Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 July 1938 — Page 14
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SERIAL STORY—
MYSTERY
| atthe LAZY R
’ By Clarke Newton
CAST OF CHARACTERS . NIKKI JEROME, heroine; blond, “popular, is engaged to six-foot, blackhaired . STEVE MALLORY, hero; who is accompanying her on a trip to Nikki’s aunt and uncle on a Wyoming dude ranch. Nikki's father, PETER JEROME, is a wealthy New York jewél merchant.
Yesterday: A shot splits the night air, presumably from Fiske’s gun. But Nikki is dubious. Sarto’s cabin is too -dark and peaceful appearing.
IKKI arose early the next
morning and bribed her Aunt Amy with a smile and a kiss into
. giving her coffee and orange juice
in the kitchen, and then went back to the corrals and let Woody, one of the old hands, pick a good horse for her. “Reckon it’s all right to let you go out alone, Miss Nikki,” he said with a broad grin. “But some of these dudes we .don’t dare let out ©’ sight o’ the ranch house. Nikki thought that she knew every foot of the ranch within 10 miles of the house, but after leaving that 10-mile circle she wouldn't much blame anyone for getting lost. The country lay in great rolling, timber-frosted slopes that climbed on one side to thed heights of the Big Horn mountains and leveled off irregularly on the other to the Big Horn canyon, so deep and steeply sided that once in it men had -to stay there, following its course into Montana. Nikki followed the creek for two miles along its willow-fringed course and then turmed off, circled a rock-dotted hill and “started back through a wide valley which led straight to the ranch.
HE had been on the back trail only few minutes when she saw a cantering horseman approach and long before the horses whinneyed a greeting, she knew the rider was Bancroft. She was amazed at the way this obviously -city-bred
~ man handled his horse and re-
marked on his riding skill when he pulled up at her side, turned and started back with her. “I wanted to be a jockey once,” he said briefly, “but that didn’t last long.” He looked at Nikki in appreciation. She rode with the graceful, slightly slouching ease that comes -from miles spent on the back of a swaying horse. > They rode in silence for a moment ' as the trail narrowed and forced Bancroft into a position back of Nikki. She was thinking: I wonder if Sarto shot at Fiske last night or if Fiske shot at Sarto. But who is Fiske and what is his part in this strange game? Maybe, she thought, he’s after the $100,000. Then Bancroft spoke. “Will you be at the ranch long?” Nikki answered carefully. “We haven't set any definite time. Two
- weeks, thrée or maybe a month.
New York isn’t much fun at this time of year.” ““You’'ll return to New York, I suppose, when you leave here?” Nikki wondered what he was getting at. “Yes, we'll: return to New York,” “My father is there, you know.” Bancroft said nothing and Nikki continued, casually. “I wonder if you don’t know my father, Peter Jerome?” “Peter Jerome,” repeated Bancroft.” “That’s certainyly a familiar name. Jerome Inc, Fifth Avenue?” * “Yes,” said Nikki. “I suppose everyone knows. of Peter Jerome by name at least,” said Bancroft and his face and voice were as expressionless as ever. “But if you don’t mind, I'm much
. more interested in his daughter right
now.” Nikki did mind but there was Rothing much she could do about “Are you?” “I know,” continued Bancroft, “that you're engaged to young Mallory. But I wonder if I couldn’t see ‘you in New York when we both get back?” “I’m afraid I shall be pretty busy,” said Nikki, “and Steve . ..” “I think Mallory could spare you some of the time,” said Bancroft, and that undefinable chill crept into his tone. “Mallory might be made to understand that it would be .. .” he caught himself up abruptly and Nikki's hands tightened. Bancroft laughed unpleasantly. “I'll call you when we get back,” he said, and at that moment Steve rode up, nodded and would have ridden on by but for Nikki's call.
¥ 8 8 8
“4 NH Steve,” she said. She hunted desperately for a moment for an excuse. “Come on and ride back with us. Woody told me about a deep hole above the laksa where there's a whale of a trout. He's the great-grandfather of the river. Let's go up and. see if we can get a rise out of him. He’s been hooked twice in the last three years, but no one has ever been able to hold him.” Steve looked at her a little oddly, but pulled about and joined the easy, jogging pace back to the ranch house. Bancroft spoke sarcastically. 4 “I haven't seen you much since we met on the train Mallory. You find ranch life good for your nerves?” “My nerves are all right,” said Steve shortly, “and my constience doesn’t bother me either.” - Here I am in the middle again,
»
thought Nikki. She raised her quirt.
{ “Come on, let's race back to the|
ranch.” Uncle Jim, she knew, would object to her racing, but she let the quirt drop smartly on Steve's horse and kicked her own into a run. Before Steve regained his balance they were at the corrals and Bancroft was far in the rear. . They reined in their horse t off as Aunt Amy came k door and called: ° “There's a letter here from your father, Nikki.” : She hurried un to the house, took the letter and went upstairs to her room. That letter would explain Er father’s note on the train, exlain the Dillon-Bancroft mystery nd explain the stacks of currency in the dressing case. She walked over to the window
and the
* and tore open the letter.
(To Be Continued)
Swot LELOIO 7.20 GOPR. 1938'BY.NEA SERVICE, INC:
gems
“You might have been a good blacksmith, son, but I'm afraid you're not quite ready to be a shoe salesman.”
FLAPPER FANNY
By Sylvia
“Race you to the end, Chuck? And last one through has to stay and finish the practicing.”
THIS CURIOUS WORLD
By William Ferguson
— [WHEN WE THINK. WE SEE THE SUN RISING, IT HAS NOT VET | REACHED THE HORIZON WHEN WE THINK WE SEE IT SETTING, IT HAS ALREADY DROPPED BELOW THE HORIZON/ | DUE TO BENDING OF LIGHT RAYS AS | THEY PASS THROUGH
THE EARTHS ATMOSPHERE .
NW Lr > MPTP]
oo ; x7 SE QOPR. 1938 BY NEA SERVICE. INC. é
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AS SEA CUCUMBERS, THEY CAN RECAPTURE THEIR. LOST YOUTH.
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7-26
COMMON ERROR
Condolence is prounced kon-do’-lens; not kon’-do-lence.
SO THEY SAY
People are never too old to learn; the mind does not deteriorate with age.—Dr. Irving Lorge, New York.
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never will dominate ]
the road again except in the instance of outstanding plays in the everyone-must-see class. — Helen Hayes, famous actress.
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of a policeman that’s a good policeman is a dead one.
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CAN YOU BEAT THAT, DAUNTLESS? THE GREYS HAVE MENDED EVERY K AN’ SHIRT I OWN. 1 JUST TO THINK OF SOME
SAY, VIRGINIA,
HOW'D YOU LIKE
DO YOU REALLY \, MEAN IT?
OF COURSE VIRGINIA MAY) GO. OH, MR. TUBBS YOU HAVE NO DEA WHAT THIS MEANS TO HER! THE POOR CHILD HAS HAD SO LITTLE FUN. WHY, THIS AS THE FIRST DATE OF WER LIFE!
7 a 77 WHATS THE BUGLE FOR, PORKY 2 1 DONT RECOGNIZE THE
EVERY KID IN , CAMP 1S SUPPOSED TO UNE UP ON THE BEACH R
DO we ALL GO IN WITH OUR PAJAMAS ON?
Ek Joey "Si uBR. THis 18 TH % Be. - HSELOND RAE'S Porc - A A HA NF
I GUESS HE DOESN'T, LIKE ME ANY
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You're all rats. | 18, Chicago, accused |
THAT WE'RE JUST MARRIED
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Yee! TS AN OLD CAMP CUSTOM ! SOME OF “THESE KIDS WOULDN'T CHANGE THEIR PAJAMAS UNLESS THEY WERE
I WAS ONLY GOING To THAT CAMP TO TRE WITH TURRY--=Now THAT RAE IS GOING HE WOULDN'T PAY - ANY ATTENTION TO
AET'S GEX OLY OF MERE
f AND THIS 15 ONE WAY
OF MAKING SURE THEY CHANGE THEM
DONT SEE HIM AROUND /
M COME HERE. - LT #AVE ALL YOUR THINGS PACKED FOR C&MP-
OW, ISNT THIS JOEY TOO . SWEET FOR WORDS!
/ OM, CHEE, BECKY--~
YOU TRIED, THE WHOLE TOWN'S | YOU TRIED HAR THAN ANYONE
OOH!" THAT Y THAT LIGHTNING 4!
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| MADE FROM CALIFORNIA ORANGES |