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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1938)
PAGE TEN rEDFOTfO MATL TRTBTJXE. rFDFCRT), OT?F.nONT. TTTrT?SDAY. DFrErBEI? 15. 3938. TIIE ARMY POST MURDERS By Virginia Hanson ' " 1 lie Characters Katberlne Cornlib, myself t vis iting Elizabeth on a mfd-u?etm Army post. Eliubttta. Colonel Wright's daughter. A dim Drew, acting commend ing officer. reiterdayi Adam dashes out to lee if Barney It safe. While he it gone a strange woman appear on the balcony. Chapter 14 The Ctrl From The Train IT SEEMED to me that ihe had been trying to attract my atten tion. But whether or not she was now aware of me 1 could not tell. Suddenly the itaggered up one tep and seemed to fall out ' sight After the first Icy shock of hor ror, wh'in 1 was unable to scream, remembering the poor soul who had hanged herself, 1 clamped one hand over my mouth and sat there shivering violently, trying to get hold of myself and be sensible. However much she might appear to be -. apparition, she had to be flesh and blood. I reminded myself that there were guest --oms off the balcony which. Adam had said. were seldom occupied. But seldom did not mean never. I was positive she was not one of the guests at the hop. None of them had been dressed like that- all In Boating white. I began to shiver again. But if she had been up there all evening. If she were the relative ' some enlisted man and occupying one of the guest rooms, she might know something. . might even have witnessed the shooting. It would not do for me to sum mon anyone else. I must follow her alone. 1 must at least keep her presence secret u;.til Adam could talk to her. Before my good resolution could weaken I slipped my notes under tne stair rug and climbed upward as fast ar my shaky knees would permit. She was lying partialis on the Itairway, as If she had fallen for ward lust before she reached the top a flesh-and-blood woman in white nightgown and robe. Her body was limp as an old rag thrown down, and when I could bring myself to touch it, to turn the face upward to the light. I saw that it was so flushed with blood as to be almost purple, and there were flecks of foam on the lips. To my untutored eyes It looked like suffocation or poisoning. And then, after the first wave of blackness had been fought oil and I could see again, 1 recognized her. It was Ihe cirl from the train. Somehow I got pas, her and onto tha balcony, somehow 1 edged my way along to the opposite side of the central well without being sesn by any of the huddling groups below. There was another stair way that I had noticed leading up rrom ine powner room. 1 stood at the head of It and listened until I was sure there was no one below. And when I reached the toot of It I found I was still whispering to myself, "I won't scream. I won't icrcaml" There was an outside door that corresponded to the one In the reading room the one Elizabeth had used to slip out unseen. I hur ried around the building In the darkness until 1 could look in through the reading - room win dow. Tubby Shaw and Mrs. Or pington were still glowering at each other. Adam had not re turned. Where would I find him? He had gone for Barney to the Oncers' Club where the bachelors had rooms. I started In pursuit and met him returning, his long logs strid ing purposefully toward tho row of parked cars. Key To The Murder I REACHED him, clung to him and poured out mv story. He put his hand over mine where it rested on his arm and the touch wiiA warm and comforting It was demoralizing to shake so. "Good girl," he said quietly The fewer people know about this, the better. Maybe someone will give It away. I'll go up and look over the situation. You take my car or Charlie's and go for Doc Moore. Barney is at the hos pital too: the orderly at the club couldn't keep him in bed. Tell him I want to see him." I took Charlie's car again: he wouldn't be needing It for a while And as I drove a thousand ques tions raced through my mind, seeking answers I could not pro duce. Most urgent of these the Iden tity of the strand girl tantalized me because I had fa.en so near to solving it on the train I hod fan cied that 1 had seen her before and had dismissed it as a chance re semblance. But had the resem blance been chance? Was it a fam ily one and to someone on thU post? I found that I did not believe she was the wife or sister of an enlist ed man. For one thing, her clothes were too expensive. For another, she had undoubtedly identified Charlie's ring. And what had Adam said? "Catch any soldier on this post putting his women-folk in this building for the night!" The line of reasoning was not strong, bu. It intensified my grow ing feeling that to solve the iden tity of that girl would be to find a key to the murder of Anne Ca rewe. As often happens when you try to watch your subconscious at work, mine retirei into a subcel lar and put out the light. Even the remembered image of the girl as she sat across the us)e from me on the train faded from my mind and left me staring at that contorted magenta mask which bore no re semblance to anything living. Horror was riding with me. I spun the little car crazily around a corner and saw welcome lights ahead. The hospital at Fort Havens Is at the same end of the post as the commanding officer's quarters, but beyond and well away from the other buildings and the main road. I had been there that afternoon, but not inside the big brick build ing. I ran up the short flight of steps and through the heavy double doors, skidded to a stop on the highly waxed -linoleum floor and looked about me The odor of formaldehyde and a hushed and breathless quiet envelop: 1 every thing. A room to the right was labeled: Dispensary. To my left a door was open on c small office. An orderly in a stifi white jacket rose from behind a desk and motioned me down a long cross corridor to where a doorway showed golden against the dimmer hall. "Your friends are In there, wait ing for the captain. He'll come as soon as he's free." "Will you tell .ilm It's urgent, please? Major Drew sent me." Haunted Eyes HE HURRIED away and I tip toed Sown the endless pol ished corridor, listening to mv footsteps echo and re-echo against me com wnue wans ann ceiling. The surgeon's oftlct was sDarse- ly furnished: a big bare desk: a bookcase full of heavy medical books: a few mahogany armchairs. Against that austere background nothing could have been more un seemly than- our forgotten finery I looked at Elizabeth's white face above her pink organdv; at Bar ney's great figure hunched over the desk, face buried in his hands like a stricken, jester, the pierced crimson heart on his back shock ing reminder of Anne's rinwn flung form: and realized suddenly that I, too. was still in fancy dress. Then I saw Annie, in decent blnck. a Queen Mary hat set rig idly level on her small head, twist ing her hnndkerohief and stnring from a corner the spirit of trag edy brooding over a vanished feast. Elizabeth stoooed turninc the leaves of a medical journal and glanced up with haunted eyes. Barney dropped his hands from a Knper - white fnce against which is eyes were like the openings to gray, vacant corridors and rose, swaying a little. "Has has Adam found out any thing?" he asked with desperate urgency. I said. "I don't k n o w," and avoided their eyes, which seemed to accuse me of withholding hope. "He wants to see you he's still at the Service Club. I found a chair quickly and sat down because he was obviously holding himself up bv a great ef fort. "I'll go back as soon as I've seen Doc," he said. "I've got things to do. , . . There'll be no sleep for me." he added more strongly, "un til we find" He clenched his big hnnds and swallowed painfully. Elizabeth's eyes were fixed on the open doorway. I listened and heard them, ton the quick, quiet footsteps descending the stairs, traversing the long corridor. Not over thirty now. in ten years time Captain Moore would be a little stooped, I thought irrele vantly as he stood in the doorway enveloped In the white surgical gown, his oversize head bent a lit tle forward with the air of one peering over his glasses and lis tening for something onlv faintly audible. His mouth was controlled, his uands lean and sensitive a surceon's hands. "You wanted me?" he asked of the room at large. Elizabeth had risen and taken a step forward. She seemed braced for a blow. "We thought It might not be too late." she said painfullv. "Fa ther would want nothing left un done. . . ." In Barney's eyes there was a naked olea. So thev were hoping -still. Copyright IJJS. Virginia nansonf Monday: A mytterloui note. DANES SUSPECT PLOT TO ABDUCT WASHINGTON. DfC. 15 (AP) Mr. Flunk lin D. Roosevelt tun in come a mrmhrr of tho bonrxt of di rectors of the Boat.in tnaumu firm of Rowvlt and Part'nt. Whit limine ofllclnls (Wlrl todny ahe hnd taken the position to pro tort the InteirMA in the firm M hfr on. Jumps, who will sonfl mvt nf hi time on the vtrr const ns an rxecutlve of w motion plctnn- cvm- Thoy riri(! Mn Rxvtcvflt would live no part in rMr.g tnnurnnce or :n hUAincM acthTirs of the com pany. WINDOW OI.A.ss We wll window ftlRM and will tvpVirt your mok.-n window rrnaonaoiy. TrowDrkte cu lnet Worka, COrrNHAOFN. Dee. 19 (AP) Polire arrested and qutvkly relcnspd four Dunlah Na?ii todny after an Intense but fruitless Investigation of a auspeeted plot to kidnap Premier T. H. SiaunhiR. The four men were arreted In a ear flllrrt with Naz.l pnmphlets out side the premier's mirmrbun villa shortly after mldnUht. fiune hour Inter police freed them, awrttnu they were unable to prove the existence of a plot. The four insisted they wci rtrlv Ina piwt the villa "for curiMy." The authorities wirt, however, that all ttere well known to police and one rrle:ird from prison onlv v terdny niter rrvtiig term lor ft political offense. STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX ror farther proof ad drew the author, bdostaf a st&mped enrelope for reply. Bee. XJ. 8. Pit Off. of ihe Middle A&e, Diffusa? Trie UfiHt Of ft CrSNDlfc W JfWMSR-flUBD tfvSftD ti&VM ZMlNliTK, VeTftCMLWftRWMNtPKW U. ZrMejuco border) TlHLLiirs f ii nun J f-lower Worms Or THc rYl UftNl IC rXCiUhULY oLvvrl WITH VJRfcfcTrte OP FEhTHBRiD QlLlSj 2-5"-3S Gardpn of Worms Along the shallow Atlantic waters from Cape Cod to New Jersey live the beautiful flower worms which, strange as It seems, are easily mis taken for plants Instead of animals. A group of the worms living to gether actually resembles a tiny un dersea flower garden because of the odd feather-llko gills which protrude from the anterior end. The flower worm grows a white, colled tube of calcium carbonate about three Inches long, at one end of which Is a circular opentng that can be closed tightly when danger threatens. The feathered gills are var iable In color but usually appear purplish -brown. Finland's Debt Finland's semi-annual payments to the U. S., strange as It seems, are to settle a post-war debt Incurred after the World war had ended. In 1910 Finland bought for cash $8,281, 928 worth of food from the United States. Liter, when the U. 8. extend ed credit to certain European na tions, she made this credit retro active and gave Finland back the money she had paid In 1919. which money Is now being repaid s a psst-war debt. Border Fight When Bb Fitzslmmons fought Peter Maher in 1896 on the Mexican border near Langtry, Texas, It cul minated a dispute which caused tho passage of a bill In congress prohib iting prizefights In the territories and the calling out of the Texas Rangers, the Mexican army, and arm ed forces of New Mexico and Arizona In trying to prevent the engagement. Tomorrow: How were the German "Big Berthas" located during the World war? WILL DOUBLE CAPITAL T WASHINGTON. Dec. 15. (API Doubling of the lending power of tho export-import bunk. It was learned today, will be tho first step In the Rooscvolt administration's new program to expand trade be tween the United States and Latin America. After doing business for nearly five years with Its original J21.000.000 capital, which automatically limited Its lending to that amount, the government-owned bank Is ready to sell about 25.000,000 more stock to tho reconstruction finance corporation. Tho RFC furnished tho original capital. 4 25 Discount on all Ready-To-Wear and Hals ETHELWYN B. HOFFMANN Fishermen to Fight Closing Law Effort MARSIIFIELD, Dec. 15. (AP) Commercial fishermen eJong the southern Oregon coast prepared to day to resist legislative efforts to close all streams except the Colum bia river to commercial operations. A group headed by Charles Feller, president of the commercial fisheries of Oregon, will submit statistics showing the possible economic loss to this section. UP AND DOWN By GLUYAS WILLIAMS 1 .SLUYf BWAKEP IN H16W Bi BRBV ' RYIrl6. LIES, W0NDERJH6 whether she'u have 1b6EfUP SI6MS, MV SfAMS 1b 6ET,llP) im'i wau iMMEPiA-rav TAWS "To A TAIrJ-f WHIMPHK 61NKS DOWrlj WHIMPER A 0KCE SWE1UW& 1b A 600P Wa-trlROPrfET? BEU0W U J sits up and tumbles tor suppers, bellow ceasiN6 ABRiJVtW LIES DOWN AVID BE61MS lb WoR- -fMAf If DOESHY SEEM WAfURM. 1b SfbP CRVIK6 SO SUDDENLV AND S0ME1YIIN6 rW BE YVR0H6 IX-IH- (Copyright, 1938, by Tho Bell gyndicats, lac.) 6E1S OP. PinDS 8ABV 5LEEP" W6 COMEORfABLV, BUT WANES n In CLOSING THE DOOR SO WA-C Vf HAS STARTED CRVW6 A6AIH AS SHE 6EI5 BACKTfa BED 3 MATTER Pftt Bv 0 M PAYNP Wf. .... ,i. TK-.i v-n V OU.T. -riA-TS ALL I V-vVoU?J IT i"-8" S v 1VTT Hr-i I mavj, Have a iEPtofs-rl' Y MM5 it We5 ) rAWlAtVouTooK-rf 7 V ' MOT mv TAULT 4 C f $)measu12 e.s $?3hkJ OH k i wMjii WV yySgVr (Copyright, 1938, by Tfa. Bell Syndicate, Inc ) JC - TAILSPIN TOMMY Skeets Figures It Out! By HAI. FORREST 4-ow OiO THE DEACHy CARBON Moroxioe gas get INTO THE CABIN OP THE AMPHIBIAN? SEETS, BETTY-LOU, JER AND HANK. IXXX BLANKLY AT EACH OTHKl, A3 THE PLANE RESTS PEACEFULLY ON THE CALM SEA. Rut in a pew "minutes . . the question isanswbed in stack reality 1 JJ07 mm? BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Gene Casey 77 f 1 mLJLJ Wff here's th! liHnmii 11... i 1 1 " ' i i ( I'll Tell, 'N hose! A srrAifl I L TH' qtor! y ( ltideoswid I ik KTHISPIECB OF RUBBER HOSB. MEANS THAT A DELIBERATE IN TO nUKDER US! By EDWIN ALfR CAN WE GEt SOMETHING TO EAT, MR. CASEY? WE'LL PAY FOR . FINE, BIG-HEARTED) ( LET'S BEAT) f WHERE TO SOMEPLACE OOH.1 BUY A MEAL, EH? WELL? . J& CHARACTER, EH? IT- WE'LL Y'GOIN,1 WHERE WE CAN WE AIN'T NEVER TURNED A -7 ( NOPE! J jfy- V , TRY THE LADS? I BUY A MEAL! J HUNGRY PERSON AWAY YET. v;-'V-- MEXT VL, V f- y BUT WE JEST AIN'T IN TH6 r-' i. . CP; I i rLALt J II ' II nnou u iMP( rT, n , - il- i THE NEBBS -Funny Money? Bv SOt HESS reve is PREPACIMG TQ LEAVE AFTER AM EXClTlMe VISIT AT NORTUVILUE BLICVHTED ISJ LOVE, NEARLV ROBBED OF MIS &LUEBIRD A DULL MOMENT ? a-iLi VOU'RE JUST A MO-fionn k r '' ';iM 1 ' ' mmry 1V WELL, iWEN WILL. VU VOI 1 riivtr MP A ' MICKEL FOR SIX B"P.PVDLERS STORE WE5 PEK1KIIES ? 1 VjANTT eOJ A PEK1MV SLOT PEAMUT5 OUT OF FOR A CEMTJOR A NICKEL VOU F' MR. POTTS, 1 WAKJT ;VoU CARRIED ItNW'10. 1 ME'ER MAD AMY LUCK ""S wj-m-i rw jK'-v.. HEKt SO CARRY tf- 7 Wi I M M. NtTO ANTWAT7UU V , m 1 DOslT WAmT TO Ait p,fvrL- I t-J fOME WylTU A fCI AS niiMriLin 'J LCAttRV TMIS CASH I WOOLDSJT " BE LAWD GET YOURSELF kBBE0,MOW7 UVL,W - BOTMERED MOUS-1 UO 1 KMOW TMATSOOO AINIT S. TO 6ET SOME PEAMl IT3 I II r1?r7Z vb! 'TfC; o like tme nrl i out of tme macwimeI 'MI nS j V r V 4
