Southern Oregon News Review, Thursday. Septem ber 19, 1946 SEW ING CIRCLE PATTERNS STRONG HUSKY YOUNGSTERS forvi! S^hirttua h ier fo r ^ J a f f BROWN thank* to this Short or long sleeves weur It ev Man E n o w erywhere with confidence. W N U F i A T U R t» Duke McCale, private detective, la en­ it o ver w ith . He sta rte d to ta lk , now and then raises the h a ir on my gaged bv wealthy old M i l l Itlgelnw to alm ost b lu rte d out, ’ ‘Y ou’ re in some head—” guard the preaenta (or her niece's trouble. Miss Bigelow . You need ’ ’Who called you In ? " wedding McCale accepts, only because ’ ’F a m ily .’ ’ To h im s e lf he co n tin ­ he tenses that Miss Bigelow Is alrald help. You do. You came to me this ol something more serious than a possible m o re in g w ith it w ritte n a ll over ued, "D a rn . T his fe llo w is too In ­ theft McCale sets his assistant. Rocky yo u r (ace. You’ re a fra id of some­ q u is itiv e .” Suddenly M cC ale caught Bjorkland. and his secretary. Ann .Mar- th in g —som ething th a t has nothing a glim pse o f so m e th in g —som ething riot, to hunting up bark ground data to do w ith wedding g ifts ." He made ! ugly behind th a t h a il-fe llo w a ttitu d e on the members of the families involved a gesture as i f he were w aving them that m a n te l o f ja u n tin e s s —-some­ In the wedding. Later McCale inspects aw ay. "Y o u are a fra id . I know .” th in g he did not like. the rich presents. One Is a deed to a " I suppose you d o ." But though "N o t S y b il? " C h ris to p h e r p ro d ­ modernistic mansion. A tall, beautiful "N o t d a rlin g S yb il, s u re ly ." blonde woman playing the piano In­ her hand tre m b le d , her eyes were ded M cCale was saved fro m m a kin g trigues his Interest. Two other women vacant. " T e ll m e w hat it is. G ive me a re p ly by a peal of lig h t la u g h te r and a man appear In the room. They are obviously members of the family, yo u r confidence. I f you w ant m y outside the room. A door banged appearing aristocratic and self-satisfied. help. I m ust have it. What do you somewhere. T here was another rip ­ fear? Who is m a kin g you a fra id ? ” ple o f m e rrim e n t m in g le d w ith a deeper one, ru n n in g feet on the "N o w I ’ ve done i t . " he cursed to C HAPTER III h im se lf, fo r she th re w h im a sharp, stairs, and V eronica ran into the Lo st in his re v e rie o f this neo- h a lf-a n g ry glance, and got up. He room, follow ed by a m an. They m ig h t have been preceded G rcc vision, M cCale h a rd ly heard stum bled to his feet, blind w ith an­ ger a t h im se lf, but she was s m ilin g by a fa n fa re of tru m p e ts. E v e ry ­ A delaide B igelow speak. at tw o people who were entering one stopped ta lk in g ; everyone "M a y I present M r, McCale. the room . turned tow ard the door as to a Sybil? This is M rs. Joel Bigelow. The g ir l was a ll gold. H er skin stage. It was as i f a sp o tlig h t had The b rid e ’ s m o th e r." She put her tones were coffee and cream , in the been turned on, s ta rtlin g the a u d i­ hand on his sleeve. " M r . M cC ale's liq u id sense of a L a u rencin p o rtra it. ence to q u icke nin g a n tic ip a tio n of Agency is overseeing—the w edding She was not b e a u tifu l, but her face the s ta r’s entrance. I t was sudden g ifts ." had a depth and a glow th a t was and com plete. Even M cCale was W ith an e ffo rt he brought h im ­ cu rio u sly w a rm in g . T hat was it. checked in the act o f ra is in g his self back to the woman who faced She was w a rm and golden, and you glass to his lips. h im . He was conscious of an im ­ knew at once that she wqs in te lli­ Something both e le c tric and a n i­ pressive bust follow ed by about a gent and nice, as w e ll as decora­ m a l came in to the room w ith C u rt 34-50 hundred and fifty d o lla rs w o rth of tive. H e r h a ir was long, n a tu ra lly V a lla in c o u rt. Even if there had not shaped and g ird le d fig u re , expen­ c u rly , and of a burnished bronze been the little p ip in g e c sta tic th r ill sive ly tra in e d not to s p lit the seams o f S y b il’s "C u rt, d e a r ! " ; the qu ick \ rOL'R fall wardrobe won’t be * complete without a smartly tai­ of a b lack afternoon dress. She fire th a t lig h te d V ic to ria 's g liste n in g lored shirtwaist frock. This one, w ore fa r too m u ch gold costum e eyes; the husky overtones o f K aren je w e lry ju s t below the chin o f an saying. "B e h o ld the b rid e g ro o m designed for the slightly larger E liza b e th Arden face topped by a c o m e th ," M cCale w ould have woman, has a deeper notched collar, slenderizing paneled skirt. soignee up hair-do. Her m anner known the id e n tity o f th is p h ysica l , was a rro g a n t as she repeated his rhapsody. nam e in the cool, detached tone she Here was a consciously b e a u tifu l m ig h t use to a chauffeur. She ac­ Vapors Color Hair young m an in a g re a t b ig w a y: ta ll ! know ledged the in tro d u c tio n , th a t and wide, d a rk and strong, v ir ile was a ll, then m oved m a je s tic a lly and violent. He had a large, c u rly | Through iong daily contact with aw ay, fo llo w in g h e r bust to a low black head, d a rk eyes th a t held a certain industrial vapors, human table in p u rs u it o f a glass of sherry. passionate prom ise. He was a dy- J hair has been known to develop A co rn e r o f M cC ale’ s m in d was nam ic person— the k in d to whom ! various unusual colors. s till at the piano w here the w hite things w ere bound to happen. For example, the hair of work­ goddess now played som ething by He acknow ledged the in tro d u c ­ ers in copper smelters and brass G ershw in in a re a l broken beat. tio n to the de te ctive in a deep strong foundries has turned green, while He caught an amused glance fro m voice, w ith a handshake th a t made M iss B igelow before she presented M cCale a lm o st buckle at the knees, j the hair of those in cobalt mines and indigo works has turned blue. h im to the couple s ittin g on the sofa. I t was three o r fo u r m in u te s be­ fore the b litz k rie g o f his a r r iv a l set- j “ V ic to ria B ig e lo w ,” m u rm u re d M iss Adelaide, “ and Stephen—the tie d in to a steady, slow a p p re cia ­ b rid e 's siste r and b ro th e r.” tion of him . M cC ale h im s e lf was I ra re ly im pressed by m ere sensual The g ir l looked a lit tle old around a ttra c tio n and was loath to a d m it ■ : the eyes, a little h a rd around the the c a ta ly s tic effects of it. Here, ! mouth. She was, somehow, lik e a i f ever, was its com plete m anifes- : d ra w in g in the s lig h tly degenerate, ta tio n , how ever. He backed away m acabre style of B eardsley—a ll to w a rd the piano, the b e tte r to take b lack and w hite, w ith finely draw n the scene a part. As u n o b tru sive ly i eyebrows and smudged lashes. as possible, he le t his d a rk hard There was som ething v ip e ris h in the stare sweep around the c irc le . way she held her pointed chin. H er A fte rw a rd , he was to com e back body, sheathed in a dress styled fo r simfeone fa r »beyond her age, She d id n 't resent his standing to that sh o rt scene m any tim es, ! try in g to put together the pieces of seemed too assured, too relaxed, too there as she played. w illin g . the rid d le as they presented th e m ­ I t was easy to see th a t Stephen color. H e r head was set on a p e r­ selves in the next few mom ents. B igelow was V ic to ria ’s brother. He fe c tly p roportioned body. Dressed I t was all there, had he known it, as she was in shades of beige and the wheels w ith in wheels, the red had the same hard finish, the w hite brow n, s im p ly and in beautiful thread o f danger, the shadow of skin, the n a rro w face. In tw enty taste, she was at once q u ie tly death. Each in tim a te gesture, the years, he w ould be la n tern-jaw ed charm ing, assured, thoroughbred. shading o f a phrase, each b it of con­ and hollow-eyed. A lre a d y there was v e rsa tio n overheard, held portents "V e ro n ic a —d e a r." M iss B igelow a crease of c ru e lty around his un­ easy m outh. F ro m the way he a t­ pouched her, kissed her. There was deep and in e vita b le . tacked his h ig h ba ll, M cCale sus­ in her voice a note o f passionate pected his petulance was p a rtly the concern, of pride— of re lie f. A delaide B igelow introduced the effect of a speedily evanescing liv ­ er. He wolfed his d rin k w hile nod­ golden g irl in the doorw ay to M c­ As i t was, the th in g s th a t re ­ ding to McCale, but his eyes were Cale and he was surprised at the m ained in his m in d to puzzle him fixed on the wom an at the piano cre a tu re 's th ro a ty , m e llo w voice. It lacked the s u p e rfic ia lity of the debu­ w ere these: C onversation became i general though the atm osphere s till 1 tante draw L B u t w a s n 't there some­ th in g a trifle n e rvy, a b it d isq u ie t­ contained a p e c u lia r e fflu v iu m of He noticed ing, about the edges of th a t voice? u n d e rly in g edginess. th a t A delaide B igelow seemed as ’ “ M rs. Stephen B ig e lo w ," said There was. overcom e by the p o s itiv e ly th e a tri- j M iss A delaide, and le ft McCale She pecked a t her aunt, sm iled cal ch a rm of C u rt as the rest, and j looking down at a p o lite Garbo-ish at McCale. m ade a few quick, n e rv ­ th a t even Stephen had pulled out of m ask, a slow sm ile, and slender, ous laughing jib e s at her fa m ily , and his a locholic depression, and was cigarette-stained fingers p ic k in g out said in th a t m odulated, too-well con­ w a tch in g C u rt w ith an a lm o st phys- ' a lush tone. Yet that sensual un­ tro lle d tone, "A n y th in g new come? ic a l w orship K aren glowed, s ilv e r d e rc u rre n t th a t m ig h t have been Present, I mean. A n y th in g e x c it­ and w hite. V ic to ria ’s eyes w ere J p u re ly chem ical, o r even glandular, in g ? ” slits. S yb il was w a tch fu l. S torm [ was there. He fe lt it as he knew Miss A delaide turned a b ru p tly as was quiet, but a p p re c ia tiv e . And Stephen, the w om an's husband, fe lt she was about to in tro d u ce M cCale V eronica was c h a ttin g nervously, ' it. He sensed w hat sla ve ry there to the young man who had come in the same note of s tra in in her gold­ m ust be in lo v in g a wom an lik e w ith her. She m ade a fu tile ges­ en d ictio n . She was lik e a gilded this, could see th a t p a rt o f Stephen's tu re as if to w ard the g ir l off, but fra g m e n t tossed in a g litte rin g vor- ' restlessness was a sickness, and that V eronica was out o f .the room be­ tex. he was liv in g on the cocaine o f fore the m ovem ent was even com ­ I t was when C u rt said, in th a t ! her m agic. pleted. co m p e llin g voice o f his. " V e ry m ag­ She d id n 't resent his standing McCale found h im s e lf hanging in nanim ous of you, C hris, to give us there as she played. She d id n 't the a ir, so to speak, pum ping the The N e st,” th a t a w a rn in g signal speak o r sm ile or m ake any e ffo rt flashed in M cC ale’ s b ra in . I t was to put h im at his ease. She knew hand of a m an whose name he h adn't heard. spoken w ith such c h a rm in g naivete, 1 he was dazzled, not qu ite sure of as if, thought McCale, the one th in g h im se lf, but it d id n ’t even seem to he re a lly lacked was manners. He amuse her. B re a kin g o ff in the was m a kin g a studied conscious e f­ m id d le o f a run and w ith o u t speak­ fo rt. ing, she reached fo r a coffee cup at S torm only sm iled, steadily. He "S to rm , C h risto p h e r S to rm ,” the the fa r end of the keyboard. young m an said. "Y o u 're Duke shrugged, re to rtin g , "V e ro n ic a a l­ K aren had seated herself beside ways gets e v e ry th in g she w ants.” ' McCale and I ’ ve heard of y o u ." her husband, and, joined by Sybil, "O h , C h ris ,” V eronica p u t out her McCale stifled the im pulse te say, the sm a ll group was c a rry in g on a hand to h im , sta rte d to say some- ■ d e su lto ry conversation about the “ Shush." He said, "W e ll,” and let th in g , stopped. w edding rehearsal, the brides­ go the hand of th is big fe llo w who C h ris turned to her fo r a b rie f m aids, and the ushers. I t was the had designed and b u ilt a house m om ent, a blank look com ing over called "T h e N est.” js u a l h a lf-c a tty post-m ortem . his face. There was a lost w o rld in C h ristopher S torm was ta ll and his eyes. "S he’ s ve ry b e a u tifu l, isn’t she?" lean and a th le tic . H is face missed said M iss Bigelow, catching McCale V ic to ria laughed s h rilly . She ' b e iijg handsome by way o f a ra th e r m ade a q u ick nervous gesture, b it ! again w ith his eyes on K aren. " M m ,” M cCale grunted, sm ilin g . square ja w and a generous m outh. her lo w e r lip , and looked a sudden [ He had candid blue eyes and c u rly “ Is she alw ays lik e th is ? ” sig n ifica n t, pleading question — to h a ir of a n ondescript shade. " A N o rd ic p rin ce ss? " M iss Ade­ C u rt. C u rt seemed to square off i C hristopher m aneuvered McCale to her. He shook his head as i f he ■ laide sm iled, s lig h t distaste c u rlin g tow ard the bottled liq u id s , m ixed were saying. “ N o.” the corners of her m outh. “ I I ’ m a fra id not.” them both a d rin k . He m otioned E veryone was co n ce n tra tin g upon ’Ah. The d e s c rip tiv e Swedish to a seat beside h im se lf, saying S torm and V eronica a t th a t m om ent b la n k.” w ith o u t p re lim in a ry , "H e a rd about and M cCale thought no one else saw you in th a t dyehouse ra cke t. P re tty th a t exchange o f glances between “ Ju st so.” "S he’ s ve ry ta le n te d .” keen deduction. W hat b rin g s you those o th e r tw o A fte rw a rd he was “ Yes, in d e ed ." here?” to wonder. “ Wedding p re se n ts." M iss B igelow was m ik in g him V a lla in c o u rt w ent o ver to his fu ­ “ Not re a lly? D id n ’ t know you tu re stepm other-in-law , alm ost as if feel lik e Paul P ry . Why had she been g iv in g him the im pression, w ent in fo r sm a ll s tu ff." in apology fo r neglecting her. She “ I have to m ake a liv in g . Cases was a little high on too m uch sherry in the la st few m inutes, that Karen was w o rth w atching then? He lik e the dyehouse m u rd e rs are few and was qu ite crushing to h im . In and fa r between.” changed the subject. a bad-tem pered m anner she shook S to rm ’ s blue eyes narrow ed. o ff his attem pted coddling “ W ill you w ant me to have m y W ithout m an on d u ty to n ig h t? ” He watched ’ ’Well, it ju s t d id n 't seem to m e th a t her fixed cosm etic sm ile, her face her closely A ll the tijh tn e s s came the a rra y o f b ric -a -b ra c d ow nstairs was an unbecom ing m ask, her I w a rra n te d y o u r special ta le n ts ." back in to her eyes. m ake-up unable to disguise her m id- ; “ I —I d o n 't know " M cCale d id n ’ t answer. "T o o true, dle-age. There was a puzzle there Suddenly he was lik e a man w a ft­ m y b rig h t young fe llo w ,” he in the coolness between C u rt and ing in a d e n tis t’ s office, w a nting to thought, "b u t i f I told you th a t all S ybil. ■ tart som ething, go in there and get day I ’ ve been coddling a tin g le that (TO BE CONTINUED) ». .z. • • • P a lle rn No 8001 1» for al/ei» 34. .3(1. 311. 40. 43. 44. 4«. All ami AO. KUe 3«, short »Iccvra, 4 !i yard * of 3A or St-Inch. Send your order to: tonic mr do _ tan t i n s H c o tt'n E m u In io n b a - i-auaH ft's rich In n a fa ra i A A I J V ita m in s a n d •n *’ r< y b u ll« lln < «»II r h ll d r s n n«*«d f o r p r o p e r g ro w th , s tro n g b o n w . soun d t<*rth, sturdy tutdl«««. //•/(> « buihf Mg rrsisU insg to fU