Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, June 29, 1934, Image 12

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Medford mail tribune., June 29, 1934, Page 12, Image 12

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Newspaper Page TextPAGE TWELVE MEDPORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 1934. MOCKING HOUSE .BY WALTER C. BROWN. Chapter 60 DESPERATE WOMAN TTARPEh wii asking himself bow it was possible that this modish beauty could be thrice a murderess -Aline Croydon was asking herself how much of her story this Ser geant of Detectives had guessed. "I have been eavesdropping, Mr. Harper," she announced simply, as one who puts Q. B. D. at the end of a demonstration In geometry. Harper relaxed, the tenseness eas- , lng from muscles Instinctively braced against the possible Impact of flying steel. The woman was sane and collected, at all events. But her right hand was still Invisi ble, and there waa no sign of waver ing In the set lines of her mouth or the look In her eyes. Aline Croyden noticed this fugi tive lapse of attention. "Please don't try anything heroic," she poke through tight Hps. "Sit down over there." Harper, with an air of casualness, took the elm'- she Indicated. "This Is very dramatic, but quite useless, you know," he objected. Her eyes burned at him, suddenly alive. "I had to be sure." She shiv ered a little. "As soon as I saw your f ace " The detective leaned forward. "MrB. Croyden, let us talk this situa tion over quietly between ourselves, dun-waving Is out of place at tbls stage. There must have been some terrible driving power that forced you to such lengths. Only you can state what that was. Joseph Dona gby'a part In It I can guess, but the other T" "I did not come here to talk. I felt you getting closer and closer to the solution, and I had to see It you really knew. You forced my hand by going rfter my sister and J lerre. They have nothing to do with this matter, and at least I can have the final decency to shoulder my own burdens. And for your own safety let me ropeat your warning to Jo seph Donoghy you can hang a per son only once. Remember that and act accordingly, . , . Have you a gun In your pocket!" Harper shook his head. "I carry tone only on special occasions. "You may search, me If you like," he add ed, half rising from the chair. "Sit stllll If you move or make a noise I'll shoot!" There was no mistaking the steely ring of that voice. "Come, now," Harper protested. "Even If I had a gun In my pocket I wouldn't try to beat you to the draw. That Isn't necessary. You cant bluff me, Mrs. Croyden. You're the one In the dangerous spot, and you can't shoot your way out of It tbls time. My advice is to give In grace fully." "I shall escape," she replied confl Jo itly. "Do you suppose I would plan everything else and not arrange for that? Everything Is ready." Harper shook his head again. "You can't got awuy. It you shoot at me you'll not get out of this house, peraaps not out of this room. And suppose you did escape tempo rarily? Where could you go! To whom could yon turn? "The full machinery of the law would be turned to tracking you down. You would be a marked wo man wherever you went. You couldn't even And a refuge In the lowest slums or the underworld. They'd give you up In a minute. At most, a few days of terror and flight, and you'd be run down like a rabbit hunted by dogs." "ITfE'LL not argue that point." 'The mask-like face turned to him, with Its sot lines, the shadows under sleepless eyes. "Tell Jie, how did you know t" The deteotlve silently pointed to (he lens on tho table. Mrs. C'oyden gave It a swift (lance. "I don't understand. What were yon looking at?" "That's a professional secret, Mrs. Croyden. Suppose you use the lens for yoursolf ?" "I would like to, but I can't trust you. Tell me, please." Her voice suddenly broke In quick pleading. "Nothing can matter now I " The detective thought. It I can keep on talking long enough some one will try that door. When that happens ril close In and take my chances with her gun. He said aloud, "When vou came In I bad just made an Important dis covery. We had tailed before to find tny fingerprints on that table, but I hist Policed a number of liny marks tn the top, and they furnish a clue I nearly aa distinctive as a fingerprint 1 Itself." He spoke deliberately, "Some one struck the top of that table four or Ave times with a clenched fist. That suggests a quarrel or an argument. The marks were made by that ring you are wearing, Mrs. Croyden. The diagonal setting of those two dia monds makes an unmistakable pat tern. That gave It away." The woman digested this In si lence. She looked at the ring on her finger, then, standing at the table, made the motion of phantom anger, rapping with knuckles down. "Such a small thing," she murmured, "Great results are often measured by small devices," the detective an swered. She looked at the ring again. "Otherwise, yon would not have known?" she questioned. "I wouldn't say that," Harper re plied. "It really would hare beon more baffling to us It Donagby's death had appoared In Its true col ors. "Camouflaging It as suicide really broke up tbe puzzle. It was there that your loglo tripped Itself up, for In order to pin the whole thing on the supposed suicide through his 'confession,' you had to give away the secret of that first eBcape. A fa tal error, for It prompted me to look for the same clue In the second In stance." "The same clue?" she repoatod, "V7ES the same clue. No matter " how clever the deed, there is al ways an unsuspected clue left be hind. Sometimes we are not alert enough to fl I it" He waved toward the table. "Those diamond marks are an Instance. But tbe clue I re ferred to was a peculiar cut in the snow which was made when the rope was shaken froe and hauled back. "We found that mark In tho be ginning, but could make nothing of It. It was only when we were put In possession of the rope Itself that Its meaning became clear. Natural ly, tbls led mo to look In tbe snow again after we found Donaghy, and there was the same kind of mark. "That labeled It at once as another murder, In spite of the typed confes sion, the nature of "the wound and the recovered articles. That Ingeni ous excuse for the absence of the blackmail money Donaghy had was suspicious, too, for we know he had not been away from his room last night." 'Thanks for the advice." She drew herself together, slowly pulled the ring from her finger, and deliberate ly placed It on the table. "This has betrayed me once. It would be dan gerous to woar It any longer, wouldn't It? See that it gets back safely to my husband," she said steadily, "and tell him I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused." "But, Mrs. Croyden, you can't go away like this, simply saying noth ing In your own defense. Thero must be reasons, explanations, vou can give. You owe It to yourself to pre sent your side of the story. Surely Officer Homlll bad done nothing to warrant his death?" Aline Croyden winced from that name as from a blow. "That Is the real lurden on my conscience," shei whispered. "I lost my head I went' crasy I saw the whole perfect plan' I had designed destroyed by tjat one blind chance. That waa murdor, but those other two," she flashed with sudden anger biasing In ber shad owed eyes, "that was only justice. I have not a single regret. I had to use what weapons I could against them." Harper lowered his voice. "Mrs. Croyden, wht. was 11. D., really?" Neither you, nor any one, shall ever know that," she answered bit terly. "Let htm lie In the Morgue, let him go to a Potior'.! Field, I'll nover tell. It's the best he deserves. No. one will evor come forward to claim him, alive or deadl" "I am not prying, I'm merely try ing to understand your alory, Mr.. Croyden," Serxxnnt Harper said with simple dignity. "Then I'll help you to understand," she flamed. "I have nevor boei,' happy In my marriage. It Is true that I had an affair with that man. As I look back now, I hardly know how It began, except that I met him at a time when I was unhappy and starved for i o 1 1 e ni e n t." She stopped, staring blankly at the de tective. "I soon found I had fallen Into the hands of a beast ! cams to hate him. tried to break away." (Copyright, J9JJ. sy ITaltfr C. BroicnJ Ths etit, tomorrow, Ukti a tartllna turn. Illinois Grows Chinese Cabbage -URBANA, 111. (!) Sauerkraut made from Chinese cabbnge la to be a new dolloacy In meals served to 45,87a In mates In charitable and penat Insti tutions of Illinois. Chinese cabbage thrives under cer tain fall weather conditions in the late that prove harmful to tin or dinary cabbage orop. City May n 'Leased' 8AORAMENTO, Cel. (!) In gold rush days, the mining town of Colum bia came within one rote in the ly lalature of being named the capital ot California. hcently It was reveal ed by Atttorney General U. a. Webbs that the state may lese the ghost city for It a jer as a historical site. AT TO E A full day lan't exactly the right term to be applied to the Fourth of July celebration In Orant Pass. The events of the day are more like a three-ring circus while you are look ing at one thing you miss something else. Bu all are not Interested In the same performance and Morris Martin, with his efficient commit teemen, has thought of everybody and everything and arranged a pro gram so nobody will go home dis appointed. All can witness the arrival of the KUtle band at 6 In the morning and follow it up and down Sixth street, listening to the strains of the bag pipes. At 0 :30 there will be no other amusements to detract from the street sports jumping, climbing a greased pole, potato, sack and three legged races, bicycle races, fat men's races, etc, and not forgetting the water fight between the two fire companies. Then comes the parade with Its bodies of marching units, horseback riders, beautifully decorated bicycles, magnificent floats, the Cavemen with retiring Queen Vlvlenne, Queen -elect Catherine and the live princesses, the educational display by the forestry j department, the unique 40 ct 8, bands, drum corps and clowns. j Then to the park, where there are : tables, shade and scats for the pic nic dinner one of the things eagerly anticipated by all. The speech by Colonel Tandy, also the ceremony of crowning the Cavemen's queen, will probably come before the numbers on the program begin to overlap, after which you will have to choose what you would rather see. Water sports from 1 to 3 at the beach In the park; ball game between Grants Pass end Medford at the fair grounds at 2:30. Immediately following tho ball game the wrestling match be tween Ape-Man Cox and Bob Kruse, also to be staged at the fair grounds. In the meantime those not Inter ested In this type of sport may re turn to Sixth street where there will be music for street dancing for all who care to participate; and on the vacant lot between the Chamber of Commerce building and the South ern Pacific depot a rocr. drilling con test will be staged by experienced miners of southern Oregon. At 0 o'clock there Is nothing to divert attention from wie magnifi cent display or fireworks, followed by the two tlances (once more a choice between the two old fash ioned and modernla necessary). SUBURBAN HEIGHTS Agricultural extension workers of the North Carolina state government are conducting a campaign designed to Induce all farmers to keep busi ness records. 4 1 '4:1 I fa '. i " I a 1 ft t. -j ir-t.aan i j Come on ! Come on !! GET THAT THINdr STARTED -ITS FIVE O'CLOCK WOW AM 4 WcRE supposed to TEE OFF IN TEW M I MUTES N Yes and ip vou dont START TO USE. STANDARD GASOLINE WITH TETRAETHYL TMSURPASSED! Tl I ' I'M THROUGH with Tm4 -J f m FOURSOME II - J s aa m-' m By CLUYAS WILLIAMS FRED PERtEV 6DT MM? WHEfl HfrtSdLDN'r 6f loi SltP BECAUSE Stot owe WAS WRXED ACROSS Tri SfrtHrW UlrrfJ Yuc ruiUAltr ti1JnHvJ- jurri utr Ohar nvr- AKD SWrttHE OFF THE BtftfOtf BEFORE H REALIZED If was im mice car WEsiteKfiKfc one. of. w& inlet's UU.UW'te : : Ooprrieht, 19M, by taVWi trsoKtt del S 'MATTER POP By C. M. Paywi SI By Hal Forrest I Yaiuima v r"-' vrc cve. ojw i ( 1 uyft lr IT V I 1 L y S15AIU CAT6 AM'WJ V J VfK J V" W ) CA-r AMI Y I.E.MME YV., w- V '''fEzT I III TeU v A TAILSPIN TOMMY A Disagreement I NOtO.LOUlG, lOSVe -SPENT A LOT Sf I HAME TOLD YOU ALREADY IfMUL-VOU've SOME THROUGH THE KEAL "jV I AND DON'T F0R6ET VA MINIATURE I ItOHILE vou1 Re . OF MONEY SO FAR ON 'MIONI6HT ADVENTURE PICTURES THING IN FRANCE" YOU'RE THE r0S PH-0O-' Js THE KIDS THE. i WOULD COST HALF CUTTING EXPENSE'S, PATR.OL---IOHY HA5,H THE Jjt CORPORATION & FAON6 TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF THIS s-SIICj-A J1- EMBRYONIC FLYERS ? A& MUCH-WHY t-OUlEj OUST CUT WHOLE PICTURE Y RES0R.Tm6 RECEIVERSHIP BECAUSE OF PICTURE-- IOH.AT DO VOU THINK? ? . W OF TOMORROW-IF 2L SHOULD I PAY ME OFF YOUfc PAV TO MINIATURE PROCESS SSi- THS"DN16HT PATROLLER rr(E52--s-wSB 'S YOU THINK TOU CAN 7? DOUBLE-? ROLL" I'M THROUGH, 11 fSglC EXT18AVA6ANZA-- WE t&M, & raP- L W IW THEM, YOU'RE) 1 ASK YDU-- UNLESS CAN v y ' j ' MAKt " BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER The Full Report EE SHIP LOOKS EXACTLY A5 3HE tk -rue niC n mnc TALtri.i aw no 111 mi. riv iuim,.' irmvun uj Yrs, JEPPARO-OF COURSE. THERE'S SOME CORAL GROWTH AROUND, THE HULL NOW, BUT- By Edwin AlgC -S-HE'S IN MIGHTY SOUNO CONOtTION FOR HAVING BEEN SUBMERGED SO LONG -rPS" AS PRETTV A )OB TOR A DIVING OPERATION AS 1VE 'SEEN IN A LONG TIME -THE DEPTH IS ONLY ABOUT eiXTY FEET AND THAT'S A C1MCH- 1 fsAY. DAVE. YOU DlDNTS' NOW, BEN, REMEMBERAND 1.C PAS5 ANY O' THEM -. JUST TOOK TIME TO GO DOWN I OCTO PUSSIES COM IN' UP KNARYA ) GIVE THE SHIP A QUICK i WITH J . ' S-s... ... tm , . . . . .... I I -vv ... t (I. I . Ll I O f I I "M I . - u I I - sV I MOW V J-l 1 AH gfeesrSPt r-rrwsV.LUKE- MORE TOMORROW- JMn,i I THE NEBBS The Lolly Pop f DO VOU TWIKJK V-OUUS? MISTfM POTTS WOVJ ! THAT'5 A BABY ' Hi" MATT'S TMH. " SOUKIGISW. I VOU OO&HT to IT LOOKS NOUKJSISH 0 JaLL, SOU NJEBO IS A. FIRST -TweteE CHEER5 COR -rur CHEICKS VTSSrT MATTER VJITW IT? V PUT VOJR NAME AVJO ADDRESS I EKJOUGW; MR ORETZIy READER UNjOER. YOUR ARM j amq -tW6 SWlTCS - IU BET kr,SSi DOCS IT MAKE Mel ISJ YOUR POCKET BECAUSE I l i , AMD FOLKS WILL -TVIISJ ' 1 cOhOMIE WILI LIETHW OUTPIT. ' LOOK TOO J v YOU GET LOST THE IS ZJT V YOU'RE OKI YOUR WAY , ! V THATS KiOT OKI LY A , Jfik Y0UMGISH? V V .POLICE UJILL TftKE J Jjjj By Sol Hess BRINGINQ UP FATHER Uis M.tl Tribuna want ada. us 1 Qnnnnn rpnwwn r- OW. YOU MOT STAY FORT6A I WAMT TO . HAVtALOMG CHAT VtTH YOO- OH' BUT CAJJT-VOU 5EE-I QIDM T BRING MY CAR AND I'LL. HAVE TO GO HOME 3M THE STREET lAR A.NIO IT l" SUCH A LONG RIDE.- , OM-DOMT WORRY . LOTTA- I' LU ASK OAOOY TO DRIVE tOU HOME- I By George McManui OH HELLO, EMERY- I'M 6LAO YOU CAME HOME1 mM3 WEUL.O-)S- . VEV-U-IF' IT lNJT Mlb LOTTA NURVE-TOO- I'M CLAD TO SEE you AG Aim- hello o ao- i'll. be. usimo the car a LITTLE LATER Ab MUST TAKE Mie2 LOTTA NIURVE HOME- aimt VoO The BIG HELP To ME?