PAGE SIX
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1934.
MOCKING HOUSE
BY WALTER C. BROWN
Chapter 63)
RECONCILIATION
H
ARPER put Aline Croyden's
ring away In the pocket that
held the little key to Richard Croy
den'i piano. The artist's renuncia
tion of his beloved Instrument bad
been a poignant gesture. Indeed,
Justly or unjustly, the dead ride
bard I Harper meditated sourly to
himself as he mounted the stairs to
spread bis thankless news through
the bouse. He tapped on the door of
Mrs. Dufresne's room, deciding tbat
she was entitled to be told Bret.
After that painful Interview be
sought out the master of the bouse
and found blm In the upstairs II'
brary, the scene of his mocking chal
lenge of the evening before. Pierre
Dufresne was staring moodily out
the window when the detective en
tered. His face, too, proclaimed the
stress and strain of restless hours
tbat should have beon devoted to
sleep.
In plain, unadorned phases Ser
geant Harper told the story of the
murders. As he talked, Pierre Du
fresne paced up and down, exclaim
ing, Interrupting with questions,
struggling over details wltb a brain
tagged from Its own unjust but bard-
spurred woes. At times he could
hardly credit the tale.
"Waltl Walt!" he cried, poured
himself a drink and downed It at a
gulp. Then he resumed his nervous
pacing, firing questions again and
again at the detective.
When he had finished bis story,
Harper said, "Now, Mr. Dufresne,
perhaps you will explain your own
movements after you got out of the
Austerllts? I know you had every
Intention of murdering the man
whom you suspected was meeting
your wife In this house, what hap
pened?" . Dufresne flung himself Into a
chair. "You wero right, Harper.
got out of the Austerllts as you de
scribed. Between the alibi I bad pre
pared and the letters I had written
to myself I felt quite certain that. I
would never be suspected, no mat
ter what happened. ,
"I took a taxi and got out some
distance from here. I bad been keep
ing watch on that sand-urn and I
knew a meeting had been arranged
for that night I walked past the
house. There was no light, no sign
of life, and there were no foot
prints leading up to the door. I hid
behind a wall, watching. It was quite
' dark.
"I waited, but nothing happened,
I was furious because I had been
, outwitted again. Thon I saw a police
man oomlng along the street. He
was the first person I had seen In
the street at all. To my astonish
ment, ho turned In at the gate as
though he had business here.
"He went up the steps and en
tered the house, although I couldn't
see who bad opened the door. I was
greatly puszled. I watched and wait
ed, but the policeman didn't come
out. I don't know how long I hid
behind the wall, but It must have
been quite a while, for I began to
, get stiff with cold.
"Suddenly, the front door began
Mo bang In the wind. When tbat kept
fp I grew frightened at the pros
tact, I knew that something un
cjual must have happened and I
Tfcntod to keep clear of It. How
wald I have explained my absence
Sm the hotolT So I loft my hiding
,ace and walked until I caught a
ul that brought me back to the
wvntor of the city, I had not been
Ju.very long before you arrived.
P"'When you brought me up here
view the bodies 1 couldn't under
tiand halt of what I saw and hoard
fnd I've boon trying ever since to
ilgurs out what really took place In
that room."
J
TTARPER nodded. "That shows
what totally dlltorent meanings
can be drawn from the simplest
things. The notes left In that urn
were construed In a different man
ner by every one who found out
about them.
"Only Mrs. Croyden and your wife
knew the real truth about them. At
any time a frank discussion would
have cleared it all up. instead, It
was allowed to foster in secrecy.
Richard Croydon, the real victim of
the whole Intrigue, didn't know ot
their oxlstence until much later."
The dotectlve looked Plorre Du
fresne squarely In the eyes. "I am
going to lay aside my role as police
officer for a few seconds," he stated,
"and take the liberty ot talking to
you as man to man, You may resent
what 1 am going to say but I shall
not apologlie tor my presumption.
NOMAD TEST PILOT,
E ON SHORT
Awaiting the completion of a new
Douglas 14-pasenger airplane at
Santa Monica, Calif, to be taken to
Santiago, Chile, Warren B. Smith,
chief pilot for the southern division
ot the Pan-American Orace Airways,
and Mrs. Smith are vacationing In
outturn Oregon, with relatives.
Mr. Smith, who formerly barn
stormed with the late Ive McKlnney
In this section, resided weat of Cen
tral Point, before leaving here six
yeart ago. He has been with the
Airways for the past s'.fc years. Mrs.
Smlt'i Is the daughter of Mr. and
Mra. A. W. Walker.
The Smiths arrived at Miami, Wa
May 18 by plane, and from there
You know now that you gravely mis
Judged your wife. Had you acted
with the slightest degree ot sanity
and understanding both of you
would have been spared a great deal
of suffering." ,
Harper flung out bis hsnd to check
Dufresne's rising retort, "Walt until
I bave finished. I talked with her
Just before I came to this room and
sbe explained to me all that she
knew. She bad brooded and worried
over her sister's plight until she was
nearly frantic, not knowing what
would happen next. Loyalty to her
sister's secret kept her silent and
your unaccountable attitude made
It Impossible to turn to you for help.
Knowing the truth of It herself, she
never dreamed that you bad found
out about the notes and were accus
ing ber In your mind,
"When you telephoned and told
her about the ambush she was terri
fied. She thought that this H.D. was
at the bottom of It. From her sis
ter's account she knew that he was
capable ot nearly anything. She saw
that a terrible crisis was at hand, but
she didn't know what to do nor
which way to turn. She knew about
the meeting that night, but this
other thing arose too suddenly for
her to formulate any plans.
"Then came the Are at Mrs. Mop
lock's house and she saw the oppor
tunlty to slip away unobserved la
the contusion. Without thinking,
she dashed blindly out of the house,
not even properly dressed against
the storm. It was a gesture ot panic
and It came to nothing. The wind,
the snow, the cold were too much
for her overwrought state.
"Sbe floundered In the storm af
ter a short distance and had to turn
back. That Is ber story, Mr. Du
fresne, and It Is clean and clear. I
leave it to your own conscience to
point out what amends you owe her
for your unwarranted lack ot faith."
"fOU know a devil of a lot ot
I things, don't you, Harper?" Du
fresne asked In a surly voice, reach
ing tor the decanter and glass.
"Forty-eight hours have revealed
more to me about what was really
happening In this house than any
of you could discover in months of
suspicion, quarrels, and Jealous ac
cusation," Harper answered quietly.
"And If you were half a man you
would not be sitting there now
brooding, trying to drug your con
science with liquor."
The glass stood poised, halfway
to Dufresne's lips. "Do you really
think so?" he queried sardonically.
"What would you suggest?" '
"I'd suggest that you go Imme
diately and make your peace with
your wife. She'll probably be gen
erous enough to forgive and forget
everything and kill the tatted calf
over the prodigal's return to sanity.
That's all I have to say, Mr, Du
fresne. I shall not step out ot char
acter again."
Pierre Dufresne frowned, then he
laughed, and the smile that Harper
had seen.but rarely transformed bis
face. He put down the glass un
tested and rose from his chair with
Ill-concealed resolution!
"Will you wait here for a few
minutes, Harper? I want to go down
town with you, to arrange things
tor Richard and give him what help
I can."
"I'll wait for you," Harper prom
lsed.
Although the "few minutes"
lengthened considerably and the
master of the house bad not re
turned, the detective was not Im
patient, The delay, he mused, wai
In a good cause.
He browsed along i the book
shelves and taking out one ot the
volumes, sat down on the broad win-dow-soat.
The morning sun began
to edge Its way through the leaded
glass panes as he Idly turned the
psges.
Harpr looked up at the sound of
footsteps, but It waa old Andrews,
and not Dufrosne, who entered the
room. The gray-haired butler had a
message tor him. "Mr. Dufresne
said he would be ready In a minute,
sir."
Andrews hovered over the tray by
the armchair, wbere Dufresne's lssl
drink stood untouched. "Shall I re
move this, sir?"
"Yes, Andrews and 1 think It will
be quite all right to take the decan
ter along with It."
They smiled at each other In sud
den understanding. Then the old
man bowed to Sergeant Stophen
Harper and It was not the stiff nod
by which be drew the line between
his master's world and everything
tbat lay outside.
fCopKrijsl, IM, by trailer C. Brown)
Tn Exb
motored to Hew York, attended "A I
Century of Progress' exposition at !
Chicago, and continued on to Med-!
ford. Mr. Smith aald today that the '
airplane company la having three
new ahlpa bunt, and he la to fly :
the first one back to South America
The flight from Montevideo, In
Uruguay, across to Arte. Chile.
which la In the extreme northwest- I
ern part of the country, Is 180O miles, '
and the Journey takea two daya, he
stated. United States mall and pas
sengers are carried on the planea.
Two tloorta, one on the Argentina I
aide, and one on the Chilean aide.
within the last few weeks, have
washed out much of the railroad
track, delaying the travel by train.
At the present time the company I
Is operating six trl-motor Fords on
the division, but these will be taken
off the long flights, and used only
for short trips, when the new planes
are put In service, according to Mr.
Smith.
The new ship, he said, will prob
ably be completed between the 18th I
of July and the 1st of August, and I
the Smiths will thin fly back to I
i Santiago,
TAX LIMITATION
no
PORTLAND, July 3. (AP) Carl
H. Cover, field manager of the Tax
Limitation League of Oregon, an
, nounced here today that a tax limi
tation amendment, signed by 40,000
' petitioners, will be presented to the
! electorate at the November election.
Started first by the Portland
Realty Board, the move to limit
property taxes In Oregon resulted In
organization of the tax league, Cover
said. He stated every county In the
state turned In a long list of names
In the petitions.
The working of the amendment, as
It will be carried on the November
general eltctlon ballot, follows:
"Limitation or taxes on taxable prop
erty constitutional 'amendment; pur
pose limiting taxable property as
sessment to half Us cash value; lim
iting total taxes by state, county,
school district and city or town ex
cepting for payment of existing in
debtedness, and taxes for any year
upon two-thirds vote of people, to
the following number of mills each
year per dollar of assessed valuation:
due, 1935, 20 mills; 1037, 19 mills;
1038, 18 mills; 1030, 17 mills; 1040.
10 mills; any year thereafter, 16
mills; respective levies not to exceed
the following proportions of state
tax: state, 10 per cent; county, 25
per cent; school district, 26 per cent;
city or town, 40 per cent."
E
WASHINGTON, july 3 (AP) NRA
still had not received a signed letter
or blue eagle compliance from Henry
Ford today, though a local dealer in
dicated his Intention to bid on ap
proximately 2,000,000 or war depart
ment contracts.
R. P. Sabine, of the Northwest Mo
tor company, "a Ford dealer, and his
attorney, F. Hunter Creesh, conferred
at NRA headquarters with I. D.
Evereltt In the automotive section.
It was thought Sabine's bid might
be submitted conditionally subject to
possible receipt of the signed letter
of compliance.
NRA officials said they had no In-
S 'MATTER POP
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I BRINGING OP FATHER
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IL'tOo-T ; sV MlLs E i. Toepyright, 19M, by The Bell syndicate, Inc.)
TAILSPIN TOMMY "Midnight Patrol" in Danger!
huRHS THE (SWEAT SUNS!"0 V7 XWSTT IT DIDN'T HIT THE W WEVE HOT TO tV S FPU
fcLMMG OF THE THAT SanB IS ) Iggggg ( BUILDING- BUT CL06E Y I if 6ET THOSE JT f f ShlZ
usrepsoDEOF soins to hit s ' JL Sggts srr it--- wljdr fTv u TS V Js i F,Lr1 cans "ff. St r
VlONSHT PATROL" THE CUTTING TV ' s.V "t-t-t C I cur GEFOK &( C ML, 1
AKALBOna ROOM 4J ;fe rTkC J, S THE FIRE CZ?t, . 3
ACCtOSNTALLY rjgS4SSSBi l&Yk&l rMsOAMk IS REACHES ksVSJ
4weu. g p p
THE NEBBS Mobbe
W'" RUOV AIWT RIGHT S5-igJ f SHE COOCOKJrT OO THAT TO BUT tOMfV DID I MAveWV
. ABOUT THAT - THEV WH!irIgP I Me - EBBE SHE'S OUST PIWDIKJ& VBLW TUAT 5UITOF ytWiMi
A aimS- moboov mm iirrin f-'a' our that awe does Love Me ) clothcs mod ho to alu
-- EMOOoH TO SET MOSJE.V , ' f - IT TAKES SOME WOMELM A. LOWS M3 '.TJS . THPHs5Sl2JtM
' V PRKTEK1D1KJ' TWEV'RE . TIME TO MAKE- OP THeiW. 1 ) ttKE BOV1K1CS A POLI CEMAM 'Si jrWMjfKHHS
y.NCT SICK. J" ,4, L MIMOS T UNIFORM BECAUSE S OM E V tgW -3
POUTIOArvJ
II ?Jbm SoMrRuL,?OKVH I SUPPOSE YOU II VEA' l'M FROM 11 I AM' AIN'T 7. A OONIT TOO U I
A-p ssFj'nr f tti
I have ahs-L1J , Lsr- ffdr- rrr" "m " A Pi
in t cr L wvmb?sarb r rc home. r ur
dlcation that the letter of compliance
approved Saturday by Hugh 8. John
son would not be signed by a re
sponsible Ford Motor official, but said
they new of no person In the capital
qualified to sign for Ford.
IS
PORTLAND, July 3. (AP) Pro
jects to cost more than $57,000 were
approved by the state emergency re
lief administration here yesterday.
Recreational work at Salem, Albany
and Oregon City was authorised;
CCC educational work at the Wast
Timber camp and Oregon camp was
approved, and school repaln In some
districts was undertaken.
The largest enterprise approved
was for enlargement of the Powell
hurst school near Portland.
BOY IS DROWNED IN
WATERS OF UMPQUA
ROSEBURO, Ore ..July 8. (AP)
Roe Edwin Harris, 6, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Foxx Floyd Harris, residents of
the Tyee district, 36 miles vest of
Roseburg, was drowned Sunday night
while swimming with members of bla
family In the Umpqua river. He Is
survived by his parentis, four sisters
and a brother.
Wuffl STANDARD AOUNEWJ,.
k UNSURPASSED IN JlwANTED
1
, I .1 1 - 1-11 - 1 1 ii I 1
DANGER OE FIRE
HALTS L(
.
SEATTLE, July 1-CAP)-All log-
glng operations In western Washing-
ton were under ordera today to shut
down today and tomorrow as a fire
protection measure, under authority
given In the NRA lumber code.
The order waa given last night by
C. S. Co wo, chief fire warden for the
Washington Forest Fife association.
It waa believed to be the first such
action ever takn In the west.
SALEM, Ore.. July S. (AP) Lynn
Cronemlller, state forester, said today
that although no lumber mill in Ore
gon la closed because of the forest
fir hazard, some may have to be
closed down If present conditions
continue after July 4.
Three weeks ago all mills In the
Clackamas and Marion county forest
association were ordered closed for
several days. The order later was re
voked. Underwear Was His Bank.
' DOVER, O. (UP) County officials
Investigating the sudden death of
Vincent Sakay, 75. at New Cumber-,
land, near here, found In a Dover fu
neral home $2240 In piece of rubber
tube sewed to underwear worn by the
man at the time of his death.
Sued for Rabbit's Death.
BERLIN, N. J. (UP) A dog killed
a prize rabbit owned by Fred Robin
son. Now Robinson is trying to col
lect $4 from the borough council for
the loss of the rabbit, claiming bor-
jough officials were to blame for allow-
i Ing dogs to run loose,
j UnmUzzlel.
I
unlicensed and
WASHINGTON, July 3 (AP) Jos
eph P. Kennedy, New York financier
today waa chosen chairman of the
new securities and exchange commis
sion after a two hour conference
among the democratic members of the
commission.
DIFFICULT DECISIONS
E
John T. Ross, who resides on route
one, 3',i miles from Med lord, has
placed an attractive display In the
Chamber of Commerce window, of
numerous articles he has made from
madrons, or laurel wood, red oak, and
white oak.
The candlesticks, bowls, stands and
boxes are fashioned from wood found
m this section ot the country. Al
though highly polished, all are fin
ished in their natural eolorlnga, and
are quite attractive.
Articles made from the white oak,
V0NDSR1N6 WHAT To DO WlTV) NiMH CONES
Which you have bought as a treat
for the ball team which at the moment
is disappearing around the corner
IN PURSUIT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
(Copyright, 1934, by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
taken across the grain, then others
of a vertical finish were attracting
visitors at the Chamber, of Commerce.
CCC MEMBER KILLED -IN
FALL OUT WINDOW
PORTLAND, Ore., July 8. (AP)
Dave Gregory, 38, an Indian from the
Warm Sprlnga CCO camp, was fatally
Injured here last night when he fell
from a second floor tire escape In a
rooming house. His neck was broken,
and his skull fractured. Police and
witnesses said he was Intoxicated.
Beekeepera aay the queen cells
should be cut at regular Intervals
of seven days to prevent the hives
from swsrmlng.
Use Mall Tribune want ads.
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
6U!Yfl?
By 0. M. Payn
By Hal Forrest
By Sol Hess
By Oeores McManm