Loading...
The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1939-08-24, Page 2T'HURlSDAY, AUGUST 24th, 1»39 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE II ilium ilium r ‘Murder at Pirates Head’ By Isabel Waitt “AndiThaddeus Quincy spoke up where is Bessie now?” “Sound asleep, thanks be! peeked. Wore herself out, I Excitement, like what happened on the lawn and the auction and every­ thing, always sets hex* off. Thank God, there’ll be no fireworks! Al­ ways quiet at the Head over the Fourth. One reason we came.” “And I suppose you were reading— between fits?” Victox1 Quade nonchalantly. Lily Kendall is Told “I was. Ethics of Spinoza, you ask.” Was he telling the I hadn’t noticed any light shining undex* his door. Had he been in the dark then, fully clothed? He ans­ wered my unspoken doubt. “As a matter of fact, I'd turned off my light when I heard what I thought was my sister coming. Poor Bessie. Her nerves are wearing me to a frazzle.” Before we had a chance to tell him about my gruesome discovery in the basement of the Quaker church Lily Kendall came toddling into the room and plunked herself down on the nearest stuffed chair. “Gee, I’m tuckered!” She fanned herself with a chubby ringed hand, fingering hex’ beads with the other. “Well, Judy, I see you beat me home. Oh, introduce me! Another boarder?” Victor Quade received her melting smile politely. I could see him siz­ ing Lily up as she rambled on: “Hope you like it here, Mr. Quade, I’m sure. My neice—you’ve heard of Gloria Lovelace—wanted I should go to Bar Harbor, but I told her Pir­ ate’s Head sounded more wild like, only I confess it’s dead as a door nail.” I shuddered. “Your neice? Has she been here Is she here now ” Quade was curious “Gee, no! She’s a Hollywood star I’ll show you hei* picture tomorrow.” Mr. Quincy cut in: “Miss Kendall, you’ve been walking, I take it, the long way round. See anybody be­ tween here and the church?” Lily shook hex’ chin. “Only you— down there at the steps. Me, I wan­ dered all over, through the Lane castle grounds. Ain’t it hell eatin swell food like Mis’ Gerry’s and try- in’ to reduce at the same time?’ She inquired of Mr. Quade. Then, “If you mean that Lane feller, no. I didn’t see him. Nobody there, looks like. Why?” I thought the silence would never end. Victox* Quade just stared at Lily till she again demanded. ‘Why?’ What you all so mysterious about!” “You didn’t know the Lane has been killed, I presume?” “Killed! Auto accident?” “Murder.” An Explosion Lily’s pink beads broke and tered in all directions. Then pleasant face lighted. ‘Oh, boy! think neice llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll say you and I wander down the road to meet them, Mr. Quade?” A muffled boom that was not the sea rattled the windows of the old house. No cannon crackers ever made that noise, either. “What was that?” we cried in uni­ son. “Sounded like an explosion,” Vic- tox* Qjuade said. iiiiiiiiuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiHHiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiH home with us,” the clergyman said as Aunt a loud hand as diction. a Nella wiggled past him with “H’mmmp!” He spread his if he were giving the bene- “Now what’s all this about murder?” asked since truth. feller spas- her of the publicity. Wish my was here. Pictures all over the news­ papers and no fake stuff, either. Why you couldn’t buy it. Interviews ano everything! Who shot him?” “Who said he was shot?” Victor threw at her. “Was he?” “Search me. Maybe somebody stuck a knife in his back. Somebody wanted to last night, all rightie. 1 heard -what I heard. And I saw what I saw. I ain’t insinuatin’ nothing, Mr. Quincy, but you did leave the table first, and I did see you down at the church a little while ago.” Thaddeus Quincy’s lips curled. ‘Oh, surely. I marathoned down in my wheel chair and knifed him.” He was looking at Quade now. “Then I cut the telephone wires so the police couldn’t be notified.” “You’re sure you didn’t see any­ body skulking about during your walk?” Mr. Quade asked Lily. “No, sirree. Why ask me? Where is the rest of the gang? Gone to the movies, ain’t they? Nothing do in Rockville, so I decided home.” “They ought to be back soon if they have,” Hugfl said offer­ ing cigarettes to everybody. “What’s else to to stay pretty Check Discharges From the Bowels Bowel troubles, although happen­ ing at any time of the year, are more prevalent during the hot sum­ mer and early fall months. Summer Flu is one of the Worst troubles, but diarrhoea, dysentery, colic, cramps and pains in the in­ testines, Or any looseness of the bowels should have immediate at­ tention. The action of Dr. Fowler's Extract of Wild Strawberry is pleasant, rapid, reliable and effectual in help­ ing to check the unnatural dis­ charges. It has been on the market fot the past 94 years, so why experiment with new and untried remedies? Get "Dr. Fowler’s” and feel safe. “ Th* T. Milburn Co., Ltd., Toronto, Ont, was mortified out of my wits, might have stopped to put on hideous red bathrobe instead of throwing it around her shoul- CHAPTER IV A moment we sat petrified as the rumbling noise of the explosion came to oux* ears. Hugh Norcross tore up the stairs as Aunt Nella tore down. I She that just ders. “Judy, where’s your Uncle Wylie?” She stood just outside the door, but we could all see her bare feet. ‘What was that noise?” “We don’t know, Auntie. Why don’t you go back to bed? Just some­ body celebrating the Fourth." “Why should she go back to bed?” Mr. Quincy wanted to know. “She’s in this thing, too.” “Don’t Mis’ Gerry know he’s been killed?” shrilled Lily. Aunt Nella keeled but caught her­ self. Victox* sprang to help her in­ to the room, while we all explained at once it wasn’t her husband who’d been murdered. “Lane!” Aunt Nella sat up tremb­ ling. “Bessie! And I don’t blame hex* a mite.” (Trust the Head to remem­ ber a five year old scandal!) “We must hush this thing up, Judy. Oh, dear, why did she have to go and do it before the season was over! Hugh was back. ‘Keep my sister’s name out of this. She didn’t hear the—the explosion, thanks be.” “Get your aunt dressed, Miss—is it Jason? Come on, you.” Mr. Qaude grabbed hold of Hugh’s arm. “Let's investigate. Something happened down the road. Accident probably. May need help.” “Wait. Want my first-aid kit?” “Good girl. Hurry.” I ran upstairs to the closet, where I’d marked a on a top shelf first air. It ilized guaze. adhesive tape, t swab and vaseline in it. than nothing. to have somebody to do something." But the kit wasn’t needed, after all. I’d had barely reached the front door when two cars brought home the rest of our guests. They joined the others, while Lily, Hugh, Mr. Quincy in his chair, and Aunt Nella. who’d managed to get into hex* robe but stood shivering in bare feet, plied them with questions. I began to count them, all talking at once about the explosion: Albion Pottei* and the Rev. De Witt, but where was Uncle Wylie? Where’s Wylie.. “Where’s Wylie?” lisped aunt Nel­ la. I put my arm around her. “He’s all right ox* they’d say so. The ex­ plosion wrecked the bridge.” “What bridge? I don’t remember a bridge between hex* and the main­ land.” Victox* Quade said, “Dark when I came in. The fog and all.” “You wouldn’t notice it at night,” Hugh said, “Just a short affair over a bit of the Neck. Pirate’s Head is really an island.” “Mean a person could walk across? Marshland, isn’t it?” “No. Not there. Rocky. Dangerous currents. Regular rip tide. Take a mighty strong swimmer, that gap. The water swirls and eddies into a regular whirlpool. Darned narrow escape they had, jf you ask me.” It was difficult to find out wliat’d happened when all made such a din. But the bridge had blown up not long after the two cars had crossed safely over, They’d both stopped and gone back, but had seen nobody, and so came on. Some thought it was the work of a maniac, others said labox* trouble, naming different unions, though I couldn't see why, (as there’s no work at the Head oi* ■ the Neck, ox* even Rockville—only J tourists. All agreed that the bridge was out of commission, either by bomb ox* dynamite. “The xnurderei* done it, of course,” shilled Lily, “go’s he could make a getaway before we could call the police.” “Murdered!” They gasped, wide- eyed. “Oh, dear! Where’s my husband?” piped aunt Nella. The Rev. De Witt stood up. "Don’t be alarmed, my good woman. He's out in the cat*.” He boomed ora- torically on all occasions, even now. “Is he hurt? Why doesn’t he come in?” Aunt Nella started for the door. Albion Potter blocked the -way. “i will get him, Mrs, Gerry, He isn’t hurt.” A sort of sickly grin crept round his mouth. “Just slightly — slightly-—” “-—under the weather? He’ll sleep it off,” grinned Lily Kexidall. “Mrs, Potter and I brought him medicine shoe box had ster- an iodine Better It was such a relief “We’re going to keep quiet and lot Mr. Quade talk.” Mr. Quincy said thumping his cane. “The rest of us were just one happy family till he came along. Let him continue. May- be he’ll give himeslf away.” “Right.” Victor showed those mar­ vellous teeth of his in a smile which could make anyone think him a saint “The question is, What are we to do? I would have called the police, out my ear is in a Rockville garage. Now your cars are useless on account of the bridge, one feel like then walking it?” It's high tide. Any- swimming across, and the—Just how far is Help’ is about half a mile Suppose You Talk “Suppose you talk, Quade,” deus Quincy said. “Obvious can't. This young maxi, Victor is a writer. He arrived at the Head in a trailex- to write fiction?, inspired by the inn pies and the Lane estate. That right?” Victor smiled. “In a way. Go on.” “No. you go on. Tell ’em the whole business. We’re all here but Wylie Gerry and he’s ‘hors de combat.’.” “That’s French foi* drunk,” Lily whispered to nxe. Ain’t this thrilling My, I’m glad I didn’t go to Bar- Har­ bor.” Victor Quade took the flooi’ and gave the facts as he knew them. How he’d arrived after dark and waited in the inn parlor till we found him. How Mr. Quincy and I had gone down to the church for my handbag to find a key to fit Bessie Norcross' door, and how I’d seen Lane’s dead hand sticking out of the sea chest in the cellar. How the phone had been found , the bridge blown up. “We’re trapped, Miss right. Whoevex* killed no intention of our getting back to town tonight to get the police.” Hugh said, “What are we going to do?” Thad- we all Quade wires of cut. And Kendall Lane the now was had The bridge from the Head and four miles from town. Hugh said he was damned if he’d leave his sister at a time like this. Mr. Quincy shook his head resignedly. That left only the Rev. Mr. He Witt, who boomed his swim­ ming days were over and the Lord would find a way, and Victor Quade. “It would be suicide for me,” Vic- tor said. “Doctor’s orders. This trail­ er business, with the dabbling at writing, is because I’m recovering from a recent illnss.” “But the police will be here, any- won’t they?” De Witt said, must-have heard the explos- Rockville. men doubted it. Certainly it sounded very loud in the inn so close by. If they did hear it, they’d put in down to shindigs the night before the Fourth, The milkman would come to the Head — when? Not till around noon! “Let's see—its now 11 o’‘Slock, The explosion occurred — when? Quarter of?” We let it go at approximately that. The movies close and the two cars gether. “Perhaps the way, ‘‘They ion In The hadn’t parlox* He broke off as a shrill cry from the outside come from Aunt Nella. “Wylie! Wylllllle!” We hadn’t noticed that Albion Potter had gone out with my aunt, had come back and was standing in the doorway. “He—he wasn’t in the cur. Mr. Gerry “She’s hunting her bare teet. He “No, I should imagine not,” boom­ ed the preacher. “Having looked upon wine when—” He broke off, and suggested, after some hesita­ tion; “If—if the water isn’t too rough, I could row a boat.” Yes, and escape I couldn’t help but think. Hadn’t Lane called him Smith? Maybe he was an ex-convict. “\ou could not,” with finality. “Isn’t was that. “I'm going aftei* someone come with me? She’ll know j “I will.” 1___ __ ______ and Victox* Quade on the other. But1 2„ut‘ the whole crowd followed. We not gone six yards before Aunt la gave a thin piercing scream sounded down toward “Help! Hellllllp!” CHAPTER Pellmell into the “Coming, Auntie!” I called in wer to her call for help, “Here, he’d dead!” came a he stammered, all over creation in can’t be far.” agine not, “Having Mr. Quincy any,” And my aunt. said that .le. with a lollypop, I’d heard Uncle Wylie used to imbibe too freely years ago, but that his wife had reformed him by putting something so vile in his coffee it had given him ulcers of the stomach so that he couldn’ take a drop of alcohol. “Give me a hand,” Mr. Quade said “\ou old fool,” jawed Aunt NeL la, chattering. “Not you, mister, I mean Wy “Yesh, nx'dear.” Roused at the sound of his wife’s voice, Wylie star­ ed stupidly at her when Hugh Nor­ cross’ match flame disclosed hex* bare feet. “Shame on you —before all theesh people. Naked!” If they’d get him to bed, she’d fix him, my aunt whimpered, But at that Wylie waved his arms and yelled, “Won't drink stuff! Tried to poishon me once—” What, I wondered, would this jit­ tery crowd make of that. “ 'Squeer the old codger who lives Qty? Exeier ©intra-Afctnicatf Established 1873 and 1887 at Exeter, Ontario Published every Thursday morning SUBSCRIPTION—2.00 per year in advance RATES—Farm or Real Estate tor sale 50c. each insertion for first four insertions. 25c. each subse­ quent insertion. Miscellaneous ar­ ticles, To Rent, Wanted, Lost, or Found 10c. per line of six word*. Reading notices 10c. per line. Card of Thanks 50c. Legal ad­ vertising 12 and 8c. per line. In Memoriam, with one verse 50o. extra verses 25c. each. Member of The Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association Professional Cards Will ( yyxun luc; kixic; 11 uuun j — ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------— • -- Hugh was oxi one side 1in this shed hasn’t poked his head __' —what with all this noise,” Lily had: Kendall commented. Nel- that the sea. V fog we ran. ans- ------,----- -------- ------ „ muf­ fled wail from the vicinity of the old fish-slxed. The light Mr. Quincy and I had seen earlier had vanished, but .ve followed the sound. Soon we found her, tugging at the inert form of hex* husband, who was lying prone on a bench neax1 the door >of the shed. “Not dead — dead drunk, Gerry,” Hugh said. “He’ll right.” And, indeed, ’ as the men Uncle Wylie up he began to poli-e will come. “Leave me be. Shobex* as a Meanwhile, why don’t we try to act boil!” as normally as possible until dayli—’ You could have knocked me over I early in Rockville, had come along to- Mrs. be all hoisted babble, owled “Deaf as a haddock,” someone said. “Shall I wake him up?” . vibration of the minister’s should have been sufficient, might know something.” “I’ll knock.” Albion Potter brush­ ed by me and thumped on the old door. Hugh and Victor Quade had start­ ed along, with Uncle Wylie, protest­ ing, between them. ‘•Why bothex* the old man?” Hugh called ovei’ his shoulder. “Asleep, probably. Anyway, he’ll keep until morning. Wylie is Carried to Bed ‘‘I imagine the police will ques­ tion him then.” Mr. Quade said. “Un­ less—aren’t there any boats here at the Head?” “I can answer that,” Lily said “Wanted to go rowing over in the cove one day, and they said there warn’t. a boat in the place.” (To be Continued) Just the voice “He GLADMAN & STANBURY (F. W. Gladman) BARRISTER, SOLICITOR, &c Money to Loan, Investment* Made Insurance Safe-deposit Vaults for use of our Clients without charge EXETER and HE NS ALL CARLING & MORLEY BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS, LOANS, INVESTMENTS, INSURANCE Office; Carling Block, MiUn Stree*. EXETER. ONT. Dr. G. F. Rouhton, L.D.S..D.D.S. DENTIST Office; Carling Block EXETER, ONT. dosed Wednesday Afternoon* King and Queen “Revisit” Canada at the C. N. E. Show THE KING AND QUEEN AT OTTAWA Tl-oir majesties as (hey appeared during their history-making vis it to the nation’s capital Dr. H. H. COWEN, L.D.S.,D.DS. DENTAL SURGEON Office opposite the Post Office, Main Street, Exeter Office 36w Telephones Res. 3fij Closed Wednesday Afternoons Color Movies of Tour, Life Size Photographs, Will he Seen at C. N. E. Television Broadcasts,Facsimile and Wirephoto Demonstrations are Included in Five-Fold Show in National Industries Building ARTHUR WEBER LICENSED AUCTIONEER For Huron and Middlesex FARM SALES A SPECIALTY PRICES REASONABLE SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Phone 57-13 Dashwood R- R. No. 1, DASHWOOD FRANK TAYLOR LICENSED AUCTIONEER For Huron and Middlesex FARM SALES A SPECIALTY Prices Reasonable and Satisfaction Guaranteed EXETER P. O. or RING 138 USBORNE & HIBBERT MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY Head Office, Exetex*, Ont, President ............ JOHN Kirkton, R. R. Vice-President .... JOHN Dublin, Ont. HACKNEY 1 mcgrath DIRECTORS W.. H.. COATES ................... Exeter ANGUS SINCLAIR ...... Mitchell, R. 1 WM. HAMILTON .... Cromarty, R. 1 T. BALLANTYNE ... Woodham, R. 1 AGENTS JOHN ESSERY ... ALVIN L. HARRIS THOS. SCOTT ...... ..... Centralia Mitchell R. 1 ..... Cromarty SECRETARY-TREASURER B. W. F. BEAVERS ............... Exeter GLADMAN & STANBURY Solicitors, Exetei* Lumber Shingles Our Prices are the Lowest they have beeh for several years. If you are building it will pay you to call and get prices. Just think Matched Lumber at $35.00 per M. feet A. J. CLATWORTHY Phone 12 Granton We Deliver ------------------ - . , DEAD LIVESTOCK to have the King and Queen back again not wish to live once more those great days when their majesties crossed the Dominion from coast to coast? To heax* the cheers? To witness the pageants of the various cities and towns? To glimpse again the Queen's grace and her tender smile, the responsive' wave of the slim, bronzed King? It Is not possible to have them here in person, but at the Canadian National Exhibition it will be possible to see them as they appeared In Canada; to have a thrilling, close-up view of the Who would not like in Canada? Who would couple who captured Canada’s heart; to revel in the royal caval­ cade across the continent in all its majesty, beauty and color. This will be made possible for tens of thousands of visitors through pictures. There will be, firstly, still photographs of a sort never before assembled in such a way and, secondly, a pro­ gram of the finest color movies, giving the highlights of the tour. Royalty, Science ok View > This exhibit is only part of a great feature of fivefold, topical Interest which The Toronto Daily Star is sponsoring at the fair. The exhibit will link the march of royalty with the march of science. Phone Exeter 235, Collect DAY OR NIGHT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Our drivers are equipped to shoot old or crippled animals DARLING and CO. of Canada, Ltd. CHATHAM, ONT,< Hi