Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 July 1936 — Page 27

DAILY SHORT STORY The Camera Lies

= Reverend Littleton is not expecting me, but I'm - quite gure he'll be glad to see me.” “Slick” Derringer said this with all the charm he could turn on. The

housekeeper, however, still refused to budge. Arms akimbo, her huge bulk barring the doorway, she eyed him appraisingly. She seemed _grudgingly impressed by his appearance—Slick knew the value of “front.” ’ “I'm sorry,” she said finally. “The Reverend is ‘in his study preparing tomorow morning's sermon, and he doesn’t want to be disturbed.” She started to close the door. “One moment, please!” Slick removed a long, white envelope from his coat pocket. “Will you, at least, give him this envelope? Tell him to look at the contents, and then see what- he says. I'll bet you a new hat to a stick of chewing gum that he will ask to see me immediately!” The housekeeper considered this for a moment. “Awright,” she agreed at last. “I'll take him the envelope. But you're not comin’ in unless he wants to see you—" With that, she closed the door.

o ” ” LICK chuckled to himself. Would the Reverend see him? Boy! When the old geezer saw that picture, he'd beg to see him. Great thing, pictures, Slick reflected. Mighty - embarrassing sometimes—if they got in -the wrong hands at the wrong time. So embarrassing, that a man would be willing to pay anything to be relieved of that acute condition. And if the man also happened to be a minister, then the possibilities became absolutely unlimited. Yes, sir! Sure enough, a few minutes later, the housekeeper opened the door again and motioned Slick in, though she favored him with a baleful glance as she jerked her thumb toward the stairs. : “First door to your right; walk right in.” Slick couldn't refrain from a bit of pleasantry. “Aren't you going to pay me that stick of gum?” he asked, with a grin.

The only answer he got was a

scowl. 8 ” E

PSTAIRS, entering the study, Blick found the Rev. Littleton seated at a massive mahogany desk, Intently studying the snapshoe Slick had sent him. The minister looked up. “Are you the man who took—or rather—manufactured this picture?” | Slick nodded. The clergyman held the snapshot under the desk lamp to study it more closely. It was the picture of a man and woman with the ocean as a background. They were standing side by side with the arms about each other affectionately. The woman, fluffy-haired and full-bosomed, was scantily attired in only the barest necessities of apparel. The figure of the man beside her was more modestly attired in a bathing suit but, smiling pleasantly into the camera, he was none other than the Rev. Littleton! “Extraordinary!” the minister exclaimed. “Positively uncanny!” He sat back in his chair. “Young man, you are, beyond question, the most ingenious rascal 1 have ever encountered!” Slick acknowledged the compliment with a bow. “What I don't understand,” the * minister went on, with a puzzled frown, “is how you ever made this ~ picture—how you grafted my head onto that man's figure. And where did you get the picture of my head in the first place?” “The answer to that last ques-

tion,” Slick replied, “is very simple, Reverend. I managed, through a pal, to swipe the negatives of some news pictures that had been taken of you, then picked the best one for my purpose. But grafting your head onto that other fellow’s body was a slow and ticklish job. I use a process I developed myself. The grafting is done with the two negative films. It's really very simple—and profitable, too.” : . » n » HE minister coughed. “I presume—ah—that you are here to get ‘hush money,’ as it is called.” Slick smiled. “That's right, Reverend.” “And just how much will that be?” Slick considered for a moment. “You have a large church here, Reverend, and a “fashionable con-

gregation. I think it ought to be worth at least $5000 to you—" “Five thousand dollars! My word, young man, that's a considerable amount of money!” “Yes,” Slick quietly agreed. “And that picture could create a considerable amount of scandal, too. If copies of it get into the hands of your congregation, the explosion will jar all your ancestors out of their graves.” Reverend Littleton sighed. ‘Yes, I'm afraid you're right. The results would be anything but pleasant.” He dejectedly leaned his head on his hand, shielding his face. “It looks as though I'm ruined.” “Oh, come now, Reverend!” Slick chided. “Your reputation and career are surely worth more to you than five thousand bucks. That big church of yours must take in a half million a year. You can fix up your books somehow—come on, Reverend, loosen up! Make me out a check for five thousand, and I'll destroy—" Slick stopped as the door behind him opened... The housekeeper stuck her head in. She sent a withering glance in his direction before speaking to the minister. “I called them like you said, Reverend; they're down in the hall now.” “Thank you, Olga; right up.” “Say-y-y!” Slick whirled on the minister, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What's this?” “The police!” Littleton answered calmly.

send them

8 ” 8 LICK stepped back. “Why, you penny-pinching “Shylock!” he roared. “So you'd rather ruin your whole life than give up a little money! All right! I'll have my pals distribute a hundred snapshots to members of your congregation tomorrow morning. They'll hiss you out of the pulpit—" “I disagree with you, young man,” Littleton interrupted, with a curious smile. “I am not going to be hissed out of my pulpit—tomorrow or any other morning. You might just as well save those snapshots of yours, because they won't be any more effective than a. postcard of Niagara Falls. “If you had inquired a. little: more about me, you would have learned that, during the World War, I was a chaplain in the United States Army. I saw service overseas—a. great deal of service! I was wounded, and I came out of the hospital looking considerably different from the man in that snapshot. You see, that chap has two good legs, whereas I wear an artificial limb. My right leg was amputated just above the knee!”

THE END

(Copyright, 1936, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)

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