Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-12-10


said it contained heart interest. But
those damnable cut lines underneath
the picture: ELSA Chatfield, whose
caricatures have recently won wide
acclaim, and her small daughter,
Mary Frances"
THAT was a lousy thing for Rum
BILE to do" 1 said.
His explanation was plausible
and innocent of any intent to harm"
Lousy just the same, for the eff
feet that it must have had back
home. I 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"
81 remember Dwights telling us
of it."
Hard on Elsa"
Every"
ESPECIALLY now that Chesebro's
dead" l passed the clipping back
to him and he took it and studied it
for long while under the light.
Nov that Chesebro's dead, his
picture 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
thin cloud before he spoke again.
Enthusiastically, Barry, it's
Chesebros child" he said. "You
can't mistake it if 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 ap-
proach. A brief command in Span
ish was given at which Rogers sat
up quickly. l 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 latter's satellite, Alvarez.
He made 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 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
| dro?"
Eyes, sir"
"And he is eager now to COOP
crate with u.s."
Eyes, sir"
'You wish to go ahead with the
enactment"
"Of course, Senior Rogers"
May l suggest that we are not
all here? Senores Nichols. Barton,
and Rumble are not present"
"They are following us, senior.
talked with Senior Nichols before
started with the prisoner"
"Senor Chatield-of course"
1T is very sad the death of Senior
Chatficld. l heard that he had died
at sea, but l do not know the de-
tails, senor.'
"I'll tell you. Let Pedro sit
down" Rogers pointed to a chair
And you and Doctor Cruz come
with us into the study"
Alvarez and the prisoner relaxed
outside in the living room. Lom-
bardo and Cruz followed us into the
study. l poured a whiskey and soda
| lOF lnelll ana we sat down. hog
ers began a detailed account of the
accident, emitting, however, all our
spcculations as to the part Rumble
might have played in it.
at is very sad, senior, the death
of so good man as Senior Chat
field" Lombardo said when Rogers
had finished.
"Wcre the gentlemen-Senor Mich
OILS and the Understanding immedi-
atcly, Senior Lombardo?" inquired.
Il believe SO, Senior Madison.
When l mentioned to Senior Nichols
that Pedro had been returned to
Mazatlan, and that l wished to pro-
coed with my investigation, he said
that he would try to find Senior
the caballero with the very fine
clothes-and bring him along. Who
knows'-and he shrugged his Shout
ders-"but what he is the guilty
one? We must have all who were
here that night of the fiesta
"Of course" Rogers answered.
The next moment n car rolled I'm