The Clinton News Record, 1940-06-06, Page 2PAGE 2
PU;i3LISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
0.10
THE CLINTON NEWS -RECORD
COPYRIGHT
SIR TIMOTHY WADE: clubbed "Tim
the Teaman/' by the irreverent.
Self-made millionaire,' with hobby
of growing orchids. Nearing sixty
years of age, but wiry. Ile is the
victim of a kidnapping plot which
later involves his niece,
ZFELICITE DELBOS: Tall, slim and
blonde; unexpectedly English in
appearance and outlook, despite
her French name. Sir Timothy's
sister married a Frenchman, but
the daughterwas orphaned at an
early age and has been brought up
by her uncle.
PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
BELLAIR BROOME: Private sec-
retary . to Sir Timothy, Also tall,
but dark. Precise in his habits
until aroused, when he becomes a
man of action. He ie in love with
Felieite, who returns his affection,
MAJOR MOSSON: employed in the
Legal Department of. New Scot-
land
cotland Yard, A pleasant manwith-
ont mannerisms. Is called upon by
the C.I.D. because his experience
is valuable, and, in its early stages,
the case requires very tactful
handling.
CAPTAIN. CAYTFIERS: Scotland
Yard Assistant Commissioner.
Quiet, incisive, and efficient, but
with a sense of humour, and renown
on occasions to employ unorthodox
methods, • Friendly with 'Mosson,
• and knowing just how. nruch rope
to allow his colleague.
"The CHIEF," alias "Mr. BROWN":
Was a high Army officer in the
war, but, after reverses and dis-
appointments, turns his organizing
talents to crime. Ruthless, but not
cruel. With hint are three ()thee-
' disgruntled Army men, each a
sktecialist in his particular way.
CHAPTER I (CONTINUED)
FLESH -EATING FLOWER
"Delbos? A French name, isn't
it?" l 1,
"Sir Timothy's sister married a
Frenchman. The parents died some
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London, Huron & Bruce
Going North, ar 11,21, lve. 11.47 am.
Going South ar. 2.50, leave 8,08 p.m..
years aro.
"I see. And mademoiselle---?'
"Miss Delbos. Felicite has ` be
brought up as an Englishwoman
She returns my affection, if th
was what you were going to ask.'
Ile gave the explanation without any
trace of embarrassment. "Naturally
the question is difficult; one tradit
ionally beloved by the novelists. But
we do not regard money as a bar-
rier. I am net a poor man, and: if
Sir Timothy raised objections we
shall go our own way for all that."
"You are very communicative, Mr,
Broome!"
"Don't you agree that it is as well
I should be?"
Major Mosson's eyes rested medi-
tatively on the speaker. Then he
blinked under the steadily returned
stare. "M'yes," he murmured. "At
least we knew where we stand."
"Quite so, sir. You could easily
find a motive for my interfering
with Sir Timothy. Now, suppose we
go and look at the conservatory, It
It ought to interest you."
On the way they were joined by
Felicite Delbos, unexpectedly blonde,
with that cream and roses complex-
ion admired all over the world as
"typically English," although as
enviably uncommon in its native land
as anywhere else.
"Very glad you've conte," she ex-
claimed, with a welcoming smile.
Women so often dict brighten up at
the sight of Mosson, who at well-
established middle -age retained an
upright soldierly bearing, and pos-
sessed that quality which engenders
confidence.
So far as he was able to judge,
she must have been in the early
twenties, perhaps a few years ,young-
er than Bellair Broome. Despite her
fair colouring, there was nothing
insipid about her, nor could the de-
scription of "pretty" suitably be ap-
plied. Her face showed character,
the firm lines of the chin, prob-
ably came from the Wade side of
the family, whose strong-mindedness
was a byword,
"We have been anxious," she am-
plified. "My uncle has never gone
off like this before, so we both feel
sure something is wrong."
" `Both,' meaning yourself and Mr.
Broome,"
"Yes. Nobody else has been con-
sulted until we decided to approach
Scotland Yard direct. The servants
take it for granted that he is on
holiday, so do his friends and busi-
ness associates,
gle, especially by an arm thrust
sharply upwards.
bee
Standing on a short pair of garden
steps the major was able to see
at where one of the blooms had been
' snapped off, as well as a number of
bruised leaves.
"I should have thought the unex-
pected absence of the head of so
large a concern would be serious."
She laughed. "That shows you
don't know how big business is
conducted," she replied. "Uncle
had to worts. frightfully hard in his
Younger days. Now there are ex-
ecutives and goodness knows who to
do all the work. I've often told him
he's the last man in the whole con-
cern who would be missed. An ab-
sent office boy causes far more dis-
location, Nowadays uncle has only
to take it easy and wait for the
millions to flow into his coffers."
"Millions?" the major repeated,
with the awe of a man accustomed
to thinking in hundreds.
"I'm afraid so. Uncle is disgusting-
ly rich. One of the wealthiest men
in the country."
"The business," Broome broke in,
"is exceedingly prosperous. That is
worth noting in case you had any-
er-customary suspicions."
Mosson felt that Sir Timothy
Wade's financial stability could be
taken on trust. It would, however,
be verified as a matter of routine.
As tactfully as possible he put sev-
eral questions relative to possible
motives lar his voluntary departure,
only to come up against a blank wall
every time.
Broome insisted the man must
either have been forcibly removed, 'or
else the explanation in the letter was
genuine' although it rang so hollow.
The disturbed orchid had been re-
placed. It hung down low enough
for the basket to be grasped, so it
was quite conceivable that it should
have been. disradged during a strug-
To his way of thinking it was an
ugly plant, with fleshy leaves and
blossoms shaped very, much like
gigantic snapdragons. In colouring
these had a base of ,pinky -brown
Blotched with venomous looking
gouts of blood red. The "mouth,"
too, was lined with crimson, edged
with a white tooth-like fringe,
Some recollection of his schoolday
Latin came back to mind. Odente,.
gossum, wasn't it? And. Odonto had
to do with teeth.
Carefully removing it front the
hook he brought the plant down for
more comfortable exam in a t i o n.
Splashes of a dark substance on one
of the leaves attracted his attention.
A SECOND NOTE
"Looks like blood!" he said, point-
ing it out.
"I expect it is blood," Broome re-
plied. "Like many other orchids this
one is carnivorous."
"What?"
"Don't be alarmed. It hasn't at-
tacked Sir Timothy and gobbled hint
up whole. Those things don't happen
in real life and the largest meat -eat-
ing flowers known can only deal with
mice and small birds. The gardener
j feeds it with chapped liver."
"Ugh!" Mosson shuddered. "So
that is Berenice Farlane l Not at all
• an engaging young lady."
"It is a good job my uncle can't
hear you say that," Felicite observed,
"Berenice is his latest and greatest
love. Ile paid nearly 41,000 for it."
Major Mosson was glad to get out-
side and breath the purer air. Broome
and the girl remained behind so he
could decide whether it was possible
to see through the glass panes. Find-
ing this out did not take long for,
although thick foliage did form some
obstruction it would be manifestly
impossible for anything to take place
unobserved by anyone in the vicinity.
Mosson sighed. The puzzle seemed•
far too difficult. And, for the time
being, action was prevented by un-
certainty. They could not say for
certain that Sir Timothy had met
with any harm.
Was he, for instance still alive?
The letter could be a forgery to cover
up murder. Such a supposition was
startling, but, he felt, even less so
than. the kidnapping one.
Rejoining Broome and the girl, he
strolled with them back to the house,
A ,pile of letters had been placed on
a table daring their absence,
With professional efficiency the
secretary began sorting them out,
hesitating suddenly as he came upon
one addressed to Bial personally.
"In Sir Timothy's handwriting," he
murmured.
Before opening the envelope he
passed it over to Mosson, who noted
grimly, that it appeared to be the
same texture as that shown him by
the assistant commissioner, The
stamp, too, was carefully gummed
well up in the right-hand corner
where there was no white -edging to
show on two of the sides. It was
postmarked "Brighton", and the date
was smudged.
This time there had been careless-
ness. Brighton was a large town with
a machine canceller, so that the be-
ginning of a, group of wavy lines
near the centre circle should have
extended well on 'to the envelope.
They were missing, and there was
in indication of the 'sorting office
machine being out of time.
Broome accepted it back and took
out the enclosure:
"Dear Broome," ,he read, "I"
enclose a cheque for 425,000.
Please cash this into one pound
Treasury notes add await my
further instructions.-T.W."
A pink slip was neatly folded with
the white notepaper.
"Now 'we're getting somewhere,"
Mosson exclaimed. "Looks as if
you're right and this is the ransom
to be paid when the kidnappers'.
plans are perfected:"
CHAPTER 1b1
A THIRD NOTE
"Phew! £25 000 is a lot of money
to demand," Broome remarked with
a gasp that Major Mosson felt to be
amply justified. •
"No doubt it is," Felicite Delbos
agreed. "Not that it will hurt Uncle
Timothy. He'll hardly miss it. What
worries me is how they are treating
him. Wouldn't it be dreadful if. .. ?"
She laid her hand tightly on the
young man's arm. "They're not likely
to harm him," he said encouragingly.
"Not when he's worth so much."
"Yes, but I've read such dreadful
things of what happens when kid-
nappers don't get all they want."
"That doesn't happen in this couit-
try. I'm sure your uncle will be
well treated and delivered up safely
as soon as the money is paid."
Major Mosson started to say some-
thing, but changed his .mind. The
moment was inopportune to draw at-
tention to the legal complexities aris-
ing out of agreeing to a , bargain
which amounted to compounding a
felony. He should have pointed out
the proper procedure, which was to
exert every effort to run the crim-
inals to earth without permitting
them to profit by their vicious ac-
tivities.
"You do believe they'll let hint go
free in exchange for the money,"
Felicite asked Mosson; pleadingly.
"Without a doubt,' he answered;
weakly.
Broome was watching him curious-
ly. "I'm afraid we're putting you in
an invidious position," he said.
"Shouldn't you advise us against
paying this ransom?"
"Strictly speaking, I think that
ought to be done, but we also have
to avoid jeopardizing the safety of
Sir Timothy. Officially it becomes
incumbent upon all of us to effect
his release and make sure, also, that
the kidnappers get thc?ir just de-
serts."
"And unofficially?"
"Although that is decidedly an un-
fair question it .might be ,suggested
that payment be first met and then
steps taken to recover it as well as
arrest the culprits."
Felicite gave an anxious little cry.
"Don't do anything to make matters
worse," she exclaimed. "Things are
bad enough as it is."
Broome's arra came across and took
her slim hand in his, calming her
with the comforting gesture. "I ant
certain we can rely on the discretion
of the police."
"Implicitly. And remember that I
am not a detective only a member
of the legal department. At the
moment_ I have no authority what-
ever far advising you or taking any
action. On the face- of it, both the
notes received since Sir Timothy's
departure - or disappearance are
legitimate instructions to his seere-
tary.'"
For all that he was sure enough
that it was a matter of kidnapping.
The amount of the cheque immediat-
ely made thin suspect, without
Broonte's statement that never be-
fore had his employer entrusted him
with the cashing of such an extra,
ordinary sum. Wade was as careful
about his private accounts as 'over,
his business ones.
Even ' though Broome was well
]mown at the bank, it would obvious-
ly net be a simple matter to draw
the . money without satisfactory con-
firmation, of which the initialled
message could hardly be considered
enough. This factor must have oc-
out-red to all three almost simultan-
eously, but it was Felicite who put
it into words. "We . couldn't raise
it elsewhere if the bank likes to be
awkward," she added.
Broome thought the difficulty could
be surmounted. It was a "bearer"
cheque which he held, so that pres-
sure could be brought to compel pay-
ment at the expense of some delay.
"Cant you see about it straight
away," she urged. "When you've col-
lected the notes I can start to feel
that .we are beginning to straighten
out this horrible business."
Mosson was unable to advance any
objection. Up to now the plot had
been engineered perfectly, leaving
them in the most difficult position.
Only the doubtful likelihood of the
famous magnate going off secretly
and then asking for 425,000 to be
obtained preliminary to further in-
struction, coupled with the fragile
clue of the damaged orchid, formed
the basis of apprehension. Never a
hint in the two messages of coercion,
or any reference to the undesirabil,ty
of publicity.
It might have been expected that
some mention of keeping the police
out would have been made, but no
such confirmation of anything unto-
ward had been given. Presumably
the next letter would regularize the
position.
It arrived the next morning so
there was not long to wait, but they
were left as much in the dark as ever.
"Dear Broome," read the brief
communication, "No doubt you
will have been surprised at re-
cent happenings. Set you mind
at rest. The money is needed
for strictly personal purposes.
When I ani ready I shall ask you
to bring it yourself to an ar-
ranged meeting place.-T.W."
Mosson was back at Scotland Yard
THURS., JUNE 6, 1940
deep in what be would have readily
described .as "musty office work,"
when Bellair Broome came hurrying
to London by the, first available
train, To have remained at'''Fair-
clough would have been sheer waste
of time at such a stage. Besides
he wanted to talk thing over with
Assistant Commissioner Caythers,
(CONTINUED NEXT WEEK)
"YOUR HOME STATION"
C K'N X
.1200 kcs. WINGHAM 250 metres'
•
WEEKLY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
FRIDAY, JUNE 7th:
0.00 a.m. Piano Ramblings
G.15 p.m, Harry J. Boyle
7.00 pm. Landt ,Trio .
8,00 p.m. Gulley -Jumpers
SATURDAY, JUNE 8th:
9.30 a.m. Kiddies' Party
12,45 pan. Hill -Billies
6.30 pen. Sport Reporter
7,45 p.nt. Barn Dance
SUNDAY, JUNE 9th:
11,00 a,m. United Church .
1.15 p.m. The Quiet Hour
7.00 p.m. Presbyterian Church
MONDAY, JUNE 10th:
9:00 a.m. Piano Ramblings
L00 p,m. , Gene Autry
'7.00 p.m. The Jesters
8,00 p.m. Songs by Sarah
TUESDAY, JUNE 11th:
8.00 ant. Breakfast Club
11,00 a.m. Piano Ramblings
7.00 pm. "Four of Us"
8.00 p.m. Hanover Merrymakers
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12th:
9.00 am. Piano Ramblings
1,00 p.m. Polka Band
7.00 p.m, Al & Lee Reiser
8.00 pm. CKNX Little Band
THURSDAY, JUNE 13th:
10.00 a,nr. Harry J. Boyle
11.45 a.m. Lawrence Welk
7.00 p,m. The Novatones
7.30 p.ni. Hawaiian Serenaders
"FIFTH COLUMN"
This expression, much in the news
these days, arose out of the Spanish
Civil War. When General Franco's
forces were attempt!t
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SERVICE STATION
CLINTON, ONTARIO
and generally hamper the defence,
thus giving the Franco farces inval-
uable aid . . When the Spanish
Government heard this, they hunted
out all the known Franco sympath-
isers and shot them, but they didn't
get nearly all of them. ',VhenMadricl
finally fell before the onslaught of
the Franco troops, inside supporters
gave Franco much help, just 04 in;
Norway and the Low Countries, Nazi
sympathisers played havoc with the
defence organisations ... Now, sub -
the a capture versive elements (traitors) are
capital city of Madrid (seat of
the Government), he announced that known as a "Fifth Column",
he had four huge columns of troops ""-`-- ---
advancing
- -
advancing on the city and a "fifth
column" within the city itself, This
latter column consisted of Franco
sympathisers who would, at the ap-
propriate moment, rise and attack
the city's defenders from within,
capture strat ' t
egic porn s in the town
Messrs. Jones and Messrs. Brown both make shoes
-shoes exactly similar in quality and style. Messrs.
Jones do not advertise. Messrs. Brown do, and self
a very much greater quantity than 1VIessrs. Jones!
in consequence. Who pays for Messrs. Brown's
advertising?
Not Messrs, Brown -because their profit -on the
quantity sold -is Messrs. Jones' profit ihultiplied
many times. Not the public -because they get, for
$4:00, shoes of a quality for which Messrs. Jones
charge X4;50. Not the retailer :because the profit
is the same in both cases.
No one pays for advertising. It is an economy-
not a charge. It does for the operation of selling
what Messrs: Brown's machinery does for the op;
eration of shaking shoes -speeds it up, and multi
plies its efficiency. It makes possible big -scale
production and so reduces costs.
tirliS
.mss
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