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rFTVFOT?D MATT, TKrRlTNrE. MEDFCmn. OT?EGOy. VTEPyESDAT. OCTOBER 12. 1938.
i he Character
Archie Lumiden. myself, vis
itor to ih French Riviera.
Ottilia Willi, beautiful Ameri
can heiress-
Bent Gelu, Head o) t murder
conspiracy.
Interday: Breaking into C tilt's
house to look or the murder pun
I find OltiHe already there. Ceiu
is at home
Chapter 37
Strange Visitors
"mHAT, In the name of all that's
' holy, induced you to come
here?" f demanded. "Haven't vou
learned enough by this time to
Keep out ot troujie?
Even in the half-light 1 could
see the dash of anger in her dark
eyes.
"You make me tired," Ottilie re
tolled in a furious whisper. "Cuth
bert told me all about how the
servants had gone and Geiss was
staying with Rakovsk. over in
Italy, and he said how the one Im
portant thine was to find that gun
and I thought to myself, if none of
you naa ine gumption to come ana
look for it, it was about time I got
busy myself.
I groaned. "Well," : said, "the
one question now is how we can
get you safely out of here " But
at that instant came a faint but
unmistakable sound, the sound of a
leisurely tread mounting the mar
ble stairs.
I look round wildly. The room.
as much as I could see of it, was a
bedroom and, from the glided, ro
coco SDlendor of the furnishing.
I guessed it to be Geiss's own. It
would be madness to conceal the
girl there. Then suddenly my eye
lighted on the giant cuplds that
acted as supports to .he outer wall
of the loggia. Behind their wings
on either side was . most merciful
Eaten of shadow. I caught Ottilie
y the shoulders, thrust her into
the angle of the wall. I had lust
time to flatten myself against the
opposite wall, holding my breath
when suddenly the lights Inside
the room flashed on, and Geiss
himself stood at the threshold.
A moment he paused, hesitating.
and 1 saw that he carried a suit-
case in either hand. He opened
them, set them up against the foot
or the gilded bed. Then, as if a sua
den idea had struck him, he
crossed to the window and stood
looking out
For an awful Instant I thought
mat tie nad seen us. out after i
pause he turned to the side of the
window, raised his hand, and a
metal sun-shutter rattled down,
shutting off the room.
I counted ten slowly, then
moved, with Infinite caution, to
the shutter and peered through the
lats, and as I did so, with a taint
rustle of silk, the gir: was beside
me. The room inside was clearly
visible, and in the middle of it
stood its owner, a fantastic figure
in vellow shirt and crimson trous
ers, engaged in the prosaic task of
pacKing.
I soon realized that this was no
haphazard preparation for a week
end, for no sooner were the two
bags filled than their owner carried
them out, returning next minute
with another couple. Then he
halted suddenly, staring, open
mouthed, for the door was slowly
opening.
I felt Ottilie's grasp tighten con
vulsively on my arm, but when the
door opened, all that showed in
the aperture was the stark, uncom
promising figure of Miss Henrietta
Adams. There was something cold,
something menacing In the glint
of her green eyes through the
glasses, and I saw the cartoonist
take an involuntary step back
wards. "So," she said harshly, "you're
quitting?"
He looked at her, slowly raid
ing his eyebrows. "I thought it was
foolish to give you that key." he
said softly, "and now I know it.
What business is it of yours what
I do?"
'You're Mad'
SHE sat down quietly on the edge
of the bed and looked at him
oddly. "You're quitting," she said
again, "and I don't blame you. The
police have been questioning your
servants and they've run away.
The jupe d'itutruction has let it be
known that he no longer suspects
Lumsdcn, and that means that he
knows you were lying, and it
means, too. that he suspects you
and Stahl and Rakovsky." She
beat her hands together furiously.
"Why did you ever mention their
names?" she demanded. "Were
you mad? And now Noah More
has tried to kill Lumsdcn and
failed, because an Arab carpet
seller saved him"
"An Arab carpet-seller?" he
echoed, surprised. "Are you sure
of that. Henrietta?"
She silenced him with an impa
tient jerk of the head. " and now
the man from Marseille guesses
that Ludovlc killed Venner and
he is searching the coast for him.
That means that tomorrow's plans
are spoiled."
He looked at her. smiling, and
slowly shook his head. 'That
means nothing of the sort," he an
swered gently. "They have not
found him yet. have they? And If
Ihey catch him afterwards, there
is nothing to connect him with the
affair at Prague."
"Pah!" said she contemptuously
"Will any man alivt not tell the
truth to save his own skin? I
would, I tell vou, but 1 hope that
I shall not have to. That is why I
have come to see you tonight You
ill three of vou. have vour way of
escape, but what is to become of
the rest of us? L for one. am not
going to wait to be caught line
rat in a trap. I want money, and
when I have got it I am going, to
night, at once. You can give Ludo
vic your own orders and pay the
price if he fails!"
"Just a minute," he broke in
smoothly. "In that case you had
better tell me where Ludovic if
now."
She stared1 at him blankly. "At
I'Amourie. of course. Fatma gave
the message to the chauffeur.'
He gave a short, cackling laugh.
"Quite, but the chauffeur unfor
tunately lost it before it reached
us. He suspects, in fact, that it was
stolen from him by an Arab carpet-seller."
"Sol" she said, with a sort of
strangled scream. 'The man who
saved Lumsden, and yet you doubt
that the game is lost! You re mad.
I tell you but then you were al
ways mad."
He looked at her consideringly.
his head on one side. "I am mad. am
I?" he echoed, and there was some
thing so indescribably menacing
in his tone that I felt the girl be
side me shudder. "That is not a
very safe thing to say. But let It
pass. How much money do vou
want? Ten thousand francs?"
The woman sneered In his face.
"A hundred thousand would be
more like it." she retorted. "You
can give me what money you have
in the house, and a check on your
account in Brussels for the bal
ance." She gave a short, harsh
laugh. "And I don't'think. some-.
now, she added, that you will
trv to ston the check, because, if
you did, I might feel inclined to
talk. There are a number of in
surance companies who would be
very glad to listen to me.
Between Two Fires
GEISS sighed, as one whose faith
in human nature has been
rudely tried. "How true it is that
one should never expect gratitude
rrom ones interiors! out come
then. Henrietta. I will give vou
what money I have, and for the
rest, as you so cleverly suggest
there will be a check on mv Brus
sels account a check that I shall
not dare to stop.
The woman s eves had never
left his face, but save for a tight
ening of the thin lips, she gave no
sign of the effect his diatribe had
on her. Now she stood up and mo
tioned him to precede her rrom
the room.
"I m in a nurry. she said. "The
express leaves at midnight, and 1
don't fancy you want to linger."
The cartoonist shrugged, smil
ing gently at her. "Still suspi
cious?" he said ch'dingly. "Never
fear. Henrietta. I will keep mv
word."
He passed auletlv from the room.
the woman following close at hi!
heels, and with a sharp click the
light went out
'Thank Heaven they've cleared
out," I said. "Now I can got vou
away."
You wouldn t be so silly!" Ot
tilie retorted sharnlv. "We're here.
and we know they'll both be gone
in nve minutes, and then we ve
all the night to look for that gun."
i nave, l corrected her gently.
'But first, voung woman. I'm bo-
ing to see you clear awny." And as
I spoke, I peered cautiously over
the edge of the balconv. But as 1
did so, I experienced a sidden
sinking of the heart, for across the
graveled forecourt below me I saw
a dim shape move, a sinister.
slinking shape that I recognized
only too weli.
we re too late." 1 said dismal
ly. 'There's a bloke standing sen
try down below there."
I heard her catch her breath.
Who is it?"
A fellow called Noah More." 1
whispered back, "one of Geiss's
creatures. He tried to do me in last
night." But even as I sooke. I heard
a faint, scuffling noise against the
wall that told me. incredibly as it
seemed, that the repulsive obiect
below was starting to scale the
house, even as we had done.
For an instant I hesitated, nar-
lysed by the sheer horror of the
situation. It seemed obvious that
yet another of the rats had come
to salve what he could before leav
ing the sinking ship, but well 1
knew that once we were discov
ered, all three of them, Geiss. the
woman, and the creature even now
climbing up towards us, would
combine together against us. held
by a cornmon fear and a common
regard for their own safety.
"Quiet!" I breathed, and bend
ing, caught the bottom of the sun
shutter and gently levered it up
ward. I gripped the girl's arm and
drew her into the dark bedroom.
I dragged her out to the land
ing, shut the door behind me. and
struck a match, looking for a key
In the lock, but there was nothing
only a bolt on the inside, which
was no sort of use to us.
"Take off your shoes!" 1 whis
pered, and obediently she slipped
off her beach sandals, while I did
the same: then we crept silently
on our bare feet down the stairs.
But even as we gained the foot of
the stairs, my heart sank, for the
door to .he right, which I knew led
to the dining-room, opened sud
denly, letting a yellow beam of
light out across the blackness of
the hall, and I heard Geiss's voice
"So now vou have your check.
Hcnrlelta. and if vou will come
with me, I will give vou what
money 1 can snare for vour lour
ney." In another moment the precious
pair would be out in the hall: be
hind me. on the landing, the soft
swish of a closing door told that
Noah More was on his way down,
and there I was. caught between
two fires with a helpless girl to
look after.
fCttpvrleht ISIS. Mam Sattmarthl
Tomorrow! A nlcht of horror.
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
tor further proof address the author. Inclosing a stamped enrelope tor reply. Htf. U. 8. Pat OS.
LETTER SEN1 001
BY GUFFEY, EARLE,
CALLED ILLEGAL
WASHTNOTON, Oct. 13. (AP) An
attorney gtnrnirs ruling In 1903 pro
vided s haul! today for the contention
by the ttiute campAtgn xpendjturtt
commute two letters sent out by
th Pennsylvania Democrat In com
mitt violated civil rvlc Inwt,
The letter. ollcltln campaign
funds, were written on letterhead
which bore the immn of Senator
Ouffey D Pa ) and Oov. George
Earle, Democratic senatorial candi
date. The first letter our led the
purported ain nature of dufrey and
the other that of oonr Decker., atate
finance committee chairman.
The senate committee said yester
day It had found no evidence to
dispute the assertion by Ouffey and
Earl thy knew nothing of the Issu
ance of th letters. However, the
committee added. u of their names
la the captions made the appeals
I a ..WI-..,.riW VI
i m m as,)
. rr. , i
atoMl Johnson,
Astoria Ore., farmer,
3i PCCKIN6 ATHS
MNPOW.
A
1o CAPTURE US KINGDOM OFMAPlKi
or l
PROOUCfe ft UASU GrWRB ZZtZZX?
ftCREIHftNrW OtltK I
PI ANT KtfiMN ToMhHI
FOPPERm
joe kohmm-- 0sfm
irrqid75, . iV
8V PncH NB ft NO'HiT
NQ'RUN SAME A6fMN3f
6fVAt OP 1H6 66(866,
-1937-
MHf ( It Y
Columbus Was a Pirate
Most of the Incidents of the life
of Columbus and even the man
himself are given to such contro
versy that historians studying his
life often confuse fact and fiction.
Well credited, however, is the
knowledge that Columbus began his
seafaring career aa- a pirate. True,
. he was a mere lad, but a pirate
swashbuckling and daring neverthe
1 less.
After his sojourn at Pavla Colum
bus returned to Genoa. By bis own
statement he was then 14 years old.
He readily fell In with John of
Anjou. Duke of Calabria, as the spice
of adventure offered by the life of
a buccaneer was too much for young
Columbus to resist.
The duke was fitting out an ex
pedition to recover possession of the
kingdom of Naples for his father,
Duke Rene, In 1459. It is known
to have been nothing more than a
band of corsairs bent on a piratical
adventure.
This was Columbus' first voyage.
Oddly enough, on the same expe
dition was a Oreek captain, also
named Columbus. How the young
explorer-to-be fared on this venture
Is conjecturable, but It did lay the
groundwork for a life at sea which
was later to make Columbus Immortal.
Cactus Crop
Strange as It seems, one of the
world's wettest plants, the cactus,
finds Its favorite home in the dryest
of places the desert.
Cattlemen of the West have found
a definite use for the succulent
prickly1 pear cactus as a fodder and
thirst quencher for cattle, and culti
vation of this hardy plant has been
carried on extensively. At Browns
ville, Texas, a spineless version of
the plant was found to produce the
amazing yield of 10A tons to the
acre.
Tomorrow; What Inspired Greeley
to say: "Go west, young man, go
west"?
Illegal, Inasmucn as federal employes
were among the recipients.
Chairman Sheppard (D., Tex.) said
the committee found a parallel case
In a letter sent out In 1903 by the
Pennsylvania Republican committee
over the signature of Senator M. S.
Quay.
P. C. Knox, then attorney -general,
ruled the circular Illegal because It
bore the name of a federal official
and was sent to federal employes.
Builds Miniature Band
PHILADELPHIA (UP) Fred Ros
si, unemployed wood carver, has
built an orchestra In miniature
which he synchronized with music
from a phonograph, so that the
small musicians appear to be play
ing. Rossi used old tin cans, radio
parls, dentists' Instruments and cop
per tubing In making the model.
Closing time for Too Late to Clas
sify Ads is 1:30 p. m.
Snoring Disturbs Prisoners
BOSTON (UP) State prison of
ficials are seeking a way to pro
vide unbroken slumber for restless
Inmates who complain that their
sleep Is disturbed by their colleagues'
snoring. After an . Inspection tour,
the warden said the complaints are
justified. A plan to segregate snorers
from light-sleepers Is being considered.
Use Mail Tribune Want Ads.
SUBURBAN HEIGHTS
By GLUT AS WILLIAMS
. . . , r - i i
WJMM
-IN SMtfe OFtHE BES-f 0? iKTENfiONS. frit
PERLEY'.S 60f -MEMBWi, lM1b A WRAW61E WHEN
MKS. PERLEV, COMlKS OUT FROM -ToWN, RODE UP Wlfri
A FRIEND AND l-ETf fHE CAR ArflrlE SfAflON FOR FRED, AND ,
FRED, C0MIW6 OUf A "TRAIN Lfi-fER, LEFT if THERE F6RHIS
WIFE AND WAIKED UP j AMD SO HAD To VALK BACK
fO THE SfAflON TO &ET fHE CPiTC
10 l (Copyright, 1938, by The BtU Syndicate, Inc.)
S MATTEB POl
Bv 0 M PAYNB
CM4ANMK-LE.T5.; tATlw'j J hleE Yvao TWO?)
VTwo oit MEAouevJ-r-A -avA ( an' T-tJcV A-o-d J
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'
i Kin See To "Do & J ( "P o-T Jj Ve&, I 7
( T'imt? out flow "TS S . 77nA '
( '
Bt, by Tt Ball 8yidicM, Inc.) mZJB
TAILSPIN TOMMY The Danger Is Not Over Yet I
By HAL FORREST
BY A STRANG t
TWIST OF PATE,
THE BULLET INTENDED
FOR TOMMY STRUCK
THE VERY MAM WHO
HAD ARRANGED FOR
TOMMYS ASSASSINATION,
NONE OTHER THAN
BEN SNOOT, COMET
PILOT, WHO RUSHED
AHEAD OF .TA1LSPIM
TO THE RADIO'MIKE'
TO PROTEST THE
MERCURY victory!
A DOCTOR, WHO IS
SUMMONED, 8RI6PLY
EXAMINES TW6
INERT FLYER AND
GRAVELY ANNOUNCES
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Willing to Talk I
By EDWIN ALGEH
jwiMPggjcf 6QOPi HE'S HEREl " I IT'S PROF. V7 GET THAT BI6 HERE, BRIAR! T OUST WAIT THERE, I 1 " '"'te
gSgSgr3? NOW, VOU FELIOWS ADIT! AN I I MOURNFUL I COME IN, I MEN! I'll GIVE If WELL. A f I'VE DECIDED I IT
lllgplPSSi; WAIT UNTIL I CALL $SSW THERE'S U LOOK READX I PROFESSOR THIS Y0UN6STER I WHAT I I TO TALK. I
PJ SOME jTJ- r-J-- pTTf
. B
THE NEBBS-WV10 Comes Here?
SV EE.T CURRAMT .- 1' ' , , K POKE VoUst" that ""V WOW ICt ,t Wl HOPE. HE CAME "
V this comim& Jy k; s W fV0 )r$$oo2E sotta COME , HwCVTER- whem vou cam
r r- -i ' I I V ' Djr.VTH-R Kjr 7n ,lre.&eTTlioS VO COLD EVER pound A AROUK1D TUe WOKiLD T
J ' N vLT
By 80L HESS