PAGE EIGHT
MEDFORD MATT, TRIBUNE, MEDFO'R'n. OREGON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28. 1938
SUBURBAN HEIGHTS
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS'
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
For farther proof address the author, inclosing a stamped envelope for reply. Re. TJ, 8. Pt 01.
, .IBy MAX SALTMARSHV,
(Copyright, IP", try Tns Ball BrnUcstaJjie i tVUWiS
W111IW76
f;
The Character
Hugo Stern, handtom author,
living on tht French Riviera.
Archie Lomiden, myol. Nu-
go'i friend.
Kene Galas, cartoonist, muter
mind behind a murder plot,
Yeiterdayi Venner, the eecond
0 Gein'f conederate, livee at
the Chateau. I accompany him to
the beach, and two men attack
me in the water.'
: Chapter 25
i Dissension
HAD exactly one second, before
I the eriD on mv throat tightened.
to fill my lungs with the clear,
sweet air.' Then down, down I
went Into solid green depths of
water. I hadn't realized ever De
fore in my life I who had always
been a crack under-water swim
mer how hard it would be to hold
one's breath with a suffocating
pressure on one's windpipe. It had
all passed in a uasn, ana i was al
most at the bottom before I real
ized what had happened. It was
another minute before I could
think what to do.
There were two men holding
me, one by the throat and one by
the ankles. Both were swimming
with their legs only, for their arms
were oinerwise engagea. i kickcu
out desperately to free my ankles,
but louna tnem caugni in an iron
grip.
It was no time for ethics or clean
fighting. My head was bursting
and my chest cracKea witn me
terrible strain. I brought up my
arms, fumbled for the second face,
which I could not see, and drove
my thumbs into the eye-sockets.
digging at tne eyeoaus.
I felt the man writhe, and a sud
den wave of blind, crimson fury
swept over me. If it was his eves
or my life, his eyes must go. I dug
deeper and suddenly the grip on
my throat slackened and dropped
away. I saw a dim, black and white
shape swerve upward. Then I
doubled up sharply and caught at
the neck of the merchant who
held my legs. If the trick had an
swered so well with me, it would
do equally well for him.
But he was no fighter when the
odds were even. Almost before my
fingers fastened on his wet throat,
he loosed my ankles, wriggling to
;et away, and I let him go, slant
ne unwards like a rising trout.
Then I drifted thankfully to the
surface myself.
It was a queer scene that met
my eyes as 1 looked towards the
beach. The fqur other fellows were
standing knee-deep in the water,
but as T looked two of them ran
farther out to give a hand to the
first of my late opponents. The
man I had just parted from was
meanwhile swimming for his life
to shore, while the remaining two
had made a dash for the car, and
even as I watched, I heard the roar
of the starting engine. And all the
time, half standing in his wheeled
chair, old Mr. Vcnner was shriek
ing helpless objurgations, while
Amedce hovered anxiously about
him.
For an Instant 1 wondered if he
was upbraiding his employees for
failing in their job, but all that
mattered to me was that they had
failed, and I took my way back to
shore at a leisurely pace.
"Well," I said, "that was i.n ex
citlg five minutes while it lasted."
The old man stared up at me. His
face was gray, "What happened?"
he demanded.
"Nothing," I answered, "except
that these gentlemen, for some
reason, had a fancy for drowning
me. One of them faked an attack
of cramp, and when I went to help
him, he got me by the throat, while
another fellow gripped my ankles.
If I hadn't been used to swimming
under water, I'd be passing the
time of day with my forefathers
by now. But at least," I added with
satisfaction, "I gave him a couple
of sore eyes to remember me by."
'I Won't Have It!'
"IT'S an outrage!" he said, very
-I low, his old voice shaking.
"Unthinkable unspeakable! I
won't have it I won t have itl"
He caught suddenly at his side,
and the gray tinge in his cheeks
deepened. "Amcdec," he said
abruptly, "take me hack to the
house at once. I am ill. And you,
ir you must come with me. It Is
not safe for you to remain here
lone."
It was a queer thought that I
should be safer in the company of
Vcnner the banker, but queerer
s'ill was the fact that I believed
him, and without a word I fell
into step beside the wheel-chair.
The sight of the housekeeper,
standing rigidly under the pillared
portico, watching our advance
across the terrace, brought me
bock to grim reality with a jerk.
Whether or not she was sur
prised to see me reluming safe and
whole I couldn't tell, for iier round
fiink face was as blank as a stone
mage's; but she came forward
swiftly and laid a hand on the old
man's shoulder.
"You are not well, Mr. Venner,"
he said quickly. "Amedce, take
the patron straight to his room: I
will come at once." Then she
turned to me. "1 hope you enjoyed
your bathe?"
"I have never had one like It."
I answered simply, and was for
making trncKs tor my room when
she stopped me with gesture.
"One moment, Mr. Lumsden. I am
sorry to trouble you, but the
key"
"Of course!" I said. "The key
why, yes, certainly! I'll bring it
down to you on my way out."
I made my way up the stairs,
but just on the bend I' halted,
checked by the sound of angry
voices.
"Henrietta!" came the old man's
shrill falsetto. "It was an outrage,
a dastardly outragel I won't De
argued with. You will telephone
at once tell him I must see him
this morning or there will be trou
ble "
I went on my way, convinced
that, however odd It seemed, the
prospect of my sudden demise was
not pleasing to Mr. Venner, and
wondering not a little who it was
that he was summoning so urgent
ly to see him. r
. My bed was made and my room
tidied for the day, but as I opened
the bag to get out a clean shirt, I
observed with interest that other
hands than mine had been exam
ining the contents.
For an instant I was at a loss to
know what they had been looking
for: then suddenly I remembered
the key and chuckled to myself,
reflecting that the housekeeper
was taking no chances of my doing
any unauthorized night rambling.
I opened my door cautiously. The
passage was deserted; there was
no sound from the rooms below,
and in a couple of seconds I had
raised the tile, satisfied myself
that the cause of all the trouble
was securely in iU hiding-place,
and replaced the covering; then I
strolled downstairs again.
'The Conscience'
THERE was a small door to' the
left of the counter, and as I
passed it, I heard a female voice
raised high in irritation. I paused
for a moment, and the voice of
Miss Henrietta Adams sounded
clearly in my ears.
"Is that the Cap d'Antibes?" she
was saying. "I've been trying to
get you for five minutes. I must
speak at once to Baron Stahl."
I rapped on the door and opened
it without waiting for permission,
inserting my head through the
opening to see a small, bare room
and the housekeeper sitting at a
littered desk, her hand on the
telephone.
"Mr. Lumsden!" she said sharp
ly. "Do you want something?"
"Only my key," I retorted mild
ly. "It's nowhere In my room, and
I thought perhaps the servants
might have come across it when
they were tidying up."
She glared at me. "It is not
likely, but I will ask them," she
said acidly.
"And anyway," 1 added com
fortingly, if it's lost, it'll prob
ably turn up somewhere when
you least expect it." With that I
left her.
Stail was coming, urgently
summoned by Venner, and that
summons had its origin in the re
cent attempt on my life. It was
vitally necessary that I should
hear what passed at the interview.
I went up to my room, closed
the shutters, and sat down, my
elbows on the window-ledge, to
watch the front gate. Finally, a
big gray sports car pulled up in
the lane outside, and a small fat
figure in canary-colored trousers
strutted importantly towards the
house.
So far I had had no oooorlunity
to explore the upper story of the
house, but I had a pretty good idea
of how the land lav. and now. as
stealthily as a mousing cat, I crept
along the wide passage and halted
outside the door that I knew must
be Venner's. There was never a
sound. I took hold of the handle.
and felt the door swing gently
open.
I could near now a faint mur
mur of voices coming from the
door on my left, but when I tip
toed past him and set my ear to
the crack, the words were still indistinguishable.
1 stared around me. completely
at a loss. Before me stretched the
corridor, cool, empty, and singu
larly unhelpful, but at the end,
facing me. 1 saw another door. It
stood half open, and when 1
peered round it 1 round mat 1 was
at the head of a back stairway,
with another door on my right,
opening into a service pantry.
mere was a window here, and
when I cautiously thrust my head
through it, I could have whooped
for joy. Clear and brittle on the
sparkling air came the voice of
Huron btam, not 'wo yards away
from me.
You will not have this young
man killed?" he demanded, on
rising note of indignation. "Now,
mat ls very nicei Ana u was to
tell me this that you- bring me
hastening from Antibes. on ihis
morning of all others, when the
old man and the girl have packed
up and gone to Lannes, tor no
reason that I know, and in conse
quence all our plans, all our ar
rangements, must be remade? To
tell me that you like the young
man, that you have a bad heart,
that you do not wish him killed
before your eyesl How many peo
ple, I ask you crowned heads,
statesmen, financiers have died
without a protest from you? And
yet, for this one big Englishman,
a nobody, a nothing, you endan
ger our plans, you develop the
conscience!"
Copyright, l?3tt Uaa Saltmarih)
Tomorrow: More trouble with 01-till.
NEW VOnK, Sept. ai TV-Mayor
L Ouardta'a compromise proposal
tor settlement of the strike of 15,000
truck drlvera was accepted by the
strikers at noon today at meeting
In Mecca temple. The truck ownert
rejected the propoaal yesterday.
The mayor's compromise Asrce
ment rails for a two-year contract es
tablishing 44-hour :ck will) no re
duction in the present weekly be.se.
pay of 144 to fe.&O. Tne old con
tract, which provided for a 47-hour
week, expired September 1. The strik
ers, members of the Inumitlonat
Brotherhood of Teamsters and Chauf
feurs, hsa asked for a 40-hour week
without a pay reduction.
About 4,000 strikers Attended the
meeting at which the mayor explsln
ed the situation and his desire to
bring a speedy end to the strike
which haa crippled city-wide freight
transportation.
rinn tiiiftulo i"eiii
YUBA CITY. Cel., Sept. 38. (,T,
A buffalo barbecue October 18 wilt
dedicate the new tour-mile stretch
of the Takho-Uk ah highway and
he bridge over Sutter bpaat.
Til1 m W
mm fff ffilS til
rrri II II ill BTljeABBB .F.Hli,Jd I'J II 7
essafcstamailaMUaJWaa,
"MO-STHoW
TRINITY "
INZlLVEff
BAtte I
TIN
fofmef London
ppsfdpncpoFBr'fffehkinfl'S.
J$AJlLTOHiysmcT$lTEoFA
former leper colony
(Hospital of si ' James Iheb&s)
' "mo1' vm office
Uibcm dm bio sKuufi
Wftffc usEDWiwr offices"
W MoRMoHS CROSSING) THE
' PRfMRieS INIHfc mot.., v
l.fR3 WERE LEFTlNTriEfA
fOR IftTER IMMIGRANTS....
A
r-
r t.
St. James Paliice.
Scene of many a gay function was
St. James Palace, long the official
London homo of Brlttfih kings- Yet,
strange as It seems, on the exact site
on which the palace stands today
once atood the Hospital of St. James
the Leas, a home for 1 Incurable
lepers I
Originally containing 14 leprous
women, the hospital ls mentioned In
history as early as 1100. The exait
date of Its erection Is vague, Henry
VIII acquired the building and
grounds In 1632. replacing It with a
fine 'hunting lodge.
First king to use the building as
his London home was William II, who
ascended the throne In 1689; reigning
sovereigns continued to live there
until 1820 when George IV ascended
the throne.
Queen Victoria transferred the of
ficial residence to Buckingham Pal
ace, but the British court still Is
officially known as the Court of St.
James. Little of the old place re
mains standing today.
Plralp's MIMake.
Under command of Captain Bar
tholomew Sharpe, famous pirate, the
outlaw ship. "Mast Holy Trinity." In
July, 1685, captured the "Holy Ros
ary," Spanish merchantman, In South
American waters.
Looting her, the pirate crew found
In the hold a cargo of heavy metal
"pigs" which they thought were tin.
To lighten their .prize, the pirates
threw the lot overboard.
One pirate, however, saved a pig for
himself, and eventually took It to
England, to have It cast Into bullets.
Analysis showed that the metal was
silver Instead: the pirates had thrown
away $270,000 worth of the precious
metal.
Tomorrow: The man who turned
$fi into ?r.o,noo.ooo.
T
Tl
PENDLETON. Ore., Sept. 28 (AP
Mr. and Mis. E. B. Aldrich of
Pendleton became grandparents twice
when their only children two
daughters became mothers the same
day.
A grandson was born early Mon
day at Corvallls to Mr. and Mrs.
J. W. Forrestsr, Jr., and early in the
evening a granddaughter was born
to Mr, and Mrs. J. M. Bedford.
Jr., at Flagstaff, Arizona, although
the Bedfords reside at Williams. Ariz.
Mr. and Mrs. Fori-cster, Sr., reside
at Marshflcld. Ore., and Mr. and
Mrs. Bedford. Sr.. live at Williams.
Aldrich ls a member of tho state
highway commission, and editor and
publisher of the Pendleton East Ore
gon lan.
FREP POLES' COULDN'T KEEP HIS D&TE AT ftfE fiOLFLOB "THE
. OTHER DfiV BECAUSE HE HAD'BOLfED YHE BACK POOR BEFORE VAR
NISH.N6 "THE ROOR OF THE REAR EHfRV, WHICH LEF NO JERV 60DD
WAV OF GETTING AT "THE KEV OFfHE CAR, LEFT HftMglNS OM VfS HOOK
S MATTPt? Pm
Bv C M PAYNE
Flslicrmnn DIps,
AUBURN, Cal., Oept. 28. (P) j
A weekend fishing trip up the Mid- !
die fork of the American River end
ed fatally for Sidney I. Dees. 38. of
R:sevllle, mine foreman. Reports
said Dees suffered a heart attack yes
terday and felt from a rocky embank
ment. His skull was crushed.
Use Mall mouna want Ada.
BWessii?, in tUm daws S" N '3
yMA STREETS VJETJ.E TUUL ,Sj 7 f V J
I OV- -Mo1?SES,-Am' VJtJtM TeV3J -A W
-VSEt -AH Auto, TJ EVP I
ast. '1 d (OopyritH 1M8, by Th B.U gyndlcala, Inc.) -Jtj
TAILSPIN TOMMY Was It Tommy?
By HAL FORREST
' j 1 JV,?-- 1 I 1 1
f.- JaVJSM t53Dc,ffff! ' LOOK! TX-a- -a. rDOWNl DOWN IN YOUd) rSSfcSsX. 'THE MEPCURY?V TEAOf, LZ
. -run ruf-r ' PLANE Yr?faFL SEATS, FOLKS! I'LL ..O-OH. NOl BB.TTY- ) PSUESS WE
Hil; !; Lrj5JLA7 " JU5TCCA3HED l& tfLj LET YOU KNOW IN -IVSnJ I HO NO A LOU DON'T HAVE VVf
m :'! '! ' '2,"AZ'MA.lv iOver there! A.Tzib ,st a minute! WfeaK V w &tk TO bump iST2L
I ',:' AIR MEET AT N l'mfm 3ftHk ( AJktZ- TAILSPIN J,
I !i MIAMI SEEMS TO J $k$fcv tf 14 fcVf T jfSf. WfTs OFP APTBR "7123 (fk'A
or3 g
Rv EDWIN
mumuim AW,6U0THATf WEa ,'MN0T I BUT WHAT'S HE MEAN ABOUT N V I IS THAT AGAINST THE X ;J ( THAT ( jAlAN'Y---
I I BIRD'S GONE! r FEELiNS ANY US DESTROYIN' THE BALANCE I Z LAW? GOSH, MAVBE IT ? WEANS THEY r
v h M AND AM I TOO EASY MYSELF, OF AGRICULTURE? ALL WE , K 1 IS I YOU KNOW WHAT I JAILl J CALL THIS eSIF- E f -
X t W SCARED TOO iw RUSTY) r- BEEN DOIN' HAS BEEN GIVIN'J " HE SAID ABOUT GOIN' v- ! y A FREE HT L
i I Vsf BEN! w'TL, FOLKS MORE FOR THEIR r- TO A PLACE WHERE rp I COUNTRY! H 1 - I M-
a i; -7 SILENCE IS SILENCE! I T-f j ' '
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Free Country?
THE NEBBS Cheerful News
By SOL HESS
l FE.EL klNJD OP J--r W& P7TcAMSErAS7V f IT MAY BE ALL BUNJK,X W
SILLV SMEAKIlvie IMTO A M i " -7 ROMAtsJCE IKJ NOUI2. W VE BEEM ISJ BUT POP. A f3UCK MO ,.T
I A PLACE LlfcETMIS &OTj M . f UPE -NOUVE t5eEKJ INJ "U-O.'E. ? 1M STILLi lOlE EVER MADE ME SO tZ'P
(SHE. Ml&wr TELL MEE rsrTJl--r -il LOVE AMD YOU'RE &OIM& K IW IT .' . WAPPV IKJ MV LIFE
sNTv50ME.TWisje AtSOUT ) VaTZTT" - - vV - 1 TO GET A LETTER TM AT-; yrf- i,. ) Pk $
ALGER