The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, June 14, 1946 Page: 5 of 18
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THE WEST NEWS
DESERT ROSES
tfoROLLIN BROWN
bvS- A',... Ns,
C-__
WN.U >UtUMk
( Tain of the Town:
In Sardi’s a wise guy was com-
menting upon the way in which a
news weekly picture of some nota-
bles looked dwarfed compared to
* Mrs. Roosevelt in their midst.
“That's nothing," said Merry Mac
McMichael, “to the way she dwarfs
aome people who aren't nven in the
picture."
When Queen WUbelmlna was in
the United States during the war
ahe made a tour of inspection at
West Point. . . . The boys had....
been drilled for days, and every de-
tail of protocol was carefully stud-
ied except one. ... No one informed
• the band which number to play to:'
H.*r Majesty’s entrance, and the
leader chose one of his favorite
numbers without thinking of the oc-
l casion. . So, as the signal was
given for the Queen’s entrance
(with every soidier standing rigid-
ly at attention), the band broke
into: “The Old Gray Mare, She
Ain't What She Used to Be."
A croup of editors were discuss-
ing the pros and cons of the OPA.
“The NAM is right,” said one.
, “After all, they’ve got business ex-
perience that money can't buy.”
“They’ve also got lobbies,”
snapped a cynic, “that money can.”
* The Intelligentsia: The career of
Booth Tarkington is a lesson to
page-struck neophytes. In the first
five years of his writing apprentice-
ship, the two-time Pulitzer Award
* winner earned the vast sum of
$22.50. . . . Dorothy Thompson will
also col’m for a weekly. . . . Louis
Fisher, who auth’d "A Week with
* Gandhi,” is flying to India to visit
him. . , . There’s a sizzling feud
on between novelist James T. Far-
rell and book critic Sterling North.
. . . Dr. Harold Urey, atom bomb
scientist (one of the important
ones), will betcha we have an atom
% bomb war in less than 5 years, if
the powers don’t agree soon. . . »
Well, goom-bye-bye, all! S'becn nize
columning about you.
The OPA situation summed up:
It’s a question of whether the prices
will be held down—or the people
held up.
The Funnies: Alex Woollcott and
* Heywood Broun walked out on a
new flop one night. ... As he left
his row “A” pew, Alex bent over
to pick up a flower that had fallen
• from a bouquet on the stage. . . .
“Don't you know it is bad luck,”
chided Broun, “to take flowers
from a grave?” . . . Percy Ham-
mond once critiqued of a big show
• failure: "It is the first time in the-
atre history that an audience ever
suffered from stage-fright.”
, Author Somerset Maugham
points out: “All is grist for a
writer’s mill. I don’t create from
• the whole cloth either of reality or
of fancy. I have in my literary
kit items in the newspapers, stray
encounters in the street, stories I
hear, no matter where. Eventually
' out they grind, either as a story or
, a play.”
The way a columnist grinds it ev-
ery day—not every year.
The Story Tellers: Gene Fowlei
»to!d Irving Berlin: “You are one
of the very few immortals who is
still mortal!”
Quotation Marksmanship: 0.
Henry: Her dress fitted her with
* fidelity and discretion. . . . Beth
Brown: Up in the skyscrapers old
women were fliling their buckets
with footprints. . . . Phil Baker: A
, gal looking for a guy who could
mdke her dough-dreams come true.
. . . Anon: He sat at his typewriter
tenderly diapering his brain child
with neatly folded phrases. . . .
Mark Twain: Man was made at the
end of the week’s work, when God
9 was tired. . . . Anon: When a girl
winks it means one of two things:
She has something in her eye or
she has somebody in it. . . . Ben
•h | Hecht: He ate like a man with a
stowaway under his vest. . . . Olive
Schreiner: We talk so much of in-
tellect and knowledge but what are
they? After all, the heart can’t live
» „ on them. One would barter all one's
knowledge for one kiss and all one's
intellect for one tender touch—just
one!
The Times’ Berlin newsboy, Ray
Daniel], reported that the Germans
live in hope that there will be a war
between America and Russia. They
believe that such a war will give
♦ them an opportunity to revive Nazi-
ism. ... In short, when the Allies
knock each othey—it’s only oppor-
tunity knocking for Nazis.
WiB Rogers went to a dinner but
didn't know it was a political af-
fair. The speakers were unanimous
in peddling bigotry end hatred of
the foreign born. ... As Rogers
Ngose to leave (in disgust) he heard
.^tiimsalf announced as the next
speaker who would give his views
on the crying needs of the nation.
Rogers turned and drawled; “After
listening to those who preceded me,
1 have come to the conclusion that
what this country needs is fresh
blood and what I need—is fresh
air.” With that he left.
,1
Deputy short* Jim Douse eels out to
track Sows a tunc ol Irala rofekere.
After ko meeli Dolorei Alvaro and
Moots Garcia ke euddealy reai(ai kls
oMce aad ioei to see Star La Rue. o
rancker aad former sambllaf kouie
operator. Jim force! La Rue to (too
kirn ike raock that ke obtained from
Dolorei’ father ky trickery. He then
foea la the ranch and pula a near crew
In Charts. Next day ke aiarti out with
two honei and encounter! a posse led
ky sheriff FUck. The posse Is pursuing
•ve horsemen. Jim cuts across the
trail and discovers Dolores la hiding.
By a ruse she seines one of Jim's horses
and dashes away. The posse gives ap
the hunt for the day.
CHAPTER VII
Flick had been as close to suc-
cess as the hound that snaps a tuft
of hair from the escaping rabbit's
haunch. The closing down of night
was all that saved the fleeing riders.
And Flick now knew that one of
their number had been pushed into
the brush and left behind. But to-
morrow, he reasoned, would see
complete success. He had already
commandeered fresh mounts from
Tres Hermanos, and he would hit
the trail at dawn.
Dawn found a gaunt, long-legged
blue roan saddle-animal in the horse
herd that hadn’t been there the
night before. The roan wore Doane's
saddle. Doane knew where it came
from.
Flick invited him to come along,
to be in on the capture.
"Nope, sheriff," he replied.
“Thanks. But I can’t go. Got work
of my own to do."
From shortly after noon until sun-
down Flick's men had scouted
across the country trying to find
where the trail came out. Mean-
while, time flew by, very valuable
time! At sundown the sheriff had
been forced to do something more
than search futilely across a waste
of rock and shale. Some decision had
been imperative.
To Flick, the northeasterly direc-
tion of the trail, toward Maxmilla
City, was ominous. He remembered
what had transpired under his very
nose in San Loreto. So at sundown
he had split his men, the four one
time Rancho Hermanos riders, led
by Suarez, riding swiftly for the
distant town. Flick himself, with the
San Loreto deputy, intended to use
the railroad from Sand Wells: ar-
riving in Maxmilla City, he would
gather more men and come down
in a cross-maneuver.
Serious Situation
Confronts Sheriff
Granting that the pursued were
riding for the Maxmilla country, the
move was as canny as could be
wished.
“We’ll get ’em,” was Flick's
dogged decision. “I’ll show that
outfit that there are some limits to
what they can do!”
Doane was sil-nt. Success for
Flick might be a long way off, he
thought; but he knew that the out-
come of it all was certain now.
Given time, Flick would do just
what he said he would. Things had
come to that pass. He was in too
deep to back out. It was bound to
happen, sooner or later. Flick and
his deputy got an early morning
train out of Sand Wells.
Doane was in Sand Wells that eve-
ning; he loped in leisurely, and ar-
rived at the railroad station at about
ten o'clock. He walked into Monte's
office without bothering to knock,
and surprised him over his instru-
ment. He waited while Monte took
down his message and turned off
his key. Cigarettes were lighted,
chairs tipped back against the wall.
"Well, senor el ranchero,”
smiled Monte through the smoke.
"You have been riding, I hear!
Burning saddle-leather an' wearing
down good horse flesh. An’ all to
what purpose, may I ask?”
“Por nada," said Doane bitterly.
“Nothing.”
"So? Not failure?” asked Monte,
in mock surprise.
"Yes . . . failure,” mumbled
Doane. “Funny how a woman can
show a man up.”
“A woman?”
“Or a girl,” said Doane. "I did
all I could, Monte. After your story,
I couldn’t do much less. No man
could!"
“Meaning?” asked Monte, sud-
denly serious.
“Meaning anything,” replied
Doane. "I don’t care. My end of
this thing seems to have turned
out to be simple blackmail and bluff.
None the less, that bluff, with the
two thousand I gave La Rue, called
his bluff and won the deal. It was
the only way I could touch La Rue
, . . except the way the girl was
going at it, taking back what she
could get of her own . . . Uh . . .
Monte, you remember a sealed en-
velope I gave you not so long ago
to keep for Miss Alvaro?”
“I do. It is in safe keeping."
“Good! Flick’s out for blood. Soon
or late, he’ll draw it; I know Flick.
That's serious. Monte, you’ve got
to get that envelope to Dolores with-
out much delay. It contains La Rue’s
deed for Rancho Hermanos. The
papers are made over to her through
me. Savvy? The ranch is hers, le-
gally and otherwise. There’s also a
signed statement from La Rue to
; the effect that all charges he made
| against her are groundless. There’s
! not much time to waste, Monte. You
I can give her those papers, now. And
tell her to take them and get on
Rancho Hermanos land where she
belongs; to put those vsqueros of
hers back to work, and slay there.
So far Flick hasn't a thing that’ll
touch her, except La Rue’s com-
plaints. And I guess that's about all
I’ve got to say, Monte.”
Monte studied Doane He lighted
a fresh cigarette. He smiled slightly.
He said:
"From the first I say that I will
come to like you in the end. Mees-
tair deputy Jim Doane. Yes . . ■
jus’ so, my frien'. Doane, you are
a man! Or, as we Spanish say, Cab-
allero, which has shades more of
meaning ... a rider, a brave man,
and a gentleman. It is an expres-
sive word, that caballero.”
“Thanks, Monte. Gracias. Well,
this finishes things. I'll be leaving
Rancho de los Tres Hermanos by
tomorrow. You might tell her that,
Monte.”
Monte rose gracefully, and as he
bowed their hands met.
"There is jus’ one thing," said
Monte slowly. “I wish you had
“You love her too, Monte.”
given this young lady her lesson.
Why do you not ride her to earth,
if jus’ for the fun of it, an’ show
her you can do it? My frien’, I
wish that you accomplish that first,
before you go away.”
"Why?”
"Oh, no reason,” said Monte.
"Only . . . well, there is difference
between stealing some cattle that
justice knows belong to the house
of Alvaro an’ ... a train robbery,
or this last affair at San Loreto.
You see?”
"One look at the girl's face
shows she's no thief," snapped
Doane. “Flick has no proof. I don’t
know what the explanation of these
other affairs is, but . . .”
“My frien', have you thought of
those men riding with Dolores Al-
varo?” asked Monte. “They are
ol'-time vaqueros; riders from the
ol' rancho, or sons of those men.
Good men, hard riders, no fools!
Those three I get you for the ranch
. . . they are of these vaqueros,
senor. They would throw down their
lives at her feet. But do you not
suppose they saj* to themselves
sometimes: ‘We are already outside
the law, why not make more of it?
Play big. Get some money as well
as a few head of cattle!’ My frien’,
do you suppose • they do not ask
themselves that, eh? An’ might that
not draw a certain young lady into
affairs that were far from her own
choosing? Eh? Might it not?”
The telegraph instrument began to
click. Monte listened for a moment,
then turned like a cat and dropped
into his chair. He began to write
. . . When it was finished, Monte
looked up. He lighted a fresh cigar-
ette. Then he picked up the mes-
sage, poker-faced, and handed it to
Doane.
"For you,” he said simply. “I
will be gone for a little while, to
get the day operator to take my
place tonight. Perhaps you will wait
for me to return, senor Doane?”
Doane read the telegram as
Monte slipped through the door. His
face went white as he read it:
Jim Doane
Rancho Tres Hermanos
c-o Sand Wells Siding
Maxmilla City Cowman's
Mortgage and Loan Bank robbed
tonight. Over $100,000 securities
and cash gone. Four men and
accomplice pulled job. Beat me
to it. Hitting back for your coun-
try now. Two citizens wounded.
One dying. I’m deputizing you
again. Doane, don’t fail me this
time.
Sam Flick
The sleepy day-man came into the
office and took Monte’s place. But
it was a full half-hour before Monte
returned, two handsome pearl-
handled guns in holsters at his hips.
The tigerish grace of the one-time
gambler's every movement had
somehow become accentuated.
"Shall we go now?" he said
quietly.
Two men sat on a rock butte that
overlooked a vast expanse of coun-
try. The hour was shortly past noon.
Heat devils shimmered across the
hot landscape Eastward there was
a tiny finger whirlwind that dipped
playfully at a desert ridge, swirling
a thin column of powdery dust sky-
ward. One of the men searched the
north horizon with a pair of small
binoculars. The other man smoked
many cigarettes, and he talked.
"Nevaire." muttered Monte Gar-
cia, conversationally, "have I liked
being wide awake, with open eyes,
in the daytime For me days are
hot an' drowsy, so a man may
sleep; nights are cool, for his work
an' his play Awake in the daytime,
I feel seeck—or maybe so it is only
too many cigarillos."
“Take a look north," said Doane
suddenly. "Looks like something
stirring along the skyline there. Too
far away to be sure."
Languidly Monte looked through
the glasses.
"Perhaps," he said, and gave the
glasses back. "Or perhaps a little
dust whirlwind. But one thing
troubles me my frien'."
“What is that?"
‘I will be frank. It is you!" said
Monte. “I do not quite know what
you intend to do."
"Do you need to ask?” Doane
snapped. “A hundred thousand dol-
lars in this robbery. Two bystand-
ers shot, one dying. Nothing less
than murder, that killing! Do you
have to ask what I'm going to do
about it, if I get the chance?”
“Jus' so," said Monte. "But I do
not mean the four men, who did
the robbery an’ shooting. I mean
about the one called accomplice—
the fifth rider! If it turns out that
way, what would you do about—her?
Eh? I wonder about that."
Silence. While Doane studied the
horizon north, there was a long
moment of silence. Yet Monte knew
that the gesture was only mechanical
and Doane saw nothing through the
glasses. Sharply, he whirled.
“Don't ask me that!”
In a little while Monte smiled. "It
is true then,” he said.
"What is true?"
"You have seen this young lady
— twice perhaps; maybe three
times. But you love her. My ques-
tion is answered. I, who have seen
her many times—”
"You love her, too, Monte?"
"Ha!" exclaimed Monte Garcia
softly. "How else could it be? . . .
But only as a brother. Jus' like one
older brother, my frien'.’’
Within half an hour a definite spot
of dust could be traced on the flat
north horizon. It did not weave like
one of the finger whirlwinds and it
had lasted too long, moving slowly
forward. The spot grew in size and
obtained slight length across the
terrain. In three-quarters of an
hour the glasses revealed pin-point
dark dots preceding the dust. But
it was as yet impossible to count
their number with accuracy.
"Holding that course,” muttered
Doane, “they’ll hit through those
rock ridges and buttes somewhere
to the left of us.”
Garcia and Jim
Enter the Chase
Time passed. Monte Garcia
watched a tiny, flecked sand lizard
that sunned itself on the hot surface
of a boulder. He smiled interested-
ly when the lizard caught a fly.
“That little fellow is like us,” con-
sidered Monte. “He waits — an’
catches his fly. But again it is dif-
ferent” — and Monte laughed iron-
ically—“the fly has no power to hurt
the lizard!”
Doane passed the glasses to him
again,
“Count 'em, Monte! See if I'm
right.”
For a long while now Monte gazed
through the glasses, His face
showed no emotion when he said,
slowly: “Five! Five riders!”
“Yes,” agreed Doane, after mo-
ments had passed.
He became engrossed in a new
study, a second seeming line of dust
just showing on the horizon. In time
this took form, minutely but stead-
ily. moving. It followed the first. The
actual distance separating the two
bands of riders was probably six or
eight miles. The visual panorama of
the binoculars was vast.
“Flick couldn't have lost much
time getting on the trail last night,”
muttered Doane. “Looks like half
the population of Maxmilla City in
that posse with him.
Monte, too, studied the second line
of dust for a long while, seeming
to smile. \
“Jus’ so! We used to say at the
gambling tables: ‘Watch out for the
unlucky player when the cards once
turn to him.’ It is a true saying,
my frien’.”
The two men silently worked their
way to the base of the butte. The
hot sunlight slanted now with early
afternoon. Two mounts and a pack
animal were tied in a fringe of low
mesquite shade. They watered the
riding animals with a scant gallon
or two from the pack tins. Blankets
were smoothed, saddles re-set and
horsehair cinchas tightened. All
this was done leisurely, as though
for a pleasure trip. Doane once more
rode the big roan animal.
They turned north, side by side,
leaving the pack animal Liuiui
(TO BE CONTLSULUI
TRFMAN AND WHITNEY
WASHINGTON.-Those who have
■at in on the hectic closed-door con-
ferences over the railroad strike
report that it is hard to say who has
I been sorest at the prims donna tao-
i tics of “Brother" A. t. Whitney,
; head of the trainmen—government
' officials or the other brotherhood
, leaders who are not striking but
j were thrown out of work by the
I trainmen and the locomotive engi-
I D**ri-
At one time probably the Presl- j
dent of the United States was the
most irked at the grandstanding Mr. |
i Whitney. Truman even had difflcui- !
j ty getting Whitney to stay in Wash- !
ington. He was constantly threat-
ening to stage an opera exit to
Cleveland without even bothering to
advise the Whte House.
Thu brought a sharp tongue-lash-
ing from the President during one
of their meetings.
“Whit de you mean to do—
walk out on the President of the
United States?" Truman roughly
inquired of "Brother" Whitney.
“No, sir," responded Whitney— J
: and his voice lacked its usual I
| brusqueness.
"Well, then yon had better
stay here until we get this thing
settled and try to show a little
more co-operation,” snapped
Truman.
. . .
GOP WHITE HOPE
While the East and Middle West '
' are conjuring with the names of j
| Stassen, Bricker and Dewey as Re- j
publican presidential candidates in j
I 1948, some strong medicine is brew- j
mg in the politically dynamite-leden
state of California which may put
another name in the limelight. For j
! in next month's primary Earl War- |
ren may win the Democratic nom-
ination for governor, as well as the j
Republican.
Under California's odd election
law, candidates may enter both
the Republican and Democratic
primaries. And under a clever 1
law passed by the state legis-
lature last year, Warren's name
will be printed at the top of both
the Republican and Democratic
ballots, despite the fact that
Warren is a Republican and his
rival, Attorney General Bob
Kenny, a Democrat.
Today Warren has split Kenny’s
labor support, has won the backing
of the AFL hierarchy and may very
well pile up enough Democratic
votes to kill all competition in the
final election. This would make ;
him a very important presidential
candidate.
• • •
GOVERNMENT LETTERS
The civil service commission has
just issued a fancy pamphlet 'tell-
ing government employees how to
write letters.
A section devoted to “What’s
Wrong With Government Writing?”
reads in part: "Are you one of the
people who think all government
writing must be impersonal and
legalistic? . . . What does it profit
a man if he writes the long way
around—and loses his reader? Why
use horse-and-buggy writing in ah
airplane age?
“Let’s cut long sentences into
bites we can swallow," the civil
service rhetorician urges govern-
ment writers. “Shorten your sen-
tences to an average of 17 words."
But here is the payoff: The
first sentence of a foreword in 9
the booklet contains 27 words;
the second, 18 words; the third,
28 words; the fourth, 22 words,
and the fifth, IS words.
• • •
$1-A-YEAR McGRADY
Jovial Ed McGrady, vice presi-
dent of the Radio Corporation of
America and ex-assistant secretary
of labor, was asked by a newsman
if it were true Labor Secy. L.
B. Schwellenbach is “raising his
salary” because of his diligent ef-
forts to bring John L. Lewis and
the operators together.
McGrady got a chuckle out of
the question, for he is being
paid nothing for his herculean
work in trying to settle the dis-
pute. i
The fact is that few men have do-
nated more time to their govern-
ment than McGrady. After a bril-
liant record as assistant secretary
of labor, he joined the Radio Cor-
poration of America, but during the
war was loaned to the war depart-
ment as a dollar-a-year man. Mc-
Grady is one of the men the treas-
ury department cusses out. For ive
office is covered with framed gov-
ernment checks—all for $1 and un-
cash ed.
• • •
MERRY-GO-ROUND
Bob Hannegan is running into
trouble with his “task force." His
young men’s committee, appointed
to bolster weak spots in the Truman
administration, can’t operate with-
out treading on the toes of certain
weak administrators — especially
John Snyder. Whereupon the cahi- I
net protective society intervenes.
Even broad-gauged Secretary of the
Treasury Vinson didn’t like having
his subordinates invade the sacred
inner sanctum of John Snyder’s
duties. More jurisdictional disputes!
Place a piece of waxed paper
under the centerpiece you have on
your fine table. Prevents stains
from water and keeps cloth from
sticking last in hot weather.
—•—
Tie a simple bew-kaet in your
hose with the nozzle protruding up-
ward. Support it on a block, and
presto, you have an improvised
sprinkler head.
—#—
To prolong the life of children’*
shoestrings, stitch up and down
them several times on the sewing
machine.
—a—
la lengthening your daughter’s
dresses, sometimes a ridge ap-
pears where the old hem used to
be. To conceal this, follow the
line of the ridge with a row of
rickrack braid. Stitch in place by
machine. This treatment also gives
the dress an attractive bit of trim.
—•—
Heat or water rings on a table-
top sometimes arc only in the sur-
face wax and may be removed
with a little polishing. However, it
they go deeper, remove the shel-
lac with alcohol and apply a resin
varnish.
—o—
Plan a "play at home” night
each week with games, music,
stunts, story-telling and candy
pulling besides.
When using both the rind and
juice of lemons and oranges, grate
the rind before squeezing the fruit.
Keep printed woodwork shiny
and clean by applying a thin coat
of wax to the places most often
finger-spotted by the children.
—a—
When yon go swimming and
there's no dressing-room available
daub the windows of your car with
a paste of kitchen cleaning pow-
der and water and dress in the
car. A damp cloth and box of
cleanser are little trouble to take
with you, and windows can easily
be cleaned afterward with a soft
dry cloth.
Contains No Cream of To
NEW GRADE 1
TRUCK&TRACT0R
TIRE SALE
ZO% off list
Plus Tax
All fires Guaranteed
Phone, write or wire
C-5731 C-8730
o
CHARUE JONES TIRE SERVICE
Conor loss and lomar
DALLAS 2, TEXAS
dorO ThY
ilaw°u.!L
‘ ^of >»£,V
pKT!'roo*«‘L
CMOX
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Webb, Leonard. The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, June 14, 1946, newspaper, June 14, 1946; West, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth589996/m1/5/: accessed July 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting West Public Library.