PAGE EIGHT
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBTJNE, JLEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1934.
MOCKING HOUSE
waiter C. BROWN
,al8: Sergeant Harper
..an a piece ot ettino and the
i.atitnoHV of a manufarturer of die
guleee to 00 on ae cluee to the myi
. terloue death ot two men in Pierre
Dutreene'a houee. The etrlno may
explain what became ot one 01 the
death gune. but the information
about the dlegulee onlu complicates
mattere. He ie u(ion(n the
housekeeper, who hae told him that
a maid recentlv lett the Dulresnes'
employ.
Chapter 30
PUZZLED HOUSEKEEPER
TjOW long hav you beau Hying
il 0Ter tha garage?" Harper
MSSd.
"Since about the middle ot De
. t ember."
"When did the decorator! i!nlh?"
; "About two weeks ago."
"Why didn't you move back to
the house?"
. "Mr. Dufresne thought It Just as
well to leave things as they were
until the house was opened again.
There was to be a big party then, I
believe."
"Then, since the middle of De
cember there has been no one stay
ing In this house at night!"
"Mo. After the workmen left each
day Mr. Holllday locked up and
brought me the keys. Every morn
ing he came tor them, so the men
could get In and work.",
"Were you here In the house at all
yesterday?"
"Yes, In the afternoon. I was In
every room ot the house."
"What then?"
"I locked up and went back."
"Was It snowing then?"
"Just beginning."
"Your husband was taere all the
time? In the evening?"
"Yos."
' "During the evening, did you at
any time look out ot the window,
over toward the house?"
"Not that 1 recall. We went to
bed early. The next thing we knew
the 'phone was ringing and Andrews
was telling me that some one had
been killed in the breakfast-room
and to hurry over. Bo we got np
and dressed."
"Mrs. WhILmore, what would you
ay It I told you that this house bas
been frequently occupied at night
during the last few weeks?"
The housekeeper stared at him
without the slightest change In her
grim expression. 1
"Am I to imply from your silence
that you don t believe me?"
"I don't believe It," she snapped.
"It's Impossible. I would have
known."
"Well, It happened. Probably It
was the man who was killed last
night. In fact, it's possible these
nocturnal visits began as tar baok
as last October, while you were
still living here in the house."
"That'a absurd," Mrs. Whltmore
declared.
"Perhaps I can prove It to you.
When this place was closed tor the
summer the ash-pits for the fire
places were cleaned out?"
"Certainly."
"Well, If you will look Into the
pit from this room you will find
quite an accumulation of ashes
there wood ashes. That means
those ashes have accumulated since
last summer. In other words, some
one has been using that fireplace."
For the first time Mrs. Whltmore
looked startled. "But the hearth
was always clean and ready," 'she
muttered. "I would have seen had
It been used. I've been through this
room a doten times."
"Ot course the hearth was clean
It waa swept clean every time It
was used and the ashes put down the
chute. Fresh logs were lett In place.
From the amount of ash In the pit
I'd say the Are had been lit halt a
doten times."
not burn down to Its socket in four
or five hours. But we have the so
lution to that question. We found
a box of candles In the drawer ot the
buffet. This box originally held a
dozen, which are now only short
stumps, more evidence of prior
meetings in this house. The tour
candles you put In the holders, Mrs.
Whltmore, are lying there In the
buffet, untouched."
Mrs. Whltmore ahook her head.
"This is all newa to me."
"Another thing last night the
electric current was switched off at
the fuse-box. Is that the way you
left it each night?"
"Why, no. The only times we cut
oft the current was when repairs
were being made to the wiring or
the fixtures. The lights were all
right when I left yesterday."
Harper paused again and there
waa more curiosity than animosity
now In their locked glance. "Tell
me," be began anew, "did Mr. Du
fresne ever come up here In the
evening? Any time since he took
up his quarters at the Austerllts?"
"No, he did not."
"Did Mrs. Dufresne ever come np
here at night alone?"
The housekeeper's eyes took on a
venomous glitter. "I see what you're
driving at," she snapped, "and you
ought to be ashamed to ask the
question.
The detective smiled exasperat
lngly in the face of her fury. "Aren't
you a tittle quick on the trigger, Mrs
Whltmore? I haven t made any ac
cusatlons. I merely asked It Mrr
Dufresne had ever come up here a
night?"
Mrs. Whltmore sprang up. "Sb
did not. See it you can twist the
around. The Ideal It that'a what
bussing In your head you'd bell,
open the wlndowa and let sor
clean air lnl"
jkjRS. WHITMORE pondered this
"a In pusiled silence.
"While the logs were beginning to
burn, smoke would be coming from
the chimney," the detective contin
ued. "I take It that you never no
ticed that from your wlndowa?"
"No. No. We new saw any
thing Ilka that or we would have
looked into It."
"Another thing, Mrs. Whltmore.
These two decanters were found on
this table. When did you last see
them ?"
"They were emptied and cleaned
last summer and put away In the
middle compartment ot that buffet"
"Well, you can see that they've
been filled. The man who broke In
hers last night knew his way about
the bouse. And It you atlll have
any doubts, there la the matter ot
the candles. When you were In
here yesterday, what was the condi
tion of the candles in those hold
ers?" "They were fresh candles, not
used at all."
"Yet when we got here last night
they were about to expire. Now a
twelve- or fourtean-lnch candle will
THE Incensed woman italked t
ward the door, leaving behind b
a Sergeant ot Detectives wi
seemed no whit abashed nor ei
barrassed by her vehemence, li
deed, hla face assumed the pleaai
expression of a man wbo has sui
denly collared an elusive Idea.
Her angry suggestion about ope:
lng a window, by some hidden proi
ess of mind, bad linked Itself wltb i
piece ot twine tucked away in hi
pocket. In a flash he grasped th
significance of that clue and the
force ot this Intuition carried certl -tude
with It.
Mrs. Whltmore, throwing open
the door for her wrathful exit, hit
the lanky Lafferty, who bad that
Instant put his hand on the knob to
enter the room.
Latterly hunched his shoulderB
and raised his arm in front ot htr
face In mock defense.. "What did
you do to the old crow?" he Inquired.
"Her feathers are all ruffled and,
unless my ears deceive me, she was
cussing as she left."
Harper had unrolled his piece of
twine and was fingering It thought
fully.
"Charming woman, Mrs. Whlt
more," he exclaimed. "She thought
she was giving me a piece ot her
mind, but she just told me where
that missing gun was hidden."
"That's as clear aa mud, Where
do you think the gun Is hidden?"
"Come on," Harper Invited, "I
can show you quicker than I can
explain It 1 know I'm right It
must be there. I ought to have fig
ured It out even without finding the
atrlng."
They made their way to the top
floor, without meeting any one en
route, and mounted the cramped
and sharply-turning shaft of steps
that led to the square, glass-enclosed
cupola or tower that crowned
the house.
Tbe detective raised one ot the
windows, after a stubborn resist
ance, and slipped out over tbe sllL
Lafferty followed. "What now?"
he queried, turning up his coat col
lar. Harper stood looking around.
From this elevation the surround
ing world appeared Ilka a soft white
wilderness, stretched away to in
finity. But the detective had only a mo
ment's thought tor this. Hla feet
left clear tracks In the pristine
whiteness aa he went carefully to
ward the edge of the root.
"Watch out you don't start slip
ping down that slope," Lafferty
warned, "or you'll end up with a
broken neck."
They walked gingerly along the
danger line, careful to avoid any
sudden slip, Harper with hla eye
cast on the short, steep elope to
his lett Suddenly he stepped ahead
and pointed down to a dark blotch
In the snowladen spout that edged
the roof.
There It 1st There's the gunl"
tCopyrtght, JJJ, by Walter 0. Brawn)
Tomorrow, a revolver ttlli Harper
things tit wants to know.
T
AFTER KIDNAPING
BEDFORD, Ind June . (AP)
Ralph Shields, lb, who waa kidnaped
by a gunman at his home this morn
ing, was released near bere later and
given possession of hla automobile.
He was unharmed.
One or three youthful gunmen wbo
terrorized soutbern Indiana last
nlgbt kidnaped Shields and forced
the lad to drive him away.
The bandit, sought by 300 deputies
and citizens for the slaying of a dep
uty sheriff and the wounding of a
policeman, slugged Gilbert Shields,
uncle of Ralph, when the elder man
tried to Interfere. Bloodhounds and
powemen combed the Knobby Hill
country west of here In search of the
other two bandits, believed to be
the ones who fled last night after
wounding John Ffaffenberger, 85, a
Seymour policeman, and killing
Harold Amick, 33, a Scott county
deputy aherirr.
TOLEDO STRIKE HAS
PEACEFUL ENDING
TOLEDO, O., June -8. (AP) To
ledo's automotive strike, which
brought on rioting, the killing of two
men and heavy property damage, had
a peaceful end today.
The plants of the Electric Auto-Lite
Co., the Bingham Stamping Sc Tool
Co., and the Logan Gear Co. reopened
under agreements approved by union
workers and company officers.
E
LBWISTON, Idaho, June fl. (Pi
Columbia basin root rot Is laying law
thousands of acres of wheat la be
lieved to be the most sudden aud
widespread disaster to grain farmers
In the central Idaho region In recent
years, growers said yesterday.
So serious has become the situation
IB fields that 10 days ago were con
sidered bumper crops that he Univer
sity of Idaho has asked that federal
agricultural experts be sent here to
study the disease and . a condition
which threatens land In Nea Perce,
Lewis and Idaho counties.
Field expeditions Into numerous
areas today confirmed previous re
ports. . The disease, resembling dry rot, fol
lowed in the wake of unusually fa
vorable growing conditions and a mild
winter.
Cheese manufactured In Mississippi-planta
last year totaled about
o.ouu.uuu pounds.
PIANO PRACTICE
r Mmi.,;.uv,Hi-u
Aw! THAT'S NOTHING
1 CUT MV GASOLINE BILL IM
half usiWfj standard
WITH TPTTSa.CTUSJI
UNgURPAgSEP I
zee
m. .. w
11 I
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
(OHMS,
U)K.U?I
Srfe DOWrl AT PIANO RR HALF
HOUR'S 'PRACflCE. SftRES AT
PIANO etSOMlW
EvimUAUy 6EfS HIS MUSIC,
01)1" FROM P0X,8P1UIK6 WSf
ON FLOOR. 1AKES WSTitfE
PICKING ff OP
PRAC-fitft FCR A MINUTE OR
TWO AMD (SETS OP To CAUTO
eepie seuer Trim" Hra be
our in a lithe while
PRANCES TOR A FEW WOMEWS
ANP SHbUfS TO MOTHER. IS
TiME UP VEf ?
ISTOLp 5HE'IL CALL HIM
WHEN IT'S TIME. AND 6EfS
10 WORK
MlKP BElK5 16 WAHDET?
FROM PIANO TO PROSPECT'S
Cr THE BASEBALL TEAM
MOTHER CftUS WHV ISNTHE
PRACT1CIK6? GET'S lERV BUSr"
W FEAR THE HALF HOUR Ml6Hf
K EXTENDED FOR TiME OCT
6E&INS TO 6Ef UNEASV. CAUS FINISHES PR&CT1C1N6 SOFTb
K SHE WATCHING THE TiME Wrfrt ONE EAR COCKED SO HE'LL
AND IS .SHE SURE THE CLOCK HEAR AS SOON AS SHE CALLS
HAS NT STOPPED
, (Copyright, 1834, by The Bell Syndicate. Inc.) (,-(-,
S 'MATTER POP
w (n -Mow D'"& osEnT
A VJ-HAT .
JjF well, Te.-ie-
"grVc4lC'B.J,Vw, A UTTI.6-
)bflJJ&y) Cok SLAW, Alj' A J
By 0. M. Payna
FT rrfCC. ,C
c2p V
i(Copyriglit, 1M4, by Th Bell Syndicate, Ice.
TAILSPIN TOMMY Skeeter Puts Two and Two Together!
ST. JOHNS. Newfoundland, June A.
(AP) A forest fire today swept
through the coastal vlllaga of Keels,
destroying 35 dwellings, a church
and a vlllaga school. Many eltlsens
pleoM their belongings In boats and
ahored oft Into Bonavlsta bay.
u)AT Do vou mean'O ( coeu,e.veRYoNri knous
THtRe WAS-SOMETHIVT J ABOUT THE BATTLE
ABRUPT AN' QUeee.--- S 7 BE-TWEEN COLk AND
ABOUT MONTY A SKIN V) MONTAGUE--AND PIENTV
SHtrAN TP PUT WILK X OF FOLKS HEARO
QACfe ON TW PAY ROLlV S MONTY THREATEN
11 '
DONT ( I loAfc STANOING
Keer -. cio&e to monty when t
ME IN I? WE ASkEO SHEAN TO i
SUSPENSE, V SIVE WILK ANOTHER. J
TOM---- X CHANCE -HE WAaJSj
By Hal Forrest
BUT HIS EYES
LOOKED HARD
AS FLINT- I
COULDN'T HELP
BUT NOTICS
f3
nil v. , ,vt
MONTY HAD PLENTY .
KcAoortc, TO CONK
WILK" fcJUT DIDN'T
TO CAt IT
LOOK TOO OPETN-'
eo H6 S5.TS HIM
oa-k urn th
LOT AN -
ANt
J3
THEN flONTY SETS HIS A
sneak into hansar.
thirteen that (might
took th' "dud" tracers
outta doug's spandu
cup an' s'jBSTrruTeQ
REAL BULLETS - SO IT
WOULD LOOK UKET
. vuuo ujas TH-
It '
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Anchor Island 1
i
MatyuiMi-w; v. J - i i
NOW,lR,YOUR ORDERS1
KLcA'ac 7 LAW N IKE
HAS DONE MIS PART
TO DATE-HE'S FETCHED j
YOU HERE, SAFE AN'
-v sOUND
IT'LL BE
DARK
SOON
SO-
By Edwin Alger
WHY CAN'T WE OROP
ANCHOR FOR TONIGHT
OFF F1SHTOWN? THAT'S
THE LITTLE VILLAGE
THAT'S SHOWN ON THE
MAP, YOU KNOW
THE NEBBS Gone I
A
aft It- O
u ii i im i -jr.- fw-e r ...,ft i r is i t
FISHTOWN ? A NAME. LAD. AM' THAT'5
ALL WIPED OUT BY THE LAST
HURRICANE WHY. ON ALL OF
ANCHOR SLAND, SO CAP'N IKE'S
BEEN TOLD, THERE'S NOT A
LIVIN' "bOUL IT'S A DREAR AND
LONESOME SPOT
KJeu we wavs.
LSM SLIDER.,
HEARTSICK AKJD
LOWESOME,
(SOiKJGi BACK.
MOMIPPEO -
Awo" AS THE
TRAIKI KJEASS
TWEOTY, WIS
SPK3IT3 KISS IKJ
AvmClPATlOrJ
OP SCEIMG
HIS -.MFC.
m
1
WELLSIT VJOKJT BEC LONJG MOW
5E I
beporec l see mecr aiod ivl ee
TME BIS SUV AKJD TE.LL HEB IT'S ALL.
PAULT AJOD IT OUST TOOK A.
.LITTLE EMtPE-RlEiKJCe TO ciND OUT
JsJORTMVILVE5. WAS SJO PLACE
-er - TOR. US
OREGON cmr, June 6 (API
James Anderson, 19 of Bolton,
drowned In the Wlllsmetta river hera BRINGING UP FATHER
jeeieranj wnen ns nil rrom a log
Into m feat of water. Th ondy waa
recovered about 90 minutes later by
hla brother. Wllllsrh.
J.I " 1 1 I 1 Hill id I ! 'II II
Tnd Mkrk Sf U S m omte
WHAT
MAS SHEC
ROOMS
By Sol Hesa
MORTHVILLE
MRS. SU WHY7 MR . SU DER ,
MUMBEHr. MRS. SLIDER CHECKED
WE SAME COT OF MERE SOME
we had weeKj aso i
1 WENT ik TVIOUSWT VDU'D S
aM -J. f .:,r7TT'l I 'aw J 1 1 ' - If
Vv a. ir cue "l
CUP rV C. V. If" lf
IT PCFSUMDTUm
DIDwr
ADORESS
MECR BUT
AIO
I WAS
TWISJK IT
OM M.V
SHE SO? SHE
MUST WAVE LEFT )
WHERE YOU J
ICOULD SESJD ifk
V HER IMA1 L
UCH
TTn
VJRIGLGY'S
(SUM
MY SON CANNY
ws PihacHEo
FOR BORROWING
A PIANO. SEE'
11 VOU CAM GET
HIM OUT
ISENTPOttl
ALDERMAN
MURPHY-IF
H&CANT1 FIX
IT. NOSOOV
CAN
1
t r
I HERE HE)
j COMES
I NOW
DAN KTV 3
A3 GOOD
AS OUT
. J
sir ic
WELL. WHAT I
CAN I OO
POR VOU?
we WANT
YOU TO GET
SWEENEyS
BOy OUT
HE BORROW
ED A PIANO
By George McManua
I
OH , YEAH
WELL., IT
WAS MV
PlAMO .'
111 .an;,, ..., j