PAGE SIX
MTCDFORD MAIL TRTBUXE, MTCDFOim OREOON. MONDAY. DECEMBER 19, 1938.
THE ARMY POST MURDERS
By Virginia Hanson '
The Character
Kitherlnt Cornlita, mytel, !
itinp luablh on a mid-ueittrn
Army pott.
Elizabeth. Colontl Wright
daughter.
Adam Drew, acting command
ing officer.
Veiterdayt 1 ditcover that tht
note is written on a typewriter
which I had given to Charlie.
Chapter IT
Oh, Fool, Fool!
A DAM rpnri thft rt.n of nailer.
A "'Eleven o'clock,"' he said
reflectively. "Where did you una
it?"
"In one of those chain In the
lounge," Mrs. Flower explained
portentously. "It was tucked under
the seat cushion, 'tleven ociock.
Too bad it wasn't dated. Or signed
Still it is a clue."
"Yes, a clue. I'm very much In
debted to vou. Mrs. Flower."
Adam sounded harassed. It was
not entirely Mrs. Flower, 1 sur
mised, though she had that effect
on people. He was getting nowhere
ana tne nours were parsing, nuw
far he was exceeding his authority
he could know. They would be
growing restive. But somewhere
among tnem was a murderer, ana
time might play into that one per.
son's hands.
Across the balcony there was
motion. It brushed the fringe or
my vision and vanished betore I
could turn. What had it been a
shadow? The reflection of a pass-
ine car? Or someone?
I strained eyes and ears to catch
some identifying trace of pres
ence. Whatever had moved was
still. Yet I had the feeling that
someone was lurking there across
the gallery in the shadows or
behind the closed door of one of
the unoccuoied guest rooms.
Almost without thinking I rose
to my feet and stood listening,
tense. 1 stole one quick glance at
the door of the strange girl i room
which had been within my range
of vision all the time I was listen
ing at the head of the stairs. Then
I began edging around the well of
the dance floor, Keeping well bacK
from the balcony railing. The cen
tral chandelier which hung high
above me had not been relighted
since the balloon dance; the stage
lights and the lamps which dotted
the lounge provided ample illumi
nation downstairs, and the light,
rising diffusely, cast the shadow
of the balcony itself partway up
the walls that surrounded it. In
this shadow I was hidden from
below. But to anyone on the same
level with me, eyes accustomed to
the lesser illumination, I would
provide an easy target
I thought about that for a mo
ment, but I couldn't feel particu
larly menaced. Perhaps foolhardy
people are simply conceited the
most vivid imagination balks at
picturing its own extinction.
Halfway around I did pause,
however, remembering my prom
ise to stay with the sick girl. I
naa not Deen very rauntui to mat
promise. Perhaps I should go back.
1 mignt be on a fool s errand.
And then I heard a stifled moan
so near me that my heart seemed
to turn completely over. One step
brought me to the closed door of
the room from which that voice
had come.
Some instinct prompted me to
stand clear of the dear as I swung
it open. But nothing came hurtling
at me, .10 bullet whined over my
head. There was no sound, no
movement, no indication of life
within; and presently, feeling
rather foolish, I unflattened my
self from the wall and peered
cautiously in at the wide-open
door.
So Trustingly
THE room was like that other
which I had left a few minutes
before the same furniture, the
same absence of ornament, the
same bleak efficiency. And at first
glance it was in perfect order. No
one was there, nothing seemed out
i of place or not quite. A second
glance, as my eyes accustomed
themselves to the deeper gloom,
discerned a dark shadow Just be
yond the foot of the bed a long,
motionless shadow that bulked as
big as a slight woman's body.
I felt for the wall switch Inside
the door, remembered that there
was only a light bracket that
turned on at the fixture. I could see
It across one ccrr.sr of the room,
well away from the bed and that
motionless shadow. Two steps
would take me to it.
Something keener than my mind
was warning me. I left the deor
wide open, riveting my eyes on
that shape on the floor. At the first
fnlnt movement I could be gone.
Then I took those two careful
steps.
The thing on the floor did not
move. But the air in the room
stirred faintly for a moment and
the dim light grew dimmer. My
hand was on the switch of the wall
fixture. I turned It frantically back
and forth, but nothing happened.
I could still see, dimly, that the
prone shape was motionless.
An Instant too late I realised
SEVEN COMPLETE
BOITTHFRN ORKOON STATS NOIl
MAI. SCHOOL. Ashland, Dec !.
(flpllrvrn students completed re
quirements tor graduation from the
Southern Orepon State Normol
school on December Ifl. helng ihe
laat to aecure diplomat with aeven
quarter of work.
Mrs. tune Martin of Mrdfurd, Mr.
Helen Kaaer ot flrants Paaa. Mrs.
Ixils Pretwell ot Mrdford. Mra Julia
William of O'Brien. Mr Huby 1.
Wise of Klamath FHlls. Mra. Mne
Harm of Ashland and Mlsa Mar
garet Petersen of Cottage Grove are
the gradtiatlng( aenldra.
Advance registration for the win
ter quarter Indicates a continuation
fit the Incased ert llment of Lhf
faJI quailer. BtflfUU tutciutg t)j
that 1 had been tricked. But betore
I could whirl or cry out something
black and voluminous engulfed
me something abominably soft
and clinging that wound Itself
tightly around my throat, around
my arms, trussing me as securely
as a colt for the branding, muf
fling me as completely as a gag.
I felt the knot Jerked tight between
my shoulders. Then along my
ankles, where my fetters left off,
I felt again that brief current of
air and, faintly through the muf
fling folds, heard the key turn in
the lock.
The realization of my criminal
foolishness gave me a strength I
had not known I possessed. I
fought savagely at the cocoonlike
wrappings. Oh, fool! fooll I had
deserted my post, walked so trust
ingly into the '.rap. Behind the
door that was where the danger
had been hiding: and I had turned
my buck on it A woman's life
would probably pay for this.
Half sobbing, I twisted and tore,
bit and squir.ned, and inch by inch
the bonds worked upward from
my forearms until I could use my
hands.
Velvet the stuff was velvet
Someone's evening" wrap. The
thought passed briefly through
my mind. Then I tore the thing
from my head and threw it across
the room, staggering to my feet,
gasping air into ty starved lungs.
There was a thin streak of light
above the door the wooden tran
som, open a crack. Could I get out
that way? Or should I scream for
Adam? It was too late for secrecy.
I needed help at once.
In that brief instant of hesitation
the crack of light vanished, and
from the dance floor rose the
shrieks of women and the con
fused babble of voices.
The lights were out!
Too Late'
I POUNDED and kicked at the
' door and added my voice to the
clamor outside. But what chance
had I of being heard? The room I
was in was roughly above the
stage too far from Adam for him
to distinguish my voice in the gen
eral commotion.
I gave it up and leaned hope
lessly against the door. What good
could I do now, anyway? With the
crazy monotony of a cracked pho
nograph record words were re
peating themselves In my mind.
"Too late. Too late. Too late."
Suddenly I froze into listen
ing sileice. Someone had come
noiselessly along the gallery, had
paused on the other side of the
door and was drawing furtive,
panting breaths Irke a runner
forced to rest, yet wary of pur
suers. Instinct warned me not to
speak or move, not to seek rescue
here. Th n something clinked
lightly on the floor at my feet;
and there was silence on the other .
side of the door.
The key it must have been the
key. I did not take time to wonder
why it had been returned to me.
I screamed again with all the voice
I could muster and dropped to my
knees, groping in the dark.
I found it almost at once and
my Angers closed on it convulsive
ly. Nightmare clumsy, 1 yet man
aged to find the keyhole. I had the
door open and was in the hall
when the finger of light searched
me out from the encircling dark
ness. "Kayl Thank God!" said Adam's
voice, and the circle of light
swooped to the floor between us.
"You're all right? 1 heard you ,
screaming. . . .
His voice wavered a little and
the light danced at my feet
"The murderer," I gasped hys
terically. "He it was here an
instant ago. He locked me in that
room, then the lights went out
and he threw the key over the
transom he can't have got farl"
"A man?" Adam asked quickly.
"I I don't know. It It was
somebody."
And then I saw how hopeless it
was. There were people on each
side of us they had come like
moths to the light. 1 saw Mrs.
Flower peering excitedly around
Adam's arm. Behind her the
Shaws. looking almost comically
surprised. Mrs. Orpington had
come up behind me and was Just
standing there, her eyes gleaming
and a funny half smile on her lips.
iNooody passed ,nc, she said
brightly. ''1 was richt at the foot
of the dressing-room stairs and I
stood still and yelled until I saw
light up here. . . . You re sure
the door was locked?"
There was no mistaking the
skepticism In her voice. I stepped
closer to Adam.
Adam said, "Shaw, get out to
the cars and find some flashlights,
then get busy and And the fuse
box I think It's tackstnge."
"It Is," said Shaw. "Barney's
back there with Elizabeth, mak
ing cofTcc. It it's in t'.ie box he'll
have it fixed I heard him stum
bling around and swearing i min
ute before I came up."
"Adam," I whispered urgently,
"that girl . . ."
His eyes met mine, and there
was apprehension in them to.
rcopyrieal. lt)i. Virginia Baiuon)
Tomorrow: Murdei Dumber two.
the winter quarter of IPSO may grad
uate In eight quarter by attending
mimmer arastons.
APPLEGATE TEACHERS
TO STUDY PROBLEMS
BIO APPI.PO ATE. rvr 19. iSpl)
Mra. Nettl Armprleat of Twrnt
Crwh no hool ws r lv tM c h a t r m a n
of the Ap.rf(t trnchfrs' nUirty
(Troup, which held thr Mrt rf their
wintrr mtv-iinn t Huch lust wrck.
Othfr teacher a nruntxi on the com
mit t re with Mm. Armprleat werr Mrs.
In Purer!. Huch-Su'llnR prtmnry
room. And Mr Wanda Smith.
Thompson creek. ItrmrdlM read t nit
problems ftnrt tehnvtor problems mill
be utttrilert t tin next meetlntr. Jan
uary IS. Pupila t f Mr MnrerUd
Re of the upper mom it Much.
BteTltnt Aermti. presented n hort
proKcttui muuutU4 -ivu.u ruu tio-
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
For farther proof address the thor, lndoamf a (tamped envelope for reply. Re. V. .8. Pat OS.
rare South African cactus,
ObODHVa
m ONW
r-IN-ONE
tHe NEW ItoUSftND ISL-fcNDS
l.ndLto .? I a I J" K itss. ailnaalt
USES if DlFFgRMTtPES OFSPMSl
Of IHE
only American woman
HR, ftND riftS
YET 4HE NEVER SAVJMOW
UHTlL IN HER TEENS
Ho mil n nf the North
Until she was & girl In hrr teens,
Miss Louise A. Boyd, a California.!,
had never seen so much as a snow
flake. But now she has seen plenty
of snow probably mare than any
other woman In the United States.
Miss Boyd today Is America's only
woman Arctic explorer and holds the
distinction of having a part of Green
land named after her. Only, she says,
she didn't know about It until she
happened to see her name on a map
one day!
Altogether she hns mode six ex
hem la n Christmas carols, and Mrs.
Una B. Inch, county school super
visor, was present.
Mrs. Bertha Haskins of Applegate
school will be one of the seven dele
gates from the county to attend the
Oregon State Teachers' convention
In Portland the last week In Decem
ber. Co. Treasurer I He
GOLD BEACH, Dec. 19. (AP)
Fred Moore, county treasurer, died
here Saturday night. The IB-year old
public official la survived by three
daughters and a sister.
TAILSPIN TOMMY The Mysterious Isle!
HT BIQHT THOUSAMD
FEET, TOMMY BURSTS
THROUGH THE THICK
fog and reaches a
clear ceiling, '. . . .
Apprehensively, hb
looks abound, but
the black pirate 13
NOWHERa IN SK3HT. .
i
ITH A SlH
HB POINTS HIS PLANE
SOUTHWEST, BUT A
STdONO HUNCH TELLS
HIM THAT The AEttlAL
?-sw 1
BUCCANEER
DM
TO BE RECKONED WITH
AGAIN BEFORE LONG
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER
WHAT'S WRONG
WITH YOUR.
COWS,
THE NEBBS Puis?
HELLjO.SVLLV, VOU LOOK MEARLV f BUT VOU DOMT E-miss GRUMTLCV IKTmERES OMET" STE MESBJpLO ME NOO
f MICE THIS MORMIKJ' .TVAAT MEW Rl- TO SPEKlO WO MORE Yj WORDS ARE 1 D0M'r N IKIV,TE0 HIM TO VdUR HOUSE
AT TME PEAUTV SWOPPIE CERTAIMLyT'J MOMEV PRlMPINJ' 'CAUSE vVATTDwFM fJF 1 TUlMK, EVER GETS FOR OlKIMER HE SAID IF YOUR
V. PAlMTED VOU UP LIKE A. rV 1 r THE DlAMOMO J TUIWKSOFTUF LCWlS f ITO THE MlMD OF FCHX TASTED LIKE VOU UDOK.
-brTT OvV900 MODEL J r MAS GOME eACki A Sm1-7 ASlMPLEPESOKj(wECOUL.DGlTiviWDlSESTldKJj
HI rNIMMl
ONCE A YEAR
',.1
BRIP6B
Hom
antic explore;
BEEN.
peditions Into the frozen north, her
first trip In 1926. For surveying much
of the eastern coast of Greenland
that had never before been properly
charted, the Danish government
named the region "Miss Boyd Land"
after her.
On her second expedition north
ward. Ml&s Boyd was engaged In a
search for Amundsen, the great ex
plorer, who had vanished during an
airplane search for the missing Ital
ian aviator, Nob He.
For this service. Miss Boyd won
the coveted Order of St. Olaf, first
NAVY YARD BLAZE
NEW YORK. Dec, 19. (AP Rear
Admiral Clark H. Woodward, com
mandant of the Brooklyn navy yard,
ordered a thorough Inquiry today
Into a fire that destroyed a two-story
Of" RELIEF.
WILL HAVE
The Two "Doctors"!
DURNED if
I KNOW, BEN-
MR. CASE?
THAT'S WHAT'S
ITCHIN' MEJ
Zil&i" IZ" 1933 M'bi Syndic- to . V
'y. THE TIME BEING V i WELL LOOK OVER lm
fm VI r SOME OF THESE. JW
W 'L'i i: " Lj. fl&Wm umitw mtt cnLv.' sinp law.
K , I k . .,- I ,,r- '
in n nHNUtNCKcnitp v
MP PRS h U6HTED
C16&RET AGfMN'ST IT
WiTHouT Burning THE
HMPKERCHIEFI
class, from Norway. Also, the French
government made her a Chevalier of
the Legion of Honor.
Four-in-one Bridge
Strange as It seems, the new
Thousand Islands International
bridge, connecting the United States
and Canada, Incorporates four dif
ferent and distinct types of bridges
two suspension spans, one double
ferrls truss, one rigid formed arch,
and one stone arch.
( Tomorrow:
hands?
Can Ice burn your
brick paint and oil storehouse In the
yard. f,
The flames broke out at 8 last
night and spread a black pall over
the district. Hundreds of sailors
Joined city firemen in a two-hour
battle to subdue the blaze.
AH entrances and exits to the yard
were barred. Marines with fixed
bayonets kept spectators at a distance
and refused to permit taking of
photographs.
It was reported 370,000 gallons of
alcohol were destroyed.
LOOKS LIKE I'VE K WHILE CM STALLING 1 1
Cf QUIET, PLEASE! V
I I GOTTA
OVERHEAD
y . t Sfr
HITS DOWrl FOR A aOIEf AFfEftMOOW'S RES
AND WW)
SIAMOS It AS 10r)6 AS HE CAN AWD
CAILIN6 1b HIM To STOP WElt THE
6IVE5 UPlRViNs-foREAD AS JUNIOR, STtfiKS AT -fAPPlN& 55, AND JUNIOR CLATTERS UPArJP
DESK, KEEPS UP A STEADVlAPPIrtfi WiTH HIS FOOT POWtf STAIRS "THREE TiMES .
SILENCE. WAITS FOR THE NEXT
SOUND
-T (Copyright, 1838, ty Th Ball
J MATTER POt
Kofi THE OFF CkANCE
inM, ion i nnu
SKELETOIt KEY.
,.,W
I KNUYY, KU9IT.
THE SUNSHINE
PELLETS! HAVE
YOU GOT SOME
Y' THINK
I BEEN
TOTIN
THIS
BUNDLE
FOR
PLEASURE,
BEN?
Cvou Weep a rC IjLJA, f "Nv '
" A-E
look-! ) , 6V -p -r
MOW ) Rf 1 r iLLTELu) 63 K.
y xaj, CAmv-Ham-dJ.j vMat I'm O m
Copyright, lM8" by The Bell Byndlcite, Inc ,
16 Or! TOlNf OF
SOUND CEASK
OUTBREAK OF SOES ON WAlTiN6, 6ETT1N6 RESTLESS. REALIZES
HIS NERVES AREN'T USED TO SUCH COMPLETE
dUlEf. UP AND TAKES A WALK.
Syndicate, Inc.)
There could
be. NO LIFE
ON THIS LONELY
ISLE . . .BUT
WAIT! . . .
IOMMY SUD0CN-!
LY NOTES A
FLOCK OF
FLAMINGOES,
STIRRED INTO
SUDOEN FLIOHTl
Jomethin. .
BELOW. . HAS
FRIGHT EN B.O
THOSE BIRDS!
SHOW US YOUR WORST
COW, MR. CASEY
YOU'RE TALKIN1 TO
ORS. WEBSTER AND
MeSURK... SPECIALISTS
IN COW TROUBLES.1
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
ljuifinu
BECOMES AWARE Of JUNIOR'S B0UWCIN6 A BAU
ON-fHE F100R OF HIS BOOM OVERHEAD
4(JD IS RttLOWED BY A RUFIBJJN6 SOUND AS JUN
IOR MoES HIS DESK WOUND
Bv 0 M PA YNF
By HAL FORREP"
By EDWIN ALOE"
By 801 HES
UNH'j
J M lll"r
dhin m or