PAGE ETOHT
M"EDFOT?T "NfATL TRTBTTNT!. "M"EDFOTCr. Oft-EGOy. TUESDAY. MAT 18. 1037.
LATE PARTY
' By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
For farther proof addreee the author. Inclosing a stamped envelope for reply. ' Reg. V. 8. Pat Off.
iSiiucrt
r
itormy right at Farrinoton Bluff,
home of Michael'i aunts, beauti
ful Jude Blim top it ihot to death
on the bluff. th Skipper. Mike's
tall and tueedr iounoer aunt, dls
appeare, and Mike dislocates hie
houlder in a falL The Skipper
turns up; she'i been in the stable
with a sick collie. Aunt Martha,
stout and prudish, has a feu gen
teel tantrums, but Gay Palmer,
Mike's red-headed sweetheart,
keeps airly calm. Next morning
tee search the ground tor an in
truder and find that someone has
slept in the room over the garagt.
Chapter 11
I Become Head Sleuth
JN my room, Michael was sprawled
on the bed, waiting. He had man
aged to get out of the oilskins, but
the feet stretched In front of mm
were still encased in hip boot.
-Well?" he said Jerkily.
"Nothing," after moment's hesi
tation.
He straightened up to study my
face. Whatever he saw there appeared
to satisfy lilm. He stretched out gin'
gorly on the bed.
"1 told you so," his voice was
tired. "Cst me out of this stuff, will
you?
: Only once did 1 speak to him during
the long, tedioua process of getting
the two of us ready for M. Farring-
ton's lunch table. 1 coufdn t stand the
tight lines around his mouth.
"Mike," I said, "the Skipper Is
square. You know It."
He turned away, picking up
comb. When his voice came it was
perfectly steady. "1 know it"
1 didn't try again. With fiendish In
tensity, 1 concentrated on soap, tow
els, collar buttona any thing. The
lunch bell rang while 1 was struggling
with Mlchael'a tie.
M. Farrlngton was worth her
weight In gold at that lunch table.
Right there aha made amends for
every Farrlngton state dinner I have
ever endured.
"We'll eat first and discuss this
afterward," aha stated.
No one argued. Gay was white and
shaken, the Skipper abstracted, Mi
chael silent and moroit. But M, Far
rlngton and 1 talked. We talked about
the deplorable condition of the
drama, if 1 remember correctly. And
when 1 gave out. Gay took it up.
Not until Hlggina withdrew at the
end of (he meal, waa there silence.
M. Farrlngton took deep breath
and plunged In.
"I aurmise," aha said, "that you are
(11 aatlsfled that no one Is lurking in
the grounds?"
No answer.
' "Then 1 think that all the steps we
may take, can be taken right here
with -a little thought and a little co
operation from each one of us."
More silence. Mlchael'a lighter
flared.
"1 fall to tee," ha observed, "any
necessity for taking steps. There haa
been an accident. Very well. Aa soon
as we get In touch with the mainland.
the police can do everything that la
necessary.
M. Farrington's Proposition .'
WE all stared at him. There waa
that alternative of course. Any
sort of story might be bluffed through.
' William and Hlggina were to be
counted on. And the police would
have no reason to question It Gay
made up her mind first,
"I don't like that Mike."
"Why not? We might as well face
It The chances are that the person
who shot Jude Is sitting at this table.
Do you think anyone here would
ahoot her Intentionally?"
M. Farrlngton spoke briskly. "Mi
chael, If you are right we can end
thla situation here and now. We are
all friends. It one of us waa so un
fortunate as to cause this accident
that peraon ahould speak out now for
the sake of all of us."
We waited for at. Interval that
seemed like several centuries. The
Skipper sat motionless, her eyes on
the table, and her right hand clenched
in front of her. M. Farrlngton, i.
trine pale, waa studying Mlchael'a
face. It waa absolutely expressionless,
but the hand that held his cigarette
ahook slightly. Gay'a frightened eyea
caught and held mine. There waa a
question In them that puzzled me.
M. Farrington's hard, dry voice cut
through the silence,
"Very well. The police will be here
by tomorrow or the next day at the
latest If we wait tor that things will
be very unpleasant 1 am of the opin
ion that an organized Investigation
will be much happier than an Indi
vidual and furtlva one."
It was only common sense. We all
realized that, but to one encouraged
the Idea.
M. Farrlngton smiled grimly. "At
all events. It would be more success
ful and It might spare us the ordeal
of a public police Investigation."
Police! At Farrlngton Bluffl But of
course there would have to be po
lice, tor ine nrst .ime the matter
ceased to be personal Gay'a hand
gripped my knee convulsively.
"Oh. surely" she began.
"Very surely," salt: M. Farrlngton.
"Someone must tak charge. 1 ahould
prefer It to be neither a woman nor
a servant Since Michael has seen lit
IN
LIONS FOR LIVELIHOOD
EAOI.E PASS, Tex. ((T) A alight
young woman, mother of a 7-year-old
daughter, haa become the leading
southwest trapper of her aex.
She la Mrs. Bessie Davlra Kennedy,
and tier husband. Robert, la a state
pald trapper of mountain lions, wolv
es, coyotes and bobcats. Robert Ken
nedy la recognized aa the beat In hli
profession and hla catch of 168 coy
otes In a single month still la the rec
ord. Mrs. Kennedy, however, la the more
amazing of the two. She surprised res
idents of this borderlsnd town early
laat March by hauling In a hut"
mountain lion on the running board
of her dust-covered car. Less than
two weeks later, she came In with an
other a feat that few men have
equalled.
The flrat mountain lion waa a
tawny, scarred veteran of many a
battle over the prey In ralda on sheep
herds. It weighed 180 pounds and waa
7 feet, ft tnchee long. The second waa
smaller, weighing lS pounds and
measuring I feet, a Inches. Both strug
gled In their traps afM snarled at Mrs.
Kennedy before a bullet from her
rifle ended their Uvea.
The sinewy lions dwarfed their cap
tor. She weighs loo pounds and la t
feet 7 Inches tall. She Is 33. pretty
and blue-eyed, with her akin bronzed
by daya outdoors and a sprinkling of
freckles of which she Is very proud
The Kennedys live In Maverick
county and trap In the "Indlo" coun
trya loo-mile square are notorious
for Its wild animals and Its lack of
tralli. Most of the area la owned by
the Indlo ranch and few Improve
ment have been made since the
Spanish conquistadors established
the ranch'a boundary three centuries
ago.
HShlNO TACKLE and Picnic Sup
plies at Huaun'a Confectionery. Open
evenings and Sundays.
to go bathing In February, obviously i
not Michset James, I am afraid you
will be obliged to offer your services."
Without warning, laughter engulfed
me, shrill, meaningless gusts of It
"Well," ssid M. Farrington's sar
donic voice, "is that an acceptance or
otherwise?"
Michael answered for me, eyes nar
rowed, a peculiar expression on his
face.
"Jim's your sleuth, Aunt Martha
He'll love it An authority on the sub
ject, In fact"
There was something In that re
mark that I didn't like, and a great
deal about the whole proposition that
X liked even less. I glared at him,
"Weill" Impatiently from M. Far
rlngton, "All right" 1 said stiffly. I wss to
trap Jude's murderer. II And it It
should turn out to be 1 didn't dare
finish the thought
'Thank you, pursued M. Farrlng
ton dryly. "ames, there Is, of course,
the possibility that you are conduct
ing an Investigation against yourself.
But we shall have to run that risk.
It Is understood thst we are all
pledged to help you In every way.
Proceed, If you please."
L the creator of Bllllngton Tralth-
swalte, sleuth extraordinary, sur
veyed the members of tha' party. No
blase quip rose to my lips. Neither
did my steel-gray eyes glint menac
ingly. Rather 1 gaped foolishly for
a full minute belore 1 could so much
as blurt "I II have to think. You I
wish you'd all go to your rooms and
stay there.
Michael snorted at the feeble at
tempt 1 heard M. Farrington's "Come,
Barbara, felt the reassuring pressure
of Gay's hand, and suddenly found
myself alone in the room with the
Skipper.
"I m sorry about all this. Jim. sorry
that It had to happen at all and par
ticularly sorry that you were dragged
Into it But believe me. Martha li
right It's better this way than In the
hands of the police. Don't blink
anything. We leave It to you."
'Watch The Servants'
THEN 1 was alone in the dinlnt
room. They were both right, ol
course. And yet 1 poured myself
stiff drink sod gulped it down. I rant
tor Higgins. The man looked sick.
"Higglns," 1 said, "at Miss Farring
ton's request I am taking charge hers
until we can get In touch with shore
1 wish you would so inform the ser
vants."
'Very good, sir."
'I have asked everyone to go to hit
or. her room tor a short time and
remain there. 1 should be greatly
obliged if you would keep a careful
check n all the servants. And if you
should see any of them outside of the
quarters between now and the time I
call you, notify me Immediately."
tie blinked, rue man was. 1 thought
on the verge of saying something, bul
ensnged nis mind. He bowed auto
matically srfd withdrew.
1 took myself Into the livlna room
The Impossibility of the situation nc
longer interested me. I was beglnnlni
to appreciate to the full the shortcom
ings of my awn attempts at fiction
The thought of my remarkable Bll
llngton Infuriated me.
I Anally sst down st a desk ant lo
cated pencil and paper. 1 decided tc
go carefully over the whole confound
ed visit and Jot down every peculiar
Incident It was no essy task. At the
end of an hour I iad a list that read
like this:
I. Something is tsrons with the
Skipper something ihat prompted
At. rarrtngion to ssnd for us in the
middle of winter, diverted her from
trying to marry off Mike, and has even
upset ff logins tr some way. He was
certainly off his feed last night
l. Why is the Skipper so averse to
seeing a doctor?
J. Die she want to keen Mike awau
from Jude for the obvious reason?
Shs put it a little strongly for that.
4. What did Jude tell Mike ana
when did they separate?
3. What did Mike expect to find in
the boathouse that prompted him to
Jump over the cliff?
0. Did Jude u-clk or was she carried
to the spot where we found her? if
she wilkcd, for whom or what was .the
looking? Obviously she went in a
great hurry. fVo hat or coat
T. Where was Mlks until he called
us? Outdoors, apparently. He was
soaking wst, Hs said he Jw the bridge
down at 10 o clock. Just the time I
went to bed. What was he doing out
there? Why did he later head so de
terminedly for the boathouse?
I. Where was the Skipper? The
puppies are there all right, but did
they come last night or before that?
Would even the Skipper spsnd such a
night in a stable with a sick dog? Why
didn't shs tell M. Farrlngton where
she was going? Why did shs object to
Jude? What wet c she and Jude talk
ing about when M. Farrlngton heard
them? Where did they go? Was the
Skipper the last person too see Jude
alive?
f. Why doesn't Mike want a search
or Investigation of any kind?
10. Whose footprints ars on the ten
nis courts and in the parage? Who
slept In the garage last night? Who
tried to leave the Bluff in the Skip
per's car?
fCopyrtgnl. if ST. Iitjler Tyhr)
A scream makea ua rush te tai
kllehsn, temerrew.
m
w jar
M0lDNJTrAM
W HoTcotte fROrA ?6RU ...
If & fOunv DNW IN
Central hmericj
tfiMfiTeLPtfOrt.-
1W0 CftK cotm&z.
. . m - a few afri4as. a
. 1 . .at. . I a . a i
0 .if?SlMli Mt
i Vrwn nr I'inv
WON Pi RftCfe
Ohoit linn (Heap
Taking the inside position aa the
field rounded Into the home stretch
on the Pomona track one day In Sep
tember, 1939. Virginia Mac pulled up
with the leaders, passed them, and
flashed, across the finish line In first
place.
Everything about the race seemed
quite In order until the owners went
to collect the purse on their winning
entry. They were told Virginia Mac
had been disqualified. Why? Because
a search through the Jockey Club rec
ords had disclosed the fact that the
horse wss officially dead. A ghost
had won the racel
At the beginning of her racing ca
reer, Virginia Mac had failed to show
much promise, was sold, and became
a polo pony, purchased by three Hol
lywood screen writers. Robert Ives,
Howard Green and Claude Blnyon.
she waa brought back to the racing
game. Not knowing that her Jockey
Club registration had expired and
made Virginia Mac officially dead,
her owners entered the mare In the
Pomona meet. It Is believed that thev
have since taken enre of her "resur
rection" In the Jockey Club files so
she can never be disqualified again
on the grounds that she's a ghost.
Silent .Statesman
Famous as the author of the "De
cline and Fall of the Roman Em
pire." Edward Gibbon was elected to
Parliament In 1774, left In 1780, re
turned In 1781 and retired In 1782.
In his eight years as a member ot
Parliament he did not make a single
speech.
nalsnm of Peru
A widely used healing drug, per
fume base and vanilla substitute,
Balsam of Peru received Its curious
misnomer many years ago from the
Spanish and has retained It ever
since. Though It la generally believed
that balsam was misnamed entirely
by mlstri:e due to vague geographical
knowledge of the time, It haa been
said that It was misnamed on pur
pose so that nations other than Spain
would look for the valuable tree in
Peru Instead of Salvador. The tree
from which the balsam comes Is the
Myroxylon perelrae unknown out
side Central America.
Tomorrow: The Most Prolific Pen.
SANTA FE STREAMLINER
SPEEDS TO NEW RECORD
CHICAOO, Mi; 18. (JP) The Santa
re railroad claimed a new rail speed
record for the Los Angeles-Chicago
run Monday when Its "Super Chief,"
new dlesel-powered streamliner, ar
rived after an elapsed time of 36
houra and 40 minutes.
The train averaged 80.8 miles an
hour on elapsed time for the 3.328
mile run, but actual running time
boosted the apeed to 63.8 miles n
hour. . It made 17 stops.
' K. F. Couple To Wed
RENO, Nev., May 17. (API Mar
riage ' licenses issued here today In
cluded. Jess Copcland, 26. and Elva
Tlce, 24, both Chlloquln. Ore.
Ose Mall Tribune want ads.
NEW YORK TO PARIS
AIR DERBY BLOCKED
WASHINGTON. May 18. (AP)
The state department formally noti
fied the French embassy today that
the United States government could
not permit a proposed New York-to-ParlB
air derby this summer be
cause of the "risk of needless loss
of life."
WAXES UP IN Hl&rrf, REAU21M6
soMEftirit oaf or -we ordi
KARV IS 601X6 Oti
HEARS MUSIC ft HO NOISE POWrj
STAIRS. PAREtftS WSf BE
HAYIH6 A PAfflV
SOlfKOS Of CHATTER AND WBtB-f
"TER BtfilrtTOMAKl" HIM rea
WrJELY AD IXFf OUfOflf
DECIDES fb ftffRACf 50ME Af
fkHtlOr 1b HJMSELF AW (
fERS A LOOP WAtt.
POESNf 6Ef ANV ACfiON AND
REAU2ES -THEY'RE MAKIW&
.-TOO MUCH NOISE IrlEMSB-VES
tb HEAR HIM
SfrfrlERS HIS FORCE RJR0XE
Of HIS FmsteLASS CWE5,
which Ev'tWimaY flLWAVd;
BRiHfr RES0W5
CAN KEEP HIS MlKO ON if.
Trl006r, BECAUSE HE FlrtD
DECIDES, WITH KO ONE C0H1K6
IN -Co Stop HIM, HE CAW HAVE
HE KEAU.Y UkES frlE MUSIC A MICNI&rrf FR0UC OF HIS 0WM
(Oeprrlfht. 1W7, by The Bell Syndicate, Ine.)
DROWSES OFF, WHICH IF HE ONLY
KNEW It, IS WHAt MOST OF WE
6R0WN-UPS DOWKStAlRS, WoylD
LIKE 1b BE t0fte
S 'MATTER P0F
By C. M. PAYNB
( tT3eVS AT J f fiooW ) J
T4e office wills. at y sV-J ly &f
jl Eflt, 1837, by'lTi. Bell Syndlcats, Ine.)
TAILSPIN TOMMY Tommy Is " Grounded !"
TA&R1VIMG at
TMRrt--POIMTJ
HIS ARM in A
SLIMS, HIS r-ACt
COtRfD WITH
CUTS.MID LIMPins
BADLY A3 THt-RC-SULT
or- HIS
FALL DOWn THE"
rMSAhKMC-MT,
TOMMY IS STUhriH)
WHCtl THf AIR
DttT. INSPECTOR
DC-MAttDrD HIS
UCCt1SC-..STATir'1G
Hf HAD CRASHED
INTO A BARM...
By HAL FORREST
usTt-n, inspccTOR,
to Donr mc-am
TO iriTIMATE- THAT
I DID ALL THIS?
SIX Pf-RSCMS
IDEMTIF-ICD
VOUf? SHIP
Bof? it
, CRASHf-D .'
T
4 (
J
shTp'?
YfS..AriD Ar-TCR IT CRASHH)
YOU VVMf SC-C-M TO
LIMP AWAY HJOM
AMD DlSAPPfAR
TO
IT, , J
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER The Proposition
-1 '
M
- ' 11 ... 1 sss,- sMiiunnmiinin m, - a
YOU MUST HAVf HAD
A BAD DR.tAM .. I'LL
r ITS STILL IM THC-
kHATlGAft
ORYMILSPin ....
V BUT I'M AfR AID THIS C
A WASHtS YOU UP...
I YOU MAY APPfAL
I TO THC- DE-PARTMtrfT, i
s j
By E1DWIN ALGER
ALL WGMT, HtR.t'5 MY PR.0?0SniOU-T
TOU PAY MC FIVE HUMUiLcD DOLLARS
IW ADVAUCE FOR MER.CHAK10,E YOU
AVJD MR UAETT WILL BUY M THE
4J
UEY.T FEW AA0UTH6 (i
m VAWOM WCsQm STORE. -M
SOU, WHO 00 YOU THUX.
1 AM ? 00 LOOK. Uttt 1
-7 CjALYTA CLAUS ?
VJArt A MiUUTE, MB.. HA59ETT -I AA -WOT
THROUGH YtT-VOU A0 MOUEY's
WORTH WHAT MOUEY EARVJS AMD FOR
h that five humored dollars you're eo
1KIO u owe wc WOHl KIOWJ
YOU'LL
1 ".
vy 1
f-&E PP.W1LESE0 TO BUV $SSO
WORTH OF MERCHAM014E-WE'LL
MAKE THAT DEAL TO YOU, AVJD YOU
ouly, ou A three-mouths basis
how about it f
THE NEBBS The Fresh Guy
k
By SOL HESS
WJHAT T AKH. VOU
A5KlkJ3 ME FOR.
PAVORS r V CAJO'
VOU-VOO GOT TO
IMPROVE NOURSELFl
r : r-i -
P?SV 5A.Y,USTEM,VOO! THERE'S A N, W ,uAr ior V
W f TIME. VUWENJ THE MOST PEACEFUL trivi' -rr-i no watr
LJrUA-SOUU BREAKS COT IM ANJGER- hVX a MONKEY OUTTA 7
L-wyslOU COME 110TD MY PLACE UJlTM SsJV ME f s
' lS.tl-'lrAi,. KtE" VCHJR WSEX .EACtellU N . -- X
j i
rr HELpiP-L(
'"Oi couldnj't use. 50Me pi p'.
mice fresh. sees COULD JLL JL
"YOU ? THEVRE SO crcllJ ) I