Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 June 1937 — Page 26

PAGE 26 ___

SUPERSTITION

RCE

The characters and situations in this story are wholly fictional and imaginary and are not intended to portray any actual persons or events.

CHAPTER ONE

INA BLAKE saw him first—a flash of color through the taxicab window. His sombrero was white and his serape was crimson; both were etched with gold. His pants were purple velvet, his shirt green. He leaned with artistic indo»ncz against the hotel wall. “W 'l!- If there isn’t Don Pedro m ody himself! Snap out, w, and behold the scenery!” a sat up straight and stared. It . k a lot to interest Nina. “Stew” was a sisterly name for ‘...art Blake—Stuart Alfred Blake Jr He didn’t like it, but he souldn’t do a thing about it. Noody could do anything about Nina. He stepped from the cab and assisted his father and sister to alight. “Uhnh!” whispered the father, appreciatively. “Have to get me an outfit like that, eh, Nina? The old Southwest!” : Stuart answerd. “Too swanky for you dad. I'll wear it. I know what to do when the seenoriters smile! Ta-tum, tata-ta!”

8 2 2

BYE Nina snapped him up. “I'll testify you do! Glide into a tango, and try to kiss her in the first chorus. And some black-eyed lover like our friend here will dag - you with his dagger! Listen, sweet brother—if you can weather my sarcasm—this is Arizona, not Chicago. Even I don’t know how to act, out

here.” “Well I do!” “Well you don’t, you’ve never been west of Des Moines in your life! You think this is—" Stuart Alfred Blake Sr, interrupted them, moving with them meanwhile to the hotel clerk’s counter. He roared ga little. “Stop that, you two! Arguing like school kids, at your age’—good day, sir, I want a comfortable suite for a man with two babies.” “Babies, sir?” The clerk was deferential. “Ya, these two! Twenty-five and -22. Years, not months!”

8 2 2

OU could set Hotel Westward Ho down on one of Chicago's main streets, turn around twice, and have to call a policeman to help you find it. Nina mentioned as much, following an after-breakfast tour; but her father informed her - that hotels, and people, are different in Phoenix, Ariz. This was “out West,” said he. Nina sighed. The hotel didn’t matter anyway. They were heading for the hills— “going Western”—and the wilder the dude ranch the better. They had been intrigued by frequent news items about Superstition Mountain, 40 miles from Phoenix. “They keep telling about excite"ment up there—might be interesting,” Mr. Blake Sr. had admitted. “Probably hokum, but it'll be fun,” Stuart agreed. “Murders aren’t hokum, son. Two or three unsolved, the papers say. People do queer things hunting for treasure.” 2 ” 2

REASURE! That's right, there |. was gold in Superstition, or supposed to be. ‘A lost mine, or something. Stuart didn’t need gold; he would inherit plenty of money. But hidden gold—that’s different! Adventure! Fun! Stuart came striding across the lobby now to join his sister and father. “Everything’s set,” he announced. “Superstition Lodge, right at the base of the mountain. Four rooms reserved. Bingo kid—” he slapped Nina's arm—“we’re going wild and woolly! With a gross of six shooters and—and a—a—" . Nina smirked elaborately. “That’s just it, old tough-and-terrible. You can’t even speak the language. Just a penthouse pal, you are. What’ll you do when an Indian pokes his head around a rock and growls BOO?” Stuart grinned. Nina couldn't help smiling back at the handsome bum, she told herself; he always beamed with some kind of enthusiasm. 3 2 = 5 OR 55 years the firm of L. Potter & Sons in Phoenix has owned the same life-sized bronze statue of a horse, and has kept the poor critter outside in the elements every hour of that time. Old Lemuel Potter paid twice its cost to have the horse wagoned across the desert and bolted to the top of his first saddle and harness store. It had outlasted Lem, Mrs. Lem and four sons. It had nicks from bullets of carousing ‘cowboys; one ear was shot half off in the midnight celebration on Dec. . 31, 1899-1900. Fred Potter, last of the sons, had had sentiment and sense enough to let it remain on the roof of even the modern Potter store. ; ”» t- ” LD-TIMERS still gravitate to Potter's as inevitably as they come to town; at some of their yarns Fred has laughed tactfully at least a thousand times. He was a polite audience this morning when the talk was all about mining. He himself was more than usually interested in the powwow about Superstition Mountain’s gold. Indeed, who isn’t interested in ‘a murder mystery, especially one where hidden treasure is the motivating force? And the papers had been full of it ‘ately. ~ Tue front of the store did a heavy ‘“dude” trade now, catering = *curists who wanted to go Western, in costumes: at least. Fred could get fancy prices from them. Back around the L in the store, though, was a different atmosphere. The old coal stove still functioned there in winter. There the atmos- . phere eternally commingled of the " flavor of leather, tobacco, human

BS oY 0 1 111

sweat, and conversation. Fred liked this part of his store better. He liked the humbler customers who gathered there.

“Colter’s. my name,”. one bewhis+ kered arrival had just introduced himself. “This here’s my wife. Them’s my sons, Paul and Silas. And this here—" (spoken proudly) “js our Carolee.” “Pleased t'meeteha,” said Fred Potter, who would have said “How do you do?” up front.

“We're from West Texas,” Mr. Colter went on. “We seen the horse on yore roof, and I says to m’wife, this here’s a friendly store.” Fred Potter beamed. “Thank you, dir. You're welcome here. We do try to make friends. Set down. Set down, all of you. No hurry about doing business here. You figgering on taking up farming ‘out here, Mr. Colter?” 2 2 ”

HE old gentleman’s expression became serious. He was poorly clad. His . family was obviously touched by poverty. In the bearing of both father and sons one read the unmistakable evidences of an honest but buffeted people. Paul Colter held a long rifle. He could have been 18, or maybe more, and Silas was his somewhat sullen looking twin. In the sister, however, was a facial contradiction—maybe it was pride, or determination. Certainly it was backed by inherent beauty. “We ain’t farming no more,” the old man confided. “I hev got a map to a rich mine. I bought it offen a feller. We went busted farming, four years in a row. I done some mining once. I can do ’er again. With this here map I might make m’seif rich! Who knows?”

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* OUR mine—it’s in Arizona?” Fred probed. “Th’ same. It’s in this Superstition Mountain right east of here. Carolee, she says it’s probably noth‘ing to it, but I can tell. I can feel it!” Fred Potter swallowed. There wasn’t anything to say to that; he had seen gold fever working in many another hopeful soul. You can’t cure it. It has to run its course. “The door banged a sort of fitting punctuation anyway, and Fred went up front. Two men had walked in, vastly different from the Colters, and one spoke boldly to Fred. “Are you Mr. Potter?” he addressed Fred. “Blake, Stuart Blake. This is my father here. Say, Potter, we're going up into Superstition Mountain for a bit of vacation and

sox, khaki suit and such. The hotel says you have them if anybody has. Right?” ” » 8

UTSIDE on First Avenue, alert

served the Blakes’ taxicab stop at Potter's. More tourists, Jim mused; good spenders. It was a little early in the morning to begin tagging overparked cars, and the day seemed too tranquil for any sort of crime. Jim didn’t have much to do. He loafed around for 15 minutes or so, finally decided to amble over to Fred Potter's himself. Then, abruptly the musing and the ambling were cut short. Crack—a rifle shot! In the same instant, bits of plate glass tinkled to the sidewalk. A woman screamed. With his pitol drawn, Officer Burke sprinted the remaining 50 feet and entered Potter's. :

His concluding tone seemed to dare Fred- to dispute it.

(To Be Continued)

Daily Short Story

NOT SO DUMB—By Glenn Reilly

OM was very much in love with Dora, and after the usual introduction and casual dates and deepening attraction, he followed the time-honored custom and asked her to share everything with him forever and ever, amen. Dora accepted him, and they were married. What had attracted Tom in the first place was Dora's feminine helplessness. Being a husky, strapping young man himself, it gave him a subtle satisfaction to 'shield so ably the diminutive Dora from the world. It wasn’t until they had been in the state of wedded bliss for some time that Tom realized that what, before his marriage, had seemed to be a rather engaging coyness on Dora’s part, was actually a form of mental dullness. With the vanishing of the initial roseate' glow ate tending the establishing of them-

“She Learned to Bargain.”

selves in an apartment and actually starting life together, he found life to be disappointingly practical. 2 ® HE was absolutely helpless at managing things where there was a question of initiative or responsibility involved. She never quite discovered either the use or

the /'workings of a household bud-

get. Naturally, Tom noticed these things and kept quiet about them. Whatever mistakes his beloved Dora happened to make, and there were many, he either overlooked or quietly set about to rectify. It is not, to be deduced from the above that Dora was at all to be blamed. In the main, she made Tom a very satisfactory wife. She could cook passably well, she could take care of their apartment in a manner comparable to that of most young wives, and she was undeniably charming. But it is to be expected that there must be some balance for all the intellectual giants roaming about at large, and Dora certainly balanced her quota.

2 2 ” HEY had made friends with another young couple who lived in the next apartment and several evenings a week they gathered at one apartment or the other to play cards. Tom took particular notice of this other woman. She was everything that Dora wasn’t. Her bright little mind fairly crackled at times and it soon became evident to Tom that the husband stood just a little in awe of her mental alertness. It made Tom feel a little better to notice that. At least he was the one who made the decisions in his own family! : But it also gave him an idea. “I wonder,” he said to Harvey after they had become fairly well ac-

| that.”

of taking Dora under her wing and showing her the ropes?” Harvey looked puzzled. “I don’t get you!” “You know what I mean. About how to shop intelligently and things like that. She’s not very experienced, I'm afraid.” Harvey agreed to speak to Helen about it, and he was as good as his word. Helen entered into the amiable conspiracy with a great deal of enthusiasm and subtly led Dora into accompanying “her on the daily shopping excursions.

It wasn’t long before Tom began |.

to perceive the fruits of Helen's tactful coaching and he was more than delighted. Dora’s naive, childlike outlook upon mercenary affairs gradually changed, and she learned to bargain, to get value received for the money she spent, instead of just purchasing to suit her whims.

# 2 2

T the end of the second month of the experiment Tom awoke to the realization that they were actually saving money. Dora had reached the point in her education where she could budget her weekly household expenses . . and keep within it. The rest Tom banked. And it wasn’t long before the increasing total on their bank book gave him an idea which seemed better the more he thought of it.

Other people who had no more than Dora and himself possessed their own homes. Why couldn't he and Dora have one? He inspected their total assets and whistled. Nearly $1000 clear! Visions of a meat little home, with a surrounding area of green grass and flower beds and a vegetable garden, crowded his mind.

When they had $1000 he would take it and put a down payment on a house as a surprise for Dora. Her new-found efficiency would continue to help them manage the rest! Happily he began haunting real estate offices on his lunch hours, and his most favorite reading matter was the homes-for-sale section of the papers. He was rewarded at last by finding just the house that he and Dora had often visioned. He drew their thousand from his bank and brought it home one evening, placing it in an envelope and patting it carefully away in the bureau drawer. The next day he was to bring it to the bank handling the deal . . . and the home would be theirs! He lay awake that night thinking, unable to sleep, and when he finally dozed off a smile was on his face. The following morning he overslept and hurriedly gulped his coffee and dashed to the office before he realized he had left the money at home. He called Dora and asked her to deliver it, without telling her. the contents of the envelopé. And then the blow fell. 2

2 8

“Y SEE where the Merchant’s Bank failed today,” casually remarked Tom’s secretary, glancing over the afternoon paper. His heart turned over in his breast. Dora had surely already deposited the money with the Merchant’s Bank! How could he ever explain? ? His way homeward was filled with self-reprodch and disgust. He wondered how best to break the news to Dora. If she had any sense at all she would divorce an ignoramus like him! = “That envelope,” he began hesitantly, after Dora had greeted him at the door. “I want to explain Dora looked up at him wide eyed, appealing. “That envelope!” she said. “For-

quainted, “if Helen would mind sort

give me, darling, I hope it wasn’t important! Helen and I were look-

¢ Ice Cold

want some outing togs—boots, heavy |

Jim Burke, policeman, had ob-,

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SUIT

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A 4. 4 .M. REG. U. S. PAT. OFF. _ BY NEA SERVICE, INC.

LI'L ABNER

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES ____ OUT OUR WAY

SEE TH MOTHS HAVE GOT FAS OLD BATHIN’

INTO

/ ~ “un ! A Wz,

U7 ZAR

HEROES ARE MADE - NOT BORN.

THAT AINT NO MOTH ~ ITS ME!

cin ht: tel oth tem

TRWILLIAMS, b-24

AIMS T'INVEST TH’ WHOLE #15000. ALL AT ONCE?’

THE WHEEL AND TAKE 17 ALL AWAY

o FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS

By Williams

‘THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1037 FLAPPER FANNY

By Sylvia

qd S610, . Ts

Sally bringing ?”’

and the fly swatter.”

“But if you and Chuck are furnishing the food, what’s

“Oh, she’s furnishing mosquito dope and ant poison,

—By Al Capp

IT'S NINE OCLOCK?’TIME

IN, FA TIME YO’ BUSINESS | JUST L MEN WAS ALL IN

BED. GOO'BRYE, FOLKS, AH GOTTA GOs

AH WAS IN BETTER Ar

—-— Io Assure HIMSELF oF A RIDE, MR. TUMBLEWEED Took THE KIDS CAR APART SO THEY'D NEED HIM To ASSEMBLE IT AGAIN crm

i WHILE I HAD IT APART, I DECIDED IT WOULD BE WISE To REMOVE THE CARBON, PACK THE WATER PUMP AND ADJUST “THE.

CARBURETER !

(rr WAS

BADLY OUT OF TIMING AND THE VALVES NEEDED GRINDING ! THOSE. ARE.

AVOID A FUSS-

)

— —_-

ASK THE TIMES |

Inclose a 3-cent stamp for reply when addressing any question of fact or information to The Indianapolis ‘Times Washington Service Bureau, 1013 13th St., N. W., Washington, D. C. Legal and medical advice cannot be given, nor can extended research be undertaken.

Q—Is it possible to trace to their source calls made on a dial telephone system? A—No. Even on manual systems the tracing of calls is extremely difficult unless preparations have been made beforehand.

Q—What are the colors of the: University of Southern California?

A—Cardinal and gold.

Q—Does the Missouri River discharge more water into the Mississippi than any of its other tributaries?

A—The Ohio River is the largestq of all the tributaries of the Mississippi in respect to the amount of water discharged (an average of about 158,000 cubic feet per second). The Missouri has an average discharge of about 120,000 cubic feet per second.

coast defense gun? A—Approximately 54,000 yards.

ing at some bargains in kitchen curtains and I forgot all about it until it was past closing time!” “Important?” Tom almost shouted. “Youll never know how important it is! But never mind. What have you got for supper?” He followed her into the kitchen, a thankful prayer on his lips. Sometimes it paid to have a wife who was just the slightest bit ‘dumb!

THE END

[Copyright, 1937, United Feature Syndicate]

| ——=\ = =

Q—What is the range of a 16-inch

TO THROW THEM

PUNKS OUT!

2, 2s

HEALTHY FO’ ME « TO STAY LATER.

BALANCE. . WON#5000, LOST -0 ROLL - 815,000. GOAL - #100,000.

Boy! YOURE A PRETTY HANDY GADGET TO HAVE AROUND! wED PUT You IN THE TOOL KIT, IF You 12 \ CouLb FoLD 0 IN THE MDDLE !

THAT'S EXACTLY

WHERE I wit

FOLD, 1= T DON'T GET

SOMETHING

'S ALL THIS DISTURBANCE 2 WHAT'S GOIN’ ON HERE?

Th —

VACANT AN' THAT JE COULD HAVE IT!

AN’ YOU'LL HAFTA MOVE OUT, PRONTO!

GRIN AND BEAR IT

DID JUS WHAT HE SAID HE'D Do!

SHUX, 1 THOUGHT HE WAS JUS' POPPIN OFF, WHEN HE SAID HE'D FIX THINGS FOR ME, WITH GUZ.

boy

Copr. 1937 by \Inited Feature Syndicate, Inc:

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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DODD DODD bed bb hk fod fh fk fd -—h -

player. Postscript. And. Horns of deer. Common to both sexes.

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one 45 Note in scale. 47 Five and five. 48 Force. 49 Pair. 50. Rowan t Opposed

52 54 Stringy.

56 To primp. 58 Silkworm. i

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is national —

Answer to Previous Puzzle

MANN

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VERTICAL 1 Dower Jroperty. x e.

2 Alt 3 Re 4 Wo 5 No 6 To

7 Pitcher. 8 To let fall, 9 Obtained. ! 10 Before. ! Ll4 Ten million rupees 17 Gift. 18 Rosaceous shrubs, 20 He is on the ——= cup team. 21 Dish. 23 To frighten. 25 Wigwams. 27 Beverage. 28 Senior. 29 Electrical unit. 0 Point.

31 35 37 40

Dead body. Golf device. 41 To come in. 42 To elude. 43 Circular wall. *46 Region. 49 Puddle. 50 Mineral spring. 51 Wager. 53 Hour. 54 To steal. 55 Affirmative. 57 Northeast. 59 Chaos.

“We'll just give

it a different coat of paint an’ nobody’ll know it’s a stolen car.”

The characters in this story are fictitious

—Sprinter Frank Wykoft.

If you athletically-minded sirs| would limit your activities to swimming and to golf and tennis, where | fourth of the commercial agriculsuccess depends on co-ordination | tural output, rather than brawn, your chances of | three-fourths of the children with acquiring husbands and families of [which to supply the next generahealthy children would be enhanced. | tion. — Secretary of Agriculture

Henry A. Wallace.

It is possible that two-thirds of the farmers, producing only one-

will be producing