AfEnFORD MAIL TRTBTTNT:. AfEDFORP. p-REnoy. TTTTJRSPAY.TTJLY 1D37.
DIFFICULT ?SCISICNS
F C3UDDCn
By GLUYAS W1LL1AM&
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
Tor further proof addreaa the author, incloaln stamped envelope (or reply. Re. TJ. 8. Put. OS.
PAGE ETGHT
ii . n 1 1
SYNOPSIS: A muttenout ifiol
killt Jud Bliiuhop, mv old lame,
at tin Hart ot our stormy uc ek-;
end at Farrlnoton Bluff, horn o)
JMichaal's auntt. Strang attacks
ollou; then uie (tnd the body ol
Mlchiel'e mad other belou) the
bluff. Stout, Victorian Aunt Mar
tha la ihot in the ehoulder and
nearly finished with sleeping
powders. The Skipper, Mike's tall,
tweedy younger aunt, disappears; .
uie find her six houre later, bound
in the lot, all but dead. Hlogine,
the old butler, if ehot to death,
apparently a tuicide. Then I no
tice the oun le in hit right hand.
And Higgins teas let-handed.
Chapter 49
I Set My Trap
I CHECKED them 0(1 on my fingers.
Gay. Michael, M. Farrlngton, Wil
liam, Annie and yei, and Cook. Ill
i he was. Cook could have crossed
that hall, Bred, pushed the old man
over on the bed, placed the gun In hii
hand and beat a hasty retreat. Any
one of them could. And all my ellorta
at cross-examination only led to Ilea
and defiance. They wera shielding
either themselves or someone else
every one of them.
1 wanted a trap a trap that no
alibi could spring. And I wanted It
before they all collected for break
fast and the murderer had a chance
to auspect that his plan had not
worked.
There was only one Question on
which any trap could hinge the
reason for the presence of the revol
ver in Hlggina' right hand. It coum
have been nut there because the mur
derer was ignorant of the fact that
it should have been in the left hand,
because the murderer forgot In hla
excitement, or because the murderer
desired to throw suspicion on some
one else. They all seemed good possi
bilities. The choice depended entire
ly upon the identity of the culprit.
Of all the people in the house, Gay
waa the only person who could have
done it out of ignorance. She was also
the one person In the house against
whom there had been not one shred
of evidence at any time. She waa Im
pulsive and hotheaded. The murderer
might or might not be eitner.
The murderer certainly wis cold,
logical and capable of swift action.
In a crisis Gay waa all of those things.
It was possible that her rows with
Michael had been a safety valve for
more nerve strain than we had real
ized. Yes, Gay was capable of those
murders, but I could not even re
motely guess at a reason behind them.
Michael, on the other hand, cer
talnly knew all of Hlggina' Chirac
teristlca. If Michael had placed that
gun In the butler's right hand, he had
done It because he lost his head. And
Michael in euch a situation would
be quite apt to lose his head.
His aunt on the contrary, would
be very cooL And M. Farrlngton did
not like Gay. I could not help feeling
that If M. Farrlngton were ever
aroused, to the point of committing
a murder, she would not hesitate to
cast suspicion on any luckless soul
who had Incurred her dislike. '
It seemed as though both Cook and
Annie would have lost their heads in
such a situation. But William would
be cool as Ice. But, without excep
tion, every one of them knew that
' Higgins was left-handed.
I sought a trap that would hinge
around those characteristics as I saw
. them and around the peculiar cir
cumstances In which the body was
found. The sight of the body was not
much help. I covered It.
Then I started methodically and
worked my way from the bed around
the room, under the rug, under the
bed, through the pitifully few posses
lona in the dresser and wardrobe.
Hot many spoils to show for 70-odd
years ot hard work. For my purpose,
nothing to show at all.
It was a quarter of seven. At any
time now the round-up for breakfast
nil apt to start and something told
me that 1 must question the suspecta
Individually or give up the whole at
tempt Hopelessly 1 stared at that
room, trying to wring Its secret from
It. A trapl I must spring a trap now.
And my mind was a blank.
I stared down at the figure on the
bed and the idea came. Three strides
took me into Uie hall. Conclusive
proof or otherwise, I knew what I
A'as going to do.
Fanle Seizes Gay
LL the way to Gay'a door I was
i thinking of only one possibility.
What if she wasn't there? But she
must bel
"Come lnlM called a cheerful voice.
"Oh hello, Jim, I was Jusf going to
start down, wny wnata the mat
ter?" I put a Anger to -ny Hps. "Shhhhl'
I said hoarsely. "Don't let the others
hear you. Come quickly.
She gave me one awful look and
the brush in her hand fell clattering
to the Boor. "Jlmmie, what Is It?
Oh-"
But 1 clapped a hand over ner
mouth before the scream was fairly
started.
Quiet!" I hissed. "I've lust discov
ered something they'll all have to see.
You'll have to show me how to
break it to them."
I had not underestimated Ga Pal
mer. She was suddenly aa calm as
It I had merely come to escort her to
breakfast When the panic was com
pletely gone from her eyes I removed
my hand.
"Is It Mike?" she demanded levelly.
"Don't fool with me, Jim. Is he all
right?"
"He s all right," 1 saia, leading ner
Into the halL That ahort silent walk
to Higgins' room was ghastly. 1 was
obliged to concentrate on all the
worst features of the crimes before
I could force myself to push open
his door. Gay walked In without a
sign of alarm, and 1 followed her,
closing the door and putting my back
against it Swiftly her eyes swept the
room from the bed to the far wall
and back to my face.
Why what it It?" she said blank
ly.
There was a dead, heavy weignt in
my chest. Whatever she had done,
this was the girl that Michael wanted
to marry. Violently 1 wished that my
slow wits had been able to devise
something quick and conclusive in
place of my slow, questionable
scheme.
1 waa banking desperately on the
Skipper's evidsnce. Briefly. I had
reasoned that if one of the servants
was the culprit the Skipper's evi
dence added to the circumstantial
chain which 1 had built up against
them, would bo all that was neces-
sary. However, If a member of the
Skipper's family or a person who
might shortly become a member ol
It was guilty, the Skipper would lie
and it would be necessary for some
one else to prove their guilt
ooing back over the scene of the
finding of Higgins' body, 1 had real
ized that not Michael, Gay or M
Farrlngton could possibly have
seen the body as it lay on the bed
Annie and William had been stand
ing In the doorway, completely block
ing on their view. Consequently, II
any one of them knew In what posi
tion both the body and the gun had
been found, that person was the mur
derer.
I intended to ask each one In turn
to help me prove that IllKKins was
suicide. The murderer had had plen
ty ot time to ponder over his or hei
blunders. Therefore, if any one oi
the three could reconstruct the scene
of the crime, satisfying in full all ol
Its peculiar circumstances, that per
son was the person ! wanted. If not
we had simply to wait until the Skip
per was well enough to tell her story
We Hunt The Bullet
" IIMMIEI What ails you? Are yoi
J sick?"
1 shook my head to clear It "No," .
said, "just tired. Listen. We'll have tc
send for the police as soon as some
one gets here from shore. And there'i
something wrong with this. If Hig
gins killed himself In here, the bullei
ought to be here. It's the first thin
the police will look for. And I enn't
find it anywhere."
"Hmmm," said Gay slowly. "That'i
so." She paused a moment and thcr
her face brightened. "Well, lookl Hi
must have been either standing b
the bed or sitting on It. If he was
standing, the bullet ought to be ir
the door. If he was sitting, it musi
be in the wall above or behind thi
bed. The darned thing could have
gone right between those Iron bars."
She waa assuming that Higgins had
used his right hand, and that then
waa nothing peculiar about the
wounds in his head. Hedging foi
time. I examined the door carefully
felt along the wall above the bed, anc
even moved the bed to look at th
dusty surface behind It.
"That's funny." said Gay.
1 had some thinking to do. "Walt,
1 grunted, moving the bed back intc
place. "Let me think. Yes, of course'
The door was openl"
If there was anything In her faci
but an unflattering opinion of my in
telligence, 1 couldn't see it.
'Then the thing must be In the
hall, you sap!" she sal" scornfully. I
followed her Into the hall and exam
ined the wall solemnly. My head
wouldn't seem to clear. 1 had the Im
pression that my bright little schems
was flopping.
Gay's face was worried. "This li
ridiculous, Jim. It must be here!"
Was she acting? I played my last
card. "Good Lord! Am I a lunkhead!
The old boy waa left-handed."
Sincere or feigned, there waa plen
ty ot disgust In the look she leveled
at me. Perhaps 1 was gullible, but at
that moment I was sure that my In
formation meant nothing to Gay
Palmer.
fCopyrttM. Itjr, jtjtnfr TvUr)
Michael faces my test, tomorrow.
10
ALBANY. N. V.. July I. (UP)
The Knickerbocker Preaa. owned by
Frank E. Gannett and among Ihf
east's oldest morning newapapera. an
nounced today it would discontinue
morning and 8unoy editions aa ot
June 30.
The announcement alao dlicloaed
Ihai the evening Times-Union, own
ed by William Randolph Hearst,
would discontinue Ita evening edi
tions after the name day and would
be published morntnga and Sunday.
The Evening Newa. the announce
ment Mid. has purchased the evening
circulation of the Press. Union and
will serve those lists.
Repent Marriage
SALEM. Ore.. July ,.(uPl
Pted Hu Hetamampeyer and hla wife.
Beatrice, liked their firat marriage
J3 yeara ago ao well that, deaplte
their never having been separated or
divorced, they went today to County
J utiie telmiind and had themselre
remarried. 'Mf people would be re
married occasionally, many divorcee
would be avoided," Hettsmanspeyer
aald.
CIot;n time (01 Too Ut to C!a
n:j Ad I i-30 p. m.
rf Willi ri ,i'WS
$00,000 StoMWft (fftRrW
omH&) To TrV SQUAtf IHCH
Crtfv$e fA, famous racehorse,
WoM rte IS6 fVjp ' VJte ; Wig.
W&H d
u
" of VIM export, Maine.
WP6 A CftNDIDMfe f(?R Trl
He Mfc 0L0BH0U6H To VoTS
He W? tltCfeO 3HMS rV5 ft
CVPIPUrAJj AMD IN IQ32.
mOHhl CONVENTION rW
comow of i9Z8,,i
in Goldsboro. Kcr-J
6old$boroti
Pollllcul Hodgepodge
Only 30, In 1022, when he first ran
aa a Democratic candidate for the
Maine house of representative. Boy
Fernald found himself In the odd
position of being to young to vote
for himself. Defeated, he again un
successfully ran for the post on the
Democratic ticket In 1924 and 1926.
In 1024, Fernald served as delegate
at large for the Democratic national
convention and In 1928 waa a mem
ber of the Democratic national com
mittee, aa proxy, at the Houston.
Texas, convention. In 1931 switch
in politics elected r-ernald aa a Re
publican to the Maine state house
of representatives and in 1933 he
served aa a delegate to the Repub-
FRAUD CONVICT SAYS
SHE IS KIN OF LORD
MONTREAL. July 1. (UP, Helen
P. Wood. 39. who claim to be a rel
ative of Lord Halifax, was convicted
on two charges of fraud today tnvolv
lng $3,800.
Judge Clustave Perrenult sentenced
her to "time In Jail" on the under
atanding that she wa to be kept in
custody until Pa turd Ay when ahe will
be placed on board the Canadian Pa
cific tlnel Montcalm Millng for Llv
erpool.
A charge of attempted suicide was
not preaed by the crown.
MADERA SANITARIUM
OFFICES DESTROYED
MADER1.V Cal , July t (UPt
fire of unknown oncm destroyed l ie
administration building of the trt
county tuberculosis sanitarium last
night. No patient were In the build
lng and patlenta In other buildings
were removed to wlrty. No Injuries
were reported during the fire.
A fire truck from Coarwguld on
Its way to fight the nlar overturn
ed and Robert caaaetons. 18, suffered
hrulsen and Lou la Hhmold. 20, a
broken teg.
Im Mall Tribune want u.
Mean national convention at Chl:ago.
In 1933 he was re-elected state rep
resentative aa a Republican and won
a state senatorsnip in 1935 on the
same ticket.
Death on the Race Track
Owned by Mrs. J. Bosley, Maryland
sportswoman. Chase Me wss ridden
in his first mce by D. Belllzzl. Ill
fated Jockey, who was killed by a
fall In a race at Jamaica, L. I., on
May 17, 1934. Chase Me came In a
winner in his first race and fol
lowed it up with a string of six more
victories.
At Belmont Park. May 10, 1934.
Chase Me ran in the Metropolitan
handicap against the cream of the
horse world. Rounding the stretch
turn. Chase Me stumbled, fell and
broke his leg. He was destroyed. On
the same day his first Jockey, Belllzxl
waa buried.
Black Walnut Stomata
Quite complicated in their struct
ure, the minute, mouth -like open
ings on leaves known as stomata
serve as a plant's breathing organs.
Different species of plants have dif
ferent numbers of stomata. The
mistletoe leaf has only about 300 to
the square Inch on both the upper
and lower surfaces. The black wal
nut leaf has In the neighborhood of
300.000 stomata to the square Inch
on Its under side.
Tomorrow: Twins In Crime!
S1KCE n WAS THE HEAD OFfME HOUSE WHO HAD 1HE BRI6HT
IDEft OF GMNS AS A WTODlJ6 PRESEHf THE SILVER CANDLESTICK
SOMEBODY 6WE-fHEM VEAR& HIS WIFE PUTS if UP 1b HIM
1b HANDLE -THE SITUATION WHEH "THE RECIPIENT'S WRITE- fOR "ftf E NAME
OF THE STORE BECAUSE TrtEV WAN To 6Ef AW0THER 1b MATCH i
(Copyright, 1887, by The BeD Syndicate, Inc.)
(SUJYrVi
WUUAM6
S 'MATTER POP
By 0. M. PAYNE
TAKE LONG REST
HOLLYWOOD. July 1 . ( UP)
Illness of Bob Woolscy, the long, thin
comedian with the rubber-tired glass
es and big cigar, may break up the
comedy team of Wheeler and Woolsey
for a year At least.
Woolsey is at his Mallbu beach
home dubbed the "house that Jokes 1
built" suffering from what physi
cians diagnose as , "physical break
down." Starting dato of their new picture.
"The Kangaroos," has been moved
forward from July 1 to August 15
owing to Woolsey's illness and there
is a strong possibility It may have
to be postponed Indefinitely.
Whether he'll make the picture or
not depends on the decision of phy
sicians, but even if they permit him'
to go through with this one, Wool
sey has been advised to retire from
the screen for a year on Its completion.
Cios'ng time for Too L&tt to Cias
a t J v Ads Is 1 :30 p. m.
T) 'hOO'vD fleas kftAies ) -n
f V TBIM' AIZOUN 306SWv.
f -4-M - tv I V IN A- eVzX.
f -im. P -JZCj M I (Copyright, 1937, by Th. teU gyndlcat., Inc.) ' MM
TAILSPIN TOMMY The Sealed Letter!
By HAL KORREP""
Obetyimg roble's
insTuucTions, tom
PROCE-tDtD TO MO
12 K STRtET, TO
DE-LIVER THE- SEALED
LETTER TO JOSEF
OR T , A MEMBER
OF-THE ESPIONAGE
GAMG, WHICH TOMMY
HOPES TOTURM OVER
TO THE- DEPARTMENT
OF- JUSTICE ... BUT
AFTER HE ENTERED
THE HOUSE:
2951
( E$?XZ?CH) iVe got a V . -keepnour sums , K
VEOR A Gillie fv, (LETTER FROM )LtTlS OH HIM WHILE- .j, A-AH-HH ' J
' JJ'T jT? ROBLt.. IT HAVE IT.' VTNlREAD THIS ,
y I ! I '.. XPLAIhS..J y ' CO ' LETTER J 227 .1
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER ' ' Tuttington Bread"
By EDWIN ALQF
FWHOOPA j" f "WC WICIPC FOR L0U6-1 TVAM VEP.IDO-EVEBXBOOV C T'Lt 6E MO PERSOK1AL TO . !
3 'Vfc GOT J .Aj'g f60TVJMAT, LIFE ftRiAD -THE THAT'S BETTER W tOVJU TVAfc WAAAt THE BREAD AKtR. THEM- i
V IYJ ISps V BEW? i TUTTUOTOU6 6AV6 TO I THAU LOUS- COLOUEL AUD FOLVW'U. A4K, WHV.THEU WE'LL Jm'
-r-yt SVN ft AAE-60W6 TO CALUa 1 LIFE BREAD ? rTlATTVJ6T0U ARt'WAY TELL "EWTHE OR.Y - THAT'LL
1 TUTTAUCiTOU BREAD, TOO- V 1 UPW THE MWETIES- V- MAK& 'EA BUY -rfj
THE NEBBS A Man Has Come to Court
! MI5S SROMTLeV-l DONJT LUAMT VTor OP THEPIMESTTCeACCV ).TAeS"Be TTENIIN1S BUT 1 a LL TVS & WES U. DRESSER AKlA
vno TO TW1MV THIS IS IM FAVMEMT SW00LD,0T?f 1 BEeM SMOKltO' Si MCE 1 (A POUMO MOCE OR -mo-' Sp-i w USES Be A.Ct2DS -TWERE )
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By SOL HESS