PAGTC ETOHT
fEDFORD MATT; TKTBTTyE, ArEDFORD. OREfiON". STN'DAT. MAY 2?,. 1937
ttUDDGD
on nn DiLUiir ;;r.,v.
SYNOPSIS: It's a vnta, siormy
ntffht at Farrington Bluff, home
0 Mlchait'i aunM, when atlrac
tiue Jude BMnshop It l Hot to
death on the bluff. Hike ditto
catet a thoulder hunting or the
mining Skipper, hie tall and
tweedy younger aunt who turne
tip with an alibi. Cav Palmer,
Mike's red -headed iiseetheart,
worries about him. Next day,
stout and prudish Aunt Martha
proposes that lead our group in
vestigation of the murder, or toe
are marooned on this island. Part
0 my job is to find who bashed
Cook's head tsith a lower pot
and bound up Annie the maid.
Chapter IS
. I Quii The Aunts
SUDDENLY I rejected my orijlnal
plan of allowing William to search
the first floor while I searched the
second. I was Just embarking on the
most trying experience of that week'
end the experience of suspecting ev
ery person in the house. If there was
an Intruder Inside, I reasoned, our
search would be reduced to a simple
game of hide-and-seek with the odds
decidedly in favor of the hider.
And If William could not be counted
on For a moment I considered or
ganizing the entire household into a
searching party, but only for a mo
ment. M. Farrington, Cook, Annie and
Michael were in no condition to be
r8lled upon. Mike should have been
Jn bed, and the other three showed
signs of becoming problem cases on
the least provocation. That left Wil
liam, Higglns, the Skipper, Gay and
. myself. Five of us. Two of them wo
men and one an old man.
If we were to go together, we were
possibly turning the murderer loose
to roam the house at will with the in
valids unprotected. If we divided into
parties of two and three, it was Just
possible that the murderer was being
sent off into the empty house alone
with another unsuspecting victim.
The risk was unthinkable. I am not
defending my action. I am merely ex
plaining how it seemed to me at the
moment logical.
I stuffed the rope and Michael's
handkerchief Into my pocket
"William, I've changed my mind.
I think I'U have a little talk with the
rest before we go on with this."
"Hell, sir, you can't do that! We
can't go sitting around talking while
some bloody devil"
My grip on myself wasn't very good,
and It was slipping with every un
certain minute. "I can do whatever
I see fit," I said curtly. "Come onl'
"All right, but I ain't In favor of Itl"
"So what?" I growled. But I did
glance into every room as we went
. down the hall the game room, the
living room, the dining room and even
the conservatory. They were all
empty. If they hadn't been, perhaps
I might have realized my mistake, but
I was appallingly sure that the person
I sought was at that moment convers
ing glibly in the library.
They all turned at the opening of
the door all except Michael who had
been saying something. His doubled
flat still rested on the desk and his
face was very red. The atmosnhere
of the room as reflected on their faces
was tense,
"You were saying, Mike?" I said.
For half a second he held the pose.
Then, "You're damned right I was
saying that we'd better let bad enough
alone."
"Michael," said the Skipper, "sit
down and shut up. Now!"
1 doubt If her words would have
had any effect, but she accompanied
them with a forceful shove. Michael
at I motioned to William to park
himself somewhere.
"Have you found anything, James?"
quavered M. Farrington.
"Yes," I said to William's evident
astonishment "I've found all I was
looking for. I'm going to ask ques
tions, and If you aren't particularly
enjoying this, I'd advise you to an
swer them as carefully as possible.
Gay, get a pencil and paper and write
down every word of It"
There was a pause. After a moment
Gay walked to the desk and picked
up a pencil.
Aunt Martha Holds Out
A UNT MARTHA, I will begin with
you. Your Inviting us here at
this time of year was unusual. This
party was your Idea?"
"It was."
"Will you tell us why?" I was being
callous and I loieW It without looking
at Michael's black face.
"Certainly. Barbara seemed unwell
and depressed. As I wrote you, I
thought she would be better for a lit
tle company. And I hoped that that
aha might bring herself to conflde in
you or Michael more readily than my
self." M. Farrlngton'e Hps were a thin,
etrslght line. In her eyes at that mo
menl gleamed the light which usually
presnged a laying low of the nearest
available victim. But I went on.
REDISCOUNT RATE
HELD AT TWO PC.
8AN TRANCTBCO, May 33 (AP)
Tlie PWteral Reserve bank of n
Francisco Announced continuance of
the two percent rediscount rat to
day on borrowings by banks of live
even far western atatea against
commercial paper collateral. This
rate has been In effect more than
three years.
Discount bitsineM of the rewrve
bunk, while at a low level, has been
somewhat higher this year than for
some time, but chiefly for short
term loans.
The total discounts at the reserve
Nink Mny 19 were 1.144.000, a drop
from f.69,000 In the last week, but
virtually triple the amount or a year
ago aiaa.OOO.
Laftrnnde Pioneer Dies
LA OKANDB. Ore, May 23 )AP,
Mrs. Clara Condit 71. wife of City
Commissioner William Condit of La
Orande and a Orande Ronde valley
pioneer, died here last nitht. Fun
eral service will be held here Sundav
afternoon. Mrs. Com! if came to La
Orande In 1873 from Wyoming and
we one of the first women clnka in
this city.
"Had you any reason for thinking
so?"
"I had not." The eery voice of the
storm seemed to mock both of us.
"Had you any particular purpose la
Inviting Judith here?"
She stiffened, but she had the grace
to blush.
"I thought she might make pleasant
company for you and Michael."
In spite of the tension, a general
smile greeted that
"Naturally," I said, the thought of
the stiu figure upstairs wiping the
smile from my lips with a vengeance.
"Now, about last night At what time
did you go upstairs?
Directly after you left us. I dldnt
notice the exact hour. I went straight
to bed, if that Is what interests you."
"Did you sleep Immediately?"
M. Farrington drew herself up.
"The next thing I was aware of," she
stated deliberately, "was Michael
standing beside me with the Informa
tion that Judith and Barbara were
not In the house."
I felt as If cold water had unexpect
edly been splashed in my face. And
then the realization of my own colos
sal stupidity struck me. Never repeat
what I am going to tell you to anvonet
And there I stood before the Skinner
expecting to hear it voluntarily re
pealed, my lace burned furiously.
Did anytnlng unusual haoDen
while we were out in the grounds
either last night or this morning?"
noinuig.
"You heard no footsteps In the hall
upstairs this afternoon?"
I did not."
The Skipper's Stable Trip
THANKED her and met the Skip
per's Inscrutable eyes nxed on my
face. I took a long breath.
Skipper," I said, "you asked me
to do this. What had been troubling
you?"
She reached for a cigarette and
lighted it with a steady hand. "I'm 92.
Jimmle. When you reach that age it's
not so easy to be consistently cheer
ful. That's all there is to it"
You didn't go upstairs with Aunt
Martha last night?" Stupid question.
had seen her go UDstalrs. She
laughed softly.
"My dear boy, after you left us I
smoked a cigarette, bored myself stiff,
and went to bed. I think you were
the last person I saw en route. Martha
was asleep. So I didn't wake her. I lay
awake till the thought of that dog got
me. Then I dressed and went out to
her. That's all there is, Jim except
that I heard nothing In the hall."
I e'eared my throat "Why didn't
you tell Aunt Martha where you were
going?"
"It would have worried her."
"You went directly to the stable?"
"I did and I came directly back. I
didn't hear anything but wind."
I braced myself and let the next
question fly. "What did you mean last
night when you told me to keep Jude
away from Michael?"
The Skipper flicked ash from her
cigarette coolly. "I meant that If Mike
wants to marry Gay, I see no reason
why he ahouldn't have a clear field."
Gay's pencil snapped.
Should I or should I not ask hr
point-blank what she and Jude had
been talking about when M. Farrlng
ton heard them? I decided not to. To
all intents and purposes that Inter
view had already been denied. I
should be giving away my knowledge
and gaining nothing. I turned to Mi
chael. "What did Jude talk to you about In
the game room?"
His shoulders were hunched.
That he said, "is nonn nf vn
damned business."
I know now that In that nn. mn.
ment I lost the opportunity of saving
us all from what followed. My anger
prevented me from seeing the effect
that question and its answer had on
anyone in that room. Mike's attitude
through that entire dav had hn
ting Increasingly in my hair. At the
demand of the entire party I had ac
cepted a responsibility as distasteful
to m as I was Inadequate for It And
it was becoming increasingly evident
that my Inadequacy might prove dis
astrous. I tried to keep my temper.
"What did Jude tell you. Mike?"
Michael looked at me lnn lnir
and a strange one. His face was set
and I knew before he opened his
mouth that he was lying. Well, they
had all lied.
"She told me that she thonsht th.
chimneys were in bad shane nnH thu
storm might make them dangerous.
She didn't want to alarm anyone
else."
It was a feeble attempt, but I knew
that a second question would be Just
so much wasted breath. That much
was evident from the set of his chin.
Behind me, Gay snorted Indignantly.
"All right" I said wearily. "How
long did it take her to tell you that?"
He was eyeing me cautiously trying
to anticipate my thoughts.
"About five minutes."
fCopyrloM, JJ7, fiilh.r Tyler)
Putting all my cards on the table, I
ereate a sensation, tomorrow.
NEW YOHK. May 33 APJ Un
ion Pacific Railroad company an
nounced todny detail of a freight
car building promm Involving H,
000.000. At its Omaha, Neb., and Portland,
Ore., shops trie company will build
3.08 box cara and at th Orand
Island, Neb., shops 700 automobile
rs will be constructed
American Car V Foundry company
will build for the rond 1.000 ballast
and coal cars, and J00 tank cars will
be turned out by the General Amer
ica Transportation coiporntion,
All of the enra are scheduled for
completion as rapidly as ponnlhle dur
ing 1P37, the compttny stated. In
order to tke care of expanding
transcontinental freight traffic.
tMr Mitniir for Job
SALEM. May 33 : API - The state
board of control today approved the
action of the cnpltol reconstruct. on
commission In formally requesting
Attorney General I H. Van W'nkle to
as'in Ralph K M.ody to the full
lime tnak of ley.il adviser to the
commission as an assistant attorney
general.
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
For further proof address the author, Inclosing a stamped envelope for reply. Reg. U. S. Pat Off.
MW& fORlte Woffltfs 1K5SUV
fliuAKp Title, SiXV'v AW
---' HrV5 MORB CONTROL
, OVSRUFSTHM .
fUf? 6feKM3 mH I It CAN INCREASE . jl ''M
"M of -Trie j&b. rmd -M MFt-WN Of
ohH 5 iNTrisiR xir TAtrcS
owm ' ;A eTTuovi W&tf
Iiefeated Ity a Hy
Louis Pox was In the lead at
Washington hall, Rochester, New
York. His greatest ambition was
within his grasp the winning of the
undisputed world's billiard champ
ionship. John Deery, co-holder with
Pox of the title from the year before,
eyed his opponent disconsolately as
he' noted the somewhat pardonable
smirk on Pox' face.
Pox stepped up to the table, sight-,
ed down his cue and was about to
shoot. A fly lit on the cue ball.
Laughingly, Pox shooed It away.
Again he prepared to shoot. The fly
circled past the billiard player s eyes
and again landed on the cue boll.
Unsmiling, Fox shooed It away. An
noyedly. he returned his attention to
TRADE HOLDS UP
NEW YORK, May 33. (AP) In
clement weather took its toll In re-
TA1XSPIN TOMMY Tho Hearing!
Tommy's appc-al
TO RtGAiri HIS
Lict-rtse- is mow
Btiri HtAR D . .
THE NEBBS-Jst Easy Money
cart wiiOoxiiK b UAKJSEK some Surprise!
' RfcCKOU WA. AUDI'D BETTER RECKoij I f GOOD MORBUS, ' ' l f V0V ROHT THERE VOUWJCj MAU IfW rout nnuM uOB ' --asl
J ? ' TTPW?W V HEQl& tT$ VJEEP THE C.AME WWO 0' TEAR f W lUTEREfcT- V "f j
" WELLO, SUJEETIE PiE OU WOM'T SeE K :.J GET" I NJFORMATI OKJ Ri&i-rr PROM W WILL VOO ECT THIS OKJE WILL. "x"
I. I UTTLE LLTVE PEDOLlfCo HNJ FRUIT ) ' jut TCAC - 1. AlUT WAD A LOSlloS TloO FOR ME ejT )& INJ TME EAMjY ET'?'
A MDCM LONJGE.R GOr AM E.AS1ER J j DAV VET LST WEEK KWOCKEO DONJT LOSE IT I'M J EAT! MG OAT5 l.V.S'i, J
'tVwWOF MAKISJS A UVINJG-I'M V-s - OnjE OVER. AMD GOT lo4 BUCS FO .SAVINJO UP FOR. BEFORE TWE ,T?',5Urj
VPlAVnjG TUB f-p-l--- A-UDO AMD 1 (OT OWE THAT5 yT' K?ME SA REST BWiSH TLJL-
' v
his shot. A buzz and lac fly was
back. Pox Jabbed at It with t;:e end
of his cue. hit the boll on which
the fly was sitting and saw It roll
away as the fly took eff and van
ished into the blue haze of tobacco
smoke which overhung the room.
The poke which Fox had taken at
the ball constituted a miscuc.
Deery stepped up to the table,
carefully run out the string end
won the championship. Fcx dashed
from the hall, ran to a river and
Jumped In. He was drowned.
Life Control
While science has succeeded In In
creasing the average human's life
expectantcy, It has failed, ns yet, to
Increase the span of life. Though
more men live- to ripe old age todny
tall sales this week although the un-.
dercurrent of a swelling demand
came closer to the surface, Dun &
Bradstreet said today In their weekly
trade review.
Pending strikes caused abandon
ment of planned schedule extension
In Industrial divisions, the agency
said, but production totals were lit
tle disturbed.
"Buylng In wholesale markets lwt
, I, ,, ,, . 'I i -J-LUfKx low wines 1 . ( COMe- sAwav.... r3M fSf yes' hc-stop-
Ms Nauf hi lradrU. tsv
than was common In past centuries,
the life limit remains the same
with but few persons passing the
100-year mark before old age takes
their body graveward.
Honeybees, on the other hand, are
capable of Increasing the life span
of their fellows from the average six
weeks which the worker bee lives
to the two, three or more years which
constitutes the life span of the queen
bee. A bee colony has the power to
choose its own queen by selecting
an egg or a newly-hatched larva and
feeding It a special diet of "royal
Jelly." This devolops the larva Into
a queen bse, thus Increasing Its life
possibilities about 18 times that of
an. ordinary bee.
Mondoy: Human Horses!
little of Its vigor for summer and
fall merchandise: re-orders, however,
were smaller In volume," the report
stated.
Leading regions were ahead of last
year's showing and retail sales for
tho country as a whole were 8 to 30
percent over last year's figure.
Gains shown In major areas ln-
cl tided Pacific coast. 13 to 18 percent.
SUNDAY MORNING
CREEPS "TO PfcRErrtS'
DOOR UERV EAW.V OH
SUHDrrr1 M0RNIH6 AMD
ASMS ARE -frlEV AWAKE AMD
ISIftiMEfofcEfUP?
SUBSIDES TOR A WHI1.E,
fUEN REPORTS Af DOOR
he -Chinks he hears
1uTrY WH)Hlrt6,SHAU HE
65 DOWN MD LEf HIM OOf
S 'MATTER POF
aPI y
WfOLD fritV WERE Nof
AWAKE AMD "fHEV WAKf
fO SLEEP AND 1b 60
BACK 10 BED A0HCE
AMUSES HIMSELF ODUHC
IM6 UPAlJPDOWtf, M
iL HE HEARS A KNOCK
OK 1HE WAtf.
SI6H5, AND S1R-fe
CPRRYlNS HIS BOX Of
BXDCKS-fo HIS BED
RffURNS To PAREnKS1
DOOHfO&AVHE'SSOWiy
ABOlXlttAf CRSH; HE
DROPPEP HIS BJL0CK6
(Copyright, 1987, by The BD ByadlcaU,
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
5-7
CAU& HOPETUUy JSfHW
frit 5I6HAL1'0 6EUPI
Bl)f if WAS-fHE
Sl6NALOkEEPa0lE
CUMBS BACK lNfo BED
AHD 51H6S 1b MM$LT
PAREKf? Wlfri 5I6HS DE
CIDING TriEV M-SBf AS
wai 6E UP
Inc.)
PAYNE
By HAL F0RRE8T
By EDWIN ALOEB
By SOL HESS
Bv C. M.