PAGE SIX
Thfc . OREGON "STATESMAN, Salem, Oregon, Fridaj Morning, January 40, 19315, ,
Founded 1S5I
- "No Favor Sways Us; No Fear Shall Awe"
i From Pint Statesman. March 28, 1851
THE STATESMAN PUBLISHING CO.
CbA&LCS A. Spragus - - - Editor-Manager
OUUnAJI " OAvUXll " m anuy wmvi
! ' Member of the Associated Press
The Associated Press la exclusively entitled' to thm utm Iot publica
tion of U news dispatches credited t It or not otherwise credited ta .
this paper.
Broad Construction
THERE is a disposition by the democratic special pleaders
to assume that the supreme court has adopted a strict
construction view of the federal constitution in the AAA
case. A careful reading the decision will disclose that on one
point the court has definitely committed itself to the broad
est construction of the constitution. That is, in its interpreta
tion of this clause of Section 8, Article I of the constitution:
"Tha eionrreaa shall hare Dower
Tn lav an1 oniiuf tsTOK rintloji imnnnti and excises, to
AV J vwmvw ww( - 1 r r
pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general
warfare ot the United States.
The. question was whether the power of congress' to
levy taxes was limited to the carrying out of other enumer
ated Dowers assigned to the national government. 'Justice
Roberts reviews the history of interpretations of this clause.
He cites Madison's position that the power to tax was re
stricted by the other grants of power. "Hamilton, on the
other hand, maintained the clause confers a power separate
and distinct from those later enumerated. . . and congress
consequently has a substantive power to tax and to appro
priate, limited only by the requirement that it snail oe exer
cised to provide for the general welfare of the United States.'
Justice Story, whose studies in constitutional law have be
come recognized as basic textbooks in the schools, adopted
jthe view of Hamilton. Whereupon Justice Koberts for tne
court adopts the Hamilton-Story interpretation:
"We shall not review the writings of public men and com
mentators or discuss the legislative practice. Study of all these
leads as to conclude that the reading adTocated by Mr. Justice
Story is the correct one."
In other words the court set up for the first time, the
rule that the power of congress to levy taxes, duties, excises
is broad, limited only by the qualifying words : "to pay debts,
provide for the common defense and general welfare." Rob
erts quotes Monroe, Hamilton and Story to the effect that
the purpose of the tax must be general and not local, on
which point there is no disagreement.
After adopting this broad view of the taxing power of
the. congress Justice Roberts does not endeavor to test the
processing taxes as to whether they are for the "general wel
fare". He says :
"We are not now required to ascertain the scope of the
phrase 'general welfare of the United States' or to determine
whether an appropriation in aid of agriculture falls within it.
Wholly apart from that question, another principle embedded
in our constitution prohibits enforcement of the agricultural ad
justment act. The act invades the reserved rights of the states.
It is a statutory plan to regulate and control agricultural pro
duction, a matter beyond the powers delegated to the federal
government The tax. the appropriation of the funds raised, and
the direction for their disbursement, are but parts of the plan.
They are but means to an unconstitutional end."
In the cursory reading of the opinion when first ren
dered the conclusion of the court appeared to be the only
thing that counted. In reality the adoption of the broad con
struction view of the taxing power is of equal significance.
In simple language the court says the congress has full pow
er to levy taxes and make appropriations, if those purposes
.are "to pay debts and provide for the common defense and
general welfare." And the language of the decision and of
former decisions indicates that the court is fully inclined to
give very wide iatitude to congress own interpretation of
' "general welfare". Here indeed is a pronounced victory for
the national principle.
The Great Game
of Politics
By FRANK R. KENT
Copyright 1935, by The Baltimore Sua
Tugwell Was Right
Washington, Jan. 9
FOR quite while before Mr.
Roosevelt's theatrical perform
ance last Friday there was sPecu-
1 a 1 1 o n as to
which of the
A dministration
spokesmen
really repre
s e n t e d his
views and
which, when
4 the time came,
::he would follow.
Bits for Breakfast
By R. J. HENDRICKS
Frank B. Ktmt
On the question of over-reaching delegated powers it
seems to us the opinion of Mr. Justice Roberts is logical and
" incontrovertible. To quote pertinent paragraphs :
"A possible result of sustaining the claimed federal power
would be that "every business group which thought itself under
privileged might demand that a tax be laid on its vendors or
vendees, the proceeds to be appropriated to the redress of its
deficiency of income.-. . .
"Until recently no suggestion of the existence of any such
power in the federal government has been advanced. The ex
pressions of the framers of the constitution, the decisions of
this court interpreting that instrument and the writings of great
commentators will be searched in vain for any suggestion that
there exists in the clause under discussion or elsewhere in the
constitution the authority whereby every provision and every
fair implication from that instrument may be subverted, the in
dependence of the individual states obliterated, and the United
States converted into a central government exercising uncon
trolled police power in every state of the union, superseding
all local control or regulation of the affairs or concerns of the
states."
Justice Roberts says that Hamilton and Story never ap
proved any doctrine that the power of congress could be used
to obliterate the constituent states, and adds:
"But to this fatal conclusion the doctrine contended for
would inevitably lead. And its sole premise is that, though the
makers Of the constitution, in erecting the federal government,
intended sedulously to limit and define its powers, so as to re
' serve to the states and the people sovereign power, to be "wielded
by the states and their citizens and not to be invaded by the
United States, they nevertheless, by a single clause, gave power
to the congress to tear down the barrier, to invade states' jurisdiction-,
and to become a parliament of the whole people sub
ject to no restrictions save such as are self-imposed. The ar
gument when seen in -its true character and in the light of its
inevitable results must be rejected."
We have analyzed at some length the opinion of the
court as read by Mr. Justice Roberts for the purpose of re
futing the patent slurs cast by President Roosevelt at the
court in his Jackson day address. There can be no doubt that
his phrases "haughty and sterile . intellectualism", "musty
reaction", "hollow and outworn traditionalism" were barbed
thrusts at the court Such at least may be inferred from the
boisterous applause given them by the assembled appointive
office-holders at the banquet. No such charge is proper
against the supreme court It adopted .the broad interpreta
tion of the taxing power. It adopted the only sensible inter
pretation of the constitution, the one consistently followed
throughout the history of the court, namely that the con
gress is not a parliament of unlimited powers. Such a ruling
is not "sterile intellectualism". It is merely honest thinking.
The trouble with the president is that he ignores legal
id constitutional restraint He would modify all laws ab-
iptly in terms of his own purposes which he conceives to be
lh and lofty: and he would brand as hopeless reactionaries
id as minions of greed all whose opinions differ from his
!wn. Quite aside from the constitutional Question, the AAA
is subject to very grave criticism from the standpoint of
national policy. But it is unjust and unfair rto condemn the
majority of the supreme court for the performance of their
duty of sustaining the federal form of government under our
constitution. A study of the opinion shows it was broad and
enlightened; it was the legislation which was screwy.
IN the West, a
few months
ago, Professor
Tugwell made a
a e n s a t i onal
speech ferociously denunciatory of
"business greed" and eloquently
appealing for a "workers-farmers
alliance." He spoke with intense
bitterness of "oar enemies' de
clared that "our best strategy? is
to surge forward "with the com
mon man," and assert "irresistible
power" of the workers to secure
their rights. There were immedi
ate denunciations of this utter
ance as a revolutionary attack of
the type expected from a soap-box
Communist, bat extremely shock
ing in a high Government offi
cial. HARDLY had the echoes of that
address died away before Secre
tary of Commerce- Daniel C. Ro
per (Uncle Dan) began a series of
talks which literally reeked with
reassuring words addressed to
business, big and little. Concilia
tory and unctuous to the last de
gree, Mr. Roper pledged his word
that business had nothing to fear
from the re-election of Mr. Roose
velt. His appeal waa directly to
the conservative interests. He em
phasized heavily the "good will"
of the President toward business
and his determination to aid and
encourage it In brief, the Roper
Tugwell contrast was complete.
However, each being close to Mr.
Roosevelt, a good many people
were baffled as to which spoke
the President's mind and what
course he would choose when the
moment arrived to speak for him
self.
THEY know now. No one has any
aouDt on that score since that col
orful message to Congress. Even
bis most partial Journalistic inter
preters point out that again he
has turned definitely Left taken
tne Tugwell track. A day before
the delivery, one of Mr. Roose
velt's radical friends In the House
was quoted as having advised him
to "get tough" with the oddorI-
tion. Another waa reported to
have said, "Give 'em hell. Mr.
President, give 'em hell." It looks
as if that were exactly what Mr.
Roosevelt deliberately and most
dramatically tried to do. At any
rate, n immensely delighted the
Progressive Republicans of the
Norria and La Follette type, com
pletely proved that so far as stra
tegy is concerned. Dr. Tugwell
spoke by the book, and left Mr.
Roper out on a limb, feeling very
sick and looking rather silly.
IT la Possible, too, that he has
grieved in his secret soul his
friend, Mr. Roy Howard, to whom
he wrote the famous "breathing
spell" letter, because the bulk of
the domestic part of the Presi
dent's address was devoted to bat
ting business men over the head,
dwelling upon their depravity, sel
fishness and iniquity as exempli
fied in their refusal to subscribe
to the Roosevelt policies. Refer
ring to those who differ with him
as creatures of "entrenched
greed," he also, among other
things, described them as "dis
credited special Interests" and
"unscrupulous money changers."
In addition, he strongly intimated
that they favored "child labor"
ana "starvation wages." Rarely
has a President reached greater
heights as a name caller.
THE very next day Mr. Roper
being in eclipse another Cabinet
member, the Hon. Harold Ickes,
fired a broadside In which he gave
business still more hell. Contemp
tuously speaking of those who op
pose Mr. Roosevelt as "these een-
try," he called them "representa
tive of special privilege" and"eco-
nomle feudalists." Touching nnon
the "arrogance of the rich," Ire
declared their purpose was to es
cape taxation themselves and
make the poor "par. Da v. nav"
One or two business men, such as
the unfortunate Mr. Sloan of Gen
eral Motors, he indicted by name.
Aitogetner the Ickes speech was a
swell "follow up" of the Roose
velt keynote, wholly in harmony
wun recent national committee
propoganda.
WHILE, It is heldTMr. Roosevelt
will not entirely abandon hia
game of playing both ends against
the middle and will, ag in his bud
get message of today, drop a "re
assuring word" now and then
business, the character of the
coming campaign has been clearly
oumnea. ut. Tugweu was. right,
Mr. Roper wrong. The New Deal
appeal will be to the head, not
the heart; to emotion rather than
reason; to the passions and m.
.. . . -
juuices or particular classes rath
er than to the nation as a whole
And there will be no "good will"
aoout it. .
Salem 50 years ago .,"!
and some of Its history
and this section's franchise
crops and franchise advantages;
V
(Con tinning from yesterday:)
Bat Salem was a long time getting
its first paved streets. It first
concrete sidewalk was laid at the
southwest corner of Commercial
and Chemeketa streets.
It is there yet, showing no
wear. Think what the hardest
stone would show!
W S
The first auto came to Salem
early in 1902; brought by Otto J.
. t . , , ,
Wiiaon, aiui in dusihbss. 11 waa
an Oldsmoblle. In 1903 Dr. W. B.
Morse bought a car ot that make,
also John and Joe Graber and
County Judge W.- C. Hubbard.
So did J. H. Albert, the bank
er, but in the name ot Fred Wig
gins, his son-in-law. He feared
ownership of the buzz-wagon con
trivance might. If known, start a
ran on his bank.
H
Autos became comparatively
numerous in a few years after
that, but they took the deep mad
of the streets and roads in the
rainy season and the stifling dust
of the summer.
N t
It was 1807 before Salem hsd a
paved street. Through the public
spirit of Fred W. and W. H. Steus-
loff, who had erected their build
ing on the northwest corner of
Court and Liberty streets, three
blocks were paved that year
On Court from Commercial to
Church street 1188 lineal feet
in all. It was bltalithlc, now gen
erally called "black top," though
there are several prescriptions tor
black top pavement.
Fred Steu&loff has gone to his
long rest; Mrs. Steusloff having
her home here. "Bill," the broth
er, is on deck, connected with the
Valley Packing company, etc. The
three block bltulithic monument is
there yet, apparently good for a
thousand years.
S
The year 108 saw a mile of
black top pavement in Salem
Central to Trade on Commercial
and up State to 12th.
After that, the movement was
fully launched.
Health
By Royal S. Copeland, M.D.
Now Salem has mot tar from
ISO lineal miles of pavement on
streets and alleys, counting a 30
foot wide surface used in outlying
sections.
The lineal feet are a little less,
owing to the wide dowa town
streets.
1 S S
Of coarse, pioneer Salem had
many blacksmith shops and livery
stables, and nearly every promin
ent old time resident had a barn
for his baggy or carriage horses,
and many cows were kept.
Boys had work la driving cows
to pasture mornings and back
home in the evenings.
. S
Bat many cows were allowed to
ran at large, oa the streets and
alleys.
One of the first more or leas
unpopular fights of the writer was
ia tackling the subject of gettint
the city dads to pass ordinances
against cows, pigs and poultry
running at large.
Another was on account of the
bridge tight for that was a body
blow at ferrymen, who were mak
ing good money.
A number of pioneer Oregon
fortunes were founded on ferries
The first department store in Sa
lem was, the first bank at Rose-
burg, etc., ete.
S S S
I would like to go back further
to trace the beginnings of Salem
back a little over 101 years
ago. when Jason Lee and his two
companions landed, Oct. 6, 1834,
at their mission site and began
building their first little log oab-
m in the no man's land that was
the old Oregon country.
That was 10 miles below Sa
lem's site, by water, principal
, mode ot travel then.
That party made Salem's begin-
nings; that was the beginning of
Protestant Christianity and civil
ization, and American sovereignty,
west of the Rocky mountains.
Thus Salem is the highest point
of history, as related to the re
public of the United Stales, on the
Pacific coast.
S
Hither eame the people who es
tablished American government
on this coast; came Sutter, who
founded the first American settle
ment in Mexican territory on this
coast; came the men who disco v
(Continued on, Page 15).
Representative Ziohcheck from Washington state was found
guilty of being drunk and disorderly, at the national capital. The
congressman got to plugging the telephone drops at an apartment
house early New Year's morning instead of blowing a tinhorn at a
hotel cabaret like his colleagues. He was one of the Jellyfish the high
political tide of 1932 left on the shore and is now commencing to
smeU,
Plates for the Andrew Jackson banquet in Washington were
sold for 50 apiece, which waa a poUte way ot assessing the office
holders to raise money to pay off the Raskob mortgage on the dem
ocratic committee. U
Twenty Years Ago
,
January 10, 1918
Universal military servioe
the United States w nri
Major-General Hugh I Scott to-
aay.
NO DOUBT you have watched a
tailor at his work. Perhaps he had
many pins In his mouth and you
wondered that he did not swallow
them. Tou have seen a man laylnr
carpet, holding- the tacks In his
mouth. Tou have seen your mother
er your wife performing in the same
way.
. Too often the child. Imitating the
parent, places a pin, tack or other
object in the mouth and accidentally
swallows it This is an alarming ac
cident. In some instances the wind
pipe becomes obstructed and the pa
tient suffers agony. Ail too often
instantaneous death is caused by the
attempt to swallow some large ob
ject Sometimes the swallowed material
la small, but has sharp and pointed
edges. In consequence It may pierce
the gullet or even the stomach or in
testine. Severe Internal Injuries are
caused in this way. Usually the ob
ject is passed without any damage
or discomfort.
Because of this accident children
are daily brought to hospitals for
treatment Let us be honest with
ourselves and admit that this Is all
due to carelessness tn placing the
small objects, such as pins, buttons.
marbles or very small toys, within
reach of the little ones.
Avoid Bad Example
No habit can be worse than that
ot placing pins and other objects In
the mouth. There is always the dan
ger of swallowing them. Besides. It
sets a bad example. Children love to
mlmlck their elders. If you place pins
in your mouth in the presence of
your child, he will be tempted to do
the same thing.
Sometimes this accident is caused
by carelessness In the preparation of
the food and Its feeding to the child. .
When serving a food like fish to a
youngster, make sure the bones are
removed. Avoid Joking and hearty
laughter at the table whir eating
such foods.
Fortunately, foreign bodies can
now be removed without a cutting
operation. By foreign bodies I mean
such objects as bones, pins and other
substances that may lodge in the gul
let or wind pipe. Their removal la
now ' successfully accomplished by
means of a special Instrument called
the "bronchoscope".
Foreign Body Menace
This instrument was first used as
far back as 1897. But It Is only with
in recent years that It has been per
fected by equipment with special
lenses and electric lamps. In a sense
the bronchoscope is like the periscope
bf a submarine. It enables the doc
tor accurately to locate the swallowed
object, grasp It and remove it Its
use has materially reduced the mor-
tality and complications which follow
the swallowing of foreign bodies.
A foreign body Is a source of dan
ger until It has been recovered. Its
presence should sever be Ignored.
Even though there may be pain tn
removing it, tt most be done. In
every such case consult the doctor.
The x-ray pictures should be taken
because they show the exact location
of tha offending object.
Dr. Copeland it plai to answer
inquiries from reader) who tend
addressed stamped envelope with
their questions. Att inquiries
should U addressed ta Mm ta
care of this newspaper.
(Copyright, 1918, X. T. IneJ
tn
by
While the Russian front -has
been quiet during the past 24
nours, there has been severe fight
Ing In the other war theatres.
Thirteen years ago the 1 First
Congregational church of Salem
umsnea and tarnished its new
building.
The Safety
Valve
Letters from
Statesman Readers
A New Year's Greeting from the Heart! 1
i' U .0 V5r?.
if
"HIGH SCHOOL TRAGEDY" i cTr
SYNOPSIS
outer office. The Inspector looked it
17 Is 1 over witaotrc commenting,
j iiu, wh wmaw m mu v. . mm - - - ,
relating what happened after faerl. He esarae some more qesuons.
French teacher, pretty Constance I J"1 3"" vv vucv!
(Connie) Sinclair, was found shot S" Whelton, who
dead at a desk tn her (Mill Sin- ".,rrlua". i 1'
rur. .Mftmnt. Tn. ha atar. nt Miss Sinclair to a movie, but
tied her mother and interests her
a - sunn a inien in wriLSL s nea
odd7d and told Mr. Perkins
vious afternoon, a few hoars before fv Jr"" 77" V
h mnrA.- ei.. UmA . for the same reason. I read mors
mv mam wvi s etssav v mm u m i a, a,v l a.
pen which she had bor- J" w?
r - i raw stnot lira wi nwi oa
Ten Years Ago
January 10. 19 2 C
A huge tidal wave swept
harbor of Bernard, Maine, yesterday.
the
Mayor J. B. Ciesy declares tn
an interview that conditions have
vastly improved in the six years
ot national prohibition.
Radio drains is coming to the
fore as a new field of entertain
ment, i
Salem, Ore.
Jan. 3. 1836
To the Editor:
Much has been said, pro and
con by the citizens and press about
the proceedings of our council and
water commission with the city's
water problem. Especially has the
Capital Press been somewhat
harsh in its criticism of our hum
ble servants whom the citizens
placed so much confidence and
-faith in, when they elected them
to a position of service and irust
After reading those criticisms
carefully and thoughtfully, we
come to the conclusion that the
Press has not stated falsely, but
has spoken the whokaf truth and
nothing but the truth, and has also
expressea the sentiment of a peo
ple whose trust has been betrayed,
When the city was offered the
sale of the water plant at a fair
price, the city council refused to
purchase it, but went in to a leng
thy condemnataion suit, spending
thousands of dollars for high sal
arled lawyers. Then they went
off on a tangent of arbitration.
which they sidetracked and final
ly came back to the starting point.
paying the water company sever
al thousand dollars more than
they first asked for it. Then after
ihe plant was finally acquired and
the question of considering the
"source of supply came up, the
same old game of Bee-saw, up and
down, all around began. No two
could seem to agree. Thousands
of dollars were spent punching
holes in the ground and hiring a
geologist who could not make any
a e 1 1 nite report on the under.
ground water supply until the last
hole was drilled and no water
found. Then he could safely say
that tbere was a hard pan or
something else that prevented the
water sinking into the strata.
They have hired high salaried
engineers to go over the ground
that was surveyed and mapped by
Eaer and Cunningham. They now
propose to build a reservoiir and
roof it. Who wants a root over a
reservoir when the greatest pur
ifier of water Is God's free sun
shine and pure air. New York has
an open air reservoir with thou
sands of sprays which threw the
water In sprays above the surface
in order to allow the water to ab
sorb plenty of oxygen which puri
fies it. Well who is to blame for
all this side stepping, wrangling.
procastlnatlon,, indecision and
foolish wasting of funds that were
entrusted to their stewardship?
We feel that these servants of
the people are not nincompoops
bnt are the puppets of an organ
ization who dab themselves "The
Tax Payers' League," who, like
the Kin Klux Klan, conceal their
true Identity and by various means
keep their victims under complete
domination.
As the old saying goes, "figures
14 tint Harm vflt ffvnM "
v vu w wnagy mr w a w
So it is that false statements are
made and published to deceive the
people.
There is money yet left un
spent to bring, water from the
North Fork and give employ nent
to many hundred people that
need- it, but at the past rate of
spending there will not be a suf
ficiency in a tew months. There
Is, as a certain prominent business
man remarked, a way for the peo
ple to get what' they want is to
start petitions for recall and oust
these unfaithful persoas, and see
to it cost men are elected that
will do what the people desire of
them. Why not begin action at
oncer
T. B. Jackson
165 S. Winter
fountain
rowed from Miss Sinclair. News
paper reports make known that the
teacher was slain about 10 o'clock
that night. The police went to the
apartment upon receipt of a mys
terious telephone call informing
them that Miss Sinclair had been
slain. Julie's young brother, Allen,
also a high school puptL leaves the
breakfast table soon after the fam
ily starts discussing the tragic
news. Classes did not amount to
much that day. Julie, an assistant
after hours in Principal Perkins'
office, is summoned by him to meet
Police Inspector O'Brien who is
beginning the investigation. This
is Julie s account of their first
interview:
CHAPTER II
Inspector O'Brien was rather nice.
awfully gentle and quite unlike a
detective while he was talkintr to me.
He asked tne to sit down, Mr. Per
kins conehed nervously. He said.
"I'm sorry, Julie, that you must go
through this. I did not suppose any
stuaents wouia be auestioned."
"Every anele is worth investigat
ing in a case like this," said Mr.
O Bnen pleasantly.
"I don5t mind.'' I
sure him.
He smiled. "Suppose vou tell ns
all you know about Miss Sinclair,
Julie," the Inspector suggested. He
took a paper from bis Docket.
sheet of writing paper in pale green
covered with fine, web-like lines in
black ink. it was very peculiar pen
manship, almost like engraving,
somenow it seemed familiar.
"I believe you visited Miss Sin
clair with a friend about 4:30 yes
terday aiternoon." he stated, con
sulting the paper. This time I saw
the signature, Anna SardonL It was
evidently a signed statement from
her.
ter she was writing.
"The teachers stopped at about
7:00 o'clock. There was another
caller about 8:00 who left at 8:30,"
he consulted Mrs. Sardonis paper
reading from the Book Shop; they
rent books out, you know. It .was a
biography of the mas who wrote
Holy Dick.'
"Herman Melville" said Mr.
Perkins. "I found that book on her
desk this morning. If yon don't
want it. Inspector. Ill return it to
the Shop."
"No, I dont believe it would be
of any use to us. Well, Miss Julie,
I guess that's alL Ton have been
very helpful, ana I may need yoa
again. Now, if Melvin Wright is
waiting outside, send him in. will
you!"
"Yes, sir. Goodbye. Do call me
if I can help any more."
As I went through the door, In-
hastened to as-
.tlJCJ'M.? mti The boys kidded Melvin about having a crush oa the teacher, until he
5 TVt? tvAJS blackened Jack Gibsons eye one day .. .
front of Mr. Perkins. He didn't
seem to be listening. So I went on
without much embarrassment.
again as he made this statement.
So you returned the, pen to her U. to to if thia per-
1 . - m
later I Vrr,mA1 frt K fK mnro...
r; . ;'T- 7C I I was all trembly with the
-nd I met Miss Sinclair on the tQOUght hearin- abont th, cu.
it i f v i "" direct like this, so to speak. But the
all went in torether.1
"Did Miss Sinclair unlock the
apartment house door?
Inspector turned to me again. "Just
two more questions, Miss Julie."
I wss disappointed. I would have
"No, nor the one to her apart- liked to bw who that person who
UIVII ClVUUf
The Inspector made a note.
"Bather stramre." he commented.
-She said ue aparaneni ooor yoa describe to us the pen you
was always open. There are only I IT " TT i?t . - Bf-LElT T
four
comes
left at 8:80 was. Evidently Mrs.
Sardoni had told him.
"First," he was saying, "i
suppose
rott bor-
.id "wed bi Miss Sinclair
apartments, and whoever l WeIL" I answered, "it waa a sort
In at 11:00 o'clock at night!. " .iT ZTT " Tr? ZZ
aohahsv."111 loxlnolsrSS
"v f o? ayoto enter." I " TV
said Mr. Perkins. I rrhm .
"Well" I hesitated. I.r-" ul 'LtTZTti
"Yes prompted the InmMetor.?r &tt,SrwfaTSJSr!i2
"Not so easy, at least tt wasn't "ffwV "attrying marks yea
w- "NAtMsia nis
win . . . w;-
UtM I ww
out
the stairs. She scared me. Miss Sin-Lr7r
i l . j j i j i i. i tuxnea lh 1
ws rth.rShemaid BhTwL ktLeo-
j 4. it - iv-1 - v.iv j I armed this. Little did I ever dream
her at first. I guess that is the way EfTLrf P xin
an apartment house manager has to i. - v? -
do to know what is going on." TU"?J 5SS,it
The inspector smiled, hot Mr. " " iVr . tLTTv UB
b..v.. tt.. I letter was written in ink. yet there
dow. I thought Td better hurry to ,f vf fT d.e8n,tion
to the Important things. Jl!? ,?Uct UJ0U
Mi ftnoiai mm tw I realixed then how keen and
herself had always lived in a house, .il?yes conld u
and that she could never remember SefL"v . .. . , . , . ,
to lock her own door., even- at .vAW1 "Ixclaimed,why
uisht." had it in her hand and sort of
"It would be interesting," mused wnen shetoid Miss Sass
TnuiitA -. i v.Ishe had letters to write."
people knew of that careless habit L".Th.ea Ph?P the pen will lead
' i,- "-, V.-;
others."
.y I toagine a good, many" I
emmea in, ior wnicn i bad some re
grets later, -"for Dicky said she
uug&ea aoout it tn Class one day.'
"And what claas is he in!" in
quired the omcer.
: . I told aim. Be asked Mr. PerUna
for the enrollment list of that group,
and the Principal got it from the
And did. I shudder later wti T
recalled that remark 1 You're ask
ing met . -
"One other thing. Do yon remem
ber any more conversation that
might interest ust"
I , "No-o." I answered slowly, think
ing naro.
Wlll JtJ v
"We talked about a book she was
spector O'Brien said to Mr. Perkins,
This Wright boy was the caller
who left last night at 8:80."
I told Melvin to go in, but I shud
dered when he passed me. Could he
have killed anyone! I knew- the
story of his relation to Miss Sis
clair, as did everyone else in school.
He was a mess to begin with, rather
good-loo kine. bnt considering him
self a hard guy, as Dicky calls it,
ana always in trouble. Miss Sin
clair was sympathetic. Most of the
teachers had the nolicv of setting
their lips when Melvin entered class.
.cvpiug; oa ua uin, ana starting
things first; I mean they hopped on
him at the slightest thing he did or
said, and kicked him out oa any pre
text, glad to be rid of him. Miss
Sinclair wasjdifferenL She hsd lots
of patience; she talked to him, and
she tried to reform him.
He behaved nrettv wen tn her
class, and all the boys kidded him
about having a crash en her, until
he blackened Jack Gibsons eve,
Then' she found oat he had stolen
some money from another teacher's
desk, and had spent it on some girl
down town. She reported him, and
after that he seemed to hate her as
much as he had adored her. He was
on probation now, and Miss Sinclair
had to sign his parole blank each
week.
As he"ooened the door. Mr. Per
kins was saying, "O'Brien, this chap
Wright is the school's problem boy,
III admit. He has caused every
teacher here a lot of trouble at one
time or another, but I hardly think
he would go so far as to shoot one
ofthemi"
Melvin stood in the doorway. As
the principal finished speaking, he
Uujrhed that hard, sneering laugh
"No. fre felt like it often enough.
but I didnt do this job."
I have never heard a harder, more
rasping voice than the Inspectors
Suddenly became. He said: "Young
man. this is no time for ypor wise
cracking. Close the doorP
(To Be Continued)
til. I