The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-01-27

for the before-dinner wine. Then
in front of everyone, he told Johr
Smith to leave and take his brother
with him. Imagine the insult. Dis.
missed like thieving servants. The
look John gave my father!" She
drew her fingers along her olive
which Prism refilled OF en
if a snake were crawling right
here" The memory made her
shudder. Il could not help being a
bit sorry for William. He skulked
like craven Cog"
"You would not have felt sorry
for him." said Mallory, IF you
could have seen him helping his
brother smash a mans head
against the pavement.
MOL cried Sandy.
Who's kidding now derided
the singer.
Neither Manuelita nor Carlos ap-
peared surprised. Instead, they
were intent, motionless except for
raising and lowering the glasses
which rism refilled often enough
ITO hear most of the conversation.
Its morbidity delighted her. Now
we're gettin' somewhere. her look
proclaimed. Evident alsr ne
behavior was approval OF velvet
Name" She fairly lowered over
him.
The reluctance to talk about her
experience on the Laredo-Monter-
rey highWay-a reluctance put
there so recently by Richard
Blythe-faded as Mallorysrealized
she had found her allies. She had
known she would. She had felt it
intuitively, despite the jibes of her
maid. And now here was the solu-
ton to her problem. WHAT better
assistance could she have than
these new friends who already
hated and suspected the two &C.
ment-faced brothers?
In a low, but full voice, the
blond girl began relating the story
of the murder, exactly as she had
seen it, exactly as it had gone
through her mind in an endless
chain of gruesome pictures. While
she talked, Prism quietly served
dinner on the long, low table in
front of the davenport and on those
beside Che large armchairs. The
four ate without paying much at
tention. Any other time Prism
would have resented this disregard
for her superb cooking. Tonight
she did not mind.
Except for EXPLANATIONS of sur
prise and horror, Mallory was not
interrupted until Prism served
black coffee and chartreuse.
Carlos was the first to speak.
''You are in danger, Mallory" His
voice held such worry that it
sounded like pain. In those few
words was such proof of his devo-
ton that Mallory felt her cheeks
flame as if she were sitting before
fireplace. Manuelita noticed al
SO; the muscles around her eyes
frightened as she alternated fast
glances between Carlos and her
hostess.
"She can't be-" cried Sandy. 'It
is too Incredible
Eyes, she is snapped the Mexi-
can girl. She stopped staring at
Carlos and Mallory with that tense
speculation and turned to the
young man beside her. Don't be
baby, Sandy. They suspect her,
the cold-blooded demons. They are
watching her. There could not be
that many condolences" Agitator
was making the cigaret smoke puff
from her exquisite nose in fast
clouds.
But it seems so absurd" per-
sisted Sandy, ''for them to kill
man right on the pavement, then
drive away"
"Our highway is not crowded
now" said Carlos, in his silver
bell voice. They were not expect
ing tourist to drive along. In the
dusk they considered themselves
safe"
Besides" Manuelita demanded
OF the young accompanist, "how
do you know the dead man was
left on the highway l am sure
he was not" She seemed extreme
ly confident of her own education.
He was dragged from that fatal
spot-perhaps buried, perhaps put
beneath few rocks, perhaps Just
left for the buzzards." Her mouth
was grim. "They work swiftly in
our country"
Pictures of those hideous birds
perched on fence posts raced back
to Mallory Bakers mind. On her
trip down she had seen them, wait
ing placidly or circling low over
some unfortunate victim from a
herd, watching for the end Of it's
struggles.
1T is hazardous" resumed the
Mexican girl, 'for Mallory to trv
to deceive these fiends. 1 am GER
tam they mistrust her pretended
Ignorance. She must not make the
mistake of trying to outwit them:
they are too treacherous. Nothing
must happen to Mallory. I like her
too much"
Now I've heard everything
unused the blond girl. But she man
aged through her amazement, to
smile gently at Manuelita.