10-Story Detective, September 1941 — page 57: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CORPSE BEHIND THE 8 BALL——-————————55 Phil said: “I feel better myself now. Maybe you’ve got a place in the clubhouse where we can lock him up for a while.” Mr. Lowther cheerfully helped Phil pick up Jack Lowe, and they lugged him toward the clubhouse, leaving Lucile with Ted Latta. When Phil came back, Lucile and Latta were sitting cozily on a bench. Phil was uneasy about that. This man Latta carried plenty of appeal for the women, without half trying. And it wasn’t likely Lucile had forgiven Phil, either. It had always been her inflexible rule that Phil had no busi- ness interfering, and if she made a mistake she’d take the rap for it. Lucile said: “Mr. Latta has been telling me things. By the way, what happened to Mrs. Seymour?” Phil told them where Mrs. Sey- mour was. Ted Latta laughed. “T’ll drive out and get her after the game. Be good for her to wait. Only trouble with her is she’s been spoiled all her life.” R. LOWTHER came up and dropped a hand on Latta’s shoulder. “We’re not doing so well,” he said. “Score is only 77 for five wickets. You’ll be in next. You'll have to pull us out. Make it a cenitury.” “A century?” Phil queried. ‘‘A hundred runs,” explained Mr. Lowther. “One man make a hundred runs?” “It happens sometimes,” Mr. Low- ther said tolerantly. “But not fre- quently. Ted can do it, if he gets a good start. You see, one reason so many more runs are scored in cricket than in baseball is that the pitch is in the center of the field and the bats- man can } it all around him—no such thing as a ball hit foul. The fielders have a lot more territory to cover. “And when the fielders are unable - to prevent the ball from reaching the field boundary, it automatically counts four runs. If the batsman hits the ball owt of the field, it counts six. Ah!” Mr. Lowther looked up sudden- ly. “Frank is out. In you go, Ted!” Ted Latta reached down lazily and picked his bat off the ground. He got up. He said to Lucile: “Well, I think I still have a claim on you. A man who was acting as your agent prom- ised me an engagement with you!” “Well, here, now,” Phil put in. “I don’t think—well it’s up to Lucile.” Latta stared at him. Then he smiled again. “Oh, I see. It’s more than busi- ness between you two!” He shrugged. “I’m sorry—but my blessing on you.” He sauntered out on the field. Lucile said in a low voice: “Phil, I’ve been thinking about my kid sis- ter. I want to do what’s right by Beatrice. But maybe I’ve been wrong. I don’t want to spoil her. Maybe it would be better if she suffered a lit- tle, while she’s young, than grow up to be another Mrs. Seymour!” Phil beamed with quick happiness. “Oh, well,” he said, “she wouldn’t need to suffer so much. I’d be a good brother. Maybe she’d like it.” “Maybe she would,” Lucile said, and caressed the back of Phil’s hand. They watched the playing field. Ted Latta had reached the wicket, was facing the bowler. The bowler shot the ball at him, with the regular straight-arm overhead motion. It was a terrifically fast ball. Ted Latta seemed to step forward to meet it, briskly. His bat swept at it smart- ly, lifted it off the ground. “Beautiful!” exclaimed Mr. Low- ther. “The guy’s good,” Phil conceded. He squirmed uneasily, and said to Lucile: “Say, there’s something makes me feel bad. That guy’s going to war in a few days. Now, if I was in his place, and he was in my place, and I figured I was entitled to a date with you, what would he do? Why, he would be very polite and say, ‘Cer- tainly! Of course! By all means’!’’ Lucile said: “Listen, you lug. Il don’t want you to be too good a sport. Cricket is swell—but you leave it to the English.” Commiclbdoolk ©