BLACK
as*. SOMBRERO
'Tj CLIFFORD KNIGHT «-» ..~~vY«
Elsa Chatflpld If disinherited by her
Aunt Kitty who dies of an overdose ol
tnorphinr. Hunt Rogers and Barry Mad
ison go to Mexico to solve what they be
lieve to be Aunt Kitty’s murder. On ar
riving they find that Elsa’s party has
preceded them by plane. James Ctaese
bro Is murdered, Elsa's father, Ram,
meets death from the sword of a marlin,
and George Rumble Is murdered and
thrown Into the sea near the dock. Rog
ers questions Berta. Sam’s wife, and on
examining the quirt with which Elsa had
beaten Cbesebro discovers that It con
ceals the knife that killed Cbesebro.
Rogers visits Lombardo and names each
of those who had a motive for killing
Annt Kitty.
CHAPTER XIX
"The time Rumble died is impor
tant,” he said. "The hands of his
watch were stopped at nine-nine.
But that is an impossible hour;
Rumble was alive at that time and
with us in the bar. He checked out
of the hotel at ten-thirty, and dis
appeared. His body was found float
ing later near the wharf. His bag,
discovered in the water at the edge
of the wharf, indicates that he was.
In spite of his quarrel with Dwight
Nichols, determined to go aboard
the Orizaba and accompany us
awordflshing the next day. Rumble
was like that, senor; he was a
strange man.
“The hour of nine-nine has no
meaning, unless we can explain it
satisfactorily. That, I think, is quite
simple. Of course, the watch could
have stopped of itself, but I’m sure (
that's not the explanation. The first
day ashore after the Orizaba ar
rived in Mazatlan, we met Rumble
on the street. The time of day was
mentioned. He looked at his watch,
which I noted did not agree with
mine. In fact, it was two hours
slow. He explained it by saying
that he was still keeping Los Ange
les time, which is two hours slower
than Mazatlan time.
"Now, then," Rogers went on ear*
nestly, “assuming that, on the night
he died, his watch was still keeping
Los Angeles time, what does that
signify? He must have died at elev
en-nine. That simplifies things im
mensely. Where were we all at
that time? Barry Madison and I
at that time were on board the
Orizaba. The others—Elsa, Dwight
Nichols, Sam Chatfleld and Reed
Barton—came aboard about mid
night. Reed Barton arrived alone
at the wharf, having had to go
around by his hotel for his things.
Elsa, her father, and Dwight Nich
ols went to the wharf together. What
time, Reed, did you reach the
wharf?”
"How long had you been waiting
when the others arrived?”
"I’d have to guess. Hunt. Per
haps twenty minutes. Maybe half
an hour.”
“Did you see anything of Rum
ble?”
"No."
Rogers turned to Dwight. "What
time did you reach the wharf?”
"Oh,” said Dwight, "we left the
hotel at a quarter to twelve. Went
down in a taxi. Shouldn’t have
taken five minutes.”
"Now, this question, Dwight: Aft
er Barry and I left you and Sam
Chatfleld together, what happened?
Were you together the remainder
of the evening?”
Dwight was slow to answer. At
length he replied: "No. Sam and I
separated at ten-thirty. He said
there was something he had to do
yet before he could go aboard the
Orizaba. He came back about an
hour later. It was eleven-thirty, at
any rate, when I met him again.”
"Perhaps, senor, we have made
a wrong assumption somewhere—
our discussion has not disclosed the
murderer. Perhaps." he paused,
his manner somewhat hesitant,
"perhaps this testimony you've
heard just now seems rehearsed,
senor; but I assure you it is not.
I have realized that Dwight Nichols
and Sam Chatfleld could not have
been in each other’s company all
that evening but I have not known
the facts until now.
"Earlier," Rogers continued, a
new note of confidence coming Into
his voice, "I assumed that it was
proper to exclude from suspicion all
those persons who, subsequently to
Katherine Chatfleld’s death, died by
violence. I named Chesebro, Sam
Chatfleld and Rumble as victims of
and not the probable killer.”
"Yes, sir.”
"Consider for a moment Sam
Chatfleld—”
"Senor Chatfleia?"
"Yes. He had a most excellent
motive for killing his sister. Mrs.
Nichols, some months ago said this
of him: 'He clutched decency to
himself with all the passion of a
fierce new love.’ Now, then, had
not his sister, an unmarried woman,
disgraced the family by bearing a
child? Had she not committed an
even greater wrong against his
daughter Elsa?
“And so—” Rogers drew from his
pocket the rotogravure clipping and
gave it to Lombardo. "After Sam
Chatfield had died, I found this on
his desk at the rancho. Senor Lom
bardo, you did not know Chesebro,
and, therefore, the point is lost upon
you. But the child in the picture
bears an unmistakable likeness to
Chesebro. I believe that Sam Chat
field did not know that Chesebro
was the guilty man until this pic
ture from the paper came into his
possession. When it did, Chesebro
already was in his house in bed
and suffering from a heart attack.
Dwight Nichols and Sam Chatfleld
were of similar build and height.
How easy for Pedro, if he did actu
ally see Sam Chatfleld on his way
to murder Chesebro, to confuse him
with Nichols!
"Reed”—Rogers turned abruptly
to Reed Barton—-“your fish knife
was used to kill Rumble. Can you
explain that away?"
Reed Barton sat staring over the
rail at the town. He shifted his
long legs and said: ‘‘I can tell you
Elsa
what I think happened, Hunt. The
knife was in my room at the hotel
the morning I was arrested. Later,
when I went to get my things to
gether for the fishing trip, I looked
for the knife to take with me, but
it was gone. I did not see it again
until I found it on Senor Lombardo's
desk at headquarters."
"Do you accuse anybody?"
"No. But there is this to think
about: While I was in jail, I asked
Mr. Chatfleld to get my watch from
my room at the hotel. He brought
it to me a couple of hours later.
I’ve since investigated and I'm con
vinced that Mr. Chatfleld is the only
one who visited my room and could
have taken it."
“Ah, so?" breathed Lombardo,
"Felipe," the conversation shifted
swiftly into Spanish, as Rogers at
last addressed the older of the two
mariachis, "I want you to answer
some questions."
"Si, senor."
"Did Senora Chatfleld send you
and Pancho with a note to the
rancho?”
“Yes, sir."
"Did you see anything of Senora
Chatfleld when you returned to the
wharf?"
"No, sir. And when the launch is
gone, Pancho and I go toward the
town. Just as we are leaving the
wharf the senor with the big som
brero and the fine clothes he passes
us going out onto the wharf. And
behind him not very far is another
senor following him. This is Senor
Chatfleld. Pancho and I recognize
him but we do not speak. We are
loafing on the street pear the wharf
all the time, and soon Senor Chat
field comes walking very fast to
ward the town. He does not see
us. Tancho asks: ‘What is his hur
ry, Felipe?’ and I 3ay I do not
know. Then I wonder if the senor
with the fine clothes is still out on
the wharf. And I say to Pancho,
“Let’s go and talk to the senor,’ be
cause he is un gran Caballero, and
perhaps we can sing for him.
“Well, senor, we go, Pancho and
I. But he is not on the wharf. We
think the launch has come and tak
en him, only the time is too short.
But we do not know.”
Silence fell upon us at the con
clusion of this lengthy account. Rog
ers thanked the youth and turned
to Lombardo.
“Senor,” he said, "are you satis
fied now, as I am satisfied, that
when Sam Chatfleld separated from
Dwight Nichols at the hotel that
night, he followed George Rumble
to the wharf because he feared that
Rumble would tell what he knew,
and killed him with the knife he had
taken from Reed Barton’s room?
And threw the body from the wharf
and tossed the bag and the weapon
after him, and then returned to
meet the others of the party at the
hotel?’’
"Yes, Senor Rogers, I am satis
fied.’’
"The death of Sam Chatfleld can
have been only an accident. It oc
curred before the fate of George
Rumble was known, and for that
reason confused me. A perfectly
natural accident, I should say, and
a fate justly due the man.”
"I agree, senor.”
Rogers abruptly left us and went
to the companionway. He disap
peared for a few minutes, then re
turned carrying the huge black som
brero with its silver ornaments. He
stopped before us, turned the hat
upside down and his fingers slipped
inside the sweatband. He drew out
a slip of paper, and held it out to
Lombardo.
"The handwriting Is that of Rum
ble,” he said. I noted the imma
ture, schoolboy writing I’d seen be
fore. "You can verify it at the
newspaper office. You will note the
names in the following order: Mad
ison, Barton, Rogers, Nichols, Chat
fleld, Chesebro. Those are names
of the men in this party, excepting
Rumble’s. You note that every
name is crossed out in the same
heavy pencil line, except the name
of Chatfleld. For what it’s worth,
it’s the evidence, Senor Lombardo,
offered by a dead hand. By what
means he discovered Sam Chat
field’s guilt we'll never know. The
slip was found only last night”
"I am satisfied, Senor Rogers,”
Lombardo repeated, rising. "I shall
go ashore now and set Pedro free.
He cannot be guilty now.”
As the two shook hands and went
down the ladder, followed by Felipe
and Pancho, the launch appeared
with Elsa, Margaret and Berta, ea
ger now to come aboard, to leave
Mazatlan behind them. They paused
to say goodby to Lombardo and
Doctor Cruz and the two boys, and
then came up the ladder.
We stowed the launch and lashed
it down, and an hour or so later in
the full sunshine that beat down
upon us out of a hot sky we lifted
anchor and dropped down stream
toward the long swells of the open
ocean.
[THE END]
ELEC 'to d r I C TI Om
TOD ENJOYED /IT
By VIRGINIA VALE
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
A MAN who has met so
many motion picture
stars that he can’t even re
member how many he’s
known told me that Joan Fon
taine is really pretty wonder
ful. Vitality, intelligence,
: warmth, sensitiveness — she
has them all, said he. He seems to
be right. A girl who grew up with
her and her sister, Olivia de Havil
land, told me that Joan always did
know what she wanted, and how to
get it. Well, when she came to
New York after finishing “French-j
man’s Creek” for Paramount, she
; wanted a vacation with her hus
JOAN FONTAINE
band, Brian Aherne. So she took it,
in a quiet comer of Connecticut—
and sandwiched work as a nurse’s
aid in with doing the marketing.
You’d never have known, if you
heard Marlene Dietrich recently on
the CBS Playhouse, in “Manpower,”
that she started for the broadcasting
studio in fear and trembling. Back
in August, 1942, she appeared on
that same program—and fans prac
tically mobbed her when she got
out of a cab in front of the impres
sive building. This time she wore
old clothes—and the doorman didn’t
want to let her in!
-*
Here’s perfect casting: Samuel
Goldwyn has engaged Victor Mc
Laglen for the role of the pirate
known as "The Hook” In his tech
nicolor production of "Treasure
Chest.” McLaglen will be a good
pirate, even though he will be the
nemesis of Bob Hope, and so in
volved in comedy. Hope's cast as a
touring actor who gets Involved with
a boatload of pirates.
-*
Lewis E. Lawes, for many years
warden of Sing Sing, calls "New
Prisons—New Men" "the first pic
ture I have ever seen which clearly
portrcys the all around activities of
a modern prison in operation.” It’s
the latest of the "This Is America”
series.
-*
Ruth Brennan, daughter of Wal
ter, begins her screen career in a
small role in Selznick’s "Since You
Went Away." Not wanting to trade
on her father’s fame, she used the
name of Lynn Winthrop—but the
only person she fooled was herself.
Her father's been signed by War
ner Bros, for one of the top roles in
support of Humphrey Bogart in “To
Have and to Have Not.”
-*
The Blue Network's glamour star,
Gertrude Lawrence, is one of the
proudest women in America, since
the American Red Cross gave her
her first stripe for 1,000 hours of
service. Everybody who knows how
much time and good hard work she
gives to aiding the war effort feels
that she ought to be the most deco
rated gal in America; she’s never
too busy or too tired to do whatever
she can.
---
“One Man’s Family" got its start
on the air as a sustaining program
on NBC way back in April, 1932
Carlton E. Morse had been writing
and producing radio programs like
“Chinatown Squad" and “Twisted
Tales,” but felt that the story of life
as it is to the average American
would appeal to the public. First
thing anybody knew, the public
made it a weekly listening habit—
and it still is.
-*
Nancy Kelly would like to spend
winters on Broadway, on the stage,
and summers in Hollywood, in pic
tures—if she manages it, let’s hope
she’ll get better picture assignments
than she’s had recently. At 17 she
was sensational in “Susan and God,”
on the stage, and the movies
] grabbed her. To an unprejudiced
! onlooker it seems that she’s capable
of far better work than she's done
! so far.
-#- •
ODDS AND ENDS
Note to girls—Dick “Henry Aldrich”
Jones is thrilled, hut also embarrassed,
by all those letters junior misses have
been sensling him, sealed icith /link im
pressions of their lips . . ■ Latest addi
tion to the “Silver Theater” is Mad
eleine Lee, whom you used to hear as
I “Amos 'n Andy's" Miss Blue ... O’ hen
| Jan Feerce of “Great Moments in Mu
; sic” lets go with the full power of his
I lungs, listeners fully expect the studio
] walls to be blusted apart . . . Hal Roach,
former United Artists producer, has
] been promoted from major to lieu
j tenant colonel in the U. S. army.
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
SPOILED FOOD
Owing to the excellent food laws
now in operation there are not many
cases of sickness and death from
spoiled foods, considering the great
necessity of preserv
ing food for future
use.
In Hygeia, the
health magazine,
published by the
American Medical
association, MaryC.
Brown, Cedar Rap
ids, Iowa, states that
sight, smell and
common sense are
enough to enable
Dr. Barton one 10 wu wnemer
food is safe to eat.
“Intelligent planning for the pur
chase of foods according to the fam
ily needs, plus a proper knowledge
of how to care for foods not used
immediately after they are bought,
how to protect ‘left-overs’ that must
be stored from meal to meal and
how to detect spoilage, will pay
large dividends in the avoidance of
unsafe foods and in protection for
the family budget.”
The family cupboard is not a suit
able storage place for cooked meat
—especially luncheon meats and
cured meats. All meat should be
kept in one of the coldest shelves in
the refrigerator.
Further, once meat is purchased
it should be cooked within a few
hours as the average “home" re
frigerator is nowhere near as cold
as the refrigerator from which the
meat was obtained.
Another suggestion from Mrs.
Brown is that while “leftovers”
cooked and eaten may seem safe
and saving, nevertheless, preventing
leftovers is safer and more saving.
The housewife should study her
needs carefully and have fewer left
overs. Leftovers should be heated
again before serving which should be
within 24 hours after the first cook
ing.
Food that has an “off” or unde
sirable odor must not be used. Even
boiling food with an "off” odor is
not sufficient to make it safe.
"If fermentation and gas appear,
or there is mould on top of the food,
discard the entire can—not simply
the part that appears spoiled.”
The way to detect odors is to heat
the food and smell it when it first
becomes hot. An odor is more no
ticeable when the lid is first lifted.
If in doubt, discard the food.
Those afflicted with catarrh or oth
er conditions affecting the sense of
smell and taste are not qualified to
judge as to the fitness of food for
eating.
• • •
Sugar Gives Spurt
Of Energy to Heart
I have spoken before of the ex
periments conducted by Harvard re
search workers during the running
of the Boston Marathon several
years ago. The results showed that
the amount of sugar present in the
blood at the end of the race indicat
ed the condition of the runner. The
greater the amount of sugar present
in the blood, the better was the phys
ical condition of the runner and the
nearer he was to being among the
leaders at the finish. By having cer
tain runners take more sugar daily
during the following year and during
the race of that year, these runners
not only finished in better condition
but were higher up in the race than
they were the previous year.
Why is sugar—dextrose—so help
ful in giving energy to the muscles?
In the Cincinnati Journal of Medi
cine, Dr. Edward Podolsky, Brook
lyn, states that treatment by dex
trose is one of the most valuable
procedures in the treatment of heart
disease. The chief reason why dex
trose is so helpful in heart disease
is that it supplies so readily the nec
essary food for the hard working
heart. Another reason is that dex
trose helps to dilate or open up the
blood vessels so that it requires less
effort for the heart to pump blood
through them.
Fortunately dextrose can be taken
by mouth; the patient takes two or
three ounces of sugar dissolved in a
glass of water or weak tea three or
four times daily for a period of two
to three months. This produces a
“lasting” effect.
When sugar cannot be given by
mouth or by hypodermic injection
it may be given in the form of an
enema. Another method often* used
in hospitals is injecting the dextrose
into a vein.
The thought, then, when we are
tired from muscular exercise or
work, or in cases of a weak or failing
heart, is to use sugar or candy to
supply “quick” nourishment to the
heart.
QUESTION BOX
Q.—Please give me some details
on the cause and cure of malaria.
A.—The bite of certain mosquitoes
deposits a parasite which destroys
red blood cells. There are varieties
of malaria according to the time be
tween attacks. Quinine is the treat
ment.
• • •
I
Q._What should the blood pres
sure be for a person 47 years old?
A.—100 plus the age is considered
a safe rule.
SEWING CIRCLE
A Gift Set
/^OULD any intimate gift be
^ more acceptable than this slip
of smooth contour and the match
ing panties? Lace edging puts both
these pieces into the luxury class!
• * •
Barbara Bell Pattern No. 1912 Is de
signed lor sizes 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19. Cor
responding bust measurements 29. 31, 33,
35 and 37. Size 13 (31) slip and panties re
quire 3% yards 39-inch material; 4 yards
lace to trim.
* * *
Versatile
L_J ERE’S a jumper and jacket to
play many roles in your ward
robe! The jumper with a blouse
makes a smart office costume.
The jumper with jacket is smart
for shopping, travel and office, too.
• • *
Barbara Bell Pattern No. 1918 is de
signed for sizes 12, 14, 16, 18, 20; 40 and
42. Corresponding bust measurements 30,
Automatic Oxygen Masks
Cut Worry, Guesswork
Unlike all other oxygen masks
which must be regulated by the
wearer, the latest type, now be
ing made for United States mili
tary airmen, works automatically
and eliminates a great deal of
worry and guesswork, says Col
lier’s.
At all altitudes up to 38,000 feet,
it supplies the flier with the proper
mixture of air and oxygen, the
flow of both being regulated by
valves which, in turn, are con
trolled by atmospheric pressure.
32, 34, 36. 38 , 40 and 42. Size 14 (32) en
semble requires, with short sleeves, 4%
yards 39-inch material.
Send your order to:
SEWING CIRCLE PATTERN DEPT.
330 South Wells St. Chicago
Enclose 20 cents in coins for each
pattern desired.
Pattern No.Size.
Name .
Address ..
Now ... here’s wonderful home
proved medication that works
2 ways at ones torellevedlstressof
child’s cold—even while he sleeps I
Rub throat, chest and back
with Vicks VapoRub at bedtime.
Instantly VapoRub starts to re
lieve coughing spasms, muscular
soreness or tightness, and Invite
restful sleep. Often by morning,
most of the misery is gone.
For baby’s sake, try VapoRub
when colds strike. It must be good,
because when colds
strike it is what'
most mothers use.
'wicks
• w VapoRub
Speedy Duck Hawk
The duck hawk can fly 180 milea
an hour.
IN THE NAVY AIR CORPS
they say•
"pickle logger"for>oT>edobomber
» auCK " f»'»»»mPh'b,an pl“,e
-FLV.NGTHEWET"fotf—
“ CAMEL" for the favonte «g“ett
.octintheservice &
5^Sasastf»sa ®
W FOX W
mss*
» FlAVOK
AND £Xr/?A
MILDNESS,
camels
CLICK WTH
ME-'
