acclaim, and her small daughter,
Mary Frances.
That was a lousy thing for Rum
BILE to do" said.
His explanation was plausible
and quite innocent of any intent to
HARM
Lousy just the same, for the eff.
feet that it must have had back
home. l wonder if Elsa dares face
it now. 1t will revive among her
| friends and acquaintance the old
story that once re-echoed up and
down South Orange Grove Avenue
in Pasadena
Il remember Dwight's telling US
Of it,"
Hard on Elsa"
Very"
Especially now that Chesebro's
dead" I passed the clipping back
to him and he took 1t and studied it
for long while under the light. |
Nov thar Chesebro's dead, his
kaictxre will be In the papers. The
two so close together, in point OF
time-Chesebro's and Elsa's with the
baby--will set everybody who's in
terested to comparing the two"
Rogers put the clipping down and
inhaled deeply Of his cigarette. He
blew the smoke from his lungs in q
thin cloud before he spoke again.
Internationally. Barry, it's
Chesebro's child" he said. you
can't mistake it il you have even
half an eye for such things"
We sat silently turning over in
our thoughts once more the impli-
cations in this most amazing Of the
many strange events that had &C.
Cured to us. As we sat there in
the study there came the sound of a
motor car on the gravel outside. It
stopped and the motor was shut off
There followed the sound OF voices,
and footsteps upon the graveled APP
proach. A brief command in Span
ish was given at which Rogers sat
up quickly I translated the words
in the voice Of the jefe del policia:
Bring the prisoner!'
Pedro, the pulque seller. stood in
the living room between Lombardo
and the latters satellite. Alvarez.
He made a sorry-looking figure, in
contrast to the neatly dressed DR..
Miguel Cruz, who was in the party,
and the uniformed police. His white
cotton trousers were wrinkled and
stained with dust; his white shirt
was so torn that much Of his brown
back was visible. His sharp fox
like face was haggard. His small
dark eyes were dull with WEAKNESS.
He was bareheaded and barefooted.
had not noticed before now that
the mans left arm was bandaged
Just below the elbow. The rag was
dirty and there was an old stain OF
blood upon it. Pedro, I noted. kept
that arm quietly and with a mini.
mum Of movement at his side.
Pedro has reflected upon his
conduct Of that night he ran away;
he regrets that he did so, eh, Pc
dro7"