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The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (By Agatha Christie) B © CHAPTER XXIII | Poirot's Little Reunion ad mow," said Caroline, rising, |said Ca G child is coming upstairs to lie N Don't you worry, my r. FE sirot will do everything he can LY 0 careful at all. a i i my expr correctly. "M. Poirot will know what to think. He understands me much hip thai Yo Sa kshop. Poirot wen the wor was sitting by the window. The pe sure of that." Suge to go back to Fernly," 3 uncertainly. ut Caroline Silenced her protests th a firm han a You're in my hands the time being. You'll stay here the present, anyway--eh, M, Poi- "It will be the best plan," agreed little Belgian. "This Who 1 want mademoiselle--I beg her Wen madame--to attend my little Nine o'clock at my house, "is most necessary that she should : there." roline nodded, and went with ula out of the room. The dpor [ut behind them. Poirot dropped wn into a chair again. . So far, so good," he said. "Things straightening themselves out." hey're getting to look blacker d blacker against Ralph Paton," observed gloomily. Poirot nodded. es, that is so. But it was to 'expected, was it not?" IT looked at him, slightly puzzled by remark. He was leaning back in chair, his eyes half closed, the s of his fingers just touching each her. Suddenly he sighed and shook 5 head. 'What is it?" I asked. #It is that there are moments when 'great longing for my friend Hast- gs comes over me, That is the end of whom I spoke to you--the ne who resides now in the Argen- ne. Always, when I have had a big e, he has been by my side. And has helped me--yes, often he has elped me. For he had a knack, that pe, of stumbling over the truth un- wares--without noticing it himself, en entendu, At times, he has sai pmething particularly foolish, and hold that foolish remark has re- aled the truth to me! And then, po, it was his practice to keep a ritten record of the cases that prov- d interesting." gave a nion, slightly embarrassed Pugh, "As far as that goes," I began, and hen stopped, » Poirot sat upright in his chair, His es sparkled, ""But yes? What is it ould say?" "Well, as a matter of fact, I've ead some of Captain Hasting's nar- atives, and I thought, why not try hy hand at something of the same lind? Seemed a pity not to--uni- ge opportunity--probably the only ime I'll be mixed up with anything this kind." I felt myself getting hotter and ptter, and more and more incoher- nt, as I floundered through the a- jove speech, Poirot sprang from his chair. I ad a moment's terror that he was joing to embrace me French fashion, but mercifully he refrained, "But this is magnificent--you have then written down your impressions of the case as you went along?" I nodded, "Epatant|" cried Poirot, ee them--this instant," I was not quite prepared for such sudden demand, I racked my brains to remember certain details. "I hope you won't mind," I stam- mered. "I may have been a little-- --personal now and then," "Oh! I comprehend perfectly; you ve referred to me as comic--as, perhaps, ridiculous now and then? It matters not at all. Hastings, he also as not always polite, Me, I have e mind above such trivalities." Still somewhat doubtful, I rum- imaged in the drawers of my desk and produced an untidy pile of manu- script which I handed over to him. With an eye on possible publication that you "Let me in the future, I had divided the work |} into chapters, and the night before I thad brought it up to date with an account of Miss Russell's visit. Poi» rot had therefore twenty chapters, I left him with them. I was obliged to go out to a case @#t some distance away, and it was Past eight o'clock when I got back, to be greeted with a plate of hot dinner on a tray, and the announce- iment that Poirot and my sister had pped together at half-past sevens, nd that the former had then gone to my workshop to finish his reading of he manuscript, "I hope, James," said -my sister, #that you've been careful in what you say about me in it?" * My jaw dropped. Nek | ABERDEEN 'HOTEL ify 520d Sc. near Sch Ave. ALWAYS ansdinbie 2% I had pot béen | pe r neatly on a chair -- hal fu is hand om it and spoke, "Eh bien," he said, "I congratulate modesty I" you--on your y "Oh!" I said, rather taken aback, "And on your reticence," he added, I said "OI" "Not so did Hastings write," con- tinued my friend. every page 'many, many times was the word--'T' What he thought--what he did. But ou--you have ke your personality in the background; only once or twice does it obtrude--in scenes of home life, shall we say?" I blushed a little before the twinkle in his eye. "What do you really think of the stuff?" I asked nervously. Fe) asked Raymond. "It said 50 the Pe is mot at Liverpool" said Poirot shortly. "In fact," 1 remarked, "no ome knows where he is." "Excepting Hercule Poirot, ch?" said Raymond. Poirot replied seriously to the oth- or's banter. "Me, I know everything. Remem- ber that." Geoffrey Raymond lifted his eye- Oe vacything 2 che whistled tl e wi "Whew bi a tall order : "Da you mean to say i can Ho a od Bob alli 1 as A oy call it goessing. 1 call it or , my "In Cranchester?" I hazarded. "No," replied gravely, "not in Cranchester." He said no more, but at a gest: ure from him the assembled party took their seats. As they did so, the door opened once more and two other e came in and sat down near the door, They were Parker and the housekeeper, "The number is complete," Poirot, "Everyone is here." : There was a ring of satisfaction in his tone. And with the sound of it I saw a ripple of something like i pass over all those faces said "You want my candid "Yes." Poirot laid his jesting manner a- side, » account," he said kindly, "You have recorded all the facts faithfully and exactly--though you have shown yourself becomingly reticent as to your own share in them" "And it has helped you?" "Yes, ed me considerably, Come, we must go over to my house and set the stage for my little performance." Caroling was in the hall, 1 think she hoped that she might be invited to accompany us, Poirot dealt with the situation tactfully, "I should much like to have had you present, mademoiselle," he said regretfully, "but at this juncture it would not he wise, See you, all these people tonight are suspects, Amongst them, I shall find the person who killed Mr, Ackroyd." "You really believe that?" I said incredulously. "I see that you do not," said Poi- rot dryly, "Not yet do you appre- ciate Hercule Poirot at his true worth," At that minute Ursula came down the staircase, "You are ready, my child?" said Poirot, "That is good, We will go to my house together, Mademoiselle Caroline, believe me, I do everythin possible to render you service, i evening." We went out, leaving Caroline ra- ther like a dog who has been re- fused a walk, standing on the front door step gazing after us, The sitting-room at The Larches had been got ready. On the table were various sirops and glasses, Al- s0 a plate of biscuits had been brought in from the other "poirot and fro rearranging an to things. Pulling out a chair here, al- tering the position of a lamp there, occasionally stooping to straighten one of the mats that covered the floor, He was specially fussing over the lighting, The lamps were ar- ranged in such a way as to throw a clear light on the side of the ed, at the same time leaving the other end of the room, where pre- sumed Poirot himself would sit, in a dim twilight, Ursula and I watched him. Pres- ent 44 bell. was iis ; y arrive, oirot. "Good, ali in Feadingss. " e_door opened and the part] from Fernly filed in, Poirot "x id ward and greeted Mrs, Ackroyd and ra, "It is most good of you to come," he said, "And Major Blunt and Mr, Raymond." . The secretary was debonair as ey- er. "What's the great idea?" he said laughing, "Some scientific machine? Do we have bands round our wrists which register guilty heart-beats? There is such an invention, isn't there?" "I have read of it, yes," admitted Poirot. "But me, I am old-fashion- ed. I use the old methods, I work only with the little gray cells. Now let us begin--but first I have an an- nouncement to make to you all." He took Ursula's band and drew her forward. "This lady is Mrs. Ralph Paton. She was married to Captain Paton last March. A little shriek burst Mrs. "Ralph! Married! Oh! but it's absurd. How from She stared at Ursula as though she had never seen her before. "Married to Bourpe?" she said, "Really, M. Poirot, I don't believe on," you. Ursula flushed and began to speak, but Flora forestalled her. Going quickly to the other girl's gid. she passed her hand through r arm. I am--very "You are very kind, Miss Ack- royd" seid Ursula in a low voi "The board meeting's gin." said Flora. "M. that we mustn't talk. me one thing. Where # must know if any ome "But I dow't" cried UU phot Jn a wail "That's £ iat 2 Y al- just it, I if : "A very meticulous and accurate sed. I may say that it has help- | room where the chairs were group- Last March! keeper, could he un grouped at the other end of the room. There was a suggestion in all this as of a'trap--a trap that had clo- Poirot read from a list in an im- portant manner, "Mrs. Ackroyd, Miss Flora Ack. royd, Major Blunt, Mr. Geoffrey Raymond, Mrs, Ralph Paton, John Parker, Elizabeth Russell." He faid the paper down on the able. "What's the meaning of all this?" began Raymond. "The list I have just read," said Poirot, "is a list of suspected per- sons. Every one of you present had the opportunity to kill Mr, Ack- royd--"' With a cry Mrs, Ackroyd sprang up, her throat working. "I don't like it," she wailed, "I don't like it. I would much prefer to go home." "You cannot go home, madame," said Poirot sternly, "until you have heard what I have to say." He paused a moment, then cleared his throat, "I will start at the beginning. When Miss Ackroyd asked me to investigate the case, I went up to Fenrly Park with the good Doctor Sheppard. I walked with him along the terrace, where I was shown the footprints on the window-sill. From there Inspector Raglan took me a- long the path which leads to the drive. My eye was caught by a lit- tle summer house, and I searched it thoroughly, I found two things--a scrap of starched cambric and an empty goose quill The scrap of cambric immed- iately suggested to me a maid's ap- ron. When Inspector Raglan showed me his list of the in the house, I noticed at once that one of the maids--Ursula Bourne, the par- lour maid--had no real alibi, Accord- ing to her own story, she was in her bedroom from mine-thirty until ten. But supposing that instead she was in the summer-house? If so, she must have gone there to meet some one. pard that some one from outside did come to the house that night-- the gate. At a first glane it would 1seem that the problem was solved, and that the stranger went to the summer-house to meet Ursula Bourne. It was fairly certain that he did go to the summer-house be- cause of the goose quill. That sug- gested at once to my mind a taker of drugs--and one who had acquired the habit on the other side of the Atlantic where sniffing 'snow' is more common that in this country. The man whom Dr. Sheppard met had an American accent, which fit- ted in with that supposition. "But I was held up by one point. The times did not fit, Ursula Bourne could certainly not have gone to the summer-house before pine-thirty, whereas the man must have got there by a few minutes past nine. I could, of course, as- sume that he waited there for hal an hour. The only alternative suppo- sition was that there had been two separate meetings in the summer house that night. Eh bien, as soon as I went into that alternative I found several significant facts, I discover- ed that Miss Russell, the housekeep- er, had visited Dr, Sheppard that morping, and had deal of interest in cures for victims of the drug habit. Taking that in conjunction with the goosequill, I assumed that the man in question came to Fenrly to meet the house- not Ursula Bourne. minutes past nine, and I also heard of a certain conversation which had taken place in the wood pear the yil- that very aftermoon--a conver- between FLERE 4 FEFEE TIE Hirt H Bgl i THE OSHAWA DAILY TIMES. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, EASTERN ONTARIO NEWS N WOMAN ING OFFICER A precedent was set in Kingston when Miss Ball, Deputy City Clerk, in the absence through ill- ness of Dr, Sands, the clerk, filled the position of returning officer yesterday, the first occasion in which a lady has so acted. Miss Ball handled the proceedings witn dignity and grace. SECURED FREAK DEER George Sawyer, a member of the 8l. Noras Lake hunting party of Haliburton, was fortunate in secur- ing a freak of the deer family in the form of a white buck, It was exceptionally large, weighing over 300 pounds. When the Ox Narrows bridge was being built six years ago a white fawn was frequently seen at this point and it is thought to be the same animal. WOUNDED IN GROIN Clarence La Rue, aged 15, son of Mr, and Mrs, William La Rue of Thurlow, was wounded in the groin early yesterday hy the accident al discharge of a .22 rifle, He waa rushed to a surgery, and the bullet was removed. He is resting com- fortably, and will recover, BARN AND CONTENTS BURNED Fire of unknown origin destroy- ed the barns and implement shed and all contents, together with 16 milk cows and eight pigs, owned by R. J. Ferguson, Reeve of Admaston Township, The direction of the wind saved the farm dwelling. Only a small Insurance was carried. TEACHER LEAVES LINDSAY 8. W. Hann, of the Collegiate Institute staff here, has resigned to accept a position as junior science master at Kitchener Col- legiate Institute. Mr, Hann has heen an active citizen especially in church work and for sometimes was superintendent of First United Church Sunday School. FRACTURED SKULL SUSTAINED Stanley Payne, son of Capt. and Mrs. Stanley Payne, Main street, Kingston, 1s in the hospital suffer- ing from a fractured skull as the the stranger whom he met just by! pe Paton and |; result of an automobile accident Sunday night. He was driving with Arthur Bartlett of Conway, and when a collision with another car seemed imminent police say Bart- lett swerved his car onto the side- walk and crashed into a grocery store front, REMANDED AT BELLEVILLE Ewart Warren, who at Marmora pleaded guilty to molesting the grave of Mrs, B, C. Hubbell, and who was remanded for sentence till yesterday, was further remanded until Thursday of this week, He was released on ball, Salvation Army officers again becoming sure- ties. Philip Revoy and Frank Sulli- van, who were alleged to he parties to the offense, and who pleaded not guilty and selected a .peedy trial before the county Judge, will ap- pear for trisl. on Wednesday of / this week. The trial will he held before County Judge Deroche. OWNERSHIP DISPUTED At the mnon-jury sc ion of the Supreme Court at Kingston yes- terday, Justice Kelly presiding, it was agreed to adjourn the action as to the ownership of St. John's Church, Pittsburg, to Toronto, for argument, a day to be fixed this A. B. Cunningham, K.C.,, and N. L. McCarthy, K.C., are for the plain- tiffs and E. A. Day and A. S. Rob- ertson, K.C., for the defendants. Local trustees claim the church property is vested in them: the Presbyterian Church of Canada holds the vote on union gave the church property to it. LOSES PROMINENT RESIDENT In the death of John Brocken- shire, Port Hope lost one of its oldest citizens. Mr. Brockenshire was born in Rochester and came to Port Hope at the age of six months. He was one of the oldest residents of the west end, building his home on Bruton street, 62 years ago, Had he lived until yes- week, if possible, by his Lordship. ' terday he would have reached his 85th year, He has had a very event- ful life, and although retired for | the past 25 years, took a keen in- terest in the topics of the day. He | was an employe of the old Midland | Railway and a veteran of the Fen- | fan Raid of 1866. Mr. Broekenshire is survived by his widow, four daughters, Mrs. F. E. Galbraith and | Mrs, B, Waggoner of Toronto, Mrs. W. J. Moore and Mrs. E. Farrow of Port Hope; two sons, E. Brock- enshire. Buffalo, and W. Brocken- shire of Toronto. G. M. WILL NOT TALK T. Ashmore Kidd, M.P.P., King- ston, Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Eastern Ontario, | tion committee of the Orange Or- der of the province, further than to say he was a member of the leg- islation committee and concurred in the report given to the public last week, He is also of the opinion that from an educational point of view the report of the bilingual commission was one of the best ever laid before the Minister of Education, It was an exhaustive study of conditions ' in bilingual schools, The Grand Master will have an opportunity to discuss the fsues involved when he appears be- fore the Grand Orange Lodge of Bastern Ontario at its annual gathering in Lindsay in March | next. The delinquencies in the en- forcement of Regulation 17 have been chiefly in the eastern juris- disclose important and startling in-! ating among the bilingual schools ard suggesting remedies in stop- ping transgressions of education law and regulations, Now we know from Dr, Shep- |i Raymond, however, did not seem impressed, and lodged a mild pro- st, "I don't know if you're trying to make me out a liar, M. Poirot, but the matter does not rest on my evi? dence alone--except perhaps as to the exact words used. Remember, Major Blunt also heard Mr, Ack- royd talking to some one. He was on the terrace outside, and couldn't catch the words clearly, but he dis tinctly heard the voices." Poirot nodded. "I have not forgotten" he said wietly. "But Major Blunt was un- on the impression that it was you to whom Mr. Ackroyd was speaking, For 3 moment Raymond seemed to be taken aback. Then he recoy- ered himself, "Blunt knows now that he was mistaken," he said, "Exactly," agreed the other man. "Yet there must have been some reason for his thinking so," mused Poirot. "Oh! no," he held up his hand in protest, "I know the reason ou will give--but it is not enough. We must seek elsewhere. I will put it this way. From the beginning of the case I have been struck by one thing--the nature of those words which Mr. Raymond overheard. It has been amazing to me that no one has commented on them--has seen anything about them." He paused a minute, and then quo- ted softly :-- ¥----the calls on my purse have been so frequent of late that I fear it is impossible for me to accede to your request. Does nothing strike you as odd about that?" "I don't i said Ray- mond, "He has frequently dictated letters to me, using almost exactly those same words." "Exactly," cried Poirot. "That is what I seek to arrive at. Would any man use such a phrase on talking to another? Impossible that that should part of a real conservation. Now, been dictating a letter--" "You mean he was reading a let- aloud," said Raymond slowly. Even so, he must have been reading some one, "But why? We have no evidence that there was any one else in the room. No other yoice but Mr, Ack- royd's was heard, remember." "Surely 2 man wouldnt read flet- ters of that type aloud to himself-- Bot Wiles he was--well--going bal- "You a » 4 But the firm he r t- ed interested me very a The h ompany," gasp- ed Ra; I see it mow. A dic- taphone. That's what you think?" Poirot modded. "Mr. Ackroyd had promised to in- vest in a dictaph you mb Me. I had the curiosity to inauire n't" x drawing i Jans he detained at Liverpool?" _s of ane who fas made a decided of the company in question. Their reply is that Mr, Ackroyd did pur- chase a dictaphone from their rep- resentative, Why he concealed matter 'from you, I do not know." "He must have meant to surprise me with it," murmured Raymond. | his sleeve for a day or so. Probab- ly was playing with it like a new toy. Yes, it fits in. You're quite right --no one would use quite those words | in casual conversation." "It explains, too," said Poirot, | why Major Blunt thought it was! you who were in the study, Such scraps as came to 'him were frag- | ments of dictation, and so his sub-} conscious mind deduced that you were with him. His unconscious mind was occupied with quite different--the white figure he | had caught a glimpse of. He fancied | it was Miss Ackroyd. Really, of | apron he saw as she was down to the summer-house." Raymond had recovered from his "All the same," he remarked, "this | have thought of it), leaves the es- | sential position unchanged. Mr. Ack- royd was alive at nine-thirty, since he was speaking into the dictaphone. | Kent was really off the premises by then. As to Ralph Paton--?" He hesitated, glancing at Ursula. Her coluor flared up, but she an- swered steadily enough. "Ralph and I parted just before a quarter to ten. He never went near the house, I am sure of that. He had no intention of doing so. The last thing on carth he wanted was tc flunked it badly." "It isn't that I doubt your story for a moment," explained Raymond. tain Paton was innocent. But one has to think of a court of law--and the questions that would be asked. He is in a most unfortunate posi- tion, but if he were to come for- ward--" Poirot interrupted. "That is your advice, yes? That he should come forward?" "Certainly. If you know where he is--" | "I perceive that you do mot be- lieve that I do know. And yet I have told you just mow that I know everything. The truth of the tele- call, of the footprints on the window-sill, of the hiding place of Ralph Paton--" | "Where is he?" said Blunt sharp- ly. "Not very far away," said Poirot., "In Cranchester?" I asked. Poirot turned towards me. "Always you ask me that. The i- dea of Cranchester it is with you an jidée fixe. No, he is mot in Cran chester.--He is--there!" He pointed a dramatic forefinger. Everyon one's head turned. Ralph Paton was standing in the doorway. (To Be Continued) 1927 AUTO OUTPUT DOWN FOR 1927 SEASON Dalers Move Carefully in View of Trade Con- ditions New York, Nov. 29.--With sev- eral motor plants in the Detroit territory either closed down or run- ning on geatly reduced schedule, the prevailing opinion in autome- tive circles is that the 1927 pro- duetion will show a 25 per cent decrease from the 1926 output of 4,428,286 passenger cars and trucks. Elimination of the Ford cars over a period of five months and reduced output by many other makers, in order to avoid over- stocking of dealers, are the prime factors for the present situation. Used cars are not moving freely, and there is .a general aspect of waiting for better things. Most of the dealers' stocks of both new and used cars are higher than they ought to he, and the factories are reducing nroduction in order that this condition may be properly corrected before show time. The promptness with which plants are now ahle to adjust supply to de- mand is very clearly shown, Pavrolls have been largely re- duced and employes are apparently facing several weeks of layoff. General employment remains at ap- proximately its regular relation to tha 1926 fizures for the middle of November, but the valley is ma- terially deeper than it was a year ago. Detroit's industrial payroll is | adversely affected to the extent of close to a million dollars a week by the continued inactivity of pro- duction at the Ford plants, As long as the present conditions continue Give your radio set a'chanee Hook it up witha Universal Socket. Power Unit, and then forget your troubs, les. You'll get more out of the old set: than you ever knew was there. You'll enjoy radio as never before, See the Universal line today, It's dependable! His Master's Voice, Ltd. * Halifax Montreal Toronte Winnipeg Calgary Vancouver For Sale by -D.J. BROWN 10 KING STREET Only Victor Dealer in Oshawa WEST ot PHONE 189 p---- the community will be affected not only in to the automotive but in general business conditions, Rosebank Pride -- 71118, an Ayr- shire cow owned by George Pearson & Sons, of Waterdown, Ontario, has just scored a Canadian and a world record for milk production, having given 23,641 Ibs. of milk, 978 lbs, {at with average test of 4.14 per cént, Her five years' milking record sig 87,845 bs. milk, 3,633 lbs. fat. - A -------------- diction. It is understood that when | & Grand Master Kidd speaks he will Bg formation on the condittons oper- | [8 "He had quite a childish love of sur- |} . prising people, Mcant to keep it up | 4 something course, it was Ursula Bourne's white | B88 stealing | 8 | first surprise. H ed discovery of yours, brilliant though | it is (I'm qquite sure I should never |K It seems clear that the man Charles | 3 face his stepfather. He would have J "Pye always been quite sure Cap- §& will not talk in regard to the re- | {i port of the bilingual commission, | BE nor of the findings of the legisla- | an a w-- TO OSHAWA, SUCCESSORS WEDNESDAY THE STORE IS OPEN ALL DAY Santa Claus will be in Toyland from 9.30 to 11,30 in the morn- ing and 2 to 3.30 in the aftermoon, |. Every Little Girl or Boy will receive a Bag of Candies from Santa Claus on Wednesday Bring the little Tots along to see the jolly old chap, THOS MILLE Fe ben, Wednesday Knitted and Crochet Bon- nets, mostly in white, trim- med with pink and blue rib- Large variety of de- sions. Regular price, $1.25, EXTRA SPECIAL WEDNESDAY / Baby Lamb Infants' Bonnets ---Baby Pullovers and Mittens 69c Infants' Mittens Tiny Infants' Mittens in knit. ted soft white wool, with thumb and 'without. Some are trimmed with dainty it- tle pink and blue robbins. Actually worth double what we will sell them for. Wed- 25¢ Wednesday Cash and. Camry No Delivery ) 49 Wed. ALUMINUM Kitchen Utensils 300 Pieces Only | It will pay you well to be here early. Sauce Pans, Frying Pans, Dish Pans, regular size and guaran- teed British Aluminum, | 5 | Roasters, Potato Pots, Regular 85c to $1.25. All will go C No Phone Orders ea ALERT PETTIE % XY