PAGE 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?