PAGE TEN
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORP. OREGON. THURSDAY, JUXE 14, 1931
CVUvuLut. at"
MOCKING HOUSE
BY WAITER C. BROWN
BYSOfalH: Mio.alluJ ol tht
murder ot two men in Pitrro Du-
: Jreene't house hat turned up much
information, but no meant ot iden
tifying one ol the men or of deter
mining how the murderer escaped
without leaving traokt in the enouj.
And when Sergeant Harper's at-
. slstant, Detective Latferty, flret a
test ehot from the murder gun in
the basement, Dulreens remain
Ssrtectly calm, while both ifr. and
Jrt. Croytten art startled badly.
The dctectivee art discussing tome
threatening letters received by Du-
frc"
Chapt r 37
BATTLE OF WIT8
"I7HO knows?" asked Harper. "If
; the dead man wrote the letters,
that will he all, but Just a minute
ago you were ready to pin It on An
drews. He's still very much alive
and quite capable of writing letters
If he wants to. Besides that, there
may be a genuine Mr. X biding In
the woodpile. It's at least possible
that these threatening letters had
nothing whatever to do with last
night's affair."
Latterly snorted. "Sure, and may
be there weren't any murders here
last night. For Heaven's sake, let's
pinch somebody, then listen to them
arguing tbemselves out of It. It
would save a lot of wear and tear on
ns."
They grinned amiably at each
other, but Harper went right on with
place must have been more like a
hotel than a private house."
"By the way, Steve, what kind of
reactions did you get when 1 Bred
the test bullet In the cellar?"
"Oh, to you picked that spot on
purpose?" asked Harper. j
"Sure. I heard voices overhead,)
and I thought you were holding a
seance, so I let go. You nover can;
tell what may come from a sur
prise." "Well, you nearly scared the Croy
dens to death, but Dufresne never
batted an eyelash. It gave me a good
opening to break the news about
finding the gun. I predicted the bul
lets would check up, and they have.
While I tackle Andrews again you'd
better hop over to lira. Morlock's
and see what you can gather there,
but be smooth about It"
Lafferty rose. "Don't worry about
that, but I'll bring back the bacon
Just the same. And don't you be too
gentle with Andrews. It's about
time we sat down on sojnebody and
sat down hard. We've been doing
all the talking up to now. Let's glvt
the others a chance."
After tbe detective had gone Har
per gathered the letters into on
pile. He rang for Andrews, and
when the butler made his appear
ance he walked over and closed thi
door with an air of deliberation thai
was not Inst on Andrews.
"There Is proof that there was suoh a plot."
bis analysis. The next point 18 the
tact that each letter Is on a different
color of paper, yellow, gray, blue,
light green, and so on. A good qua!
Ity paper, too, though a little soiled
and faded." '
"It looks like a set of sample pa
pers," Lafferty suggested,
Harper nodded. "1 think you're
right It Is also my Idea that they
were written by a man ot consider
ably higher Intelligence than their
contents Indicates. Printing the
words Is a dodge used by persons
who are afraid that even a disguised
handwriting may trip them up. This
writer was shrewd enough not to
overplay hla hand by the usual error
ot weird spelling?1!
Lafferty set forth a new angle.
"How do we know Dufresne turned
In all the letters he received? This
business bas some of tbe earmarks
of blackmail or a sbake-down stunt
Maybe he Just turned In selected let
ters and, when there was a chance,
aettled the whole business In bis
own way."
"It wouldn't be out ot character, I
agree, but there's no hint ot hush
money or blackmail anywhere.
There Is Just tbat same monotonous
threat to kill running through the
lght letters. The last Is practically
the same aa the first It the writer
wasn't crazy, what was bis game?"
"Perhaps there was more than
one In the plot and they got to scrap
ping among themsolves, with the re
sults we know. There are too many
queer kinks In this case to charge
anything off to coincidence. There
must be a reason for all these odd
things."
"This Is what I can't get straight
. ened out," Harper confessed. "Du
fresne denies knowledge ot any en
mity, publlo or private, that would
aim at his life, In spite of the pecul
iar hints he gave out at our first In
terview. But crank letters are one
man affairs, and this case Involves
o many people.
"For Instance, there Is the dead
man, and the killer vho somehow
scaped from the bo and that
mysterious person wbtv hid behind
tbe wall and watched, in did not
come any nearer to the jouse. Al
together too many performers for
that bunch ot tight little alibis we've
ad handed to us. Last night this
"Have a chair, Andrews. We've
a bit ot talking to do, you and I."
Silently the white-haired man did
as he was bidden, losing none ot his
poise, evincing no nervousness or
surprise. Each man sensed the an
tagonist In the other as they meas
ured each other with grave, level
glances.
"Andrews, do you keep a diary?"
"No, sir." This unexpected In
quiry aroused no more curiosity than
a query about the weather.
"How Is your memory for dates,
Andrews?"
"Not as good as It used to be, sir.
As I grow older I find one day very
much like another. That Is, until
very recently," he amended, with
sly Irony.
"Try to cast your memory back.
Does November 19th of last year
bring anything to mind? Or Octo
ber 10th?"
Tbe level eyes remained locked,
the butler's without the slightest
flicker of Interest at mention ot the
significant dates, the key numbers
ot the early stages of this mystery.
"November 19th f October 10th?
I'm afraid not unless you can give
me a further hint"
Harper abandoned that line of In
quiry to thrust the photograph of
the dead man In front of Andrews.
Do you still Insist that you never
saw this man before?" he snapped.
"Not to my knowledge, sir, and
certainly never In this house."
'Andrews, you are devoted tc
your master, and It Is difficult to be
lleve that you would be party to a
plot to harm him. But there Is proof
that there waa such a plot, hatched
right here In this house "
With all due respect to you, sir,
1 don't believe It"
Then how do you explain youi
thumbprint on thla anonymoua let
ter to Mr. Dufresne?"
For the first time Andrews'
aplomb deserted hlra. His Jaw
dropped open and the lines of bis
face seemed to deepen.
You are wrong," he rasped. "1
swear to God I never touched that
paper."
(Copyright. ifSJ, by Walter C. Brown)
Tomorrow, Andrews supplies
Some InUrottlno Information.
E
NOT ALL 'GRAVY'
SALEM, Ore. (UP) Following re
ceipt of numerous Inquiries regard
ing subsistence or part-time farming,
the department of agriculture today
Issued estimates as to the average
amount of land desirable In different
cases.
The most practical type of subsis
tence farming Is that practiced by
employed men or families who raise
part of their food In their spare
time, the department estimated.
Families attempting to make entire
livings on marginal lands are likely
to encounter many difficulties, It
was said.
About one acre of good land waa
held sufficient for an employed or
part-time employed family. That
would give space for keeping poultry
ancj raising as much garden produce
as time probably would permit.
If a family wishes to keep a cow,
purchasing necessary winter feed, an
additional two acres of good pasture
land should be provided, officials
said. , '
"Men employed only part time or
short hours, and who have large
families and small Incomes may find
It economical to keep a milk cow.
some milk goats and some pigs and
raise the necessary feed In addition
to having a garden and keeping
poultry. This plan necessitates the
use of horse or mechanical power
and should be tried only after ex
perience and careful consideration."
Department officials cautioned that
"Those who are Inexperienced often
over-estimate the savings made pos
sible by this way of living and un
derestimate the costs in the way of
labor and cash necessary for part
time farming.
MONTREAL itJV) Qlanders, a
disease which strikes down horses In
the same manner as "galloping tu-
bcrculc9" hits human beings, is!
threatening the lives of scores of
valuable horses here.
The disease has brought death by
execution to many horses In the rural
districts of the province during the
last few months. Now, it is reported
to be spreading to cities.
Dominion and provincial sanitary
experts are busy carrying out tests
on horses throughout the city. The
lives of many valuable thoroughbreds
and prize winning stock depends on j
the outcome of the tests.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Phone 642 We'll naui sway you.
refuse City Sanitary Service.
5ome ow folks! Si Ah'.g-ive it a whirl -don't
GIVE IT A WHIRL Ufr THAT MAKE YOU THINK OF a
I
LR.
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
SrtS DOWN 6K SftfiE
VJlfH 6THER WHO
ARE GAINS T
PIECES, m rR.
TERRiriEP
FEELS BEftER OK SPtlf
TjK6 TARENfS IH FRONT
ROW
WN&OVER LINES OF HER
PIECE, A&5Ertf-MlrlDEDlY
SCRrtTCHlMfe LE6 WHICH
Tickles
tree eaown; i6WM.'
IHS AtWODSLY, AflASf
REALIZING THEY MEAN
-CO 5-fOP SCRATCHING
BECOMES AWARE TMftf
HER MIND HAS 60NE
BLANK ON THE SECOND
DME OF HER PIECE
WHI&PERS FRAHIiCAliV
To THE TEACHER IN THE
WIN"65 WHO PEAK THE
LIKE Off t& HER
-XiinnEKlV REW.I7S SHE REMJZK tf'S HER TORN
jac inc-f uro hmji-web- HKf. PERCHES ON EDGE
CHIEF. WRI66VE5 UOUHD. OF CHAIR, TWlSUKS HAKW
IO0KIK6 FOR lY. FiND5 AT KERCHIEF, AMICUS TO
LAST SHE'S 61TT1N6 ON tT 6ET if OVER. Wifrl
fe-tq. (Copyright, IBM, by The BtU BrndiaXt, Inc.)
S 'MATTER POP
By C. M. Payne
I - ' I ( I 5 "1 V ( 1 CAU6-MT Va! I jyr r-esTp. v ? ;
ill X. 4 M M fJBT AT ALU) f ouit --rZ
" ' -(3 p
t-l'- , Ifak . -4J fcfc J fc, "(Copyright, 1C34, by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.) -Jk
TAILSPIN TOMMY The Mystery Becomes Complicated
By Hal Forrest
Kgpl$SSP KrT' HEABD 1 -lOEU., rtAXM (AN OO SfOU Hef W (SOLLY! 77AS rVEG'- C H 10 AS S1U!0i0 1111
7 tsssg 4&oarr- got saae uhei Jzz aqout the mcdea7 nuootro svvsrtr&v J&oee vocs5-,ao Otxs
7V1-YOU rT-i- pVT 4e"7 V K'CArED UftK CtTOF jf COAtPiCQTSO CC 'ST SOT A ffiirVCH
REneneei fk-fg ) wtiigl Abound sea gjS MS RAOo OF&ce.? r- the- 3ur he dd not 00 r- --
lAsruecK-- zipy to do r itP fUBDeeeo mca- ? f 0iSt Jp
iy..
oa you a?
A'O VOL
AB.B To
SotV THIS
MYSTER V
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Luke Receives Support I
By Edwin Alger
fiHft HE KNOWS AN'
HE'S TELL1N' UAS PLAIN
A5 THE NOSE ON ME
FACE.THAT SOMEBODY'S
BEEN HERE 8LTT THAT,
WHUEVfcK HE 15, HE
AIN'T ACCEPTIN' VISITS
FROM THE LIKES
Bv Sol Hess
LEGAL WIZARDS FRAME
TRICKY INSURANCE FOR
FLY-BY-NIGI FIRMS
BALEM, Ore. (UP) Insurants Com
missioner A. H. Averlll today cited
an analysis of an accident policy
Issued by an unauthorised Hollywood.
Cal.. tlrm as typical of those by com.
panics not licensed to do business
In Oregon.
The purchaser ol the policy, slter
studying Its provisions, wrote. In
psrt, to the company as follows:
"After a careful analysis of the
terms of this marvelous product of
the brain of some legal wlcard, I
can think of but ont Inttsnca when
the benetlclarj haa a chance.
"That Is If the assured, while sit
ting In Seat B, Tier T, Section 33,
at an afternoon performance of '
Bsrnum & Bailey's three-ring circus '
should be struck on the left temple
by a dill pickle thrown by msllce
aforethought by a man on a flying
trapera suspended on a seven-eighths
Inch hemp rope with a two-Inch
white oak cross bar, and should die
within eight seconds after the pickle
left the hand of the trapeea artist.
"Then, In that case, the benefic
iary should be entitled to one-halt
of one per cent of the one-tenth
of the one-third of the principal
sum. If any, provided tor the first
six months fntalltlee but should the '
pickle bounce off the temple of the 1
assured and fall on the lady In front 1
of the SAaured and soil her whit 1
sstln waist, then no liability of any I
nature shall attach to the company, j
"I believe If you will add thla j
elsuae to the terms of your policy I
you will httve an alr-tlght contract
tor Use oompany."
t P iBUT THIS NOW.LOOK1E HERE, DAVE JONES fNOT A SIGN OfW OOA' BR.IARSIE
THAT'S WHFUO,YZ HOUSE IS 1 TLL TAKE VDUR WORD ABOUT ANVF30DY IN RT HAS 1
"E II A . w ABSOLUTELY f WHAT GOES ON BENEATH THE g THIS HOUSE- -Wm. BRIAR! M2v3t ANYONE I
VERY THER m DESERTED- A WATER. AN' YOU BE AFTER TAKIN' I VE BEEN ALL mmZL-t? BEEN IN $
WINDOW- ME WORD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS 1 THROUGH IT- WPt HERE? Jm
-r-r-dr MMMtmrTrM on land, espeoally when i see i ?k mmmrm
fp Eiwmm?4 i t own eyes-i ruricpw' 'wmmmm
t 7jzsr 1 Himr-ytYxn s. tiv1 w 1 1 i"saiisa ttsm,, rrnmetn! k mi'tTkysev sst-Ui!MvsrssH KtBawia.wja
THE NEBBS Minnie, Where Art Thou?
ter-S -ZT 1 EtUTT save op tvie. miHT' tvn teamdeo aul ovecs tovasj some il ty 1 suess i made a mistake luwenj X
'.F&yMPPtir- i 1D OP MIKJtvJIE'S COMIMS jl iTO EEBW PLACE NA7E USED TO SO c2 VWAV.KED OUT ONJ HER - MO MXNJ S WOULD V
KrS II iTO TME MOTEL POR MAIU W e,UT rJO OtOS. MAS SEEK! MER.tM V BSO ANY PLCB WHERE WE 1SKJT SUSE WE CAM ,
' WW-WSSA I AtOO WE CHASED ALL H MAKIKJG. A FIRST CLASS EUMMV OP f STW.AMD TMAT MOOkl USED TO SE J
iVj' I OVER -TOVAJKI IOOKIMS j I MYSELF L GUESS 1VB 6EEM OKIE ALL J? 1 AVJ EMBLEM OPRESTAWO Jf-
W'&-.&7m OvW? J'iPOR "est. VWITM KIO yfn JV upe fUT IT OUST lUEEDEO A Bw QUIET FOR ME AlsJD MOW
?J' :'Mt liCMv) N ns. RESUV-TS U litwORCUMSTAKJCe LIKE TWIS TO rT'r L GU- UJMEM THS SUM ; j (("
- M vtfNIhkts. r' Trrrn nr 1! liHTm ?srt prove rr. y7 . , Jcmases it awav Vi
DOnintud nn n. mnnn m n ha.mi
oainuinu ur rntnen. oy vtcorge uicmauus
P 1 COULD OMLV COMVIMCE 1 I WELL-I'VE LOOKED AT ( IF YOULL COME INTO I "1 I I I nikiTV I MP r O Dai ' 1 vFP' am'1 "
MACCIE THAT ITS uELES THE AOARTMEMT AMD THE OFFICE NOW-l'LL DINT T TtV. AN
FWUSTOMOVEIMTOAM I'VE DECIDED TO . INTRODUCE YOU TO MOORE1 ARE TOU THE
APART ME NIT I'D BE VERY -blCNI THE LEASE' , l The OWMER OF lliwwr-.c OVJNJER
HAPPY- b- t-fCVsH THE BULDir-IG- CCU I T MANAGER TOO- 1
f