PAGE FOUR
MEDFORD MATT TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1940.
i by Frances
Chapter 48
The Shining Knife
THE man came back through
the doorway and went back
to the little stove.
Tuck was bathed In cold, Icy
perspiration. Her heart was
pounding in suffocating beats. She
could hear it distinctly. He lifted
his head and stared at her. Could
he hear it too?
Bump . . . bump . . . bump.
His face was black with wrath.
He looked up at the ceiling. He
came over to her swiftly and
glared down at her. "Was he at
Rome when you left?" he demand
ed in a desperate whisper.
She would not answer. She
eould not answer, for the moment
he had spoken he put his hand
tightly over her mouth, and then
picked up a long roll of bandage
and gagged her.
Suddenly the "man smiled to
himself again. He went noiseless
ly to the cabinet and took a little
bottle from it, with a thick pad of
cloth. He went to the end of the
room she couldn't see, and she
beard nothing; but a wave of fresh
sweet night air poured over her.
Then it was gone, and the heavy
air of the room settled around her
again. The gag hurt badly and it
was so dry. Her mouth was so dry.
She twisted her head and chewed
at the gag, but it would not budge.
She pulled at her wrists until the
bonds cut Into them, but she could
not move.
That would be Michael, alone
up there. Alone, come to And her.
She couldn't warn him. Michael.
The light went out. The world
was black again, forgotten.
The sweet night air revived
her. He had left the door open,
this time when he came in, and a
cool breeze swept gently over her
face. The water in the pan
bubbled and sang.
She turned her head.
There was a sort of wide bench
gainst the wall on her left-hand
side, opposite the big cabinet . On
the bench Michael was half sit
ting, propped against the wall. By
the time Michael opened his eyes
his feet were tied together and
his hands were bound firmly be
hind his back; but worse than
that, his wrists were tied to a ring
In the wall
Michael had seen Tuck lying
there on the table. He had stared
at her with terrified eyes for a
moment, and then he had smiled
at her, his own, dear impish smile.
Tuck's heart skipped a beat, and
then the warm blood flowed
through her veins again and she
felt alive. Her brain worked again.
' The man spoke. "You were
lone?"
"Oh, no," Michael said, "Do you
think I'm crazy?"
"Indeed? You lie well, Forres
ter." "And you? What am I to call
you? Murchison?"
"Whatever you like. It won't
make the slightest difference. Luck
has played into my hands to
night." he said exultingly. ,
"Yes?"
"Yes, indeed. I had thought of
something of this sort, but I hadn't
dreamed I should be able to man
age it. Once or twice I was almost
afraid of you, Forrester. Afraid
that you would discover the truth,
perhaps, and so end my work. It
is very Important work. If the
world could but realize it, it Is a
great thing I am endeavoring to
o for humanity.
"Now I am going to finish my
experiment, Forrester, and you
shall have the pleasure of watch
ing me."
Tuck shut her eyes. There was
a long silence. Then Michael
spoke, and his voice was terrible.
"You devil!" he said.
"No, you ore wrong. Forrester,
this must be done. For years I have
been on the verge of this discov
ery. Again and again I have been
thwarted by the stupidity of au
thorities, by the hide-bound bit
terness of ass"';iates. I must do It.
I miut do it, do you understand?"
His yoice dropped almost to a
whisper as he stood there by the
kettle, his hand reaching out to
ward his instruments.
Ufe
"FORRESTER, do you know
what I am searching for? Lifel
Do you understand that? Lifel
The Vital Force. The thing that
preachers call the Soul. Soul!" He
was breathing heavily. He moved
aside and pulled up to the stove
a small wheeled table, glass-covered.
On it he laid a sterile, white
cloth; then he took from the water
that tray of shining, kecn-blodcd
knives.
"I know where to And It. For
rester. I know exactly where, In
the brain, it lies. Do you know
why they have never discovered
It? Because, when they look for
It In dead bodies, it Is gone. Be
cause, when they look for it In
anaesthetized bodies, it is dissi
pated. It cannot be captured. It is
too small, too weak. But I know
the way."
Tuck's heart was In her eyes,
taring at Michael. Michael was
straining at his bonds, twisting,
turning, his face the color of
paper. His eyes were blazing.
The man at the table took a
test-tube from a rack and laid it
carefully beside the shining array
before him. He was working very
deliberately, very carefully.
"I have been handicapped," he
went on. "I tried to work- with
animals because of the absurd
prejudice against the risking of
human life. How foolish that Is.
There are literally millions of
lives that would be better sacri
ficed to science. If they had given
me only a dozen subjects to work
on, I should have been successful
long ago. Do you know what it
would mean? It would mean that
Thug Sentenced
Portland, Jan. 1. (Pi Wil
bur Brown, 24, one of two men
indicted on charges of holding
up a tavern here December 4
pleaded guilty Saturday and
was sentenced to two years in
the state prison.
Notice I will not be responsible
for any hill lncui:rci by n-.iv ne
other than ui)elf. K. I. Wolitr.
Shelley wees
I
we could create perfect beings in
the laboratory, . Perfect a race ;
of gods. The operation, 01 course,
is very painfuL Very painful, in
deed. You can understand that i
must be."
. "You will hang for this," Mi
chael said. His voice was calm
and he had stopped struggling. H
sat quiet. He must have found out
that it was useless.
"I doubt it. You see, after to
night, I shall do nothing more.
This is the final test. Once before
I thought I could say that, but
unfortunately, my subject strug
gled rather violently before 1
could induce him to come here,
and I was forced to give him
severe blow. He has been very ill
ever since rather, he is quiel
now, but in no physical condition
as yet, to stand the operation. 1
have had to keep him drugged in
order to keep him from escaping
or making a noise, and his nerves
are not in a good state at all. Still,
I expected to use him eventually.
But I shall not have to now. If the
operation fails on your wife,
and anything unforeseen happens,
there will still be yourself. He
made a little courtly bow. "Two
such young and healthy speci
mens, both mentally and physi
cally, are all that any scientist
could desire. If the experiment
fails twice tonight, I shall merely
set Are to this basement room and
leave it as it is. I shall be con
vinced that mine is not the hand
to carry out the research. But we
will not fail tonight."
He was ready. He wheeled the
little table over close to Tuck. He
pulled open a drawer in the table
and took out a white mask which
he unrolled from its sterile wrap
pings and tied across his face.
"Perhaps," he said to Michael,
"you will And this a little trying
since this lady is your wife. But
you can scarcely fail to find it in
teresting. With this knife I shall
make the first incision, a small
three-cornered one at the base of
the brain. But first, of course, I
must sterilize the area."
You Devil'
HE turned her head gently away
from Michael and she felt his
hands at the back of her neck. He
untied the gag and took it off. "It
is in my way," he said regretfully.
Her mouth was stiff. Then she felt
the coolness of water on the back
of her head, and. in a moment, the
scrape of a razor.
She heard him move. She knew
he was still trying to break loose.
He never could. Her own bonds
cut into her wrists and ankles.
The man laid down the razor.
He picked up the shining knife.
And in that instant Michael
threw the severed bonds from his
hands and sprang.
The man gave a cry like the
roar of a wild beast as he went
down beneath Michael. Tuck did
not see that battle on the cement
floor, but as she lay bound and
helpelss on the table she pictured
it and agonized for Michael. The
other man was bigger, and very
strong. He had a grip like steel.
"Michael, Michael, she called
In agony. .
The other man was bigger and
very strong, but Michael was fight
ing for Tuck and for her life. He
got on top at last and pounded
that dark head again and again on
the cement; and then he dragged
him and tied him, in turn, to the
ring in the wall, where he stood
with frightful blazing eyes.
"You devil!" Michael panted.
And then he turned to Tuck.
As he lifted her tenderly in his
arms from the table she clung to
him and choked out, "Michael . . .
how ... I can't believe , , . Michael
darlingl Oh, you are really
Oh, Michael!"
"Why, sweetheart, my fingers
were free, d'you see, and I was
sort of half sitting there . . . and
my jackknife wns in my pants. 1
nearly died getting it out and
cutting those damn things for
fear he'd hear."
And at that moment two things
happened. The first was the ap
pearance of an apparition from
that inner room, the figure of a
tall, ghastly pale man with cadav
erous cheeks and sunken eyes. He
supported himself against the
door, said, "So you've got him at
lost," and fainted. And the second
wos the sound of many feet rush
ing into the house above, and
Bunny's voice calling. "Tuck.
Tuck! Michael, where are you?"
Michael flung open the door and
shouted, and in a moment the
basement was Ailed with people:
strongely Duncan Murchison was
there with the Commissioner, the
District Attorney, a group of po
licemen, and Bunny with Aga
memnon In her arms.
"I had to bring him," she ex
plained, "because I thought per
haps if we couldn't find you he
could. But we saw Michael's boat
and the handkerchief tied to the
tree on the path below."
Michoel held Tuck in his arms
still. She leaned her head against
him and the room whirled round
her.
Duncan Murchison had raced
across the room and dropped down
on his knees beside the sick man
from the inner room. He lifted the
drooping head and held it on his
arm.
"My God," he said brokenly,
and there was deep silence at the
sound of his voice. "It's my broth
er. Edgar!"
The District Attorney frowned.
He took his hand from Michael's
shoulder. He turned and surveyed
the icy rigid figure of that other,
gowned in white and tied against
the wall.
'Then U'ho is that?" he cried.
"That?" said Michael, and
reached out to tear the operating
mask from the angry face. "Oh,
that is Dr. McBain. '
Continued tomorrow
Stat Police Busy
Salem, Jan. 1. (P) The
Oregon state police department
made 4562 arrests during No
vember, Supt. Charles P. Pray
reported today. Fines assessed
as a result totaled $16 644, and
Jail and prison sentences aggre
gated 3B 36 years.
I Um Mill Tribune tun tat.
On the
RADIO CHAINS
STATIONS
IVhen to Find Them or the Dial.
Kos, Portland. 1180; KFI. 4u
Los Angeles; KOA, 1470, gpukane;
KOO, 700, San Francisco; HUH
20, Portlands KJK, 870, Seattle;
KNX, 1050, Lot anielei; KOA, S30.
Denver; COIN. 940, Portland:
KOMO. Sts. Seattle; KPU, 630, nan
Franclico: KhL, 1 1 HO. Salt Lake
Monday
4:00 Party, KPO, KFI. KOW;
Prank and Archie, KJR.
6:30 True or False, KOMO: Kel
sey's Orch.. KOO. KJR; Voice. KPO,
KFI. KOW.
0 :00 Rochester Civic Orchestra,
KOO, KEX; Radio Theater, KSL,
KNX; Quiz Program, KPO, KOW,
KFI.
8:30 Templeton Time. KPO, KOW,
KFI, KMED: News, KJR.
7:00 Uttle Ol' Hollywood. KOO.
KJR. KEX: Hour. KPO. KOW, KFI;
Lombardo's Orch.. KSL. KNX, KOIN.
7:30 Blondle, KNX, KSL, KOIN;
Sensations and Swing, KPO, KOW,
KFI; Radio Forum, KOO, KJR, KEX.
8:00 Amos and Andy. KNX, KOIN,
KSL; Doe's Music. KEX: Fred War
ing. KPO. KOW, KFI; Aloha Land,
KOO.
8:181 Love a Mystery. KPO, KFI,
KOW; Lum and Abner. KNX, KSL.
KOIN; Doe's Music, KOO; Courtney's
Orch., KEX.
THE WORLD
Ti J
;
AT ITS WORST
(Ueltued by The BtJT
6WVA5
UJILUW7&
TAILSPIN TOMMY A New
H-WALP.'...I'M, I TOSS THAT SPAR
BURNIN' up YOUR LAP AN' GIT
TH' PLftNfcJ r UP, YOU DOPE'
on nn&jsZf V you're iSiTriN
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Mass Meeting?
J$T 7 MV GOODNESS! V
I NOBODV HEREi 1
f I STILL, IT'S TEN I f) .
I WNUTES BEFORE I WY v
i , I THE TIME I I "SV
M&dtoSi ANNOUNCED FOR T
THE NEBBS An Honest Man
(a
dh
Ml
Jill. O,
8:80 Cutler's Orch., KPO, KFI,
KOW; BreeM's Orch., KEX; Bug
Band. KOO; Model Minstrels, KNX,
KSL, KOIN.
9:00 Sherlock Holmes, KPO, KFI,
KOW: Tune Up Time, KNX, KSL,
KOIN: True or False, KOO, KEX,
KJR.
8:30 Hawthorne House, KPO.
KOW. KFI; Hawkins Orch.. KOO;
Weill's Orch.. KNX; News. KJR.
10:00 News Reporter. KPO, KFI,
KOW; Heldt'i Orch., KOO, KJR;
News, KSL, KNX.
10:30 Poster's Orch.. KOO. KJR.
KEX, KFI: Music by Woodbury.
KPO. KOW; Tucker's Orch., KOIN,
KSL, KNX.
11:00 Raveraa's Orch., KPO. KFI:
This Moving World, KEX. KJR; Or
ganist, KOIN. KSL: News, KOO,
KNX, KOW.
Tnestlny
8:00 Aldrlch Family, KPO. KFI,
KOW; Frank and Archie, KJR.
8:30 flherlock Holmea, KOO, KEX.
KJR: Pot of Gold. KPO, KFI, KOW:
Court ot Missing Heirs, KNX, KOIN,
KSL.
8:00 We. the People, KSL; Caval
cade of America. KPO, KFI, KOW.
8:30 Fibber McOee. KPO. KGW,
KFI: Human Side of Literature,
KOO. KEX.
7:00 Shields Revue, KEX; Drama.
KOO: Bob Hope, KPO. KOW, Kfl;
Calling All Cars. KNX.
7:30 Sports Huddle. KNX. KOIN;
Mammoth Minstrels, KOO, KJR;
Dog House, KPO, KFI, KGW: News.
KSL.
8:00 Fred Waring. KPO, KFI,
If SEEMS "TfifrT EDDIE 5EL7ER, WHO HAD SEEN
COMMISSIONED TO NOTIFY VOL), HAD COMPLEfELV FOR-
Gotten Yoieil you YiW it was Nor going To be
a costume paws' after all
Student Heportil
THERE IT 13. PARTNER,
f.'i TUAMKS TOYOU.-TME
YlVfK FOGTUME
it TV IMI f
! r-it. i
KOW; Amos and Andy. KNX, KOIK,
KSL; Information Please, KOO,
KEX, KJR.
8:18 Jlmmle Fldler, KSL, KNX,
KOIN; I Love a Mystery, KPO, KFI,
KOW.
8:30 Aldrlch Family. KGO, KEX;
KJR; Johnny Presents, KPO. KFI,
KGW: Big Town. KOIN, KNX.
8:00 We. the People, KNX, KOIN:
Beyond Reasonable Doubt, KOO.
KJR: Dorsey's Orch.. KPO. KGW.
8:30 Battle of the Sexes, KPO,
KGW. KFI: Lorch's Orch.. KNX.
KOIN: Meainer's Orch., KOO; News.
KJR.
10:OC News Reporter. KPO, KFI,
KGW; Paul Sullivan, KNX, KSL;
Heldts Orch., KOO, KEX. KJR:
News, KOIN.
10:30 Foster's Orch., KFI. KGW;
Saunders' Orch., KGO, KJR. KEX;
Ted Flo Rlto. KSL: City of St.
Francis, KPO.
11:00 Ravazza'a Orch., KPO. KFI;
This Moving World, KEX: Gray's
Orch.. KSL. KOIK1; News, KGO, KNX,
KGW.
Burglar Considerate
Portland, Jan. 1. (P) A
burglar stole $114 worth of
household articles and $15 in
cash from the home of Jane
Saddler last week. Saturday
the articles came back by mail.
The cash was retained.
Havana stood as a city fully
100 years before the first houses
were built in what was to be
come New York.
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
I LI NtVtR FLT.
AOMn.'.j'm coin'
back to brooklyn ,
an' git a jos
iu iikjfi e A
I WOT 0"
ME A
AGAII
AOOLPH'f BAKERY'
7 ONE MINUTE HOW A V
f MAYBE IT'S A PLOT- 1
1 I'LL BETCHA FOLKStL 1 "V
V JEST STAMPEDE IN-
WH'KE ALMOST KEADVUSm
W-TO GO NOW-JUST A FEW YfHC
MINOR THlNoS AMD TUEM 'ZZ-i&t?-W
PUT TOGETHER OUR
RELIGIOUS SECT
HELD FOR DEATHS
Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Jan. 1.
ifP) Accused of refusing med
ical treatment in five deaths,
seven members of a rural reli
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
For further proof address the author, lncloslnf stamped envelope for reply. Reg. U. 8. Pat OS.
3 vAW J ARMCHAIR rtt HIIltsA
EVERY MORNIN6 1 1 1 lJjMjfflr
TW Mrs. Ivan Martin, ;- TajM;
M his aamb from i I Cvt&Jfe
h'Ah school CO-ED.
?lh on Trie Boys' I
VARStty foo7BAU TEAM
4tfE 6oE5 iKToTHE GAMS
To CONVERT tWh POINTS
-&cambia County Hfeh,
firmer?, nm.
l-t Coif. IHIkTl'nllrtaUrBydiaU.Iat.
' Tn. Bn. II. a raL 00 AS rtjau rncm4
GRIDIRON GIRL
Strange as it seems, the Escambia county, Ala., high school football team has but 10
men on the fieldl Eleventh player is pretty Luverne Wise, 17, a US-pound kicking threat
to all "enemy" teams. She is a junior student. '
RUBBER STAMP TIRES
Carving his name and address on the rear tires of his auto, George Spencer of Spring
dale, Pa., recently made a .coas Mo-coast trip, printing his legend at SO miles an hour. Walls
under the fenders supplied ink.
"DILIGENCE" COACHES .
Cumbersome French coaches that never exceeded six miles an hour were originally
known as "diligences."
TOMORROW: Invalid's Masiorpiece.
so...thet'3 An Airplane
WRECK, HEYr.. AN' I GOT
out of it Without a
&cratch..g-g0sh?... i
ALLUS THOUGHT AlRPLtVNF
WRECKS WERE TURRIBLe
THERE'S L6MME
THE FIRST f CHECK I
PERSOM-Jrt HIM- 10
gious sect are under indictment
on charges of involuntary man
slaughter. The sect trusts faith
for healing powers and scorns
medical aid.
The deaths occurred within
a year.
Assistant District Attorney
General Paul Bumpus said com
plaints of neighbors prompted
an inquiry leading to indict
ments by a county grand jury
rSiiasSra .1 i if. vr if
MR.TOMKINS,X TOMMY.' i'VB I OH, OH.'
I KNOW I'LL ( GOT a bio I) MOM
MAKE A PILOT J0B FOR. I TROUBLE
NOW.'AN'SOME IvYOU' f NCOMIN'
.0
VOU HERE TmV FRIEND, I AM
FOR MAYOR 1 HERE TO HEAR 1
BALUN6E0?j FROM EAR
'l'M AM HONEST MANlfTME MINISTER CAN
ff5AY THAT TRUTWFUU.Y WHEN POLKS ARE TRYING
TO LOOK. SAD OVER MY REMAINS; AND YT IM
AFRAID TO TELL. THIS BIRD
n ,r- i i s. t?- a .irNrr vr r"rm i. icr vr i ilc t- -rcri
MV5ELF WHAT 1 THINK
&T "IDO CONSIDERATE
:''7' c-. I ! B two olfjlPP
of Joe Brady, Ashley Luna and'
wife, Charles Gray and wife,
and Lowell HcGee and wife
last September.
Brady is accused in his wife's
death, the Lunas with the deaths
of their infant daughter and 18-month-old
son, the Grays with
the death of a baby daughter
and the McGees with the death
of .in infant son, the assistant
district attorney said.
By HAL FORREP"
By EDWIN ALGER
By SOL HEP
I LOST MY HALF OF
I
I
4.
V Li