TETYFOTIT) MATT, TTITBUNE, AfEBFCRT), OKEflOy. fONT) AT. BEfT.rBET? 12.
THE ARMY POST MURDERS
" By Virginia Hanson
The Characters
Catherine Cornish, myself, ota
itiny U2abeth on a mid-wttttrn
Army post.
Ellimbelh, Colonel Wright's
daughter.
Adam Drew, otflrsr fn charoe
of the Investigation.
Xeeterdeyi Adam start flues
Honing, while I take notei behind
a curtain.
Chapter 11
Not Enough To Go On
IVHEELER sat down abruptly In
' ' a leather chair beside the big
table, fumbled in a breast pocket
of his dinner jacket and, producing
two cigars, one of which Adam
curtly declined, proceded elabO'
rately to light up.
"What's this about your mother
saving you from Anna Carewe?
Adam asked with a dangerous
glint in his eyes.
Wheeler's preoccupation with his
cigar failed to disguise the fatuous
look which contorted his sharp
features. He leaned back, watch
Ing the smoke that rose from his
small, effeminate mouth.
"That's a lot of rot," he said airi
ly. "You know how women are,
I'm quite able to protect myself
from that type of skirt."
Adam half rose from his chair,
his knuckles white on the table,
but thought better of it.
"Explain that," he said curtly.
"There's nothing to explain. She
made a pass at me and I let her see
I wasn't having any. She's shame
less."
Eyes blazing, Adam rose from
his chair, leaned across the table
and slapped Wheeler deliberately
across the mouth.
"I had to listen to your mother's
filthy insinuations, he said sav
agely. "But I'll teach you to keep
a clean tongue in your head."
Wheeler turned a sickly white
and got to his feet, covering his
mouth with his hand.
"I forgot I forgot she was
dead," he said painfully.
There was a long ash on his cigar
and he began to hunt for a place
to deposit it as if it were a stick of
dynamite.
It was obvious that Adam had
forgotten all about me. He spoke
to Wheeler tersely and with some
heat, employing pungent language
to describe exactly what was
wrong with Wheeler and what to
do about it.
Wheeler heard him out with a
uffused countenance in which
dumb gratitude struggled with re
sentment and shame. They parted,
if not amicably, at least on terms
of better understanding, while I
wondered, in a kind of daze, how
much of this I was supposed to put
In my notes.
I still have those notes a cryptic
tangle of unorthodox pothooks and
taw-breaking elisions, incompre
lensible to anyone but me; and
even I am baffled by passages that
iook like nothing so much as an
cient Sanskrit. They are written
In pencil on sheets of cheap sta
tionery, stamped with the regi
mental insignia, which had been
supplied in the reading room for
use of the enlisted men.
I don't know why I have kept
them. They're a macabre souvenir
of a night I don't particularly want
to remember but am not likely to
forget. No doubt the tabloids would
have paid me tor them hand
somely. As it was, their headlines
were to be strangely top-heavy.
Triple murder and suicide at Fort
Havens. Homicidal maniac that
was the explanation dished out by
Adam, and they had to accept it,
for no one else would tell them
anything. The united front in time
of trouble . . .
A Question Mark
I KNEW the exact moment Adam
remembered my existence. He
paused in his caged pacing, stared
fearfully at the curtains, turned a
rich pink and sat down suddenly
behind the big table.
"Miss Cornish?" he called diffi
dently. I came nut rubbing my eyes.
"I'm afraid I dozed off. Did I miss
anything after after Mrs. Wheel
er lcft?'r
He scowled at me distrustfully
for a moment, began to grin and
slipped into helpless mirth.
There seemed to be nothinR to
say on cither side. Adam sobered
slowly, found a pack of cigarettes,
supplied me and himself and got
back to business.
"This Is rank slacking," he said,
glancing at his wrist watch. "And
it's one o'clock. Shaw is holding
back the horde at the door. Whom
shall I see next?"
I considered.
"You sent the musicians away?"
"Yes, after questioning them
briefly. The light was against them
all during the balloon dance they
didn't see anything going on among
the dancers. It would have been
impossible for one of them to do
the shooting."
"Who else can be eliminated?"
Adam reached for my pencil and
notes and began jotting down
names.
'The musicians. You and I. The
Wheelers, I suppose, can be elimi
nated" he ipoke regretfully
"and those others I sent nome. Doc
Moore told me that he was dancing
with Mrs. Flower; difficult to see
how she could have done the shoot
ing without his knowledge."
"Put a question mark after her
name," I suggested. "She's so easy
to suspect"
"AU right . . . Barney, of course,
couldn't nave done it there were
no powder burns. Think of anyone
else?"
"Elizabeth was at home," I said
valiantly.
"I suppose Annie will check
that."
I did not answer, and he added
her name to the growing list.
"Who's left?'"I asked when wa
had thought for a few minutes.
Adam oegan a new list. "Mrs.
Orpington. Charlie Spencer. The
Shaws. Captain Flower and Mrs.
Flower question mark."
I shivered. "Not many . . ."
He shoved the notes away from
him in sudden disgust.
"Not unless you add the rest of
the garrison, the enlisted person
nel and any passing' stranger who
felt like taking a pot shot at the
nation's pampered pels. There's
not enough to go on. We haven't
found the weapon. Everyone in the
club was searching for it even be
fore the ambulance arrived that
was while you were gone. Some
body had one, of course, but what
became of it? Anyone on an army
post has access to firearms; every
officer has a service automatic."
'Abominable
"VOU don't know the caliber?"
Doc .
I'm waiting to hear from
I thought he was going to say
more than that, but he stopped
and I did not press him. A heavy
dread was dragging at me. Six
names and one of them Charlie's.
"How about Questioning the
Shaws one at a time?" I suggested
nnany. "ihey seemed to Rnow
Anne better than anyone."
"Good idea. I'd like to know
whv Mrs. Shaw was running Anne
down the past week or two. You've
seen bnaw. Does he impress you
as the type to attract Anne? It's
hard for a man to tell what women
like. Would his wife be iealous of
him?"
Shed be jealous of anything
that belonged to her. But she
doesn't need to worry about him.
Anne probably enjoyed teasing
her."
Adam nodded. "About what I
thought." He moved toward the
door. I ground out my cigarette
and slipped behind the curtains
again.
Mrs. Shaw might have been any
age from twenty-five to thirty-
live, and her only clmm to distinc
tion was a thin, nigh-rridged nose
that narrowed her face and drew
together her Dale eves. She sailed
in regally, wearing a Beaux Arts
costume cut on Elizabethan lines
that suited her almost cruelly. In
looks she was not unlike the pic
tures you see of the Virgin Queen.
She perched on the edge of a
chair the pointed bodice must
have been puinfully boned and
indicated that she would grant
Adam an audience.
There followed an exhibition of
Adam's celebrated charm. He posi
tively hovered over the woman
inserted a durable pillow behind
her rigid spine, proltercd her cig
arettes and, when she refused, con
siderately doused his own; perched
on tne taDle beside her chair and
bent on her a gaze of such solici
tous sympathy that I looked for
the very stays of her bodice to unbend.
'I know how vou feel. Marv."
he said in a low, regretful voice.
"You were Anne's best friend. She
was devoted to you. And Nknow
you want to do everything in your
power to punish whoever did this
this dreadful thing."
He waited considerately wmle
she turned away and dabbed at
eyes which I could see were per
fectly dry.
"ADominawe, "she Dreamed dra
matically. "One can scarcely be
lieve i. A lovable, charming girl
like Anne. Who could be so brutal,
so so beastly?"
She Daused. as if sens ng the in
adequacy of the vocabulary advo
cated by her expensive boarding
school. Suddenly she laid her hand
In a pleading gesture on his knee.
"Can't you do something, Adam?
You must learn the truthl"
I will learn the truthl
For a moment Adam's face hard
ened with ruthless determination;
then ho lifted her hand, pressed it
with the precisely suitable degree
of warmth and cave it back to tier.
'That's why I want your help,"
he added more quietly.
"Anything . . . she murmured.
Adam leaned closer. If there had
been any question of his sincerity
during the preliminary skirmish
there was none now.
(CovvrlgM. tfSS, Virginia Hanion)
Tomorrow) A sUrtllnf hunch.
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN MX
Tor farther proof addreee the author, inclosing stamped envelope tor reply. Ee TJ. 8. Pat Off.
ILL-FATED SHIP
SEATTLE. Dec. 19 AP) The 111
fated motorthlp Putter' of Seattle,
went aground early this morntnu.
for the fourth time wtthtn two
month, near the CHilf of Pair
Weather, 10 mtlea south of Yakutat.
Alaska, a i-adlo meaaaRe from the
cutter Hnlrta to the coast guard
hrndquarters hero- reported.
The Halda wa attaining to the
old or the stricken hlp. whoa aklp
per reported he hud lout one man
ov ;! hoard 'and his verwl was Mow
ly break Hv: tip.
An fns meaAHfte received In
Junt-H". ABka. frotn th? vent at
1:30 n m.' (PUT.! "Id the crew
waa preparing to abandon ftblp.
1ji than ft month ago. on No
vember 18. the Paterson went
aground In Wrangell Narrow. Alas
ka, and the Hatda went to her aid
but before the cuter reached her
aide she worked her way clear.
U mihrr
Northern California: Pair in north
a. id cloudy In south portion tonight
and Tuesday; continued cool; general
northerly wind o(f const, c-.crpt !rrh
southeast wind south of Point tteyea.
Oregon; fair tonight and Tueaday;
continued cold. Moderate north to
eat wind off the const.
Kl'iil hrltiTH llnd)
OHEOON CITY. Dec. tf.-fAPt
The body of Paul t). Khmer, 33. miss
ing since an automobile accident last
April, was found yesterday on I lie
bnik ot the Willamette river near
Onk drove. U s Idenfuiist thru
a driver' Mceir- -ii mi engraved
watch.
t'w Mall Trituine Want Ada.
4MM THROUGH SHteK'INFZSTED WATBRS
ffe PISH ftR-THEM
:7W "TiNY tocoWoTiv'E
Read tt A. Pa..
ra&T CfcN EE HlPPEN UNDER .
ft COMMON MftlCH
AS.
age one, of Anaheim, Calif.,
UWN6 LA
6RhNDMoTllERS l
0? 00 ptfUHPS peRSQUfcRe INCH-
eHOUfiHIb WISE SAP ftS
HIGH fVs CftUfOKNlW SEVU0lr
Living men for bnlt, coconut shell
for hires and Itwaoa for hooks Is the
strange equipment Tongan natives of
the south Paclflo use for shark fish
ing. The technique known to natives
as "alu'aga" embodies a mystifying
but apparently successful appeal to
Hlna, shark goddess of Tongnn super
stition, which attracts fish to the
surface. While ono member of the
exhibition chants the sing-song ap
peal and offers a tempting tidbit of
decayed meat, others rattle coconut
shells, strung on looped sticks, be
neath the waves.
Soon sharks appear, but they swim
warily In circles, some distance away.
Either the rattles or the mystic
chanting seems to keep the sharks In
a seml-hypnotlc state, yet they re
main beyond an Imaginary deadline.
Indifferent to the native coaxing.
Then one native quietly slips ov
erboard and swims directly to the
sharks! Strange as It seems. Instead
of attacking the swimmer, the sharks
docilely follow him as he swims slow
ly back to the boat.
'v . rri l i ; i
Z-2-38
There the sharks are attracted toy
the decayed meat and rise from the
water to reach It. When one comes
close to the boat, a native quietly
slips a rope noose over Its head and
quickly cinches It tight against the
boat's gunwale, where It Is clubbed.
This strange procedure Is des
cribed In detail by Charles Plumb
and Chorles Stuart Ramsay, famous
swimming mailman of "Tin Can
Island." in a recent book of that
name. The authors accompanied sev
eral "slu'aga" expeditions from Ton-go-tabu,
one of the Tongan group.
PROSPECT PUPILS
10 STAGE SHOWS
PROSPECT. Dec. 1 3. ( Spl . ) The
freshmen and sophomore classes of
Prospect high school will present two
fast-moving and mirth-filled com
edies In the high school gymnasium,
at 8 p.m.. Wednesday, December 14.
"Orvllle's Big Dat,' is the title of
the initial offering, which will be
followed by "Be Homo by Midnight."
Action In the first named comedy re
volver about Orvllle's monagemont of
his three charming sisters. The sec
ond play deals with certain family
relationship problems which fre
quently confront high school boys
and girls.
Mrs. France Pearson. English In
structor Is director for both productions.
Woninn Fatally Burned
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 12. ( AP)
Flames from an open stove fntally
burned Mrs. Viola Turlay, 92, at her
home yesterday. Her 67-year-old son,
Ben Turlay, beat out the flames, but
the aged woman died a short time
later.
Killed By Auto
NORTH BEND. Dec. 12. (AP) An
automobile struck and fatally injured
Charles Padrlck, 71. oyster bed watch
man, on the Coos Bay bridge yester
day. The driver was not held.
MOTHER'S PRESENT
By GLUT AS WILLIAMS f
COMB HOME WrlH
MOTHER'S PRKEUT A
aiEHDAR Wrrrt PicfORE
WD VERSE ON EJERV
PA6E - VEW BEAUtlFUL
SHIT6 HIMSELF IM Hl$
ROOM AND PROUDW
EXAMINES tTAGWH
PA6E BV PA6E
I'
V
REMJC-forHW WRAPS If
w, uhwraps if 1b Take
AUBf lOOKAfrf, AMD
WRftPSlfllPAfeAJrl
HEARS Sl5K IM HAIL.
AND BECKONS HER 1b,
COME tti
UNWRAPS PRESEhtf AKD HOtiCES THAI If ft 6Ef- CAN'f RE5l5"f SH0W1N6
DISPLAVS If BUT WON'T 1WG DlRfV AND TRIES 10 rf To FATHER WHEN. HE
LEf HER HANDLE If CLEAN If OFF OX SLEElE, COMES HOME
WHICH MAKES THIK6S '
WORSE. WRAPS K UP
WRAPS IfUP AND TUCKS tf
AWAV. EXAMINING IT
DA1LV 60 TrtftT 8V 0)R)Sf "f
IWo CALENDAR LOOKS
LIKE AM HEIRLOOM
(Copyright, 1938, by Tha Boll Syndicate, Inc.)
3 MA ITER POI
By 0. M PAYN"
V-A -pickle aw' a J YA A sumac4 acbJ
)foTT06 Am' A- SKANTEj-C7 T
f jellv-cake AH mr yt M , 1 -Wn
T IT Copyright, 1938, by Tt B,
TAILSPIN TOMMY Luck Rides Dual with Skeetsl
By HAL FOBREP
LEVEL OFF! . .
SKEETSl . WEDF
OM TH WAVES!
A V SI
no!, rr was busted th' 'cjrkjsw
f DlD..ao" Vv ME!.. I BUSTED WINOOWi . . . W WAS TOO STUFFY. V"".
( VsE . .. I V I 1 TH WINDOW , .rl,. SWHV? AM IT 5MELLED
CaA" WlTH MY SHOE
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Too Lute, Jason!
By EDWIN ALOF"
DID YOUW OH, DOC KILEY. S
jf CALL FOR If READ THIS
1 1 1 ME, U IT'S TERRIBLEllhJ
1
t -v J. 1,Hm TOsm
Y
WELL, WHAT
uiu you
EXPECT?
OH. DOC. I KIN
EVPLAIN EVERYTHING.1
I WAS ONLY TRYIN1
TO DO WHAT I
THOUGHT WAS
RIGHT;
MEANTIME, NOW MILES FROM THE
FARM, TWO BOYS. AND A DOG
TRUDGED ONWARD INTO THE
NIGHTJ
ST
l
THE NEBBS The Sarcastic Mr. Slider
B? SOt tTW
mf" "-s. : r iissr . . . . "ssss&aat
TWIMK OF THAT, SLIDER, WOW OlO YOU lSi GAVE THI5 COMPDEMTIAU IMTER3S
TME COKIVETiSERS. lTDOKl TO SUSPECT J IT WOULD BRikjG A LOT OF CROOKS " V
A PICTURE OF" TMEM V TUEM DOMM MERE. AND WMEM TME J ' (
AMD SEMT IT TO THE ( ---ar S COMVERSERS STARTED TO y- '
i-VgOLICE AMD TUATS, ) t-S f FAWN OVER. ME, I SAID, i
',i.j f nl'vl' rsvwj -yt- x.tr y-N
L-,..f'J ui!lv...i.,....,., 1 l VVrli I... P yiA fT
COULD EVER. DOUBT FROM
APPEAR AMCES THAT NOU AMD
RUDY WERE BROTHERS. BUT WUFrvj
IT COrAES TO IMTELLIGEMCE AMD
ALL-ROOMO ABIHTV THERE'S MO
EV1DEMCE OF RELATIOMSHIP.. HE'S
GOT A VJlLLIMG MOUTH -IT WOULD HAVE
BEEM A FIME COMBINATION
WITH VOUR BRAIMS
y
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