Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 4 January 1937 — Page 16

BEGIN HERE TODAY The gaiety of the Christmas party at “Thunder Mesa,” the de Forest hacienda in New Mexico, has a tragic ending when Pearl Sam de Forest, oldest of three brothers, is found dead with a knife in his throat. Each of the de Forest brothers has the first name “Pearl.” As a family they cling to traditions, seldom see outsiders. ‘Pearl John is the youngest brother, Pearl Pierre next. Others at the house are: Tante Josephine, old and an invalid; Betty Welch, her young comPpanion; Ramon Vasquez, and Angelique Abeyta, guests at the party; Prof. Shaw, archeologist; and Bob Graham, tire salesman stopping at the hacienda until his car is repaired. \ The body of Pearl Sam, placed in the house chapel, disappears. Bob hears Tante Josephine, in a hysterical outburst, accuse each of the remaining brothers of Pearl Sam’s murder. Ramond and Angelique discover that the body of Pearl Sam has been burned. Angelique flirts with Pearl Pierre to see if she can learn anything about the murder. Nxt morning Pearl Pierre is missing and his body is found below a rocky ledge, the same knife that killed Pearl Sam in his throat. The body is carried to the chapel and the door locked. Pearl John announces that he is going to destroy the knife. He goes for it, but the knife is missing. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN EARL JOHN seemed to have changed in the few minutes he had heen absent. Gone was the care-free good humor that had been his most attractive characteristic. He was now very much the head of the house of de Forest. His face seemed to have taken on some >f the lean craftiness of his dead brothers. Bob thought, as he looked at him, that Pearl John was a man against all mankind, suspicious and fearing something that baffled him. A wave of pity for this man he liked passed over him, and he rose and walked to de Forest's side. «Are you sure the knife hasn't fallen tothe floor or something?” he asked. “Positive. The knife was removed with some force. It had to be. A mighty strong arm .struck with it in the first place.” wearily across his forehead. “I suppose it won't do any good to ask if any of you know sanything about this.” His voice was tired. “The professor—™ Suddenly = he jerked himself together and ordered a servant te call Prof. Shaw.

= on 2

HE archeologist had seemed to . have the strongest reason for not wanting ‘the knife destroyed, and he was the only one who had - been out of the room since they had brought Pearl Pierre's body to the house. £5 “I'm sending two men down the trail to Santa Fe tonight,” Pearl John wen’ on. “They can probably ‘get through, even though it is storming again. The officers will be here tomorrow morning, at the latest.” : “I'm giad you've taken such a &iand, de Forest,” remarked Prof. Shaw, coming into the room just then. “Vou wished to see: me?” “Ta ask if you have the obsidian knife,” said Pearl John.

“What de you mean?” the pro- |

fessor countered. “Just this. As you already know, the knife has been taken again by some unknown person. Since you were so interested in it, perhaps you will be kind enough to hand it over now.” ” 4 2

OR a moment the professor did not answer, though everyone in the room waited breathlessly for his words, Then he said, matter-of-factly, “I not only do not have the artifact in my possession, but I did not know it was any place but where we all saw it last.” He appealed to the rest of the group. “The door of the chapel was locked, you know, and Pearl John had the key himself. I have - been in my room the entire time since I walked out of here.” : The younger man's face turned purple and, for a moment, Bob thought he was going to spring on the older man. “You lie!” de Forest shouted hoarsely, shaking his fist in the professor's face. “You lie by the clock! And I'm going—" “You're going to quiet down,” said Ramon, taking a quick step forward and grasping Pearl John's arms from behind. “You'll never find out anything if you go around shouting accusations at people. Don’t you know that?” Pearl John evidently was impressed with the logic of this, for he relaxed. Turning away from the professor, he walked over to the Indian who stood waiting in the doorway. ” F » o ROKEN SHIELD, you refused to destroy the obsidian knife, didn’t you?” He did not try to conceal his hatred for the man. . “Si,” was the gutteral reply. The Indian waited, as motionless as a statue. :

“And you had no love for either-

of my dead brothers, did you?” Pearl John went on relentlessly. “They hate Broken Shield,” the man answered. “They would drive him from mesa. My tribe always live on Thunder Mesa. Great Spirit give it for their land.” “Yes, but that didn’t prevent the state of New Mexico from taking my family’s money in payment for it, just the same,” snapped de Forest. “The fact remains that you think you have reason to kill any of us, if you took the notion, although we’ve housed you and fed you most of your life.” 7 The Indian drew himself up proudly. “Broken Shield work for his keep,” he said. “Last yof tribe must stay here to—" “To what?” broke in de Forest. . *Why should Tante Josephine insist that you stay here?” For a moment the Indian’s hands plenched as though he would gladly shrottle his employer, but he only Jaid, in a cold tone, “Broken Shield us stay in the home of his fathgi ° “And be sure the knife was kept - good working order,” sneered arl John. “Now, Broken Shield, ere was one window in the chapel eft open. A strong man could have owered himself from the roof and mmtered—lowered himself much as You did when you went down the ‘ide of the cliff. I noticed just now vhen I went to the chapel that the _ yindow was open farther than when ¢ ‘locked the door the first time. id you forget to leave it’ as you d it when you took the knife? i were you working on your own, oad the suggestion of some one

He ‘passed his hand |

else here?” Hé€ glanced at the professor as he spoke. “No,” answered the Indian again. “If you lock knife in room, it still there.” . = 2 » EARING that the tense scene would end in more disaster, Bob tried to end de Forest's baiting of the man, who stood looking at his questioner with a fanatical gleam in his black eyes. “Now, de Forest, there's: not much use trying third degree tactics,” Bob said. “You've sent for the officers and when they come why not let them handle this thing for you?” “I gues youre right,” answered Pearl John. He walked rapidly to the door and sent for two men servants. When they came, ‘he ordered them to take the Indian to his room and keep him there until the officers arrived. Broken Shield did not resist as the frightened Mexicans grasped him and started through the door with him. Bob looked at Betty with a sigh of relief, and everyone in the room relaxed. Then a piercing scream cut the silence,” and Tante Josephine appeared in the | hall. her cane thumping excitedly. “Stop!” she cried. “Stop I say! Where are you taking him?” The Mexicans turned with ashen faces as the irategld woman shook her fist at them, her features distorted with rage. i $ nn

EARL JOHN strode to her side and tried to grasp her arm, but she shook him off as though he were a child. “You've always wanted to drive him away, and now you think you're going to do it, don’t you?” she screamed. “I tell you, Pearl John, the Indian stays as long as I stay on Thunder Mesa. - You've all tried to get rid of him and get «id of me, but you can’t do it! No you can’t do it,

laway without bothering to lock up

‘Betty again to remind her that

Pearl John! You can’t do it because he isn’t the murderer. Nobody knows as well as I do that your brothers ought to have been mitdgred, but Broken Shield didn't do it.” Betty ran to her, trying to calm her, but the old woman's rage was not easily stemmed. “Pearl Sam and Pearl Pierre were both hard, cruel men, and the world is better off without them. But Broken Shield did not kill them —for I know who did!” Tante Josephine was trembling violently by this time, and the next minute would have fallen to the floor if Bob had not caught her. They took her to her own rooms and laid her.on a couch. Betty immediately administered the usual remedies and after a time the patient seemed to quiet down. At Betty's insistence, Bob tiptoed away. In the living room there were only Ramon and Angelique; all the other actors in the weird little drama had gone. Bob looked at them inquiringly. “Guess the court is adjourned for the time being,” Ramon said. “The old lady rather took the wind out of the selfappointed judge's sails. : He ordered them to turn the Indian loose, and stalked

the rest of us.” The evening passed without further excitement. Since neither the professor nor Pearl John appeared for dinner, the others separated early for the night. Bob detained

she should call him if anything happened’ to disturb her, but it was not untii hours later that he at last fell asleep, wondering how ' many more nights he must spend on Thunder Mesa. In the morning the Mexican who served his breakfast brought the news that Tante Josephine was dead.

(To Be Continued)

IE ITS.

By Marcia

i WENTY - FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS fcr a baby boy,” | Theresa Jennings was thinking. | * She dropped her sewing and | stepped over to the window when | site heard her husband's quick foot | steps on the cement walk. He liked | tu see her at the window when he | came hcme. “Are you all right?” he shouted up | 0 her. : She nodded happily. Byron was | irrespressible. The neighbors must | enjoy his solicitude. { He came in, took Theresa in his | arms, and kissgd her. | “What have "you been making for | little Oswald today?” he demanded, looking over her sewing with a critical eye. “Oh, Byron, it will be a boy, won't | 11?” said Theresa. “Sure thing. He wouldn’t let his {old man down at a time like this.”

” u ”

YRON had another year of law school before his degree would be conferred—but he hadn't the money to pay for that last year. When he and Thercsa had impulsively run off and married, a year ago, they had thought surely his rich father would see to it that he finished his law course, and would help them to set up housekeeping. However, when they had presented themselves to Byron's father after the elopement, they had heen met with cold disapproval. The old man had been furious that Byron had married before he was ready to support a wife. To punish him, he had told him that he would not only have to get out and make his own living, but would have to pay for the rest of his law course himself if he expected to finish it. “I'm sorry,” Mr. Jennings had told his son, “but it's time you developed a sense of responsibility. Do you think I turned to my father for support when I got married? No, sir! Your mother and I had to wait a long time until I was earning enough to take care of her and, believe me, I had to work hard! I'm a rich man today, but it's only because I knew the meaning of work. Well, it’s time you learned it. If you're ever going to amount to anything, now is the time to prove it. I'm not going to do a thing for you. You didn’t consult me before marrying, so don’t turn to me now. You're entirely on your own from now on.

ness sense than you have thus far.” It had been a disastrous blow to the newlyweds. Theresa was an orphan, brought up by an aunt in straitened circumstances, so that there had been no help to be had in ‘that quarter. However, Byron had some securities that his father had bought for him and, by selling those, he had been able to get together enough money to pay for the law course for the time being. and to start housekeeping in a small, furnished flat over a garage. Also, he had taken a night bookkeeping job, but the money he earned from this was barely enough to take care of the household expenses.

. # 2 2

HEN, to add to the young couple’s problems, they had discovered that a new member of the family was on the way. This, at first, had filled them with dismay— until Byron had suddenly remembered something. This was that his father had once offered to make a cash gift of $5000 to the parents of his first grandson—and so far, neither of Byron's two sisters had had a son, Byron had written his father a formal note asking whether the offer still stood and had received an equally formal reply informing him that it did. After that, Byron’s and Theresa's hopes had risen. With the prospect of a possible $5000 gift ahead of them, they had faced thei: struggles with lighter hearts and new courage. They had both pored over Bryon's law books. Theresa, perched on the bath tub, had read assignments to him in the morning while he shaved.

Despite Sb iis the past year had

Daily Short Story

~~ With a low laugh, Byron took her “hand and kissed it tenderly.

I only hope you show more busi- |.

A BOY

Daughtrey

been fun—even the time when the gas had been turned off for five days, and they had had to live on raw food until they could pay the bill. Now, at last, the little newcomer was almost due. Theresa prayed that it would be a boy: Then Byron could finish his professiorial training next year. But a girl . . that would mean the end of all their ambitions and the beginning of real hardship. “Honey, you simply have to graduate,” she told Byron. She thought of the chance he had been offerea to join a thriving law firm—once he had his. degree. “Don't worry,” he said. “The headlines will read. ‘Son sends father through college.” Then, in about 18 years, I'll reciprocate.”

2 ” n

i T was three mornings after this | conversation that Theresa was taken to the hospital. Byron stayed with her for a ‘while but then was told he might as well go on to his classes. He did so, but spent several miserable hours worrying. In the middle of the afternoon he was suddenly called out of class. Dashing to the hospital he was met by a nurse outside Theresa's room. “It’s all over,” she told him, “and your wife came through splendidly. You may go in.” As he tiptoed into the room, Theresa turned her head and smiled wanly. “ . . so sorry,” she murmured. “I made them promise to let me tell you. Our baby—is twin girls.”

“Dad said I lacked business sense, | but I had this figured. No storl4 was going to outfox me! I didn’t | tell you, honey, because I didn't | want to put a thought in your head that might worry you, but I scraped up some extra money and took out insurance against twins—those girls automatically pay their daddy five thousand dollars!”

THE END

United Feature

Inc.)

1936. by Syndicate,

(Copyright.

The characters in this story are fictitious.

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Q—Who invented thie modern eclevator? A—It is an evolution from the machine that Elisha G. Otis exhibited in 1853 at the World's Fair in the Crystal Palace, New York. Hoists of various kinds had been built before, but this was the first elevator wherein provision was made for stopping the fall of the car in case the hoisting cables broke.

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A—Omaha, Neb., May 10, 1900.

Q—Why- are sailors “called “bluejackets”? A—Because blouses.

Q—Why does a match light when it is struck? ; A—Because the heat generated by | friction when the match head is rubbed against a rough surface causes the chemicals comprising it to unite. This chemical action generates more heat which kindles the match stick, making the flame,

Q—Where is Pennsylvania State | College? A—State College, Pa.

_Q—How many generations of a cat’s ancestors must be registered in the studbook before it can be given a pedigree?

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