Arkansas State press., 1943-10-01
CHAPTER III

pneumonia, | think, although It's
hard to remember everything. Sam
didn't remarry. however, until after
he set himself up again in Mexico,
and then 1t was to Berta. the Mexi-
car Berta was the last straw to
Kitty Chatield. Berta. of course. is
all right. | like her"
"It's time Margaret was getting
here. Sam Chatfeld and his Mexi-
can wife. Berta. are coming too.
They're up from Mazatlan for a few
days he said, I'm hungry. How
about you tWo?"
II could eat now" Huntoon Rog-
ers said.
Perhaps ii is clearer now about
the will, Barry said Dwight, set
ting back in his chair once more.
when Aunt Kitty cut her niece off
with only a years income from the
estate, knowing quite well that Elsa
would spend all of (which she
did--it was a deliberate thrust at a
vital spot, so she thought.
Aunt Kitty never looked upon
Elsa as a Chatfeld. Elsa resembled
very much her mother. What's
more to the point she was not awed
by the antiquity of the ~Chatfelds;
she refused to koWtoW to the great
god Family. Which of course did
not endear her to Aunt Kitty. To-
ward the last as bitter a hatred ex-
listed between those two as you could
well imagine. Elsa, of course, was
not to blame for it, Kitty Chatfeld
was older; her neck was stiff"
"But is that enough to make the
two hate each other the way they
did2' | asked.
There was the baby
"Who was the child's father" in
quired Rogers.
THAT has never been disclosed"
A boy came out upon the veranda
to inform US that Margaret and the
others had arrived.
Dwight Nichols has a kindly face.
Dwight is not yet forty, but his is
the face Of a benevolent philosopher.
His brown eyes are benign. soft.
almost feminine In their compassion
for his fellow man. There Is a quiet,
gentle smile constantly about his
lips; his whole ~countenance, In fact,
is lovable and sweet. His is a face
widely known, for 1t has been seer
often In the press--a face Of charm,
inviting to confidence, winning,
friendly.
That's why the devilish caricature
In the shop window struck so forci-
bly, upon my attention. 1t was the
eye that did the trick; the carica-
turist had provided him with an eye
cunning, sly. wicked. 1t made over
the whole countenance Of Dwight
Nichols; il made a rascal Of him,
whereas he is an upright man, a
sportsman who has written many
books Of life aneld, and a man OK
traordinarily fond of his wife and
home.
And, heavensl there was myself
beside Dwight, my own inc0nsequen-
tial p~hysiognomy. | blushed as |
stood there on the sidewalk. oblivi-
Gus to the afternoon crowd that
swarmed along the boulevard. Was
l such a villain as that2 Was | so
old?
And, heavens again! Beside me
In the window, overwhelmingly, so
huge and coarse that at first | had
not seer it, was Jimmy the Cheese.
In other shop windows up the
boulevard that mild April afternoon
] encountered still more caricatures
by the same clever hand. There
was one Of Huntoon Rogers ludicrous
in the extreme; the thinning hair
on top Of his head was all but gone;
his ears stood out like tapping
wings, and his nose was twice its
already generous size.
Let me sec that thing in the win
dow" | requested of the clerk. For
full of mounting spirits I had re-
turned to the first window out OF
breath, thoroughly reckless now. !
pointed to my own likeness. The
man was hesitant. Il want to look
at il. | want to make sure who
did it. It's me, Don't you see?"
He looked startled for a moment.
as if he were trying to divine wheth.
er or not intended 10 sue him, then
rot the caricaturc from the window
and laid 1t on the counter, Eagerly
/ scanned it for a signature, and
there modestly in the lower right
corner was the word had not beer
able to sec from the sidewalk. II
was ELSA"
Let me take this for a little
while" | requested. The clerk
shrugged his shoulders in a way
that said no, "Here!" | pulled out
my billtold and dropped some money
on the counter. II know the CIR,
who did that. | want to borrow Il
long enough to take 1t over ane
raise heck with her"
'What II you don't come backl"
"Then keep the money. It's more
than the darned thing is worth"
IAN right" he said. ! rolled the
thing lightly, made my exit and ben
- -.1 IL -