Show I E l tf BLACK ft I P iI if SOMBRERO In l CLIFFORD KNIGHT S- S E of I a Chatfi Chatfield Hollywood artist U ts cut cat g Orom rom the will of her Aunt Kitty who from rom an overdose o of morphine Barin Bar Bar- Jin lD in amateur detective and Bunt Hunt Ro ROE flog D a a professional sleuth go co to Mazat Mazat- J l on a yacht cruise with Marts Mar Mar- Martt ts tt tt St t and Dwight Nichols Arriving at they find that Elsa and her hery y have preceded them by plane j dine at the rancho of Elsas Elsa's fait fa fa- it tt Sam Chatfield whom Rogers Rogen quest ques ques- V t 1 about his visit to his sister Kitty he e night she died The next day eld old tosses a rotogravure section the e sea ea but the pieces are aro picked y y Reed Barton Darton who gives them ElRogers Rogers Chatfield Is very Indignant i l its it tho Incident Q I s CHAPTER VI Ji Here It Is said Dwight pointing l I n lYes Yes es said Rogers leaned farther forward to see t picture It was a reproduction N photograph of Elsa the lov- lov personality shone up from the tf e ip I p surface Unmistakably it was wasa wasa a a at her provocative impish best t of ot course was as it should be I Ithe the IB staggering of It all was the child on her herA herA 11 A child apparently about a air old seeming normally healthy 1 lovely Ji j lovely and like all babies a j of at the heart Underneath picture were the lines Elsa t whose caricatures have rey re re- y fitly won wide acclaim and her herall all daughter Mary Frances Well Well Well-that's I that's that I guess Yes es said Rogers picking up torn sheet and starting below belows I s I stateroom arty he began I I 1 I dont don't it it either Neither do I I. I Reed here ere were many things in that ge story not understood until Tend end end The cruise in the Orizaba reined enned for tor that day was aban- aban d the yacht lay Idly at her an an- are ar ur There was no fishing at do you make of it Ight I inquired after lunch that Dwight Nichols shook his head The whole thing Is impossible 4 child has been dead now several J three lairs us three s-three three or four But how could such a mistake f made asked Margaret her herk k eyes very earnest Mistakes can usually be ex- ex lined Rogers reminded her Isay I 4 je e say George Rumble to whom must look for the answer has a ay sy y natural explanation That 1 Bourse course ourse is aside from other asi as as- i. i its i ts of ot the thing Heres Here's a family I ret fret closely guarded for years t which neither Elsa nor her herder herer herl l der er r would talk broadcast to the k DId Sam Chat Chatfield eld see the pic- pic ke Margaret interrupted rt tigers II gers shook his head I have In ti my stateroom A so sor r speak peak although there are liter- liter ri thousands of them in existence where In Southern California ever ever not here In fut tit out it was not until the morning the e following day that we ran hiss oss ss George Rumble We jd ld d him in the last place we ex- ex tied to find him him him-at at Sam Chats Chat's Chat- Chat Pd's s 's rancho sitting Idly in the theio io indifferent to the little green screaming In the gnarled t PePPer tree overhead while he ted ted for Elsa The shirt of pink t white checks was absent but in 1 place was a companion of at blue lit Awhile white Some ome of us have been wonder- wonder I where you got that picture of ot ofa ofa I a and the baby said Rogers 1 1 I knew somebody would ask that 11 U his his dark little eyes watched 1 movements of ot a young Indian as she came out of a doorway straight and slim sUm through l patio and disappeared into the thelen i len theres hen theres lots of ways to get picture 1 t didn't give it to you 1 No No KYou ou understand Rumble I bet be- be t f theres only one conclusion to tort rt drawn awn after seeing how Elsa rea red red re re- a ed d yesterday when she saw the thee pure e in the paper h Well draw draw it Bar Barry ry if it you want I say anything to Elsa Etea about vit tat nit Im I'm goIng to do she wont won't t let lett t W Shell She'll be going against her hera a d. d best Interests by telling me It I Ido t do it When you start with a ass aiss iss ss agent you ought to leave it ti- ti his hands be Just like vaunt the J faunt the aunt the one that died Shed She'd ShedS jj sf S to me No you cant can't do that it 2 1 cant can't do this I know what I It It it t in the paper So I says to her f day heck did you ou hire I IH if youre you're going coIng to run it That 11 We e her mad and she kicked me mei i of her house and I never did my my money either Neither either Rogers nor I said any- any I 1 g 1 for a moment as we reflected a this revelation ou ou knew Elsas Elsa's s 's aunt Kather aunt Kather Chatfield ill say ay I knew her She was wai a cat at and no mistake She was jerst Job I had in California an lD P I come out from New York I Id Ird d rd they were putting on some lome of of campaign in Pasadena she 4 rhe ic chairman I go fio to see her hershe 1 she says lay okeh and we start to self CI But we start fighting too Jt from the start I dont don't get OL moneY oney and I go to see her about J JI I tell her Im I'm going to sue her f that night she dies That's the I I time tim I ever saw the picture of ofU U Elsa and the baby when were we're setting setting setting set set- ting one day at the old gals gal's desk looking up some stuff she wants to give me The next time I I t see it I pick it up in ElS Elsas Elsa's apartment in Hollywood when I 1 am planning my campaign for Elsa Els 1 the names arcon are arc on the back Elsa and Mary Fran Fran- ces How aid old you know it was her daughter asked Rogers Her aunt told me that first time when I 1 S saw the picture I asked who it was That's why I 1 remember it Jt a n year ear later when I can use the picture see you know that the child was de dead Dead The baby Rumble echoed echoed echoed ech ech- oed slightly aghast No I 1 didn't know that It aint none of my business where the bab baby is understand understand understand under under- stand and I dont don't ask All Im I'm looking for is something with heart interest see Dead he mused Well Well that that gives me an idea we can correct that Ill I'll get the boys beys at the office in Los Angeles to run a little piece you pIece you know unfortunate mistake picture of brilliant young caricaturist published last week with child child Say Say that's fine Well We'll crack em again I tell you it dont don't make no difference what you run so long longas as you keep hammering away at It Rumbles Rumble's thoughts were busy with future publicity while Rogers sat 9 Z- Z r 01 n c. c f A e if r rr r ae aee e I IY Y Jc J h c 7 Elsa seemed to be flying for Cor her ber life with a curious look in hi his mild blue blueeyes blueeyes blueeyes eyes regarding this strange member member member mem mem- ber of that great and honored body of men who direct a nations nation's thought and whim You say that Katherine Chat Chatfield eld died that night after you threatened to sue her for your money asked Rogers Yes I 1 dont don't call till after dinner dinner din din- ner nor see This guy guy guy-Elsa's Elsa's Elsas poppa poppa- I and his Mexican wife arrived while I W was still talking with the old gal galin galin galin in her study They dont don't know me now but I dont don't forget people The Chatfield gets sore as heck when they come coone in and jumps up and slams the door I thought she was going to tf have a stroke Maybe Id I'd have got my money out of her if 11 she hadn't been so mad when she sees them out in the halL Do you know anything about the death of at Miss Chatfield What do you ou mean Hunt I mean do you know of ot what or how she died I dont don't know anything except That nhat I read in the papers the next day They said Eald it was suicide Why Has it ever occurred to you that it might have been murder For a along along along long moment George Rumble gazed at Rogers without speaking Rogers Rogers Rogers Rog Rog- ers added When did you leave the house that night About nine She was alive then What are you getting at The woman was wag murdered can you tell us anything about It i I didn't do it I left her still I alive There wasn't any reason for tor forme forme torme me to kill her She owed me money money money mon mon- ey and we had a row and I threatened threatened threatened threat threat- ened to sue and she tried to kick me out and I says No you dont don't old girl there aint no woman going to kick me out of any house Im I'm a gentleman and Ill I'll walk out like one We fell silent for a few minutes while overhead In the old pepper peppertree peppertree peppertree tree the little green scolded and shrilled I wish you could help us out about that night George observed Rogers casually I wish I could too Hunt I Did anything arouse your suspicions I dons while you were there anything anything any any- thing that would lead you to believe that Miss Chatfield eld was about to be murdered No o. I guess not You see it its iti a year and a half balf almos almost since that happened and the thing I re re- re- re member of course Is the row 1 had with her Conversation lagged we had exhausted exhausted exhausted ex ex- hausted all that was obvious in the affair Do you know where Elsa is Rogers inquired of a sudden All I know Is that some guy guy guy-a a aMex Mex who speaks English said English said when I first came out that she had gone out horseback riding Alone I didn't ask We had had our talk with George Rumble the explanation of the picture picture pic plc ture tare in the rotogravure section had been made and I was ready to return return return re re- re- re turn to town But Rogers was inclined inclined inclined in in- to linger although we had discovered that neither Sam Chatfield Chatfield Chatfield Chat- Chat field nor Berta was at home and there seemed no object in remain remain- ing You dont don't know now of course when Elsa is expected back inquired Rogers of Rumble No I dont don't Hunt Rogers got up from the patio bench and began a leisurely examination examination examination nation of the flowers and the riot of tropical shrubbery Finally he pushed open an old grilled gate which led to a graveled courtyard or bare plaza The huge house formed one side of the open square A long low line of adobe buildings with barred windows housed the office office of of- fice flee of the ranch and the storehouses storehouses storehouses store store- houses a third side was the living quarters of the ranch workers the fourth that of the stables I followed Rogers leaving Rumble Rumble Rumble Rum Rum- ble sitting alone smoking a brown paper cigarette In solitude As we sauntered toward the stables the actions of a man in the courtyard near a gate which opened upon the fields of the rancho drew our atten atten- tion He was stooping above the form of a brown dog lying on the ground As we drew near he emptied emptied emptied emp emp- tied the contents of a bottle upon a dirty rag and held it to the dogs dog's nose and the dog quivered slightly as DS if 11 from a chilL The dog Is old said Rogers in Spanish Very old sir the man replied looking up sadly It Is best that he should die now sir He caught a whiff of something and turned his head away Chloroform I said to Rogers Yes he answered and stooped to pick up the empty bottle the man had discarded Hell die quickly he be said to the executioner Yes sir Senora Chatfield would not have him shot She said this was merciful The senora g gave you the drug Yes sir Do you think the dog is dead sir Not yet but soon While I was standing there gazIng gazing gazing gaz gaz- ing at this odd scene my ears picked up the sound of hoof beats For a moment or two their then source was not apparent I 1 walked through the gate and out into the open away from the stables Rogers followed me Across the wide fields along an unpaved ranch roadway leading to the house came pounding a horse and rider as if u in a tremendous hurry hurry hurry hur hur- ry to arrive A hundred yards or orso orso orso so behind was a second horseman following in hi the wake of at the other As they came nearer In their mad race I made out the figure of Elsa astride the leading horse and on the other Chesebro Elsa seemed to be flying for her life she was leaning far over the neck of her mount and applying a short quirt In vicious mechanical strokes her ber arm rising and falling as ns if geared to the flying hoofs of her horse They drew rapidly toward us Elsa looking back over her shoulder shoulder shoal der of a sudden sat erect and reined in hi her horse There was something very Intent about her every action She had not discovered us standing standing stand stand- ing tog as we were beside the huge wheel of an old oxcart was She She was Intent intent intent in In- tent upon Chesebro now reining up at her side She sat quietly astride her horse which with heaving flanks was uneasy and nervous after the run Rogers grunted half In astonishment astonishment astonishment astonish astonish- ment at something half In warning to me he seemed to sense what was about to happen For there was something deadly In Elsas Elsa's firmly seated figure in the way she held herself In readiness Chesebro's Chesebro's Chesebro's Chese- Chese bros bro's restless horse sidled close to Elsas Chesebro's hand was extended extend extend- ed as If in hi expostulation In protest protest pro pro- test in appeal to an iron something something some some- thing In Elsa It was all too apparent now that Elsa had not so much been flying for her life as running away from froma a situation that had angered her and had now thought better of it and was decided upon action That action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion was so swift swit so startling and so 80 cruel that I gasped scarcely able as I was to follow the figure that stiffened In the stirrups the arm that rose and fell like lightning The lash of at the short quirt which Elsa only a few moments before had used upon her horse struck Chesebro across the face I still can remember the sound of ot it can see the white line it left along his fat check Elsas Elsa's horse reared She clung to the saddle without touching the pommel so Intent was she upon the object of her wrath Chesebro's Chesebro's Chesebro's Chese Chese- bros bro's horse whirled about but didn't bolt the man was dazed dozed bewildered bewildered dered by the blow I TO BE DE CONTINUED |