No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1932-06-23, Page 2IVlurder at Bridge By ANNE AUSTIN. By ANNE AUSTIN. SYNOPSIS. "Bonnie" Dundee, former member of Hamilton's homicide squad, now attach - "Penny " district attorney's drives secre- tary, to th Saturday bridge -luncheon of the Forsyte Alumnae Bridge Club, given by Juanita Selim. the of heree leafather's s from unfortuna to yatt attempt to start a subdivision in Primrose Meadows Addition, his failure, and subsequent nhouse had built rented by When Dundee meets Nita she asks isi a in, but is frightened on hearing detective. Dundee is interrupted in his work late that afternoon atvho informs Penny, on the telephone, him that Nita Salim has been murdered at bridge. CHAPTER II.—(Cont'd.) lawn below and you'll see big toot prir;ts.... Of coarse we've measur- ed them and Cain, as you see, is guarding them till my man comes to make plaster casts of them... Yes, sir, he hoisted hisself up to the win- dow ledge, aimed as best he could, then slipped down and beat it across the meadow."I "Then," Dundee began slowly, " wonder why Mrs. Selim didn't see that figure crouched in the window, since she must have been powdering her face and looking into the middle of the three mirrors—the one which reflects this very window?" "How do you know she was powder- ing her face, not looking for something hi a drawer?" Strewn demanded truc- ulently. "For three reasons," Dundee an- swered almost apologetically. "First: her powder puff, as I'm sure you no- ticed, is still clutched in her right hand; second, there is no drawer open, and no drawer was open, unless some- one has closed it since the murder, whereas on the other hand her pow- der box is open; third, the left side of her face is heavily and unevenly coat- ed with powder, while the other is heavily but evenly powdered. There- fore I can't see why she didn't scream, or turn around when she heard your gunman clambering up to her window, or even when he had crouched in it. I don't see how she could help seeing him!" "Well—what do you think?" Strewn asked sourly, after he had tested the visibility of the window from the dressing table mirror. Bonnie saw the dress now, a low- cut, sleeveless, fluffy affair, but he really had eyes only for the brownish - red hole on the left side of the back of the bodice, about halfway et shoulder and waist --a waist so small he could have spanned it with his two hands, including its band of fuschia velvet ribbon. There also had been a bow of fuschia vets et ribbon on the lace,, and straw hat she had swung so charmingly less than five hours ago. "Shot through the heart, I guess," Strawn commented. "Took a good marksman to findthe her aheart, shooting ning her throughheard a shot— thing, too. Nobody leastways none of that crowd penned up in the living room will admit they did. They'll all hang together, and lie like sixty to keep us from finding out anything that might point to one of their precious bunch. But if a gun with a Maxim silencer was used, as it must have been if that whole :rew ain't lying, the gunman musta been good, .because you can't sight with a Maxim screwed onto a rod, you know." "Have your men found the gun?" Dundee asked "Of course not, or I'd know whether it had a Maxim on it or not," Strewn retorted. "My theory is," he added imp essively, "that sumtody with a grudge against this dame hired a gun- man to hang around till hegot her he dead to rights, then—plop!" imitated the soft, thudding sound made by the discharge of a bullet from a gun equipped with a silencer. "Doesn't it seem rather strange that a professional gunman should have chosen such a tine—with men arriving in ears, and the house full of women whomight wander into this droora at any minut c mo victim?" Dundee asked. ter Racers While on a visit in GermallY, Phil Shafer, American auto speed- ster, noticed this eye protection and promptly got one. It is made of cellophane. The Forgiveness of Little Children Janet T. Van Osdel A block away from home, returning from en errand, Mrs. Ellnottt g into ler r six-year-old Clyde house as quickly as he could, holding his fat little sister Eleanor by the hand. Mrs. Elliot thought, "There! After forbidding Clyde to step out of the house while I was away he has been out playing and has taker Eleanor!" She noticed that Eleanor had her blue coat and beret on. For this she was glad, as it was a chilly spring day: but, too, it made her thick that Clyde's leaving the house was not an impul- sive, and sa a forgetful -of -orders dash from the house and back again. It 'suggested deliberate disobedience. Es- pying his mother in the distance, he was now hurrying, with Eleanor, into the house. When Mrs Elliott entered the two children were on the floor of the sun - parlor with a box of building blocks. The only indication of their having been out ,ef doors was the rosiness of their faces and the disorder of their red curls. Mrs. Elliott did not question her children regarding the incident. Al- though she had never so phased it, she wished them to attribute to her some- thing of omniscience—to ability to tell what they were about whether or not she were with them. So now she removed her new green spring coat and hat that the children so admired and said, "Come here, Clyde." Clyde ranto whenof Mrs.Elliott eargerly, for had been obliged to leave the children alone she had brought home some lit- tle treat. But what he saw in his mother'se punishing h ruler.Hestopped short his face puckered. "Come here and hold out your hands," commanded his mother. The boy obeyed. Had the half dozen spats with the ruler been given in fun, Clyde would have laughed at them, but now he sobbed convulsively. Ile was a child ho never needed physical punish - don't we? No ase to begin pulling against each other." "Guess so," Strewn growled, but he was obviously pleased and relieved. "Maybe you'd better have a crack at that crowd yourself. I hear Doc Price's car—always has a` bum spark plug. I'll stick around with him until he gets going gooti. on his job, then, if you'll excuse ,ne for butting in, I'll join your party in the living r im. he And good luck to yo added, to take the sting out of the bit of thrown -in sarcasm. Dundee took the door he knew must lead into the central hall, but found himself in an enclosed section of it— a small foyer between the main hail and Nita Selim's bedroom. There was room for a telephone table and its chair, as well as fox a half-length sofa large enough for two to sit upon com- fortably. He paused to open the door across from the telephone table and found that it opened into a guests' closet, whose hangers and hat forams now held the outdoor clothing in which several women had arrived at the bridge -and -death party. Nice clothes —the smart but unostentatious hats and boats of moneyed people of good taste, he observed, a little enviously,' before he opened the door which led out into the main hall which bisected the main floor of the house, until it reached Nita's room. Another door in the section behind the staircase leading to thegabled second storey next claimed his atten- tion. Opening it he discovered a beau- tifully fitted guests' lavatory. There � eeee eev'err e "'a rani pl%Tnhe-d dres's`y t. table for women's use, so that 'n e ,.e her guests' had had the slight st excuse to invade the privacy of Mrs. Selim's bedroom and bath, unless spe- cifically invited to do so. Rather a well-planned house, this, Dundee con- cluded, as he closed the door upon the shining green porcelain fixtures, and walked slowly toward the wide arch- way that led from the hall into a large living room. He had a curious reluctance to in- trude upon that assembled and guard- ed company of Hamilton's "real so- ciety." They were all Penny's friends, and Penny was his friend. (To be continued.) "Well, there tain nn't no other Strewn contended, explana- tion," flushing. "Outside of the fact that my men have gone over the whole house and grounds without finding the gem, I've got other evidence it was an outside job.... Look!" Dundee followed the chief of the homicide squad to one of the two win- dows that looked out upon the drive- way. Both were open, since the May day was exceptionally warns, even for the Middle West. The window from which he obediently leaned was almost directly in line with the vanity dress- ing table across the room. "Look! See how them vines have been torn," Strewn directed, pointing to a rambler rose which hugged the entside frame of the window. "And look hard enough at the flower bed CHAPTER M. Bonnie Dundee ti•rned toward the tiny, bowed figure of the dead woman and stared at it long and thought- fully before he answered: "I'm afraid, Captain Strewn, that there are only two explanations pos- s'ble. The first, of course, is that Nita Selim was quite deaf or very near-sighted. I happen to know from having met her today—" "You met her today?" Strewn inter- rupted incredulously. Dundee explained brieflly, then went on: "As I was saying I have good reason to know she was not deaf, but I can't say as to her being near- sighted, except that it is my�obbseerve- near -s ghted do not have very wide eyes and no creases between the brows. I am fairly sure she did not wear glasses at all, because glasses worn even a few hours a day leave a mark across the nose or show pinched red spots on each side of the base of the nose." "You must nave had a good, hard look at her," Strewn gibed, his eyes twinkling, and his harsh, thin-lipped mouth pulling down at one corner in what he thought was a genial smile. "I did," Dundee retorted, grinning back at his former chief, who well knew the boy's weakness for a pretty girl. "Well, conceding that she was neither deaf nor half -blind, she would necessarily have heard and seen her s 'sailent before he shot her." ,e 4oth ,Anniversary of SMIAU TEA tas For 40 curs SAILADA bas the finest quality in given prices are thetea 1Present lowest in 15 years . The Public 1-;ealth Next to the weather, there is no topic of conversation more popular than public and individual health. Hence the meeting in Toronto of the Canadian Public Health and Ontario Health Officers' Associations is of Widespread interest. The delegates are discussing their subjects in a large way, as intimated by Dr. Gordon Bates's suggestion that a Royal Com. mission should investigate on a Do- e the whole minionUndoubtedly-wide question ofsub- ject is of national concern, and if the findings of such a body would lead to greater co-ordination in preventive methods the expense would be worth while. There is force in the doctor's ciaiaip;' that if but a fraction of the flnailcial loss caused by sickness and premature death were devoted to their prevention a great deal could be ac- complished. A startling feature of the ills that afflict humanity to -day is the increase of neurotic and mental disorders, due, in large measure, to the high tension' at which the affairs of the world are conducted. This was recognized in an' address by Dr. C. M. Hincks, of Tor onto, who stated that deviations from mental health are "much more fre-' quent than previously supposed" And he continued: "The time has come when the mede cal profession must bear a larger share of responsibility in regard to mental health than has been the case in the past. Many physicians have been prone to confine their attention to the physical factors connected with illness and have ignored, too largely, con sideration of the human personalitY of the emotions and . mental states that may be contributory to i11 health. Unless physicians and public health officers assume leadership in this field, progress will be slow in stemming the rising tide of mental maladies. This, unfortunately, is an enlargiug field for the specialist, and one in which early treatment is of the utmost importance. Undoubtedly many be - man ailments may be forestalled by', preventive measures. In fact, basing his contention on Canadian statistics, Dr. Bates claims that "more than of our disabling illnesses could be pre-, vented." The difficulty in the way is' that vietima of disease in its incipient', stages are prone to delay seekng ad-; vice, and one of the greatest benefits of public discussions such as are being conducted at this convention of health officers is that they-ttract attention and bring to man a realization that good health is a blessing to be guarded jealously. Thos in sound mental and physical condition will not worry, greatly over the troubles of this rather; troublesolhe world. Consequently, there is food for thought in the sugges-' tion that, to be really effective, mea- sures looking toward the preservation; of health should be given direction by, Federal authority.—Toronto Mail and Empire. answered Clyde.—Issued by the Na- tional Kindergarten Association, New York City. A series of these articles will appear weekly in our columns. Lamp Test A device by which anyone can test an electric lamp globe In the leader's store, at home or in a factory pur- chasing department, to make sure that it will deliver the proper amount of light for each cent's worth of electricity has recently been per- fected, writes Dr. E. E. Free in Daily Science News. The globe to be tested and another similar lamp known to be of good quality, are lit one after the other in front of a small light_sensiive cell. Meters are attached to measure the respec- tive amounts of electricity used by the two lamps. At the same time the light-sensitive cell indicates on another meter the respective amounts of light which the two lamps emit. Thus the amount or one light unit produced oud by each lamp elec- tricity can be measured. " The buy- er of electric lamp globes really in- tends, Mr. Stanley points out, to buy light instead of mere glass and metal. It is not possible, however, to judge by eye the exact amount of light that an individual electric lamp emits nor does the customer usual- ly have any way of measuring the electricity that it uses. Many low- priced electric lamps really are ex- tremely expensive, lighting engineers wdeclare, because the lamps consume t h menow many children do? For more than the proper amounts of Clyde it was something of a spiritual electricity and produce less than the proper amounts of light. Anything saved by buying such cheap globes is more than lost in the cost of ex- tra electricity used. Use of the obey me!" new testing device is expected to de Clyde, sobbing, stumbled away, and crease this loss by enabling custom - Mrs. Elliott hurried to the kitchen to ers to find out whether lamp gqlobes es prepare supper. Then she remember- that they buy are of ed that there was no milk. I or not. She glanced at the woe -begone 1 Clyde. Really, after punishing him] Canada May Bow she disliked asking him to do this er-1 rand for her, especially• since she r attempted to compile asomenofethe contributions to injury. "Go now!" said his mother. "And the next time I tell you not to go out hit I am away perhaps you will "What's the explanation?" Strewn was becoming impatient. "That the person who killed her was so .well known to her, and his—or her presence in this room was so na- t:,ral a thing that she paid no atten- tion to his—or her—movements and • was concentrating on the job of pow- dering her very pretty face." "You mean—one of that gang of so- ciety folks in there?" and Strewn jerked a thumb toward the left side of the house. "Very probably," Dundee agreed. "But where's the gun?" Strewn argued. "I tell you my men—" "This was a premeditated murder, of course," Dundee interrupted. "The Maxim silencer --unless they are all lying about not hearing a shot— proves that. Silencers are damned hard to get hold of, but people with Plenty of money can manage most things. And since the murder was premeditated, it is better to count on the fact that the murderer—or mur- deress—had planned a pretty safe hiding place for the gun and the sil- encer.... Oh, not necessarily in the house or even near the house," he has- tened to assure Strewn, who was try- ing to break in.. By the way, how long after Mrs. Seam was killed was her death discovered? Or do you know?" knew he had a dread of going to the store. But when she asked him to go, ne en.erely sniped down a big sob, and with two tears .tracking down his freckled face, replied, "Yes, Mother." At once he put on his jacket and cap, took the money and au empty bottle and went out. Then he put his head in to call, "Goodbye, Mother! Bye, Eleanor!" Something suddenly stirred in Mrs. Elliott's heart. She was overwhelmed by the beauty of Clyde's forgiving spirit—no sulking, no attempt at re- taliation, merely forgiveness! And then, more than anything else, more even than appearing omniscient in the eyes of her children, Mrs. Elliott wished that it might never be killed in him. When Clyde returned with the milk, she thanked him and then stopped and kised him. His face was irradi- ated with a glad smile. "Why did you disobey Mother, Clyde?" she asked, her tone in keep- ing with her softened mood. "I didn't know just what to do, Mother," he answered, leaning against her as she peeled some boiled pota- toes. otstoes. "You know Scotty (Scotty was the dog belonging to the crippled wo- man next door) got out because some left the gate open, and he ran .Almost an endless variety of luncheons can be pre-. 'pared with !Croft Cheese. Sliced, it provides a royal meal with crackers or bread . it toasts temptingly and for flavouring cooked dishes, is unsurpassed. Get some to -day. I/2 ib. packages or sliced from. the famous 5 ib. loaf. Look for the name "kraft" os the only positive identi- fication of the genuine. .Matte to Canada, Summer Rain Sweet summer rain, borne upon breezes light, How welcome is the murmur of your falling, Your rich refreshment—setting wild birds calling, And blossoms trembling with renewed delight! A filmy veil, you float across the skies, Hiding their azure, yet, in tender care, Soft tears of gladness on the dream- ing air, To fall and pass, as sometimes from our eyes, You turn to jewels the shingle on the beaches, You conjure diamonds on the leaves of trees, You gently sweep across the upland reaches, And drop as nectar on the thirsty leas: Like the cool breeze upon the heated brow At sunset, after following the plough. —Dudley Stow. world progress made by his fellow citizens, and found thatthe list was by no means a short one. The first long distance trials of the telephones were made in Canada where the idea of this instrument actually originated. The idea of standard time which is now used in every civilized coun- try also originated in Canada, The first compound steam engine which doomed the sailing ship was built and demonstrated in Canada, as was the first submarine telegraph and the first -electric stove. The idea of making paper from pulp wood, and building an all - electric radia came from this coun- try. The first steamboat sent across the Atlantic, and the first railway sleeping cars were also Canadian products. As a contribution to American citizenship Canada presented several hundred thousand of her sons and daughters to her southern neighbor. Perhaps it would be better to say that these sons and daughters pres- ented themselves. At any such citizens as Admiral Sims, Wil- son of packing house fame, Couzens of Detroit and Mary Pickford of Filmland are welcomed in any coon "I haven't been able to get much out of that bunch in there—not even out of Penelope Crain, who ought to be willing to help, seeing as how she works for the district attorney. But I guess she was waiting to spill it all :.c you, if she knows anything, so you and Sanderson will get all the credit." "KM .look here, chief,' Dundee protested, laying a hand on Strawn's shoulder as he reverted to the tame by which be had addressed the head of the homicide squad for nearly a Tear) "we're going to be friends, aren't oun down the street. Eleanor and me try. were playing on the porch and Mrs. Brown called over to know if I'd go A New lira in Music after Scotty. He always will come for ne, you know. And you said I mustn't leave Eleanor alone even for a second, so I put on her coat and cap and we went and got Scotty for Mrs. Brown. I was going to tell you—" "Forgive me, Little Son! Forgive me!" whispered Mrs. Elliott, and now it was she who was crying. "Sure, Mother! That's all right!" One Improvement in 300 Years Building experts have determined that in the average house the amount of air -leakage around windows and window frames equals the total amount of air that would Come through one open window. To overcome thfs inventors have been busy for years. One of the most effective develop - Monte has just been introduced in• the perfection 01 a new type window Which is more than five times as weathertight as the ordinary window, and which has the added advantage of easy operation without sash weights, cords or pulleys. It is said that this new newt indow Is the first real improve - double -hung sash In nearly three hundred years. 'lief ,May T have the last dance we? Same as always/ We itlro'i pretty, wet! how to Work together% with you?" She; " 'on've just hada JY9 Makes and burns its own gas. No pipes or cords. it "Smoots the Way on Ironing Day." 'FOIE SAVE Eli DEALER'S NAME By John Erskine, head of Juiliiard Foundation of Music, before Barnard College Alumnae Association. A new movement 11). music is affect- ing the professional life. Five years before the depression the musicians were discovering that concert tours were wearing out. Paganini and Liszt had set fashion for 100 years that every musician should have a concert career. To -day we are going back to the time of Bach, when a musician could play the organ, and frequently every instrument in the orchestra. A pub- lic is growing up who will go to hear, but also likes to play. They cannot so easily be dazzled. They are prcpardd to judge. Man is creative in art and agricul- ture only. It is the: a that all true progress is made. In the vast area between, of business and the learned professions, we only think we sec pro- the standard. Each man must be his tht standard. Each man must be his own expert. In the future a vast pro - , Potion of the American people will I be as skilled in music as they are now in reading and welting, "Conversation doesn't exist in America."—Andre alaurois. 1-31 d 's &s* fovYou ondBilbl� o� 0 E should dean and`protect as well as lubricate — says !leasehold expert The oiling of household devices p10; cents a problem different from thee o factory equipment, says a nationally, known housekeeping expert. House- hold appliances are not used constant; ly and therefore collect dirt and rust' When idle. Consequent) g oil cull eed a. for general household u and protect as well as lubricate. mine 3-in.One, a scientific blend of m e oral, vegetable and animal oils, dans01 yl these three things better than other oil. It costs a little More in tbi buy but much less to use, for itsave you many dollars in repairs anal replacements on sewing mach, vacuum clealners, lawn mowers, wash^ ers, the electric motors of fans, ray frigerators, ironers and similar houses hold devices, At good stores ever3„"! Where. For your protection,ook�1i j the trade !nark ' sdn-One p. ff Iced on every package, Bravery No man eau be brave Who considers pain to be the greatest evil of,life, nor temperate, who considers pleasure to be the highest gooti.