SERIAL STORY
'I AM A MURDERER'
BY MORRIS MARKED
THE RTORTl This la a orr
f tba "prrfert erlmr' tha to or
der of Col. Wraler Hop Mcrrl
wothrr In the library of fcla loa
latnnd eatnlr and of the evema
Irndlnv np to It. The Colonrl'a
dnufthter Crnlhla Baa II nnlf
lirarlrd aallur In polo-plarlnr
I-'rrd Wrali baahful anllor In
ftirtchrll tirnr. tnr Colonrl'a arr
rctnrrt a rloaa frlrnd In Ilrnrr
Irrn11a. lint Cjrnthla arrma moat
Itrnrlrd to Vatifchnn Dunbar a
nfrana;rr who appeared at tha
Mcrrlrrrlner homo ono nlirht with
n meaanee from hla fellow for
rlirn correapondrnt and Onthla'a
friend, lllll Stewart.
A SLIGHT SPAT
CHAPTER Vni
TT goes without saying that
hardly a man of any sort could
be so steadily exposed to the
presence ot Cynthia Merriwether
and not be affected thereby. Mit
chell Grace was affected. He knew
rjuite clearly, without being too
dramatic about it, that he was ir
revocably snared. And he thought,
though he did not go far enough
to admit that he was sure, that
he could never do the least thing
about it
Whether she knew of his pas
sion is not to be determined
though it is the likely thing that
she was so accustomed to devo
tion, so honestly and warmly de
lighted at her power to invoke it,
that she accepted his as a matter
of pleasant course. Cynthia was
' not given to profound meditation
over the incalculable and amazing
and, on the whole, satisfactory
ways of life. It was there to be
lived, wasn't it?
On very rare occasions they
quarreled. Explorations into the
deep-hidden causes of these quar
rels would not, perhaps, be profit
able. But it is the fact that Cyn
thia generally started them, and
started them In all innocence,
j As on this day.
She came to the swimming pool.
In some pale blue snatch of silken
cloth and her hair cupped in a
pale blue affair to keep it dry.
And Mitchell Grace was coming
up from a dive. And nobody else
was there. She sat down on a
stone bench and watched him
swim to the edge, and laughed
when he slipped a trifle climbing
out, and pointed to a place beside
her.
"I've got news for you," she
said, while he wiped water from
his face with his hands.
"I can tell, it's good news."
"It certainly Is. You've got
money coming to you."
! "Not cash? Not spending mon
ey?" "No other kind, Admiral. But
I've got a horrible confession, too.
. Look I'll get it off my chest
Comes last Tuesday and I bor
rows $35 from Mr. Grace, party
of the second part Rieht?"
i "Putting on the touch, they call
-'It" .
"So I puts on the touch, then.
Know what it was for?"
i "Couldn't guess."
I
'T WAS gambling my all on the
Whirlwinds to beat Hank
Prentiss. Hank needed to be
dropped back a step or two. Char
lie Fleet heard me boasting about
Fred's team and was nasty. Nastyl
He said, 'How about 500, even
odds?'"
"I gathered It was millions."
"Grace, you're gullible. It was
600 of the prettiest little dollars
and I didn't have them. So I
raked and scraped among some old
tired, worn-out bank accounts and
I found nearly all of it But 1
had to go borrowing. And that's
how you got what is it? touched
for that 35."
"Seems a pretty long story Just
to tell me I get my money back."
He looked down at his bare hands
which were gripping the edge of
the bench.
You will perceive how the quar
rel started.
For he said, Tm not having
any, thanks."
"I must be slow-witted. Any
what?"
. "Charity."
It is to be Judged, alas, that
Waxhaw, S. C, spoke then. Up
out of that lonely, desolate word
sprouted pale shoots of envy and
pride and frustration, of old
wounds to the soul caused, not
: by the laughter and self-sureness
of more prosperous neighbors, but
by their fuller bellies. Only the
man who has known hunger car
ries that bleak word like a splinter
in his heart.
"Mitchell Gracel You're abso
lutely impossible." She said that
in a rush, not of anger or annoy
ance, but of genuine astonishment.
He stared at the still water of
the pool. "You're not telling me
any particular news," he said.
She looked at him steadily. "I
wish I could understand why you
behave like that," she said.
"There are probably a good
many things you ought to under
stand." -
"And some that I would like to
understand. You waste your time
on a rounder and playboy who
is a little frayed at the edges, like
Henry Prentiss. You keep a sim
pleton like Fred West hanging
around with a look like a lost calf.
And when a phony like our pal
Vaughan Dunbar shows himself
on the scene . . ."
He shrugged his shoulders with
such violence that he seemed to
be lifting a weight
CHE regarded him very quietly.
"You seem to have other plans
for me."
"It's very obvious you haven't
any of your own."
She retreated behind a frag
ment of laughter. "I had at least
one, . about 10 minutes ago. To
have half an hour of fun swim
ming." "I suppose it's my duty, now,
to apologize to the boss' daughter."
She got up, and pulled down
the legs of her bathing trunks and
dlved into the water, going across
the pool in a long, silvery, rush,
COPYRIGHT. t.
NEA. SERVICE, INC.
and drawing herself up on the
opposite side, and sitting there
with her legs dangling.
A manservant came down the
walk and said to Mitchell Grace
that Colonel Merriwether wished
to see him. He put on his robe
and slippers and went into the
library and Colonel Merriwether
watched him come toward the
desk.
"Sorry I'm not dressed," said
Mitchell Grace. "I can be, quick
ly." "Perhaps it is not necessary."
"Is there something you wish
me to do, sir?"
Colonel Merriwether looked at
him through those eyes which
were perpetually half shut "You
seem distressed," he said.
It required a marked degree of
self-control and of fortitude for
Mitchell Grace to restrain the rush
of bitter words that fled through
his mind, to flush .only slightly,
and to say after a definite pause,
"It is nothing important sir. Any
way, it is my own fault"
Colonel Merriwether held a
match to a fresh cigar, not taking
his eyes from Mitchell Grace, and
drew in the first wave of smoke,
and allowed it to drift away from
his mouth.
"It is a sound principle, Grace,
to keep the emotions under a
strong curb."
"I am sure of It sir."
"I might say that the only mis
take I ever made in my life was
to lose control of my emotions for
a brief time. Approximately one
day out of more than 60 years
of living. The experience taught
me a lesson. I have not lost con
trol of my emotions again, and I
have not made a mistake again."
This was, by any measure, the
longest and the most intimate con
versation which Colonel Merri
wether had ever bestowed upon
NEXT: How to
' THIS CURIOUS WORLD j
Ssff F cfgg TRIPLETS ...ALL SERVED WITH THE j
V,; sSmm US. NAVY IN THE PACIFIC, SUFFERED
iSMBjHU -yljl WOUNDS IN action, were honorably- i
jpplN-p DISCHARGED, AND NOW ARWMMS I
V, ty 1 ( cof. W3 at kea stavicr. me. ijyw (
f ; &T
. T. H. REG. U. S. PAT. OFT. fW5
CROWNED W WL
J OF NEW GUINEA sjTOPTAra
"fefba fPS , Seeded eaisins are
tWlS&bM , SEEDLESS' RAISlNS'i&f ,
ffcOXfy1 LEEODEEL,
Ljfeta1 1-15 AH: Rafnier, nartfAtxf.
I
BRITISH DOMINION LEADER
HORIZONTAL
1,4 Pictured
premier of a
British domin
ion. 9 Loiter.
12 Cab.
13 Fertile spot in
desert.
14 Affirm.
Answer to
UlT
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TlOM
SWT
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K-J'i
LIL
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16 Improve.
18 Directed.
lMTITH IRIEEffvgl
19 Cubic meter.
20 Great Britain
(abbr.).
21 Voiae
modulation.
22 Engrave.
24 Member of
ONjsJ
rIi IsieI
41 Unit of light
intensity.
43 Sharp point.
45 Exists.
Parliament 47 Merit.
(abbr.). 49 Aureole.
25 Her. 50 Parent.
2a Garden tools. 52 Of small
28 Baseball stick. value.
30 And (Latin). 54 Imitate.
31 Farm animal. 56 Teacher.
34 Verbal. 58 Auricles.
35 Genuine. 69 Musical
36 Jewel. drama.
38 Ocean (abbr.). 61 Acid.
40 Anger. 62 Head cover.
13 75 """"!?"
. ,
in m
i6 pi f f I. I feso'isi"
ii H
51 53 Pja IP 35 S7
55 - a S Sii
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I I r 1 I 1 1 I h i 1 Lp
his secretary. Mitchell Grace was
startled.
"I'm sorry, sir," he said. Which,
by the way, was a rather absurd
tiling to observe. And Colonel
Merriwether descended calmly
upon the absurdity.
"Regrets, too, are to be avoided.
There is no prosperity in them.
However . . ."
(To Be Continued)
U. S. WOOL INDUSTRY
Approximately 500,000 per
sons in the United States today
are engaged in the wool-growing
industry. The industry pro
duces about 450,000,000 pounds
of "grease" wool annually.
60 ELEMENTS FORM SUN
Number of known solar ele
ments was brought to 60 with
the discovery of sulphur on the
sun. The earth has 92 known
elements.
New Zealand's birth rate rose
from 17.4 to 22.8 per 1000 pop
ulation between 1935 and 1940.
"Yes, this will be our toughest
year let's not be complacent!"
see In ft blackout,
HOLD EVERYTHING!
r-3 - 2$""
rem imi ar trtu awwef. pic T. c u a ,w. err.
Previous Fuxzle
10 Hail)
11 Microbe.
12 Child's game.
15 Corded fabric.
17 Performs,
19 Scotsman, j
23 Article. -V
25 Impression.)
27 Schedule.
28 Marsh.
29 Area measure.
32 Belongs to us,
33 Tiny.
37 Infold.
38 Wood sorrel.
39 Ritual.
42 Ferment.
44 He is premier
.of the Union
of Africa.
45 Frozen water.
46 Persian ' ruler.
48 Back of neck,
49 Heron (var.J.
50 Greater '
number.'
51 Talent.
53 Age.
65 Through'..
57 Greek letter
59 From.
60 Like.
CFORGE
pis
OlP
ME
63 Plants,
64 Color.
VERTICAL
1 Part of a
doorway,
2 TooL
3 Next after
eighth.
4 Therefore-
5 Man.
6 Employ.
7 Current.
8 Steamship
(abbr.).
9 Machine. '
I . ST I'M GETTING OUT ENOUGH SO CAT . ffffsl tUr? SPADnW 'DON'T BLOW rFU6S, I'VJS- SEEM ttAS J
OP THE WAV- THAT N PE HARDEST FART Y , f ' D M MA30R.'--VOUR NOSE) COMING ON FOB. ?
MULE INTENDS TO BUCK.' IS TER STAY ON WHEN I ' rfc THE PUAFtAnu 7 HAS 60NE: AS PALS VE&Rc- W&TCm
Vsf ucl? V: TrUOi COULD W J( BUL8 DID SOU A TO POP OUT OP
't' Our Boarding Houto - '' BITe"
By J. R. Williami WILL POWEC fiS JtT.vg,?" With Major Hooplo HS2R? , w HIM
ii I , i , , - t J aw. T, M. Ma, tf. a HT. arf. " J
X DUCHESS' TrilS IS V VOELL ,CONn 1 f 1HERE IbL) LOOKS UON'T I " f SO ALL PA RED RlflES TLL BUTtMoTN,
TEX NOE-E -HORSE 1 KEEP Hl , ARE,NOLE.' ) COUNTCK TOU(? THE VOILD MU5TA.NG ISSL ' srfX I THE VWOLE HERD,
DUTER-'HELOOKlr0MMHM'.'RuM DO TrtET l SADDLE OrVEN' PGHE5,SOE- pi Np-nfly ( PUT Ot CjbrOlTlOW
FOR BUCKlt' IN 1HAT HERD LOOK SPOOKfV 1 GOTTA KJOW - ' 7 "TiMES GETTlrG f !4 VW41 OU DEUvlER. THErA
-tSTOCK' Y OFCTCLOrtE l ENOUGH?! THEY'LL rVvKE A ROTCC BUOED OFF ' I ,U4,SLC f 500 MILE SOUTH
j
Red Rertl c'l! "fcte iJh
WHAT A MEALl I DOMT DO SO GEE! AFTER THfiT N FINE FELLOW SOMETHIK. ALL RIGHT 1 1 DOOK, SALTS? 6UCH A HAMT OF I
1 PHEASANT AND BADUV HERE- ME AL.ro JUST LIKE I SANDV IS-- I CUESS FOLK6 WHO t OONT THINK OOURSE.VOU COULO
I I WILD RICE DONT OF COURSE. TO TAKE IT EASY I OUST MAKE LIVED IN CASTLES WAY I SHE SUSPECTS A FOOL A BRAT-HOW J
I KNOW WHEN rVE ITS QUIET- NOT IN FRONT O TK I YOURSELF AT BACK THERE OIDNT HtfWE I THING THAT DO I KNOW YET F
I EATEN SO MUCH' J MUCH FIRE FOR A SPELL- I HOME NOW- IT SO TOUGH- WHAT I BRIEF CASE 6HE IP THE FORMULA 6 1
l!ttte rohan Annto" ' By Horold Graf '
" ( What's wromg, Awell.theMAIM l- fvELL, I started ZSESESSS322 f ....AnoTmEyCAMB Jr-TT,.
mrs. dusk ? Trouble is that WMVS To clean the - The cubttains our herb - ' Jil '
v ' "THIS VACUUM. ( WHAT ROOM"" AMD I WENT 'ROUND AND )S v , . ' '
JL CLEAMER IS TOO ( HAPPENED PUSHED THE MIDDLE 1 'ROUND rtinS l ftT ifX
in Freckles and Hi, Friends ' '' UJS-Tr W ' J Am1 m " " m M By Bio.,.,
m f MEN, yOU'RE TO LEARN A TH0USANP THINSS THAT, AT THE TIME , MAY A ( COLONEL, MAJOR. V 600P.' io'6 THE WEATHER. "
' SEEM FOOLISH... BUT AREN'T. YOU'LL LEARN EVERYTHING FROM HOW TO PA45. f VIEJSENHEIMER, CLEAR MOONLIGHT IS PREDICTED
) tXSMAMTLE A NAZI MACHINE 6 UN TO THE LATEST 1 ' U-PAYS OF BELIEVES THE MEM I OVER &ERMANY TONISHT AND
' . 6ERMAW SLANG AND THE 600SE STEP 1 ENDLESS V ARE REAP A TONAORROV0 NI6HT. TO PELAy
JS STUDY OF " V-065 WOUIP
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Boot, and Her Buddie, , By Martin
Tf HEV.bUZ ITS PT,'JS fl'LL BET OL' TJ ALMOST AS BAD! ( waL VCHJ GET TH' ELDERS f GOSH ,TrT AN' TH' LADDER'S IJ-
SUM-UP AM' VEHtGOOP.' EENY THINKS HvAS THE THIN6S AN' WITNESSES TOGETHER STORM V BUSTED.- Ha
zmml TH' STORM MAN, OH MAN, SO TOO...SHE SHE AN HER 5 I FOR TH' TRIAL, WHILE WE A KNOCKED "MUSTA ILi
: IS ALL WHAT AW GOT THE WHOLE ) NEW ORDER ! , V - HAUL EENY DOWN DOWN SOME r"W BEEN HIT BY h mJ
m OVER I AWFUL NIGHT WORKS LAST DID TO US if- OFF TH' NEEDLE J OP TH' ))l LIGHTNING KM mm
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Alley Oop By V. T. Hamlin
twiiiis air. m