SERIAL STORY
'I AM A MURDERER'
BY MORRIS MARKEY
COPYRIGHT. 1041,
MEA SERVICE, INC.
PEACE AT LAST
CHAPTER XXVm "
T RAD carefully prepared for th
final vanishment of Vaughan
Dunbar in my cottage at Gull
Point. It had been a simple mat
ter to dispose of my one servant,
Negro boy of the most elemen
tal character, by letting him fall
11L His indisposition came from
the rather generous dose of calo
mel which I dropped into the
highball I mixed for him when in
a particularly expansive mood. It
was not difficult to persuade him
to go to his t int for a few days.
It was necessary to work with
great swiftness after the game.
Though, contrariwise, it was not
necessary to prepare the disguise
of Vaughan Dunbar with meticu
lous care. His appearance would
be of the briefest time. He would
not have to sit and chat beneath
the eyes of people. Saving such
s he might meet in the library,
nobody would see him except
from a distance.
And the dismissal of the serv
ant Joseph, of Mitchell Grace, was
accomplished while my face was
still in the many shadows of that
.library.
So it was that Vaughan Dunbai
stood, at last, alone with Norman
Tinker the sheet of typed paper
In his left hand, the pistol in bis
Tight-hand coat pocket.
I called out very sharply to at
tack the attention of the people
on the lawn. I held up the sheet
of paper, and spoke to Norman
Tinker, hardly above a whisper.
"You knew me first. Tinker, as
Richard Frye. Then, as Henry
Prentiss. Goodby."
His eyelids hardly fluttered.
Even in that brief instant of
knowledge that retribution was
upon him, he seemed resigned.
Somehow, I believe he always
knew that.it was to coma to him
at last
The breakaway was not difficult
My car had been left at precisely
the right spot in the rear grounds.
The roads back of Stone House
are a maze. I drove at great speed
for a few hundred yards made
the critical turn and then went
nn st more moderate pace, direct
ly to my own cottage. I put the
car in the garage and locked the
door, leaving Henry Prentiss's
oupe standing innocently in the
driveway.
JTHEN I made quick work of re
movine Vaughan Dunbar from
this world of men. In half an hour.
Henry Prentiss was on his way to
Stone House In ample time lor a
dinner which he well knew would
never be served. The clothing and
make-up were simply stowed
away in drawer. It was not con-
leeivable that the home of Henry
' (Prentiss would be searched any
more than that the home of Fred
West or any of a score of men
would be searched.
The campaign signs which con
cealed the car and allowed me to
iispose of It finally, I regard as my
greatest inspiration. I had bought
the materials in four or five dif
ferentplaces, and painted the signs
myself; ' - -
i When I left Stone House ai
penry Prentiss at 12 o'clock thai
pight I busied myself first with
the final disposition of Vaughan
punbar's clothing, the lenses, the
rubber flneertins. These were cul
knd broken into small bits, and
pound into a tight small bale, and
buried deep in a grave which al
ready had been prepared and
Which, I assure you, can never be
discovered.
I Sometime later, I drove the
sign-bedecked car in leisurely
fashion to Garden City. I parked
It and got out and started upon
h long walk. I did not use the
busses that were available, nor at
tempt, hitch-hiker fashion, to at
tract the attention of passing mo
torists. I walked. The 10 miles of
It And got home by 4 o'clock,
ftnd was convinced that no living
soul on earth knew that Henry
Prentiss was moving about the
Island that night
I You may wish to know why 1
leu ine note. There were two rea.
sons. First, I wished to fix the
Identity of Vaughan Dunbar in
Ihe minds of the people who had
witnessed the execution. And, sec-
pna, i inougnt or. Cynthia.
i I did not know, and do not
know now, whether Norman
Tinker ever legally adoDted her.
I did know that if he had made a
Will leaving his goods to his
daughter" and if that relation'
(ship should ever be challenged,
she might be deprived of the
wealth that was hers by right. If
he had not made a will, the nat
ural assumption that she was his
'daughter would bring that wealth
to her without dispute.
ON the day when Cynthia was to
--il ....... . IT ! ! T T .
iPrentlss sat for the last time with
her beside the pool.
r She looked for a long moment
up across the lawn and toward the
house. And she said, "Tell me
something."
"Anything I can, Pretty."
I "What do you think of me?"
"Why, I think you're just about
Bie most'
"Oh, please. You know I don't
mean that I'm not asking for
pattery, and you know it I mean
really! Because you see, now
there just isn't anybody whose
opinions I've got to look out for
and be careful about like it was
with the Colonel."
"Well, here it is, Miss Pretty,
and on the line: I know I know
that you will never, anywhere on
earth, do anything that will make
me feel disappointed Jt unhappy
(when I hear about ... n& I'll
fhcar about nearly everything you
jdo, too. You can count on that
And you'd damn well better watch
your step."
And she cried, and said, two or
three times, "Oh, what a rellefl
Oh, Hank, you old idiot what a
rellefl"
Henry Pren'Jss did not disappear
from Gull Point When the winter
eamau. and jnost of iha .pSSSiS
bt Gull" Point began packing then"
bags for the South, it was only
natural that he, too, should make
plans for leaving. For but a while,
of course. He would return. Thcro
was still the lease on his cottage,
People wanted him to join them,
at Palm Beach and Miami and the
tarpon waters of the Gulf Coast
But he pleaded that there were
other obligations in other waters
Ithat could not be denied.
And so Dr. Pendennis Kcene
jwas born. And Dr. Pendennis
Keene bought himself a yacht It
lis a whimsy, of course, this new
(identity. But somehow amusing.
;It is of use in passing the time.
', Henry Prentiss will go back to
Gull Point at appropriate times
Kwhen Dr. Pendennis Kcene fades
iinto momentary retirement). His
visits will be shorter and shorter.
Until, finally, Henry Prentiss him
self will pass from the scene altogether.
I shall be laltnfUl In my pledge
to watch over Cynthia over the
girl who does not know and will
never know that she is not Cyn
thia Merriwether but Cynthia
Frye. But it will not really be
necessary. For she is in good
bands now.
On my table, here, is a letter
addressed to Henry Prentiss and
forwarded (by rather devious
ways) to Pendennis Keene:
Mitchell Grace and I were
married last week. Is it all right?"
Now, I suppose, I must return
to my fishing. Manuello has called
to say that the big ones are running.
The eye has been offered up
for the eye, and the tooth for the
jtopth,. The hot wires have been
cooled, and (here' fs 'ea'ee'at'Iast
in my heart
And so Dr. Keene who is re
garded by his fellow yachtsmen
and fishermen of the turquoise bay
as such a hospitable fellow" will
presently obey Manuello, and up
anchor, and bait his hooks for
more commonplace quarry than,
time since, he was wont to pursue.
TI1B END
Dealer snortages put new
value on used merchandise. Cash
In on your "junk" through a
classified ad. Phono 3124.
if urhni j
I Oy Coupon
5Z5 CREDIT
ONLY $5 DOWN
$5 A MONTH
Don't wilt 'till you havi tht
moniy to buy tht thing! you
nwd. Qt $15 buying powtr In
PurthaM Coupon Boofci today
and spend It when you iwtd It
for any numbar of artlclta which
don't oott mora than II ach.
Or pay a llttla mora down and
ffat coupons that buy hbjchar
prtcad mirchandlta. Usual oar
rylnn charga.
rrffB
THIS CURIOUS WORLD
By William
Ferguson
Pff M.MB SOKMUmt BALLOONS
54 U CARRYING SCIENTIFIC
K 1 W INSTRUMENTS'' HAVE REACHED
m - ALTITUDES OP S, OOO
ljca V'aaa3' FEt.... OR, 2.2. MILES.
ff ' "('DUCK GROWS rX5WN(
'Tydr ylmtk Ai it pows up,"Seys 1
"y!S WW MRS-LBO c STALEY, 1
' HELD ' ' ieilr mS!'
SACSC BY MAMS
PRIMITIVE PEOPLES
OF THE EARTH, WHO
BELIEVE MANKIND
I OR&AA T0 i
FTSOA TREEffA"
.NEXT: Where did garden beets get their name?
FAMOUS AUTHOR
HORIZONTAL
1,5 Pictured
author.
13 Within.
14 Barter.
15 Close.
16 North Caro
lina (abbr.).
17 Girl's name.
19 Native metals.
21 Toward.
22 Lock opener.
24 Convent
worker.
25 Clear.
28 Vitality
(colloq.).-
27 Electrical
term.
29 Doctor of
Medicine
(abbr.).
Answer to Previous Puzzle
tieipieiei imiaili drape
eraseLinaaileid
Eft I E ilpg t Ta Mm e l i
DONlqqN i oalIelIb
LRGOB , A S ' EiT
Estate TIVMT pl atI
zjHlie trtt Esir:
STREAM ADASE
Appals o ns Irn
T I PI-.flE N GA SlE OB D I D
R A R ? TIB I EID MT I E U
AL 0 Mi.U'DE " SL A V E
pIsIaIlM wa!s IpIliei?
42 Nullify.
45 He has writ
ten many
47 Approve
(cant).
48 Parent.
30 Street (abbr.). 49 Decline.
31 Symbol for 51 Within.
samarium. 53 Light knock.
32 Unfasten. 56 North Ameri-
35 Locale of one
20 Editor (abbr.)
23 Affirmative.
26 Tablet
28 Creep
furtively.
31 Prying sneak;
32 Footed vase.
33 Born.
34 Skill.
35 Hostelry,,
36 Anger.
37 Be sick.
43 Sailor.
44 Man's name,
46 Large tub,
49 Finishes,
50 Nude.
51 Four .
(Roman)
52 Proceed.
of his stories
is .
38 Music note.
39Erbjum
(symbol),
40 Negative,
tl Rhode Island
(abbr.).
ca (abbr.1.
57 At any time.
59 Story theme.
62 Nickel
(symbol).
63 Drachm.
65 Cut.
67 Short jacket.
69 Feeling.
70 Showers.
VERTICAL
' 1 Chain part.
2 At one time.
3 Note in
Guido's scale. 54 Soon.
4 Electrified 55 Metal
particle. fasteners.!'
5 Stigma. 57 Printer's
6 Sun god. measures.
7 Smells. 58 Portuguese
8 Deserve. money of
9 Inches (abbr.) account.
10 Ells English 59 Writing tool,
(abbr.).
11 Tardy.
12 Let fail.
14 Old card
gaflie.
18 Upon.
60 Lawrence
(abbr.).
61 Beverage.
64 Any.
66 Verso (abbr.),
68 Palm lily.
r r1 t " jpr mmm u n a
H ZBlZ"ZZKZZ
2 m
m n .
, m m 1 . ,
32 33 34 jSSlwZrT 35 36 3?
.... A!- Tn t sot-
56 n 67 B r 69 60 61 $m 6?
m k l ' Mi
70
s
( GRAM'FA'S WELL, THAT AIN . OOIN' lF 'IHEY KEEP'"
LATE ASAIM .' ) HE'S TO WORK, THAT ( BUILPIM ONTO
THIS IS NO COTA ) FAMILY STUFF- l THIS SHOI IT'LL
( SHORT ORDER J LONG V WHY, THEIR HOME I SOOM BE. TO
V PLACE.' Z WAYTO I IS CLOSER THAM WHEF5SHEBBOY
Ls" COME SOME OF THE. 15 IN THE ARMY AND
Y fromTH I DEPARTMENTS IM SHE'LL EXPECT
- itlA GEAR 1 THS SHOP A HIM HEREON!
PREPOSTEROUS I.VJho'
rAlET PEET 7 FVM fs VJELL.NJDD'RE MOT ) LOOKS LIKE VOUR.
' DPNb Dl- VMKttolllNts
POLM BENRS IK)
WE ERIMG
"O I Kr"i I a rvLu
Oi.
WADED ICV TORRENTS. UP
tO MV IM GREEN
LW f -v no, THIS
HKN-K CI-EM--
tHlS IMFER.N'L COLTS
IS CAUSED DEEP
CONCERN) OVER. M.V
tfV.E& PAP f
A 6R.EENi
TOMWO ANN
,L0MeER--
MAS8E THE
. OLD vowa.
t HORSE IS COM-
IMS APAR.T
LIKE A
dropped;
DISH
FEVO GEAR'S
J?
THeCREAT CLOSED-IK1 "SPACES
Out Our Way
By J. R. Williams
1 1 lift
ii
IThe chatter mav "tSP
WARM. WA UP iwisN,
AH FIGSER.ED
AH'D FlNU TH'
evidence:
mCER. VORE
TO I
FKOYE lOU
RO&BED THE
FINE. fcULCt-t
'Our Boarding Houia
.With Major Hoopla
s.a,piums
2l
1 " ' '". a. ,rn,rir ,l.ir 1 I A TUCri UIIU? X Bl AUk' jt , W .
i fe-jaa rr l ..r- lirj vr x 1-1 rhwr. i-Hijr Nn.':
irmjfSmx . "horses' faoK saiXfelA WSsSSflKrita-tjrn
iP i: - ,.caf - M'
!U1iJ.r 1-J . IK Ml. .S&BCrj.. . '1 ;... J s xrj .
Red Ryder
By Fred Harmon
BUT. ANNIE
HE COULDKT
HOE COWS.
WITHOUT OUR
WATCHERS SEEIK
HIM
ouv.
"blvtTI
HlfA GO OUT--
HC MUST HAVE
CROSSED THE
ORAWBRIDGE-
Anni
BUT THEN.
HE MUST HAVE
DUCKED DOWN
SOME SECRET
OUTSMARTED
EVEJ7BODY-
BUT MIKE HERE,
WAS PLANTED ON A
LEDGE IN TH- BUSHES.
WHERE NOT EVEN A
MOUSE COULD HWE
CROSSEO TH DRCWBRIDGE
WITHOUT HIM SEEJK IT-
HM-M-YOU
SURE VOU WeR6
ON THAT LEDGE
ALL TH TIME.
ANO WATCHIN"
EVERY. SECOND
YES. SIR,
colonel:
ANNIE"
NOBODY CAME
OVER THAT
DRAWBRIDGE.
ALU NIGHT-
WELL.THATS sure
A HOT ONE "HBS
Q2NJE-WHERE Dtp
HE GO, AND HOW?
TUB GUY COULDNT
JUST VttNISH" WELL.
BETTER LUCK NEXT
TIME, en f
MY MOTHER
StMS THERE ARE
KQMfi MIGHTY
STRANGE DOINfS
AROUND THAT
I CASTLE. LATELY
loll a 1 I
1
Little Orohan
Freckles and His Friends
That other, kid
ALWAYS CARRIES A
FORTY- FIVE EVEN
THE COPS ARE" ,
A rrA ir nc M IKA '
' " ' ' 1 -vi:. mi'r . . s" :
15 AM EX-SAFECRACKER I BUT FREOC WANTS lt BP
A PICKPOCKET- AMD NUTrV COOK ,TMe KID WITH ZJfiJV
THE GLASSES, IS A MICET GUV -EVM THOUGM HE HAb lZLS&
BEEN ARRESTED, SIXTEHM TiWES -VTVYT "jS
By Harold Gray
M
IHEY D RUB MB OUT lr- IHfcY tVEK ruunw
OUT I'M WORKINe ScCRclLY WITH IHC
POLICE J
VcOBH W Vt WtA BtBVICI!. INC. T. M. mo. t
-' -r.
was just "Ksmr
' W TWIMKINti CAPTA M M
JJnce THF DAY WE LEFT THIS Vf i
(iwAiS H TOWN TO nlt rcK lFi
v AMERICA... AMP HOW 1
, fli EXCITED EUERy 9
W-tomM-kbmma OWE WAS J? 1
AUNT KATIES FAMILY
WAS 3olN5 WITH US,
BUT AT THE LAST MOMENT
HERMAN AMD OTTO..
HER T WO BOVi... BROKE
OUT WITH THE MEASLES.
THEy PIDNT60. FUNNy,
iSMfT IT? S'WSE THESE
BOYS ARE INTHE6ER-
MAN ARMY ?
Wash Tubbs
f AUD ANOTHER THIKJ6 1 WASTHIMKIN6.SIR..
IF ANYTHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO Mfc, W)W
YOU MIND WKITINO MY MfinCK
4
f fcQPR. 1941 BY NEA RVICC,
t. m. m.a. u. s. rhi'
By Blotter
THANKS. JUST TELL M MOTHER
I CAME BACK TO PWKEtSWUKO.:
TELL 'ER1 COULD SEE AUNT
KATIE S HOUSt. ITMGHI
MAKE THINA5 EASIER.SIR,
IF 6HE KNEW 1 WAS CLOSE
TO KINFOLiCS. TELL 'ER,
SIR, THAT I'M MIGHTY PROUD
TO BE AN AMcKICAN I
By Crana
SOCV FV OLibKiO6
WfcVWYS ViSt OCR 6NSNGt
. ' -4X
mm
I " U a
T
T V
. INC. T. m, mrtn
OS.
6CFvTA
60
Boots and Her Buddies
("I'LL NEVER FORGET lWm "n,
HOW FIRST .n VErl...VOLrO JUST
WE MET TT ,W f COME DOWN) OUTATHT
Vrt I fiUV ) J! 1a I MOUNTAINS... A FRIEND 1 11
4
By Martin
NO BRUSH-OFFS
WE AIM'T
''S BROTHEk,
THAT WB
KNOW
ifSAY, MOTHBfZPK THEN HOW fOH, DON'T BE7
I IS UNK YOUR. e" CAN L flLLf,., KUN I NOW, 1 1 y
I BKUjncis ne ouk N-f ,?-?'-POP
. Tf. i t :- i rwn i i i sir iw in v
4
BECAUSE.
VQU Ssfcb,
uc c&in
Alloy Oop
By V. T, Hamlin
n
A