Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News Record, 1942-05-14, Page 2PAGE 2 TUE CLINTON NEWS -RECORD ne Blue Geranium by DOLAN BIKKLEY Mrs. Nina Arkwright is found murdered in a dressing room of the swimming pool at aaresort hotel in Californa, A missing fire ax is be- lieved to have been -the' weapon. Sus- pects include Joel Markham, who op- erates a film labratory.:Controlled by Nina and who recently quarreled with her; Rodman Arkwright, her estrang- ed husband; Adele Kramer, Rodenan's ex-wife; I(ay Feldman, Nina's, niece and heir; Bobbie Oreille, debutante in search of a husband; Jack Seyfert, whom Bobibe has been pursuing but who has been attentive to Nina; and the hotel janitor,, Mae, whose son, Danny McLeod, lost his life in an air race promoted by Nina. The assistant manager, Jeppeason, reveals that ' Nina planned a., diener, party for that evening and ordered all -black decora- tions. When Joel is arrested, Janet Cooper swimming teacher who's in• love with him, is dismayed. The next morning, Adele is found murdered in The Clinton .News -Record with which is Incorporated THE NEW ERA TEBtXLS OF SUBSCRIPTION $1,150 per year in advance, to Can- adian addresses; $2.00 to the U.S. or othee foreign countries. No paper diisbontinued until all arrears are paid unless at the option of the pub- lisher. The date to which every sub- seription is paid is denoted on the label. ADVERTISING RATES — Transient advertising 12o per emit line for first insertion, 8e for each subse- cluegt insertion. lig eonnts 2 lines. Small advertisements not to exceed one inch, such as "Wanted," "Lost", "Strayed", eta, inserted once fir 8514, each subkequent insertion 15c. Rates for display advertising made known on applicatien. gonimunications intended for pub- Iication must, as a guarantee of good faith, be accompanied by the name of the writes. G. E. HALL ' - Prop iter IL T. RANCE NOTARY PUBLIC Fire Insurance Agent Representing 14 Fire Insurance Companies Division Court Office, Clinton Frank Fingland. B.A.. LLB. Barristor, Solicitor, Notary Public Successor to W. Brydone, A.C. Sloan Block — Clinton, Ont. DR. G. S. ELLIOTT Veterinary Surgeon Phone 203, Clinton IL C. MEIR Barrister -at -law Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ontario Proctor in Admiralty, Notary Public and Commissioner.. Offices in Hank of Montreal Building Hours: 2.00 to 5.00 Tuesdays and Fridays. D. H. MCINNES CHIROPRACTOR Electro Therapist, Massage Office; . Huron Street, (Few Doors bleat of Royal Bank) Hours -Wed. and Sat. and by appointment. FOOT CORRECTION by manipulation San -Ray Treatment Phone 207 HAROLD JACKSON Licensed Aaetloneer Specialist in Farm and Household Sales. Lensed in Huron and .Perth Counties. Prices reasonable;, satis- faction guaranteed. For information etc. write or phone Harold Jackson, P.R. No. 4 Seaforth, Phone 14 -661. 06012 THE'McKILLOP MUTUAL Fire Insurance Company Head, Office. Seaforth, Ont. Officers: President A. W. McKwing, Blyth; Vice -President, W. R. Archibald; Seaforth; Manager and Sec. Treas., M. A.. Reid, Seaforth. Directors: ,Win. Knox, Londesboro; Alex. Broadfoot, Seaforth; Chris. Leonhardt, Dublin; E. J. Trewartha Clinton; Thos. Moylan, Seaforth; W. R. Archibald, Seaforth; Alex McEw-ie ing. Blyth; Frank McGregor,' Clinton; t Hugh Alexander, Walton. List of Agents: J. Watt, Blyth; J. E. Peper, Bruce- B field, R.R. No. 1; x. F. McKereher Dublin, R.R. No. 1; J.' F. Preuter, a Brodhagen. ,' , J Any Mone to be paid may be veld to the Royale Band:, Clinton; Bank of C'ommex!ee, Seaforth, or at Calvin Cutt'e Groeery, Goderieh. .Parties desiring to effect, moor a anee or transact other buainese will be promptly attended, to on applifa- tioa to any of the above offices ed- di'eseed to their respeetire pss. oet a eee, Loaeee inspected by the; director her room, Captain Loring` of th police sends an assistantto assembl every one Involved in the case, the goes with Janet to the dining roof where the questioning will •be conduc ted. On„the threshold they stop in amazement. CHAPTER XVI e something?” Kay asked casually. e Loring's eyes flickered over to her the,. "I believe, we'll go ahead as plan ned, Miss Feldman," he said.. - There was a knock at the door, and one of the assistant detectives' stuck his head into the room, "Here's a towel' we found in the Kramer women's bathroom, stuck into t the medicine cabinet," he announced. "It's been wrapped like a. turban and has blood on it." Loring's face reddened angrily. "I'id k let you know when t want ,evidence brought in in front of witnessess!" of The young detective looked sheep-' isle, "Sorry, sir." For a moment, Loring tried to hold his pose of inquisitor ,then threw up his hands. - "AU right ---S may as- weli let you. people go," he adnnitted. "There seems to be no use hi going ahead with the test " As Janet rose, she picked up the little card which bore Joel's name, anti thrust it into her skirt pocket. It was a tiny reminder of him. Loring stopped her as she started to follow the others from the room. "I want you to know that we're re- leasing' Markham this morning." "On account of Miss Kramer?" "Partly. Mainly because of the ax, however. Apparently, Miss Kramer was killed with the same one that was used on Mrs. Arkwright. We've checked all the other fire axes in the hotel and they' -re all accounted far. The logical conclusion is that Mrs. Arkwright's murderer hid his weapon and used it again. Naturally, that couldn't have been Markham" As Janet lef 1, her heart felt as though a terrific load had been lifted from it. .When she reached her room, she took out the little card she had plac- ed in her pocket, Then, she caught her breath, staring at it incredulous- ly, As if by magic, the name in it had ;hanged, The white letters no longer spelled Joel's name --they spelled Danny McLeod, Danny McLeod! But he was, dead! Lost in the depths of the Pacific four years ago! And yet—here was his name as an intended guest at Nina's party! The change. that .had been wrough n ithe little dining room was macabre The two long tables, placed to form a T, Were covered with black cloths Seven places had been set with blac service plates and, before each was a black place card. A centerpiece artificial black gladioli rose starkly; "The—the dinner party Mrs. Ark wright planned," Janet whispered in awe. "Yes," said Loring briefly. He strode into the zoom and walked to the head of the table -.a lone place set at the center of the crossbar of the T. Picking up the black card there, he read it ,then held it out to Janet. She saw,Nina's name in neat white lettering. , Then, they walked slowly around the two tables, reading the other cards. There were 'places fel. Bobbie, Jack ,Adele, -Kay and Joel. At the end of the leg of the T, was one place that had no card before it. Janet re. celled Jepperson's story that Nina had said she would give him the last name later. Their examination of the cards was interrupted by the apeparance of Jep- person, who stopped in the doorway with an exclamation. "I forgot!t he groaned. "I. forgot to cancelthe order 'for the decora- tions!" Just then, Kay cane into the room. "Hmnt! A .slip-up," she said coolly. Her eyes swept round the combined tables, then came to rest on the place at the end. "I'd like to know who was to sit at that place without a card, Perhaps he er she caste and waited." The voice of Corcoran was heard in the corridor, and a group of people shoved into the room. In advance was Bobbie, in a blue silk robe, her eyes staring through a fringe of sodden hair. Corcoran pushed in, "She says she was washing her hair." As Loring's glance narrowed, Bob- bie shrank back against Jack. Jack too, was Ma rope, Thereevas a fresh -shaved, natty appearance about hint; his hair looked damp, combed down with either water or. brilliantine. "What is this?" he demanded of Loring. "Is it a crime now to wash Your head.?" Bobbie burst in with, "I do na yhair nearly every morning. Then I either pub it in cutlers or have it done. I can't manage_ it •otherwise." Loring made no reply to either of them. He was looking at Rodman Arwright and the shuffling figure o fold Mac a sthey pushed hi. Rodman asked, "What's up?" "Your first wife was murdered about an hour ago," Loring answered stolidly. There was a queer empty, silence. "I must ask each of you where yon were at that tine." "I was alone just washing my hair," Bobbie cried. "I guess I was shaving about then," Jack. put in quickly. One by one, the others an clammed' to have been in their rooms. Loring looked sour. Then he turn- ed to Ooreoa'an and gave muttered in- structions Which sent the detective hurrying away. "I'm going to try something a little different this time,' Loring told his asembled suspects, "First, I suggest that we sit down while the experi- ment is being prepared. Since all but "ose of these places have names attached to them, some of you can find where you belong.'.' Bobbie` drew back whimpering, but Jack took her arm and urged her to- ward the table. He pushed her into the proper chair, then found his own place. Kay strolled around the table her face a mask. • When she found herard, she slid into the chair. Loring took the place which would have been N'ina's.) He directed Rod - an to sit at Adele's place, next to obbie, and old Mac .to take the chair t the end where there was no card. anet slipped into, the remaining chair, seeing Joel's name in stark white on the small black card. Loring cleared his throat. " I may s well start by telling you that Miss Kramer was killed by a blow,from an a x." He paused. " Her skull was split, and there was a great deal of blood about. It's almost !certain that some spattered the murderer. "Washing doesn't always remove all traces of blood, particularly from the hair. This is the reason for the experiment in which I ask your co- 'operation. Corcoran is arranging with the beauty parlor for the use of their shampoo equipment. When they are ready I shall ask each of you to have your hair rinsed." "What was to keep the murderer' from wrapping, -hid head in a towel• or ANAD M NATIONAL RAILWAYS TIME TABLE ?rslae will arrive at and depart from Clinton me follows: Banal* and: Goderich 1Hv. Going Rest, depart 6.43 a.ns. Going Rat, depart 3:00 pm. Golly Wolk depart ' 11;45 a.rn. BM*i west, depart * 4ss -Qlaton i. d0 ptn. asnth es. 2.N, have 2.011 p.nt. CHAPTER XVII Janet felt slowpricklescrawl up her scalp as she read again the name of the young aviator who had van- ished into the fathomless reaches of the Pacific. Then, in perplexity, she turned the card in her fingers. On the other side, as she had seen it previously, was Joel's name. After a moment, it oceurred' to her that perhaps she could find an ex- planation for the two names by going to the catering department, where the cards for Nina's dinner party had been lettered, Leaving her room, she, went down- stairs to the office of the catering de- partment. There, a small, pink -faced man with a goatee was seated at a desk, "Could I see the person who makes the place carols for dinners?" Janet asked. The man smiled graciously. "Young Butterworth does them. He's in the workroom. I'll take you to him." Ile. ushered' Janet into an adjoining room, where a blond young mansat at a drawing board. "Butterworth,' this young' lady. would, like to talk to you about some place cards she wants," the older nasn explained. He bowed to Janet, then left her with the young artist. When Buttertivorth had found a chair for her, she glanced sound and made sure that the door to the offi- ce was closed. Then, she said, "I didn't come to. see about having cards made. I came to ask you about this—,--" She pulled the little black card from her skirt pocket and held it toward Butterworth, turning it so that he coud read, both names. "Did you letter this?" He frowned, said slowly, "Yee— I did, I must have made a mistake. There was supposed to be only one name' to a card." Janet tapped the white lettering of Danny McLeod's name. "Who told you to make a card for --' for that person?" ,A wary, guarded look came into Butterworth's face. "Well, I would not want to get into any trouble. The order for the cards should have been cancelled in the find place, but, no one had told us it was Mors. Arkwright who was giving the party. Her name was on one of the card's, •sure, but I'd made them and turned them in by the time we heard about the murder." "Was this name—Danny McLeod --- in the list given to you?" "No, it wasn't," Butterworth Rd. mitted, "and I might get in dutch if the boss learned how I .happened to include it." 14I promise 1 won't tell any one." Butterworth wet his lips. "Well, this ia'what happened. A little after nine yesterday morning I heard a.tap on that window." He jerked a thumb toward an open window at his right. "There was a woman there — a good- looking; dame in a green hat. . She asked me it.Z did the lettering; of place cards ,anclI said that; I' did. "She told me that I was going to get an order to do a bunch of cards for that evening - that I'd know the Ones she meant because they would be black with .white lettering. She said she'd give ane five dollars if I'd make an extra Bard and slip it in with the. others. She said that the 'name she wanted on it was Danny MtoLeoch "I tried to get in a word; to asic if that wasn't the aviator who'd been lost on a flight somewhere' three or four years ago, but she cut me short, She said ,could I do it or wouldn't I, and I' said that for five dollars I'd make up a place 'card for the devil himself" "Did you know Mrs. Arkwright by eight?" Janet asked. "Not then,' but it was her all right. I've seen her picture in the papers since the murder" "What about McLeod's. name ,being on the gather side- of Mr. Markham's' card?" "That was a slip. It was to have been an extra card. I was uneasy doing it, because I thought it was some dame trying to mess up an- other dame's party, and if it_ could be traced back to me, I'd get the sack. Well, being so nervous, I evidently bungled the job." Butterworth reached out and took the -card from Janet. If you don't mind, I'd like to tear this up," he said, "It could still cost me my job." "I don't .care," said Janet. "Do what _you want with it." The card tore crisply ,between his fingers, and its pieces fluttered into a wastebasket by his knee. Janet rose. "Thanks for telling me. I won't give you away." After leaving the catering depart- ment, she went out onto the terrace to have a cup of coffee. George, as he served Janet, was full of foreboding. "There's more to come," he said gloomily. "Things` run in threes, you know. First Mrs. Arkwright, then Miss Kramer. There'll be an other." Janet tasted her coffee. "This isn't hot, George," He was so far from being. his natural self that he seemed not to hear. He was staring towaa'd the gate to the pool, "Ahad I know—I know —that no one came away from the pool yester- day morning except those two people --Miss Kramer and that man -with red hair." Janet forgot the lukewarm coffee. Her mind perked back to the problem of thevanishing fire aa ---and to what Adele had said last night. George was wrong—Adele and Rodman Ark- wright weren't the only ones who had come away from the pool yesterday morning prior to the arrival of the police, There was old Mac, sent out byJepperson top phone for the police. Neither Rodman nor Adele, accord- ing to George's testimony, could have had the ax ' concealed on them. Be- sides, Adele was now eliminated by her own murder. But Mac, with his stiff -legged walk . . A feeling of uneasiness swept over Janet. Her liking for Mae had prev- ented her from telling Loring this morning all that Adele had said. Was she was a fool to withhold this infor- mation fora- the police?. . Rising suddenly, she started toward the hotel. She found' Loring still in the little banquet room, interviewing one of the maids. When she asked to speak to him alone ,he sent the maid away. Then, as ire waited for Janet to speak, she shrank from what she was about to do. A vision of old Mac rose in her mind -his kindly, faded, eyes, his awkward figure, his cracked voice with its note of cheer, Surely, he couldn't be a murderer. But Adele had suspected Mac --and now, Adele was dead! (TO BE CONTINUED) (The characters in this serial are fictitious) —v— In the. Red Cross Enquiry Bureau in Ottawa are filled more than 100,000 postcards signed by prisoners of war in Nazi -held territory in receipt of Red Cross food parcels. PRISONER OF WAR FOOD PARCELS ARE BIG PART, V -- OF RED CROSS WORK Like a sturdy lifeline stretching be- tween soldiers of the Empire who are prisoners of war and their folks back home, the Canadian Red Cross' is now packing prisoners of war, food, 'parcels at the rate of 22,000,000 parcels a year with plans under way' to inerease this to 4,000,000 parcels a year by the eud of 1942. Packed: by volunteer Work- ers at Red Cros depots, in Montreal and Toronto, these pa,ncels are sent to the International Red Cross at Geneva which .sends them on to Brit- ish, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand soldiers interned in prison camps in Germany, Italy and Africa. More than .one hundred thousand cards, signed by prisoners of war and received by the Canadian Red Gross, are conclusive evidence that the par- cels are being distributed to the men l' TJ-IURS., MAY 14, 1942 'HE ri NEE iE 0 It is only through the Canadian Red Cross Society that anybody in Canada can send food parcels to any Canadian, British, Australian or New Zealand prisoner -of -war anywhere. This is but one of the great tasks of the Canadian Red Cross; great tasks require great effort and nnuch money. More than 40,000 prisoners -of -war food parcels are sent overseas by the Red Cross every week. This number must be more than doubled to meet the actual meed. More than a million such parcels have already been sent to prisoners -of -war. It all costs money. The Canadian Red Cross Society has not campaigned nationally for funds since October, 1940. It now asks urgently for $9,000,000 in the only national campaign for war service funds to be authorized by the Govern- ment this year. Every dollar contributed by you is wisely dealt with and economically adminis- tered. All Red Cross accounts are subject to 'scrutiny by the Auditor -General of Canada. The Canadian Red Cross has given enormous assistance to the injured and homeless in bombed areas in Britain. At Coventry and Hull, in devastated London, Plymouth, Bristol and Liverpool, the Canadian Red Cross was there. Millions of articles of clothing, shoes, blankets and other comforts have been distributed. Thousands of children in Britain have been made orphans by the war. The Canadian Bed Cross has fed and clothed many of these homeless ones and found them shelter. The Canadian. Red Cross Society maintains Enquiry Bureaus through which families in Canada obtain information regarding missing relatives. Through these Bureaus, prisoners -of -war or missing civilians are located. The work is carried on in co-opera- tion with the International Red Cross at Geneva, Switzerland. The Canadian Red Cross has supplied 36 mobile kitchen units for Britain's fire fighters. These units are equipped to go into bombed areas and feed 250 workers at a time. A. J. McMURRAY, Chairman Clinton War Services Committee — Phone 156 0.401, .irilo /dem awaw saAtee , T1 -)E ONLY NATIONAL CAMPAIGN THIS YEA -IR FOR WAR SERVICE FUNDS ,r_rr : 0 of our armed forces for whom they were packed. The comment o21 these eards, while necessarily brief, is ob- viously sincere, "Very popular among 210 prisoners of war," writes Flight Lieutenant Robert F. Coste of Toronto from ()flag IXA. "Thank you for a Merry Christmas," com- ments Pte. Geerge Smith, who has had seven parcels. "Parcel received with heartfelt gratitude," wirtes 1', V. Tanner of Woolwich, England, from an Italian camp. "x111 -welcome as ever," says Midshipman Pete Bate- man, R.N. interned at Sulmona, Italy, while, from the same camp, Lieuten-, ant Frank Sharp A.I.F. says: "The Canadian parcels are quite the best. Many thanks." Each parcel weights eleven pounds and ocntains sufficient feed, to supple- ment prison !camp rations for one week. Whole milk powder, butter, cheese, cormed beef, pork, salmon, sardines or kippers, raisins, prunes, jam, biscuits, chocolate, salt, pepper, tea and soap are included in each par- cel, each carefully selected by author- ities and nutrition to maintain the health and spirits of prisoners of war as far as possible, To pack and ship one of these food parcels to the International Red. Cross distributing centre at Geneva, Switerland, it costs approximately $2.50 and for this service to prison- ers of war the Canadian Red Cross is planning to allot $3,500,000 out of the 9,000,000 required for the oper- ations of the Society during the next yearand whieh the people of Canada are being asked to contribute between May 11 and May 23. In addition the British,, Australian and New Zea- land Red Cross Societies are paying the cost of nearly 1,000,000 parcels a year which are being packed for them by the Canadian Red Cross, Help The Red Cross Help Them f The Red Cross needs your support as never before . in order that its great humanitarian work may ex- tend with the growing needs of war. Whether you've given before or not, give NOW. Enable the work to go on. .. 9,000,000 Needed Nov Give Generously! THIS SPACE DONATED BY Clinton News -Record