Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, March 27, 1947
Cameron
CHAPTER V
Synopsis: Posing as Rosa
Kirkman, Lotus Ames is hired
as a singer for Mlle. Chloe Du
val, owner of a case. Lotus ex
pects to pick up information
for the FBI on dope smug
gling in New Orleans. On her
first appearance she meets
Stacy Corbin. Lawrence, FBI
joins her and advises her to
watch and co-operate with
Herman Balch, former Bund
ist, who offered to pay Lotus
to report to him what goes on
in the case. Lotus reported to
Lawrence that she saw waiter
pass heavy envelopes to cus
tomers. ,
Her eyes roved over the dap
pled waters of the pool and the
purple shadows cast by a potted
palmetto to settle on an object
leaning against the back of Ch
loe’s chair. It was an ornately
carved ebony walking stick with
a heavy gold knob at the top
bearing the initial C in flowing
scrollwork.
“Why, what an unusual cane!
Where did you get it?”
The question was asked in all
innocense but to her astonish
ment a frown deepened between
the other’s fir.ely penciled brows
and a flush crept slowly over the
still supple skin of her neck.
Chloe’s )ong-nailed hand reached
out for the stick, covering the
initial carefully.
“Oh that . . .” she seemed to
hesitate, then, “Someone left it
in the case last night by mis
take.”
Lotus knew Mamselle was ly
ing.
The next morning Lotus reach
ed for the newspaper with a ner
vous hand. Anxiously she read
the personal column.
Yes, there it was, one of a long
list of religious notices, for it is
a quaint custom in New Orleans
to thank the Saints for any fa
vors they may grant the pious,
via the public prints.
And there was hers’ discreetly
hidden among the others:
•Thanks to St. Lawrence for
helping me find the one I was
seeking.—R. K.
That evening, as she wandered
among the crowded tables ex
changing quips with the sailors,
she spied Stu Lawrence hunched
behind a table in a dimly lit cor
ner. He caught her eye and beck
oned.
“Sit down, Miss Kirkman.
Would you care to join me in a
drink?"
'Tm working for them.”
“What!” He stared disbeliev
i»gly- • ,
“I am now a member of Balch,
Inc. The only trouble is, I don’t
know exactly what they’re work
ing at.”
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An unpretentious, nicely fitting
two piece dress for the matron that
comes in a wide size range. Narrow
lace or ruffling trims the soft rolled
collar and front scallops. Make
short or three quarter sleeves.
Pattern No. 8918 comes in sizes 34.
36. 38. 40. 42. 44, 46 and 48. Size 36.
short sleeves, 4 yards of 35-inch
fabric.
Name
Address
Name of paper
Pattern NoSize
Send 20 cfents in coin (for
' each pattern desired) to—
Patricia Dow Patterns
1150 Sixth Ave., New York 19, N. Y.
In a low voice she told him all
that had happened. As she talk
ed a flush of excitement spread
over her creamy skin and the
shadowy pulse in her throat
quickened its beat.
“That’s really more than we
bargained for,” he said warmly,
“but it doesn’t give us very much
to go on. Didn’t they give you
any hint as to what you were to
watch for?”
“No,” she reflected slowly,
“just any unusual action on the
part of a customer or employee.”
He shot her a wry grin. “A
field day! You must see dozens
of queer actions in a continual
rat race like the Case Duval.”
“You’d be surprised just how
respectable Chloe’s establishment
is. I see queer things, but they’re
typical of such places, I imagine.
There is one thing, though—”
“What?”
“On four different nights I’ve
seen that little French waiter,
Jacques, surreptitiously slip cus
tomers a white envelope, an en
velope that was heavy at one
comer, as though it were filled
with a small amount of sand or
powder.
“Sounds like you’ve stumbled
onto something. He may be ped
dling dope.”
“I don’t know whether to tell
them or not.”
“Yes, go ahead. It will increase
their confidence in you and may
lead to something else. Be sure
to watch their reactions when
you do.”
Lotus looked down at her
hands, toying with an ornate,
old-fashioned snake ring that
Chloe had insisted she wear to
enhance her costume.
“Perhaps if I pretended to take
drugs myself I could persuade
Jacques to sell me some and then
we’d have proof.”
To her amazement, he swore
softly . . .
He lowered his >voice apolo
getically. “I didn't friean to be so
vehement, but let me tell you
something. In the first place, if
Jacques is peddling dope himself,
he is only very small fry—the big
shots don’t dirty their hands
with the actual selling. Ln the
second place, young lady, run
ning down a dope ring is an ex
tremely sordid and dangerous
game.”
“One out of every three thou
sand persons in the U. S. A. is a
drug addict. This does not mean
people who take narcotics for
medical treatment. During the
war vast stores of every type of
drug accumulated abroad and
are being aimed at our market
because we are the highest in
come country-in the world.”-
“Mr. Chadwick told me that,”
Lotus said.
“Did he tell you that opium is
the biggest problem? The entire
medical need of it for a year is
about 440 tons, yet world produc
tion is nearly 2,650 tons. Well,
what do you think becomes of
the surplus?”
“But you think this that’s com
ing into New Orleans is arriving
by sea, don’t you?”
“Yes, but we’ve searched every
ship with a fine-tooth comb, we
have examined every cargo from
soy bean sauce to Oriental rugs.
We have unearthed some petty
rackets and caught some petty
dope smugglers, but nothing that
seems to connect with what we
are after.”
Lotus straightened in her
chair, her gray eyes widening.
“Why would they bring it into
port? Why couldn’t they drop it
over the side so many miles out
and have a motor boat pick it
up?” she demanded triumphant
ly-
Her enthusiasm netted only a
superior smile from Stu Law
rence—he even chuckled softly.
“My dear girl, I hate to burst
your bright little bubble, but that
thought is as unoriginal and
tried as time itself.”
She stared at him with grow
ing irritation. Why did he have
to be so antagonistic? For a mo
ment she hated him intensely.
Through the blue haze of
smoke that filled the Case Duval
and drifted laxily into their se
cluded corner, Lotus stared into
Stu Lawrence’s eyes.
“You don’t like me, do you?”
she said.
He flushed uncomfortably and
his thin lips seemed to narrow
to an even thinner line. “Os
course, I do, why do you say
that?”
“Because from the very mo
ment I first met you I sensed an
antagonism on your part, a re
sentment that Mr. Chadwick
would even consider a woman to
do your type of work.”
“That’s a pretty flat state
ment.”
“You're vexed because I’m a
woman; you don’t want me to
succeed, you don’t want to have
to admit that a woman can be
as successful as a man in any
thing. I can’t understand that
—Mr. Chadwick told me you had
been in the navy for four years.”
“What’s that got to do with
THE SUMMERVILLE NEWS: SUMMERVILLE, GEORGE*.
it?”
“You must have come in con
tact with women in the service,
you must have seen how well
women handled the jobs assigned
to them.”
“That was war,” he pointed
out.
“Isn’t this war of a sort?”
The silence grew between
them. Lawrence, to hide his dis
comfiture, picked up his beer
glass and drained it, and Lotus
watched his slim, nicotine-stain
ed fingers grip the glass and re
linquish it.
“Perhaps it was wrong of me
to bring it up,” she said. “As you
say, it makes no difference in our
work. Let’s get back to business,
shall we?”
“We seem to be at a stand
still.”
“I wouldn’t say that. You may
have hit the jackpot, for all you
know. If it leads to the solving
of this case, I shouldn’t be at all
surprised if Chadwick took you
on permanently,” he observed
dryly.
She ignored the sarcasm. What
I’ve done so far could hardly
come under the heading of hard
labor. I think it’s fascinating.”
“Yeah, nice work if you can
get it.” He offered her a ciga
rette.
“No, thanks.”
“I forgot. You don’t smoke, do
you?” He studied her as though
she were an interesting and un
usual biological specimen. “No
vices at all?”
“No important ones. I have a
weakness for tall men and dogs
of any sort, but I’m suppressing
it temporarily.”
His face reddened. “I guess I
was mistaken about—Oh, oh . ..”
She watched his body stiffen
as he looked beyond her, then
he glanced at her apprehensive
ly-
“You'd better leave me as
quickly and gracefully as you
can. Your new friends have just
come in.”
She left immediately and then
walked toward the long bar. She
had taken only a few steps, how
ever, when a loud hiss stopped
her in her tracks and sent a chill
tingling down her spine. Several
of the other customers stared
curiously at the Bundist, who
was signaling to her impatient
ly.
He gave her a cold, sneering
smile. "Good evening, Miss
Kirkman.”
“Hello,” She slid into a chair.
“I haven’t much news for you.”
He waved her words aside.
“That doesn’t matter. What I
want to know is who is that man
you were speaking to?”
She gave a little toss of her
head in Lawrence’s direction.
“Him? Oh, he’s just a seaman
named Pete something. I tried to
get some information out of
him, but if he knows anything
he wouldn’t spill it.”
His keen eyes examined her
face intently. “You are wasting
your time on him.”
“Really? Why do you say
that?”
“Because he looks familiar to
me and I don’t think he is a
sailor.”
“No? What is he, then?”
“Never mind. Does he come
here often?”
“Not since I’ve been working
in this dump. This is the first
time.”
Herman Balch sipped his tiny
glass of brandy. "Well, since you
have nothing to report, I shall
not remain long this evening.”
“But I do have something. I
could have told you last night,
but I didn’t know if it was im
portant.”
“What is it?” His blond eye
brows rose a little.
She pointed to the goateed
waiter. “It’s Jacques over there.
I’ve seen him handing four cus
tomers small white envelopes
filled with something like pow
der. He looks around first to see
if anyone is watching him. What
could it be? Do you thing it’s
important?”
“Are you certain, Rotha?” It
was Paul’s first sentence. His
face had paled and he looked
drawn and tired.
She nodded and studied Her
man Balch. Unlike Paul, his skin
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had taken on a belligerent red
dish tint and his nostrils flared,
but his words belied his re.lexes.
“It is of no consequence, but I
am glad you told us. If you see
any more of it report it to me.”
“Okay, I have a number com
ing up now. See you tomorrow.
She wandered over to the bar,
reachde for a small pad and
pencil that the bartender kept
handy, wrote a brief note to
Lawrence, who had come up to
pay for his beer, and slid it along
the counter. Then she turned
and made her way up to the
stage.
(Continued Next Week)
Woods Burners Are
Being Convicted
The state department of for
estry’s four-month-old “police
force” is now convicting one for
lest fire-setter a week in the
courts and the average
(is expected to grow considerably
this year. This was revealed by
H. David Story, Jr., assistant for
estry director, in a report on the
activity of the law enforcement
section of the department.
The average conviction, Story
pointed out, is for a misdemean
or under state law and carries
(with it a year in jail (usually
suspended) and a fine of from
SSO to SIOO depending upon the
( amount of damage done by the
uncontrolled lire.
These convictions, Story says,
usually in cases where a fire has
“gotten away” from a farmer or
landowner through negligence.
A conviction for deliberately set
ting an uncontrolled fire to dam
age the property of another, car
ries the stiffer penalties of a
felony, he declared.
The law enforcement section
of the department of forestry is
headed by E. H. Terry, a former
railroad detective with a record
of 25 years of investigative work.
He makes his headquarters in
Gainesville. His assistants are
Frank Osborne and T. H. Bullard
of Calhoun and Washington, Ga..
respectively.
Records of the department re
veal these three are now com
pleting one investigation per
day, each, seven days a week,
and are averaging three arrests
per week for violations of the
state forest fires laws.
The services of these investi
gators may be requested through
(any state district forester.
Third Army Now
Operating in Dixie
In brief and impressive cere
monies at army headquarters
here, the Third United States
Army was figuratively whisked
from Germany to Dixie in a few
[minutes and became operational
[in the Southeast with Lt.-Gen.
(Oscar W. Griswold designated as
commanding general.
Troops formerly serving with
the Third Army in Germany re
main there and are now engaged
in occupational duties. The
transaction means that Seventh
Army personnel who have been
(manning army posts and instal
lations in the seven southeast
ern states of Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Mississippi, North Caro
lina, South Carolina and Tennes
see, will now serve with the
Third Army, the Seventh having
jeen inactivated.
Gen. Griswold delivered the
Seventh Army flag to Col. Philip
. Faymonville, assistant chief of
I staff G-4 at headquarters here.
(This flag will be delivered into
the custody of the quartermas
ter general in Washington.
The Third Army flag was pre
sented to Gen. Griswold by Maj.-
Gen. Charles L. Bolte, chief of
staff of Headquarters, Army
Ground Forces, who stated:
“These brief ceremonies mark
an historic military event—the
change of command from one
distinguished army to another.
Both armies have distinguished
war records.”
Accepting the Third Army
flag, Gen. Griswold declared. “It
is an honor to assume command
of the Third Army, Its history
dates back to 1918, when it as
sumed occupation duties in Ger
many following World War I.
“The record of the Third Army
during World War II is known
to everyone, civilian as well as
military—and for that matter
the Seventh Army is equally well
known and admired. Tn assum-
( ing control of the Third Army,
it will be the goal of this com
mand to maintain the same fine
record in peace that it made in
combat, to be ready for any
eventuality and to take action
promptly to accomplish any mis
sion assigned.”
War Burial Data
Now Available
A booklet of information on
final burial of war dead is now
available.
The United States Army Quar
. termaster General has been
placed in complete charge of the
program and the next of kin
(will have to choose one of the
'four options offered when con
tacted by the War Department.
Full information may be ob
(tained by citizens of Georgia and
Florida by sending a letter of re
quest for the booklet, “Tell Me
About My Boy,” to the Atlanta
General Depot, Atlanta, Ga., said
S/Sgt. Millard Q. Davis, sub-sta-
( tion commander of the Rome Re
cruiting Office.
TRAPPED IN CHAIR
SAUGUS, Mass.—Edward Ber
rigan, 73, had the unusual ex
perience of being trapped for 54
(hours in his rocking chair. The
aged man entangled his feet in
the rocker and didn’t have the
strength to disengage himself.
Neighbors discovered his plight
and he was removed to a hos
pital, suffering from shock and
exposure.
TRAPPED IN GARBAGE CAN
NEWTON, Miss.—When John
nie Huntington, 6, got trapped
in the family’s sunken garbage
can, it took the combined efforts
of the neighbors, police and the
firemen, using an air drill, to
extricate him.
POOR PRINT
A bearded hillbilly came out of
the mountains for the first time
in his life and went to the big
city. He saw people stepping up
on a weighing machine, putting
pennies in it, standing motion
less and retrieving pieces of pa
per from the slot. After watch
ing for an hour, the hillbilly got
up enough courage to step up
(on them himself. He dropped in
,his penny and out popped a card
with Van Johnson’s picture. He
[Studied it closely, then stared
(into the mirror of the machine
i for several moments.
Then he turned to an onlooker
and said: “Shucks, this contrap
tion don’t take seech a very good
pitcher, does it?”
SKILLFUL FISHING
CARMEL, Calif.—The skill of
a fellow fisherman, H. E. Rob
ertson, in accurate casting saved
the life of Jess Williams, who
slipped while surf fishing and
was being carried out to sea.
Making a perfect 250-foot cast,
Robertson laid the line directh
( across Williams’ body and, care
I fully “playing” worked the man
to safety.
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SALLY SNICKERS
COP’S HAT STOLEN
DETROIT—After 18 years of
faithfully watching his hat,
while eating in public places,
Detective Ralph Mahanna could
not find a seat in a case so he
could keep his eye on his hat.
When he went to get it, his sl2
hat was gone.
d «a*k* ■
Snctad HI
i Watte ■
ahatt*.
1. —Nearly half of the farms are equipped with electricity? What
percent have radios? (a) 50, (b) 60, (c) 70, (d) 80 percent.
2. —What percent of the nation’s food is sold through chain stores?
(a) 15, (b) 25, (c) 35, (d) 45 percent
3. —How many pounds of paper will be used for income tax returns?
(a) 3,620,000, (b) 4,620,000, (c) 5,620,000, (d) 6,620,000.
4. —How much money will American tourists spend outside of U. S.
in 1947? (a) 14 billion dollars, (b) % billion dollars, (c) 1 billion dollars,
(d) IJ4 billion dollars.
5. —W’here are penguins found? (a) Arctic, (b) Antarctic, (c) South
Pacific, (d) Brazil.
ANSWERS
I. (d) 80 percent of the farmee, erf U. S owe retfee.
2. (c) 35 percent.
3. (c) 5,620,000 pounds.
4. (d) 1(6 Billion dollars.
■ ’ s.—(b) Antarctic.
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PAGE SEVEN
BARGAIN BACKFIRES
MIDDLEBURG, Pa.—Two men
, (offered Albert Van Horn a suit
(case containing SI,OOO in gold
I pieces, each encased in a small
■ piece of concrete the size of a
. clam shell. Van Horn “bit” and
! discovered the concrete con
tained nothing but concrete.