PAGE ETflHT
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUTE, MEDFORD, OREOON. WEDNESDAY. MAT 2fi. 1337.
r
PUQDGD
OD THE DILUaTIF
i i
mmwmam Fir
SYNOPSIS: Auractiv Juit
Blinjhop it mysteriously shot to
death on a wild, ttormy night at
Farrington Bluff, home of Mi
chael's aunt. Eieryon ma
rooned on this Island is suspect;
Mike, who talked with Judt
alone that night,' the Skipper, hit
tall and tweedy younger aunt;
Aunt Martha, ttout and prudish;
Gay Palmer, Mike's red-headed
sweetheart; Niggint, the elderly
butler; William, the chauffeur;
Cook; Annie the maid even 1
viho am picked to lead our group
investigation. At wt search the
house, finding Aunt Martha't
room in bloody chaos, the Skip
per faintt.
Chapter la
Could William i
r THINK 1 helped William carry the
I Skipper into Gay's room, but I'm
not sure. I distinctly remember pour
ing out a liberal dose of mouth wash,
and being prevented by main force
from administering It to her.
It went on for eternities. When It
was finally stilled, the Skipper was
itting up. M. Farrington lay sobbing
in a big chair, supported by both
Michael and Hlgglns. William stood
at the door, his arm around Annie and
a stern eye upon Cook who was seated
ignominiously upon the floor at his
feet, her eyes staring Into space. 1
stood by the bed, holding up Gay who
seemed on the point of falling. No
one spoke for a long time. Then Wil
liam in a hushed voice:,
"1 think, sir, that this Just about
does up our searching party."
I said in a voice Intended to be
steady. "We are all absolutely safe
here as long aa we stay together. We
have a revolver. That bathroom door
can be bolted. The windows are out
of reach from the ground and there Is
absolutely no danger. William and I
are going to leave you here for a few
momenta while we look around. You
can lock the door the minute we go.
And don't unlock It until we tell you
to!"
"Nol" cried Annie. "Oh, please"
But William turned to the door.
"Let's go!" he said.
Michael never could take orders.
"Look here," he exploded. "I'm not
staying here while you do the dirty
work. What do you think I am? I
brought you here, and I'll take the
risks. You and William stay where
you belong."
M. Farrlngton's voice rose In hor
ror. "James don't think of allowing
It. He's weak! He has feverl He "
"He's staying right here," I said
bluntly.
"The hell I ami I'm"
"Shut up!" I snapped. "Any more
out of you and I'll push your face In.
Someone has to stay with the women.
They're your responsibility. See to
it, for once."
I didn't give him time to answer. I
strode out the door with William at
my heels. We could hear a click on the
other side as someone shot the bolt
home.
One room remained to be searched
on the west end of the hall Jude
Bllnshop's. Before that door 1 hesi
tated. It was quiet. All the mad ex
citement oozed out of me. The one
reality of the whole wild, gruesome
nightmare Jude was dead. I would
have given something just to lean
against that door and blubber like a
two-year-old.
William spoke softly In my ear.
"I'll go In, sir, It you'd rather not."
"Thanks," I mumbled, "I'd rather.
Watch the hall."
I'm afraid I didn't notice for several
minutes whether or not the room
was occupied. A low lamp burned
beside the bed. The figure under the
eheet was very still. William's cough
In the hall finally roused me. I didn't
move the sheet The memory of that
disfigured face was too strong. It took
a definite effort to stir myself to the
point of crossing to the closet and
making sure it was empty. Looking
under the furniture was a little worse.
( closed Jude's door behind me very
sofily.
We Lock The Roomj
"TWAT finishes this end of the hall,
1 William."
"Yes, sir. It might be a lot easier If
we could lock up these rooms that
we're sure of. Shut the the him
outl"
I liked the Idea. On the Inside of
the three doors, we found keys, and
we locked them all. I pocketed the
keys.
The Farrington hall Is perfectly
straight and rather wide. On the
north side. Just beyond the head of the
stairs, was my room, and, next to It,
Michael's. Opposite them a swinging
door opened into the narrow corridor
of the servants' quarters. My room
was Just as I had left It Standing In
the hall, I sent William through Into
Michael's.
"All right here, sir," he said from
the door. A swift glance over his
thoulder verified the statement.
We were now confronted with a
... in order search
1...- - quarters properly with
out r.. '.:.n the approach of someone
from downstairs, we had to cover two
staircases and two corridors, the
smaller one running at direct right
angles to the main ono. There seemed
nothing for It but to station one per
son at the Junction of the two nails
and let the other one search. It lefl
a very definite risk for the sentry,
should his eye be even momentarily
dlstiacted frcm either staircase. 11
also Involved a complete mutual trust
on the part of the searchers. William
.1 knew, had his suspicions of me, and
suddenly 1 began to distrust him.
"I'll match you for position." 1 said
"I'd rather keep watch, if you don't
mind, sir."
Immediately I jumped to a rash
conclusion. "No," 1 decided. "You
know the ground better. You hunt
and I'll watch here."
I think some inkling of my Ides
dawned upon him, for he eyed me
queerly. "If you say so, sir. I'd rather
look myself, If I was you."
1 shook my head vigorously.
His only comment was, "Well
Higgins' room," and he opened the
door on our right
The sensation of waiting before was
nothing to these new ones. I tried to
keep my eye on the hall with Its grim
staircase on the dim narrow corridor
at my elbow with its three closed
doors and dark flight of stairs on the
faint splotch of light that was the open
doorway of Higgins' room. I could see
one end of a small Iron bed and be
yond it a small clothes press. 1 could
hear the wind outside and William's
heavy footsteps. Once 1 thought J
heard something else from the direc
tion of the back stairs, but either 1
was mistaken or it was not repeated.
"All in order, sir."
"Try the next one."
He vanished across the hall. Slowly
an Idea was beginning to dawn on me.
William! William could have brained
Annie, dashed upstairs and smeared
soap on his face, shaved off half of It,
heard Cook stirring, dashed down the
stairs, and -
"Nothing here."
"Whose room is it?"
"Annie's."
"All right. Go ahead."
He walked in the next door on the
left "This is Cook's," he said, disap
pearing Into it
Inching Down The Corridor
COULD it be that 1 was on a wild
goose chase, searching the house
ullh the murderer for the murderer!
William could hav j smashed Christo
pher before he brained Cook. The
animal might have been stunned and
unable to crawl down to us at first
William had been upstairs. He would
havu had ample time to
O.K." His voice coming at me sud-
denly out of the darkness reminded
me that I had almost relaxed my vigil
Williams own room remalned..lt wat
at the end of the corridor and on the
opposite side from where 1 stood. 1
thought 1 should be able to see It quite
clearly when the door was opened.
Good, I said, striving to make mj
voice sound natural. "Go ahead."
If anything was on his conscience at
he opened the door, hd didn't show it
He pushed it open continently anc
switched on a light. As much as 1
could see of It, his room was the exact
replica of Higgins. Same bed and
tiny closet Small stand by the bed
I could see no further. If William wat
the murderer, he might be up to al
most anything beyond my range o)
sight
There was, 1 admi no sense in m)
action. 1 gave one hasty look up anc
down the main hall and threw cautior
to the winds. Very quietly I le- the
swinging door between the passage!
go. Then slowly, inch by Inch, 1 edgec
myself down the corridor In the direc
tion of the beam of light coming tronr
his room. I kept my back well agalnsl
the wall In which his door stood. Al
most It seemed that the man woulc"
hear my breathing. Just outside the
beam of light 1 halted. 1 could see
most of the room, but no William.
A disconcerting thought struck me
After all, should my bright Idea be
entirely wrong and William find me
not only deserting my post but alsc
sneaking down a dark corridor to
ward a spot to which 1 myself had
sent him, my position might need s
lot of explaining.
He certainly didn't consider m
above suspicion in the first place. Ha
had heard me order the others to keep
their door locked until 1 told them Xc
open it. He had watched me lock
every door upstairs and pocket the
keys. His case would be rather better
than mine. If he ever had reason to
present one. Nevertheless 1 drew s
deep breath and stepped Into the
beam of light.
Crouched In the doorway stood
William, his ece a mask of rage and
hate. He held a golf club In his hand,
and as I sprang at him roaring, "You
dirty devil!" darkness descended ovet
me like a :ent
fCopirrtoM. 1S1T, Silhsr Tyltr)
I find myself hound and gagged
when I come to, tomorrow.
ST. MARY'S FACES
SALE AT
AUCTION
OAKLAND. May 7t. ( API The
properties of Bt. Mary's college, fam
ous for Ita football teams, will i;o
on the auction block June 33 to satis
fy claims of bondholders, a Irgal no
tlce said today.
The trustee for the bonds. Central
Bank of Oakland, advertised the date
had been fixed and that the aale
will be held on the steps of the Ala
meda courthouse. In default of satis
factory settlement.
The original amount of the bond
Issue was 11.500.000. Some 11,370.
000 of the a percent Issue remains
outstanding. Interest having been In
default aince the middle of 1834.
ftnlem Pnfe Crnrkrd
SALEM, May 2.( API Safecrack
ers who enured ths Orey cigar store
early Monday made away with e3QB.
It waa revealed today by Salem po
lice. The burglary was not discov
ered until the store was opened yes
terday and It w-aa first believed the
loss waa cnslderably larger.
To Quarantine Meet
SALEM. May ja (API Frank Mc
Kennon. head of the plant division
of tbi agricultural department, will
leave Saturday for Phoenix, Arlr.. to
attend the annual meeting of the
western plant quarantine board.
feoTlft Spies Shot.
MOSCOW, May 26 i API Eleven
persons were reported today to have
been executed at Khabarovsk tn Hie
far cut. bringing to 56 the number
put to death In Siberia within ths
last few days on charges or sabotage,
under direction of Japanese Intelli
gence agents.
I1.0IHI Report Mailed.
PORTLAND, May 3i lAPI More
than 13.000 copies of Oregon state
planning board report have been
mailed to every atate to acquaint the
nation with Oregon. Ormond R. Bean,
board chairman, said today.
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN MX
Tor further proof tdttre-M tho author, Indoclof lUte-pod MY-elop for. reply. Re. U. 8. Pit. Off.
Mount Vernon.
Originally called "Llttln Hunting
Creek Plantation by John Wimhln-
ton, rounder of the estate, the lte
on which Mount Vernon now stands
was deeded to Lawrence Washington,
the half-brother of George Washing
ton, In 1743, Lawrence, a former of
ficer In the British navy, named the
estate Mount Vernon In honor of
his old-time commander, Admiral
Edward Vernon. Thus, strange as tt
seems, one of the United states' most
eacred, patriotic shrines, the home of
George Washington, bears the name
of one of England's naval leaders
Stranger still, perhaps, is the fact
that tht, naval leader for whom Mt.
Vernon was named Is the same man
from whom "grog", meaning liquor,
took its name! In the time of Ad
miral Vernon It was the custom in
the KnirlfMi navy to ISMie a gallon of
lUMittrr i'riiMrlilp,
PORTLAND, May 2fl (AP publica
tion of reports which show a decline
In building permit should not be
published, bernucV It "will tend to
disturb the minds of thoM who may
be tntendlnn to build. H C. Plum.
mr. chief of the bureau of build
ings, said today.
flerurlly Of fire Hrieclrd.
WASHINGTON. May atf. lAP
The social security board announced
today openina: of a new field olflce
at Klsmsth Palls. Ore, (Orrgn nana
building, with 8hlrl H. BUlock. tfe
attl. Wash., in charge.
- -
Miss Virginia Kelntet im lived for
ili years nt 70.1 VlrjiuiM nirmie, Vir
ginia Heights Roftuoke. Va.
MHMd Hi "
A0PIN6 IHSUVT
0UKT VfcRNOH-
VjftS HftwtP MtfcR & BRITISH
at
lffc(?UuTl.LA lArWK.
-TUg POV7 IN IO HC IflrWIMlUHTS
OWN nunc-- itv rrwviwi.
yuur5 im
n
Answer -fa ypsfara'aiJ's puizle -REMOVING
8MBH5&ttW tPNM
lm-l
beer dally to every seaman sailing
:n home waters. A quart of wine
was ordinarily substituted for the
beer on cruises In the Mediterranean
und a half pint of rum In the West
Indies. It was In the West Indies
that the admiral gave the order that
was forever afterward to associate his
own nickname with that of liquor.
Irritated over the fact that his sea
men tossed off their entire ration of
rum immediately after receiving It
and consequently became rather
"tight," he Issued orders on August
4, 1740, that each half pint of rum
be mixed with a quart of water and
that this mixture be divided into two
parts one-half to be given out In
the morning and the other half at
night the seamen Immediately
dubbed the diluted drink "grog," de
riving the word from Admiral Ver-
non'a nickname, which he had pre-
COhtfrW
Pi-th, N.U,
il-INKING ,.
WiWOUT
WM.KIMA n
$IN6LB MM
vlously received because of his habit
of wearing a grogram boating cloak
"Grog" eventually came to mean any
kind of Intoxicating liquor and Is
found under that definition in mod
ern dictionaries.
Insult to Injur?-.
The tarantula hawk (pep&ls for
mosa) completes Its life cycle by kill
ing a tarantula, dragging the dead
victim Into Its own borrow, laying an
egg on its body, sealing up the en
trance to the borrow and leaving It
flies off and dies. When the egg
hatches, the larva feasts on the
body of Its parent's dead victim,
spins a cocoon, develops into a wasp,
cuts Its way out of the borrow, mates,
then searches for a tarantula victim
of Its own. Kismet t
Tomorrow: The Pin-headed Monster.
LIGHTS OUT
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
s-fwtfe rot? BEP- PlKS
Olrf LW1W6-ROOM LI6HTS
ASJP SlEEPllV PRESSES
HAIL U6HSWI1c:H
8VKIlSfAKI POTS OOf UP-S-TA1R6
HALL LI6H1' WHHJE
WIFE IS 6EfflH6 foWELS
FROM UNEU CLDSEf. HftSP
ILV REtflFlES ERROR,
WI1M 10WER FlOOR. Irl
TARXHESS, S1AR15 UP,
WIFE CAUIWfc SHE LET-f'
HER HANDKERCHIEF
ON "THE SOFA
6R0PES WAV BhCX IKlTO
UV1H6 R0Df),PD-rs ON
U&HfBVSOFA AMD
FlNPS HAHWERCH1EF
PUTS UtHf OUT AND
StARft FOR HAJX, .
CFACKIN6 ANNIE OH
R0CK1N& HA1R
PlrfSft&OR LANPON.TuTS
HAU.LI6rtf0N, PlXS
FlOOR LAMP OUT, MAKES
WAV SftFELV To STAIRS
AND PUTS HALL U6HT 0l)T
WIFE CALLS HE'D BET
TER MAKE 51) RE SHE
DIDN'T LEAVE U6HT 60
Itf6 IW PANTRY. FONBIES
FOR HULL SWITCH A6AIN
FlHPS SHE DID N'T LEAVE
TAIJ1RVL16VIT60IH6,
TOTS OlK HALL L16HT
AMD 6OEST0 BED. PoRCH
UfcHf BURNS ALL NI6HTI
Wiuftrtt S-IO
(Copyright, 1937, by Wis Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
S 'MATTER POP
By C. M. PAYNE
Urges Sex Education.
PORTLAND, May 28 (AP) Sex
education for young people and as
sistance of physicians In determining
tho source of Infection will go far
to reduce syphilis, prominent Port
land doctors told a large audience
last night.
Break Blaine Fixed
ANQLETON, Tex.. May 26. (UP)
Texas prison board members blam
ed dilapidated buildings and careless
ness today for the escape of 10 dan
geroua convict, four of whom were
captured, at Retrieve state prison
farm.
Plan Klamath Picnic.
KLAMATH FALLS, May 26 (AP)
A giant trl-county picnic at Odell
Lake In July for the purpose of rous
ing Interest In the Willamette! high
way waa planned here late yesterday j
i-wuH.y tiuugt-B ueorge nsa OI :
Lane and George Drizzle of Klamath.
TTjONT TELL tK,VAA"r -"0V-!
(PoP I KICKET? VOL). ) ) YraoT-tEretVDJr-
l-tfETEEIS A y V VoU fr?) ! ,
is'li Cjs1 The Bell SyndlcatI'fl
TAILSPIN TOMMY Sad Parting
By HAL FORREST
A RULIMG
''or- THf- AIR
DErPAI?T Mtr (-IT,
TOMMVlS PILOT
LICE-NSt- HAS
Bf-trri RE-VOKC-D
FOR ONE- YtrAR
THIS DtrCISION
WAS Rt-ACHErb
WHOM Sf-VtRAL
WlTHErS SE-S
TC-MTATIVE-L V
IDE-MTIMtrD HIM
A3 THf- PILOT
WHO CRASHt-D THf
MYSTE-RY PLAhEr.
rWE-'RE- SORRY.
I i
fsTOrlMY! TfRRIBLY,
V SORRY
CCSSSaaaaaaii 3 I ' ; III I llw.jih c r-T,
V. " B CHIfrK YOU'vf K MOWN 1 , . . OA WTOMMv' :'k
iTTTn Mt A LOMG TIME".. AP1D(1 TOMMY..., . . KJ LVr-TTT HlV Hrd .1
1 IIW WW fYOU KNOW I WOULD MY K DOM'T .... YOU VT MB 1 17 V-1 ''''" .-! M "
1 1 r r t ii ii ii i . . . yi 1 . -tk -i . . . . j. i m .i i in 1 1 n w i i .j i i i : u ,- i
jfj wdHIW Ai OMf:.. I DID NOT J ABOUT THe THirit...I.J H' C
WW 'd - VCRASH THAT j ( MOTIcrY I PUT! Y 1( f j3h D f II ilk'
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Hetty 'i Secret
By EDWIN ALGER
VJELL, MBA, V0GlVji,
NMU'at IVi TVlt ClEArU
AflAlU-lJUST PAID
PAPea oou'T own
T.MW fVfc HUMDRfcO
P0LLAtt o PAID OFP
IW FULL
L.U,lA eaTWHW the 1
nr i v. I i n ruLL -
AM0 WOVJ,lHc, 6U5IWE
601W6 TO SEt FULL WE AM
AHEAD-W0TH1U6 CAU c,TOP
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way;
VJHYER,
I SUE99
ARE,
BcM-
OH, I JEiT CAU'T TELL THAT BOV
MORE MOWEV- MEBBE eOMETHlMU
TUB.V4 UP "50le I WW PAV IT- I LL KEEP
H A tCRET A5 LOWa AS 1 KIN
THE NEBBS The Great Luther
By 80L HES?
SlV 1 A WEUU VLW OPMAKIM1 f ONJ HORSES MOUJ. TlUTWER SETS MUCH FUNJ JeET RAl
vT i ' SteM 1T-I- BET TUO DOLLARS OKI I THAT'5 A -HAS LUAV iMFORMATiONJ RIGHT IT 5 GETTIM' MONJEVl iSpUj iAUrc
A WORSE AJD SOT-b pp MOKJEV PROM THE TRACX . NOU DOfOT HAVE 7s ot MA I
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