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SERIAL STORY
PLAY BY PLAY
BY PAUL DAVID PRESTON
CHAPTER XXVI
YpfEN Blythe entered the
clothes clbset off Nancy Hale's
living room, she thought herself
. entirely alone. She had carefully
made her plans for coming out
later with the two gamblers at
, gun point But as she pulled the
closet door shut on herself, a man
- spoke in the darkness, then
grasped her arm.
"Okay, sister, who are you?'
' he said.
Blythe screamed in terror.
She didn't have to ask who the
man was. She already knew I In-
deed, there were two of them in
the closet with her, she realized
at once. It meant' only thai she
had come up too late to carry out
her plan. The gamblers had got-
ten- there ahead of her!
, Nevertheless she didn't wilt,
All the days of pent-up sorrow
end anger seemed now to pour
out Blythe, an athletic coach's
dausliter, was plenty athletic her
self, though small of stature.
WhamK . . "Unh!"
She drove one elbow backward
smack into a man's midriff! . He
grunted, and grunted again.
Overcoated arms reached around
her then from the other side.
"Stop it!" she shrieked. .
She jerked up her knees. ' That
threw all her weight downward.
"Lord, what a hellcat!" The
man gasped.
Her quick maneuver had
dropped her right out of his grasp.
In the darkness he was fumbling
for her again, and, too, the other
man was back in the fight : ,
. "Hold her, Ed, hold her!"
She heard that, and heard the
answer. "I can't get a hold!"
"Don't do her no harm!"
Tm the one getting harmed
unh...TOTH!"
Blythe. was making that state
ment of his true! From the floor,
she kicked out wildly, and a
dainty heel found a masculine
shin.
JANCYS dresses had begun .to
v fall on them cow. Altogether
the clothes, the two men, and the
scrapping girl made a fantastic
kind of hurricane there in the
" dark closet Blythe wouldn't use
the pistol she held. She couldn't
because it was Pop's starter's gun
. loaded only with blanks! It might
be of some value if the men could
see it. ." They wouldn't know but
what it was real.
. But at the moment Blythe felt
certain she was fighting for her
very life. Those gamblers had
already threatened Fop and they
would know that ' exposure and
capture here would cost them
prison sentences. They wouldn't
hesitate to kill her If they could.
"Stop . . . fighting . . . sister!"
one man said, straining. "Give us
a chance to . . ."
Blythe struck at the sound with
her fist She felt it hit his cheek.
"Ed, for the" luwa Mike, what
have we got cornered here?"
She heard that over the flailing.
"Where Is she? . . . Open that
door!"
Voices were getting louder.
. "Lay off, sister, before you get
hurt! Okay, Ed, let's rush It! .. .
GO!"
They made a concerted push,
carrying Blythe, clothes, shoes,
some of baby Scooter's toys, and
themselves all out onto the living
room floor in a grand pile-up. It
could have been compared to a
scrimmage in football.
Blythe was entangled and
scared witless now.
"E-e-e-e-el" she yelped Invol
untarily. And just as Involuntar
ily she called out, "Helpl . . .
Duane , . . Oh, Duanel . . XHia-
oooooomm!"
The outcry wag muffled In a
dress. She scrambled wildly,
clutching at their legs, hoping to
trip them, striving to -regain her
own feet- .... ...... :.
"Look-out, Ed! She's got a gun!"
She did still grip the pistol. ,;Oa
Impulse she fired it now.
The fellow named Ed dived onto
her right hand, forced the-harmless
gun away from her. She ex
pected him to strike her but he
didn't. She had a flash of feeling
that these two gamblers weren't
really fighting as aggressively as
they might Were they afraid?
Cowed? Or
She kicked at them with re
newed fury. Regaining her feet
she knocked over a chair, then
kicked it at one of the men to
trip him. .
TJE was a large fellow, and made
quite a thump and a grunt
ing when he fell. Next moment
Blythe knew she would be con
nnpred. Thev leaned up and drove
at . her with full force. But sho-
would try once more. As both
dashed toward rjer she threw her
body headlong across their knees
in exactly the maneuver- Pop
taught his football tackier'.....
The fierceness of that clash
seemed to stun her a little, and
when she found her senses again
she was sitting on the floor quite
unmolested. But she was having
a crazy dream. . , '
She thought she saw'Duane Ho
gan lift one man bodily and throw
him onto the other, thus driving
botW gamblers against the kitchen
wall. Then she thought she saw
COPYRIGHT. 141.
NEA SKRVICI. INC
Duane standing over them, alert,
waiting, fists tight As they shook
their heads, holding bruises and
trying to talk coherently, Duane
spoke to her.
"Hly! . . . By!" he said. "Ara
you hurt?"
It wasn't a hallucination, It wai
still reall
"No! . . They those men ...
gamblers . . . they're gamblers
. . . they were . . .."
"You got it all wrong sister!"
one man managed to gasp. "Boy,
what a punch you two kids carryl
Lay off, Hogan take it easy. . . .
I know you ... but you don't
know us. . . . Sister, we ..."
"Duane! Look out! They're
desperate! I'm surprised they
haven't used guns!"
"Do I have to bash in your
brains?" Duane asked. He had
lifted one of the chairs from
Nancy's ready-set dinner table.
Both men of the floor managed
to grin. "Save it for the game,
son. Listen your lady friend got
us wrong!"
"Duane, don't you believe them!
They're crooks! Dangerous!"
Duane looked confused, but he
was waiting for more explana
tions. One of the men half groaned
and made a move to stand up.
"I can kill you in one blow,"
Duane mentioned. "And I will!"
"Git down, Ed!" the other man
ordered. "The boy ain't lying.
But listen, son. I tell you we
ain't what you think."
Blythe pointed her finger at
them, gesturing. "They they
they were hiding in Nangy'i
closet! They were! They got here
too soon! I found them, and "
One of the men chuckled a little
wryly- "Didn't you, though! And
you went into action. Unh! I'm
glad you two bruisers are on our
side in tomorrow's game! But you
listen to me now, both of you.
We can prove what 1 say. Here's
our badges, and you. can phone in
If- '""
THIS CURIOUS WORLD
u vii i r tu
8 "-L-I
DANNY
UTWHILER,
PHILADELPHIA NATL. LEAGUE
OUTFIELDER, PLAYED THE 1942
SEASON WrsfOVTAAS
4 GIVE
4 UPS .J
JAPANESE
. HORIZONTAL
1 Depicted
colony.
9 It is controlled
' by .
14 Discount
for exchange.
15 Part ol a type
face.
16 Imbecile.
17 In no way.
18 Watched. . .
IB Greek letter.
20 Obtain.
21 Near.
22 Horses' neck
hairs (pi.).
24 Two-wheeled
cab.
17 Duplicate.
28 Diminutive of
Albert.
'30 Upward.
Answer to
44 One (Scot).
45 Engraverr'
tooL
47 Music not '
48 Levees (var.).
50 Mlneral rock.
52 Doctor of
31 Important city
in this country
33 Employ.,
34 ZestfuL
36 Rescues.
38 Melody.
39 Frozen water.
41 South Seas
garment
43 Like.
; Divinity ,
(abbr.).
53 Drama.
55 Wash lightly.
57 Fruit.
.58 Band leader's
wand.
59 Wrath.
VERTICAL .
I Its former
SI I (SIR I O ll.jtojRl!!F- Tl
fioiff r e NrrLpb b tieirIs
EIL I pAk K filH ft F P A R ELS
N:0DAL& BE L .- SPTTtTE
Rl Ja & a UNDStf NJ OppLT
IAK iYl ?RE
LAjN EISfePAIWP;ISE MuIm
Oiull iNjEfe-jEjM -j:;BAKiafTA
TjllLTIEWS ITIANbAqER
D!ES!PTf1 AIR!et1EIs
' 2 5 . s"" I" T a ITITTTS"!
ppis : :
j ii&a i M J ftvjtf.
ais '
9 iaS -r :r
M
46 , ... s
ST" 55- - f f
I III I I - ' 4 '
and verify. . We alnt gambler.
We're detectives, from the city
police bureau!"
(To Be Cautioned)
HOLD EVERYTHING! . f HAD AN INSTINCT- EAT WITH ) LAST SHELL ...PRETTY pa TcWECK rAETvNEtK, WHO VA5 LEASllNlG SOU A j4
I ' I ! VTV7 A Sl! f TO Of ESTATE? HE'S WOT COVINS &
' '" ' T"T" 'S vSTSn ( ITHBr?n HOMSuSmo ' DISCOVERING A FOOTSALLft BKTO UFE, I9IT?SUA0LV
-r 1 IviKa SVMfvucS i STAR TOR THE CHCNGO ( SHALL XrAESOO A MEEPTV
j KF VMNDAGE -WHILE K INSTINCT.' HIKA AN YELLS, HERE.'- Zj Dpfi.pci uac-pi luoiA V OMERCOAT MASOR. MEM -at.
1 ; VyJVTODAY YOU CAM ALV YOU SKIN THESE WHILE V Q T EUMPJA gERC gyr'm '
P ' TV WmiB 3! I ra VV iURCOLUCH SELL,
"Here's my report' card. Mom- iiiPW UTl I W. S 1
they're rationing good grade. MM' ' k'' ' t&-l J ..ft phi I, I J felfe.fW-.. VtTrsT
' this year!" 3,0 .. .,.V .tSSC Q'Wj I I WmMM WlMO I
VNTYNfYTi mSHml -ncr -kq. Our Our-Woy Our Uoording Housa SiMKlTm wH JS PlSSrOhi i
JU51 J By J R. Willtomt ; With Major Hoopla tWir U IU I ftlUMmf?tf .
IW I ij ' Jl 1 1 1 f 1 V vapoose to ww go ftSi feo txies 1 f iba rVgkt Tho ' ihet "must ' 1 r vfovjoY sbi SJ " ofe ' Pos1
VJUJJI-J U VY FLTIrSa iVsl i HIM KEEP ) 1 1HUMI6&R LooUrA LIKE 1 6e IKi A HURRY, T THE flW M ? KKEiTriER ARE )
iS-Sl3aWS' tV TRY T3TJRN-UMCK kVfTHlNHE VJE RDLL0WET3.' J THE WAY T I YOU.' J
'toV WWt.
By wnnam
Ferguson
AAN'5 FEET are larger.
THAN HIS HANDS, BUT IN MOST
SPECIES OP ANIMALS, THE
fYSiO FEET ARE .SiWAUSK.
THAN THE FORE.
. ; J I' la r i MERE, DADDY (RIDICULOUS DUE WILL YOU ? -A 1 f
If. imi -2.-.Ylstlli" Frfrklp and Hi FrionHa . .. Hu Hi....,
VHEN UNCLE SAM GOT
STABBED IN THE BACK, HB
TOOK irON THE. OHIN,JSs
MARVE.OLAyiNI,
COLONY
Previous Puzzle
21 Deadly pale. -
22 Coal digger,
23 Ex officio
(abbr.).
25 Speedily. .
26 Written form
of Mistress.
27 Couch.
28 It is located
in -.
29 Meadows. '
32 Foundation.
33 Symbol for
uranium. : -
35 Civil engineer
(abbr.). :
37 Sun: ;
38 Symbol for
argentunv
40 Its principal
city is .
42 The Jap :
- helps supply it
45 Beside.
46 Crimson.'
48 Depression.. .
49 Metal, dross. .
60 Eye.-.
51 Narrow inlet
53 Coop.
84 Exist '
56 Therefore. - .
87 Parent ..
SUED
name was-
'. 2 Since.
I 3 Louse egg.
4 Company
(abbr.).
8 Ukulele '
(colloq.).
6 Retain.
7 Footed vase.
8 Upon.
9 Gay. '
10 Any.
1 1 Swine (pi.,. '
12 Beverage.
13 Seine.
18 Portico.
19 Carpet
f ( THE OLD CRACKV VEH. BUT V SOME BOOK-LEARNED 1? tSAO, SAM .' WASJE SOU A WrtfcA VOU REMEMBER A, VMTE
SHOTS SPENT A SOMEHOW I HUNTERS WAS STARVING ' W TOUT CLOW IN STOCK SOlT-r-f1 DUCK SUIT I AM MAKING O
- LIFETIMES AT IT j I THINK IF THEV SENT OUT THEIR. X ABLE TOR. AN ULSTER VOU LAST 6PRINK? 'VOT 1
TOO OLD TO BE
A JUNGLE
WHO f WARBUCKS '
WHY. HES ftS TOUGH
PS A RHINOCEROS!
AND ft THOUSAND
TIMES AS DEADLY-
ii i
1 1
H B
11
fli Lrttlo Orphonm- ' li jLsw HoGroy
LSSb v : v : S - : i n s x s -n
pn NowWHY-trJ TWENrry-fivf If anvome- n our. 1 1 Mece's a cokjtest) did TPat was probably - 1
' BLATE5 WOULD BUCKS AIN'T CROWD WINS THE" -"" 1 ENTRV FROM A 7 VOU THE SMARTEST ONE- LorM. 1
JL WRITE? A HAY- MR. . CONTEST. WE'RE LOVF .l FELLOW NAMED SAY CENT INVESTMENT vTu7 I
ii rmrr am A mR i h her!
f tiEM rJEIN! NOT T SIR, HE IS GONE! SOME f ACH DU LIEBERt H f PONY STAMP THERE LIKE FOOLSJ n'S ALL rWlTOPA PLOT.' THEV'VE 1'
(SEORfiES 0L1UANT, I OWE FROM OUTSIDE SHOT NOW TO ME IT BECOMES ESCAPED! CALL EVERY MAN TO DUrV.' INFORM THE GESTAPO: I
N-- HIS ESCAPE ; AJOW 1 KNOW WHY THAI I RflAt! STOP 'EM. I SAY! STOP fM Vj Ti AT 1
' j : '
Wpah Tuhb . - ' - Bv Crane
-i'
Boots and Her Riirittiriif inn i Di! ViW DljJiyij0
''SCSigrWEU FIND OUT W ffl JH pLD0KIT V N '"ff . VAH, EEWV.' WHO'S'TOO BUMGED-T MICE Bpr;T
tvXaS ( BEEM alVgU2 M If V TH' TREE.,.TH'SIGrO 1 JR BOUT ESTABLISHING OLTT-X P.LIKAP V j
ftBogrrH jjpuihxikki!& .Masyrir ''Ifor free moo's great . V imiWll
' vevv ''
All - ... i ii, . i ii i r, 1... I lililinr,l,HII Uli , lgiUrjHAWtVM,JlldT.
TRICKY AND CRAFTY AND
SILENT AS A THIRTY-FOOT
PYTHON -- AND MAYBE A
WEE BIT QUICKER! THAT'S"
TOUK DADDY WARBUCKS"
DONT YOU EVER WORRY
ABOUT HIM!
1
Mi
HAl YOU BET
BUT I CANfT
HELP IT!
COULD HAPPEN AND
THEY WILL
SO MANY
TERRIBLE
THINGS COULD
iiM-r--vi
CHflTTERrf TAIL LESS
APES OUT LOOKIM"
FOR TROUBLE-THHS
TK ONES THINCiSWILL
Si
HAPPEN
TO!
tan. ihi
THEY
SUREt I
THAT
TD THOSE
KNOW fTLL
BE ALL
RIGHT, IF
ONLY OUR
SIDE GETS
TH STUPF
IN TIME
ni ua,iu.i'fC tty Fred Harmon
STUFF I AY6 1 THTTS MY
JOB" IQ GET IT OUT IHhKC
TO -EMl AND TO KEEP THE
STUFF CXMlK"THrtT3 A JOB
W6 ALL CAN WORK AT- .
$&WV'vS'r-, ,v; Y SAID IT. I
ur ... I
tt U. s. rr. or?. 1 1-!! A
By V. T. HSSfln