PSGE EIGHT -
raPFORD MAIL TRIBUTE, 1MEPFORD, OTtEGOy. THURSDAY. 'AUGUST 13.' 1936.
Chapter 87
' THE ANSWER
"rEAR INSPECTOR," the Ser
geant's letter began, "I am lor
ry for all the official flapdoodle there
will bt about this business.
"I don't know whether you are be
ginning to guess it or not, but I
killed Arthur Burdett; an action for
which I wasn't sorry at the time, but
which I am inclined to regret now.
"Burdett was not only a miser but
a rouS as well I had reason to think
some time ago that he got various
women up to the Court on one pre
text or another, but It had nothing
to do with me and so I didn't take
much notice. But lately he had bis
eye on my wife; twice be rang her
up when he knew I was away and
asked her to go up there to take a
message for me. I thought, until to
day, that that was why she went up
there, but I know differently now.
"It so happened that the second
time she was there (or at any rate
the aecond time I know of) I was on
some of his land beyond Nyeton, see
ing about a tree that had blown
across the road and that bad to be
cleared away. I called at the Court
on my way hack and as luck would
have It ran into Alice just as she
was leaving.
"She looked a bit upset and
flushed, and I suppose she was
frightened at seeing me there. Any
way when we got home that evening
she told me that he had rung her up
on an excuse of having aome mes
sage for me and asked her up, and
when she had got there there was no
more talk about any mossage, he
ended up by trying to make love to
her. I suppose now that she told me
all these half-lies because she wss
thoroughly scared by my turning up
there unexpectedly and was afraid
that I already knew something.
"I thought It over a day and de
cided to go up on Monday, when I
knew bis man would be out,' to
thrash the whole thing out with blm
and see where we stood. So as not to
worry Alice, I told her I was going
out on my usual Nyeton round after
poachers.
"Actually I went up to Enderton
Court; I used the back drive. I got
to the Court at about live minutes
to aeven, I should think.. I knocked
on the front door and the old miser
came shuffling across the hall just
like Lumsdale described. He opened
the door as far as the chain would
admit and peered out. I said 'I want
a word with you Mr. Burdett about
a little matter.'
"He hesitated a moment and tben
took the chain off and told me to
come In. I followed him across the
hall Into that little study sort of
place where he always used to sit.
we sat down and be croaked out,
What do you want at this time of
nlglitr
"Itasked him straight out what be
was doing with my wife.
"TTE burst out Into the ususl tor
rent of abuse which he used
whenover he lost bis temper. What
the hell did I mean, and how dare I
have the bloody Impudence, and all
that sort of thing.
"Of course I took no notice of that,
except perbaps that It made me even
angrier than I was already. When
he had run short of breath I told him
quite quietly that my wife had com
plained of being decoyed up there
under false pretenses and of having
been molested, and that unless he
bad some satisfactory explanation
to give I Intended to make an official
case of It and prosecute him.
"It was then that the whole at
mosphere of the thing changed. I
didn't speak at all for the next ten
minutes, he had it all his own way.
He told me, amongst a lot of other
things, that If I really Imagined my
wife went up there unwillingly it
was sbout the richest thing he had
ever heard of; that his great diffi
culty had been to keep her away
once he had first got her up there;
that he knew well enough what I
was after, that the whole thing wss
a plant that 1 wanted money.
"I couldn't stand it anyway and
when he said that about Alice I lost
control of myself (damned fool that
I was). I bad my truncheon out be
fore I knew what I wa doing. When
he had said what he did about All-e
he leaned across the table and apat
at me. I had my hand on my trun
cheon aa I've told you and when he
leaned forward and opened that
scrawlng mouth of bla I hit him with
out knowing that I did It,
"It killed him at once. I bit him on
the bead whlcb I didn't mean to do
In a sense you may say that I didn't
mean to hit him at all. It all hap
pened quickly and under the stress
of temper. However, all those thlngi
don't matter, i did hit blm- and
killed blm and It was murder.
"I lost my head for a few minutes
and damned nearly turned tail and
ran, leaving everything just as II
was, but, of course, that soon passed
I knew nobody could have heard any
thing and I was certain no one had
aeen me going up the back drive
My truncheon waa the first anag.
I thought I would provide a weapon
to make It easy for everybody.
"Those two Indian Cluba took mj
eye ao I Jumped Up on a chair anil
got one down (the second fell down
with a hell of a clatter, it made m
jump a foot, and I realized how nervy
I was),
"When that was finished I put tb
chair back in lta place (the one 1
had stood on to get the clubs) care
fully brushed oft any evidence of ll
having been stood on and bad a good
look round.
"One club was on the floor and i
picked It up and hung It on a nal!
on the wall. It just shows how mis
taken a man can be about tho siau
of bis mind and how eaay It muat b
for murderers ,to make silly mis
takes; I could have sworn I was per
fectly cool and collected and yet 1
never realised that I was putting
that club back on Its wrong nal); 11
Just didn't enter my head.
HALFWAY down the back drlv
I did exactly what you though!
the murderer did. I stuck my trun
cheon well Into the grass at the fool
of the hedge and wiped all the meal
oft It. Then I slung It In place again
and went on. There waa no one about
so I turned left and made oft sharp
ly through the lanea to Nyeton vll
lage.
I was back home by half past
eight and sat there pretending to
read with my eara nailed to the dooi
aa you may say.
"Just after nine Lumsdalt
knocked, I let him In and he told mc
bis alarming news. I hope my face
looked serious and official enough,
I tried to make It so anyway, and I
walked up with him to see the firm
murder of my life (but my second
view of It).
'I want to make It clear, Inspec
tor, that I didn't want anybody else
to be charged with the crime, but I
didn't see how there could be any
evidence to charge anyone else. 1
don't pretend to know what I should
have done If the circumstantial evl
dence had gone on mounting against
Shipley the way It did.
"However, you feel a damned fool,
Inspector, when you've Jumped Into
the river to rescue someone and It
turns out to be a dummy. I found
out today that what Arthur Burdett
said about my wife was absolutely
true so I needn't have killed him
at all really, which is a pretty good
Joke on both of us when you corns
to think of It.
"Well, Inspector, that'a the way
of It I knew It all before; abut my
eyes to It and have had It proved
abundantly again: do your own way
In life and trust yourself, nothing
else Is worth while. If you hadn'l
come In when you did this evenlns
I should have killed Alice. You saved
her. and much good that will do ths
world. I shan't kill ker now, I
couldn't very well hope to get away
with that, and yet It I let her live
she'll get me csught over the other
thing, somehow or other in the devil
Ish way women have In their mlndi
aha knowt.
Well, she won't have that pleas
ure. I've always lived life my own
way and I'll go out of It my own way
Jamea Clewley White."
Inspector Hylton read this re
markable and eminently lucid docu
ment through slowly and with a
series of mingled feelings such ai
he had aeldom, if ever, before ex
perienced. When he had finished it
to its last syllable ha gathered tht
loose sheets together and took them
Into the office, not caring particu
larly to share the company In tin
kitchen sny longer.
Poor devil" Hylton thought with
compassion. Then lifting up the re
ceiver, be asked In a weary volet
for the Morechester Police Station
(Cttr"tl. IM. Lnrno It'. J))
THE END
L
E
PORTLAND. Aug. IS. (API A
warning to parent against allowing
their children start school without a
thorough examination, so that they
may b free from avoidable handi
caps, came todsy from the Oregon
bosrd of health.
'ino board pointed out that the
average child loses about seven per
cent of his school time, or two weeks,
because of preventable defect which
not only hinder hi school progress
but cause Injury to his future health.
These are listed ss the common cold,
dentsl defects, sdenotds, defectlvt
vision, poor nutrition, and certain
constltutlonsi disorders.
The weekly chart of communicable
diseases throughout the state reveal
ed whooping cough to be the most
prevalent ellment. There were n
new esses, concentrated principally
In Multnomah. Washington. Marlon.
Polk and Denton counties.
Pse Mall Tribune wan.', i.
In exchanging spproxlmstely 17,
000.000 sir mail letters during the
first six months of this year. Med
ford and other Pacific Coast cities
surpassed sny other sectton of the
country on a per capita basla for sir
mail use, according to advice received
todsy by L. O. Devaney. field man
ager of United Air Lines here, from
bis ChlcaKo hesriqusrters.
The total given. Devaney ssld. wss
chalked up on both the overnight snd
daylight schedules Qf United between
Seattle. Medford snd San Diego, with
a substantially better showing on a
per capita basis thsn that recorded
by sir lines of the Atlantic seaboard.
Under present coastwise sir mall
schedules, elapsed times Irom Med
ford to other cities sre ss fllows
Portlsnd, 1 nr.. 33 nun : Seattle. 3 hrs..
63 mln.; Sacramento, 1 hr.. SS mtn.;
Oakland. 3 hr.. 8 mln.: Sn Fran
cisco, 3 hrs., 28 mln.: Fresno. 3 hrs.
45 mln. I Bakerslleld, 4 hrs,, 37 mln.:
Lot Angeles, 4 hrs., 43 mln, snrt San
S:to, B hrs., 4S mln,
Ethel Barrymore
Through Acting
NEW YORK, Aug. 13. (AP) Ethel
Barrymore, who came of a family rich
In the tradltlona of the drama, but
who attained fame In her own right
on the stage snd screen, looked for
wsrd today to a life of retirement In
the country.
"I have made up my mind that I'm
never going to appear In another play
again," ahe said last night during a
radio broadcast.
"I live In the country and I never
want to live anywhere else."
The actress, who will observe her
57th birthday Saturday, la a sister of
John and Lionel Barrymore of the
movies.
BERKELEY. Csl., Aug. 13. (API
Lee R. Dennlson, South American
mining man, aald today he planned
within 80 days to lead an airplane ex
pedition In search of the wreckage
of the plane' of Paul Redfern, Geor
gia aviator, who dlssppesred In 1827
on a flight to Rio de Janeiro.
POEM BY EX-WIFE IS
FEATURE ON BIRTHDAY
ST. PETERSBURG, Pla., Aug. 13.
(AP) When friends gave a surprise
birthday party for Judge M. B. Hub
bard, 87, his divorced wife, Mrs. Alice
M. Horton waa among the guesta.
During the celebration she recited
a poem. It waa "That Old Sweet
heart of Mine."
Buckingham's Ice Cream, Candy ft
Party specials. The Crest. 330 8. Cent.
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
For further proof address the author, Inclosing s stamped envelope for reply, fteg, TJ. 8, Pat Oft
.BPlSCrtrYSIHfi
ORl6IH(STe9 rVS ft
Pi cAURCrt STEEPLE
(fe 60M.,,,
a l ... i i
. vinrrvrm Lauren To
cnurcn,
p Ireland m
1 KAHEMTM'z-
NebRSST RftlLROM),
More PfifaKr m oThW
IbWH IN "We U.4.
Unv SEft PIjWS
of wriicrt loo i
ChNFlTOrtTrtEfffAP
OF A PIN. ftREO
MfAtTRichLlHe M?E USED
TO TESTTHE FINEST MICROSCOPES'
L"' "'"r"
THE FAMILY CAR
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS f
CWllWM?W5rA6EMefife
. WERE Fought ftT
g-l2-3fcj "
tlattle Town
Strange ss It seems, though only
one battle In the history of the Civil
War Is now officially denoted aa the
Battle of Franklin, no lesa than 14
different military clashes occurred In
this Tennessee town.
Two of the battles fought there
were of great Importance the first
occurring on April 10. 1863. when the
Federsl forces under General Granger
defeated Confederate forces led by
Oenersl Vsn Dorn.
The historical Battle of Franklin
wss fought on the outskirts of the
war-torn town on November 30. 18b4.
Heavy casualties were Incurred on
both sides snd aa a result, oddly
enough, the lesders of the Confed
erate and Union troops, General
Hood of the former and General
Wagner of the latter, were both re
lieved of their commands.
Steeplechaslng
Leading sports suthorltles vary In
their oplntona regarding the date of
the flrat steeplechsse but sgree that
lta locality was In Ireland with the
rscs being run from BuMevent
Church to the spire of St. Leger's
Church In County Cork.
It waa from thta horse rsce that
the name of our modern obstacle race
was derived, for the orlglnsl was run
across country, over fences, hedges
snd streams In the course that waa
run between the steeples of the two
churches.
Mlscroscope Diatoms
There are over 6000 species of the
tiny dlitom plant, each having a dif
ferent pattern Including almost evory
possible symmetrical figure from
curves to strslght lines. So nearly
perfect Is their proportional struc
ture that they have come into wide
ussge as a test for the accuracy of
microscopes.
Tomorrow:
ment.
Post Mortem Experl-
SfEPiBRISViytJlK-fefift-
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H).6HlrllK6CftRWHIfHHE
CLEAHEP YESfERDAV, IX
S)T)E AKD OUT
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ASK HOW H lta WORiB
Did rf 6Ef mupaucaer.
if
riHD5WfirREPTbpf50f CARRIES lM1b H0U5E A
lb Si-OrV UP TOR AWtattE CDrVf, fEKKlS RACWJTf, SMC"
COMIrfe BACK FROM THE WHOrJE AND VARIOUS ODDS
BAaWME. RETURNS AlJD ENDS FAMILY1 HAS
Co CAR VEPi IK CAR-
Ktfilput -To SARA6E
(5UJVA5
15 BACK PRKEMW FOR A
8R05H 1b SWEEP OUT "THE
SAND, REMWMtfS OF CONK
AKD CANDV PAPERS MILDRED
AMD HEP. SIR1 FRIENDS lEF
IN CAR-
CLEANS If OUT AMP
01M&& IN
mom GLOOMILY" fo
HOUSE UNABLE 0 tfARf
; CAR, BECAUSE WIFE STflLlED
WHEN rWlN6rf AWAY AND
rOR6uf16fORN OrTleNrfiOrJ
(Copyright 1936, by The Beg Syndicate; Sc.')
S 'MATTER POP-
By C. M. PAYNE
TTZ ) To KUL Y4a 1
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TAILSPIN TOMMY An Interruption
By HAL FORREST
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nTuWnm nV C-"OUMDIMO l START TO HAVfr SOMEr Vj-fcT'S viCRAM V THIS GUY., Uo HIM LATtR..JV CHAMCt TO TALK.'... MOT )
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Ben's Plan
To ?WWrAAL AWO AUVXW AMP VJE HAVE OVJevfll LCOME HERS ,SRlARg.lE -WAIT A SECOMP?) f-THEU I CAVJ (YOU'lL DO U0TWIU6'
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CW.WU.THObERUFFlAUS J V CREATURES UPSTAIRS.' j r HU I PRETEMD WE'VE BEEK1 FRIOHTEMEO H ALOUE I MAU ,' I'LL COME
jT j ?g?p p JQ iJ CC-K JITH YQuy
By EDWIN ALGER
THE NEBBS Unwelcome Guest
By SOL, ctiSS
j ILL GO IKJTO MV CCM
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VJOMA.SJ,U)E HAVE
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INI SE-MI-COMESTICTRAsJOUILITV
eoT TWE.I5E. ISMT ROOM FOR.
THAT GUV AJOD ME EVEM IM
THE. SrATG OF TEXAS, AMD IF'
V4IM OUT OF HERE.
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FACES AT EACH i
sv crru&K iu
r'URPOSELV VOL) PARX
ISJ A ROOM A CROCODILE
UJOULO SUFFOCATE IK1 AMD WHEM
I MAKE. MIM A BIT COMFORTABLE
IT'S GROUsJDS FOR DIVORCE .' .'
SO THAT'S ALL THE AFPECTIOsJ
VOU HAVE FOR. ME ? IT COST VOO
TLOO DOLLARS FOR A. MARRIAGE
Licesjse: fou canj
OOT OF IT
OR WOTWIWJG
VOL) V
f, 1 XA-ICENJ-Se. fCXJ CANJ oET I