Lake Scugog Historical Society Historic Digital Newspaper Collection

Port Perry Star, 31 Oct 1929, p. 2

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$. S.VAN DINE Ammon 5 ae senson THE STORY THUS FAR: Spotswoode had gope out with the "Canary". the evening of the murder, When he left, he asked Jessup, on the rd, a cab. "Then," said Jessup, "we heard Miss Odell Sronm, Ss io her qoorimd she rough it that everything was 'all right." But the next bi 3 she was found strangled. Cleaver, known to be an intimate of the girl, '8 ques- tioned but provides an alibi, He men- tions Dr. Lindquist, who orders Mark- ham out of his house when tha latter uestions his as to his whereabouts e evening of the murder. CHAPTER XIG. Vance shook his head in a mock discouragement, "Really, y' know, Markham, old thing," he added, "you should study the cranial indications of your fellow men more carefully, Did you, by any chance, note the gentleman's wide rec- tangular forehead, his irregular eye- brows, and pale luminous eyes, and his outstanding ears with their thin upper rims, their pointed tragi and split lobes? . .. A clever devil, this Ambroise--but a moral imbecile, Be- ware of those pseudo-pyriform faces, Markham; leave their Apollonian Greek suggestiveness to misunder- stood women." "I wonder what he really knows?" grumbled Markham irritably, "Oh, he knows something--rest as- sured of that! And if only we knew it, too, we'd be considerably further along in the investigation. Further- more, the information he is hiding is pomewhat unpleasantly connected with himself. His euphoria is a bit shaken. He {rightfully overdid the grand manner; his valedict'ry fulmination was the true expression of his feeling toward us" "Yes," agreed Markham. "That question about last night acted like a petard. What prompted you to sug- gest my asking it?" "A number of things--his gratui- tous and obviously mendacious state- ment that he had just read of the murder; «his wholly insincere homily on the sacredness of professional con- fidences; the cautious and Pecksnif- flan confession of his fatherly regard for the girl; his elaborate struggle to remember when he had last seen her --+this particularly, I think, made me suspicious; and then, the psychopathic indicants of his physiognomy." "Well," admitted Markham, "the question had its effect, . . . I feel that ¥ shall see this fashionable M.D. ain." "You will," iterated Vance. "We took him unawares. But when he has had time to ponder the matter and eoncoct an appealin' tale, he'll become downright garrulous. . Anyhow, the evening is over, and you can medi- tate on butterenps till the morrow." But the eveniuz was not quite over as far as the Odell case was concern- ed. We had been back in the lounge woom of the club but a short time when a man walked by the corner in which we sat, and bowed with formal _| any doctor to me." "ye, even. "4d like to soe it again # 1 © © i, MURDER CASE courtesy to Markham. Markham, to my surprise, rose and greeted him, at the same time indicating a chair, "There's something further I want- ed to ask you, Mr. Spotswoode," he said, "if you can spare a moment." At the mention of the name I re- garded the man closely, for, I confess, 1 was not a little curious about the anonymous escort who had' taken the girl to dinner and the theatre the night before. Spotswoode wa. a typi- cal New England aristocrat, inflexible, slow in his movements, reserved, and quietly but modishly dressed. His hair fand mustache were slightly gray-- which, no doubt, enhanced the pink- ness of his complexion. He was just under six feet tall, and well propor- tioned, but a trifle angular, Markham introduced him to Vance and me, and briefly explained that we/ were working with him on 'he case, and that he had thought it best to take us fully into his confidence. Spotswoode gave him a dubious look, but immediately bowed his ac- ceptance of the decision, "I'm in your hands, Mr. Markham," he replied, in a well-bred Hut some- what high-pitched voice, "and 1 con- cur, of course, with whatever you 'think advisable." He turned tv Vance with an apologetic smile. "I'm in a rather unpleasant position, and na- turally feel a little sensitive about it." "I'm something of an antinomian," Vance pleasantly informed him, "At any rate, I'm not a moralist; so my attitude is quite academic." Spotswoode laughed softly. "1 wish my family held a similar point of view; but I'm afraid they would not be so tolerant of my foibles." "It's only fair to tell you, Mr. Spotswoode," interposed Markham, "that there is a bare possibility 1 may have to call you as a witness." The man looked vp quickly, his face clouding over, but he made no com- ment. "The fact is," continued Markham, "we are about to make an arrest, and your testimony may be meeded to establish the time of Miss Odell's re- turn to her apartment, and also to substantiate the fact that there was presumably some one in her roms after you had left. Her screams and calls for help, which you heard, may prove vital evidence in obtaining a econvie- tion." Spotswoode seemed rather appalled at the thought of his relations with the girl becoming public, and for sev- eral minutes he sat with averted eyes, "I see your point," he acknowledged at length. "But it would be a terrible thing for me if the fact of my delin- quencies became known," "That contingency may be entirely avoided," Markham encouraged him. "I promise you that you will not be called upon unless it is absolutely necessary. . . . And now, what I espe- cially wanted to ask you is this: do you happen to know a Doctor Lind- quist who, I understand, was Miss Odell"s personal physician?" Spotswoode was frankly puzzled. "I never heard the name," he answered, "In fact, Miss Odell never mentioned " "And did you ever hear her men- tion the name of Skeel . , . or refer to any ome a3 Tony?" "Never." His answer was emphatic. Markham lajsed into a disappoint ed nilerce.. Spotswoqde, too, was sil- ent; Le sat as it in a reve:y, "You know, Mr. Matbham," he said, after several minutes, "I ought to be ashamed to admit it, but the truth is I cared a good deal for the girl. 1 suppose you've kept her apart- ment intact. . . ." He hesitated, and a look almost of appeal came into his Markham 'regarded him sympa, thetically, but finally shook his head, "It wouldn't do. You'd be sure to there be a reported about--and then I'd be unable to keep you out of cage." . y A forth from hiding a few minutes : 1 went." 2 2 x "And you had no suspicion of the fact when you help?" ; "1 did at first--natuzally, But when she assured me that nothing was the pmatter, ind told me to go home, I attriuted her screams to a nigh "I knew she had tired, and I 'had left her in the wicker chair nea; the door, from where Ther seemed to come; 0 I maturally con- cluded she had dozed off and cal out in her sleep. . . If only I hadn't taken so much for granted!" = "It's a harrowin' situation." Vance was silent for a while; then he asked: "Did you, by any chance, notice the door of the living-rom closet? Was it open or closed?" Spotswoode frowned, as if attempt- ing the visualize the picture; but the result was a failure. "I suppose it was closed. I probab- ly would have noticed it if it had beend open." "Then you couldn't say if the key was in the lock or not?" "Good Lord, no! I.don't even know if it ever had a key." The case was discussed for another half-hour; then Spotswoode excused himself and left us. "Funny thing," ruminated Mark- ham, "how a man of his. upbringing could be attracted by the empty- headed, butterfly type." "I'd say i% was quite natural" re- turned Vance. . . "You're such an incorrigible moralist, Markham." (To be continued.) tans "Brutal, and Licentious * Soldiery!"' London Daily Helegraph (Cons.): The British soldier--the "brutal mer- cenary" of 'wartime propaganda--has been discovered by thousands of Ger- mans for the genial, good-tempered footballloving sportsman that he is, and in scores of German homes the inevitable inonveniences of billeting have been mitigated by the British I heard her call for | hours and wages. To seek to the owners the voice of reason before worse be- falls them. Few. things stirred the country more at the general election to which miners had been reduced by | the owners' selfish and ignorant policy, and there will be a terrible rec- koning for those who continue to ob- struct the way to peace, efficieny and a decent life for Britain's underground workers, ee} een Labor and the League London Daily Express (Ind. Cons.): The Labor politicians who are now in office ought to have learned from their previous experience what it means to commit a fundamental error In foreign policy. We warn them that | If they persist in coquetting with this new Geneva vamp they will split the Cabinet, they will split the party, and they will rouse up against themselyes in Parliament and throughout the ' country the same incensed feelings of; distrust that swept them away in 1924. What greedy ears receive loose tongues betray, but no one repeats what you don't say. "Qur office lift broke down this morning and my new typist and I were caught in it. "Who caught you, your wife?" 1 Capably written by freee Radio-Automobile Section Queen Street West © Buys Week -End Pleasure for Your Whole Family! Treat the family every week to the abundance of entertainment for both young and old in The Standard 24 Funniest Comics The best work of the world's most popular cartoonists, Large Rotogravure Section Pictures of interesting people, places : and events from all over the world, Interesting Short Stories By iaternationelly famous writ f Deermationally ea of ; World's Latest News Big Magazine Section brimful of enjoyable read- A wealth of news and information for radio and Complete Sports Section Sport returns and reviews by popular sport writers, All for 0c in Canada's Greatest Illustrated Sunday Newspaper The Standard 10 ONTARIO NEWS COMPANY ------ ee -- For Sprains--Uge Minard's Liniment. special staff cor- 10+ = « Toerento, Ontario it on |; accom- | ¢ plish one and to ignore the other will than the consciousness of the phght| attitude, and | bo |¥ they are wise, they will Hsten to Noon's Muted And writes a long and golden scrawl In tree-leaf shadows on my wall. The bulbous sun has spilled his fire, Impaled upon a Jersey spire; i 'And 'hard day-objects of the street Grow soft, in the long light, and And with - the lingering light o'er. spread 7 My thoughts are all new gar Far down the block in yellow gase VALUE OF AMBITION hot fortissimo still clings, in many murmurings; moral darkness; It is quite impossible that a man who performs no duty, and cherishes { no ambiticn, can escape that fatal de- ' cline which leads to the region of THER For Sharpening Behind a row of gold-tipped trees »oaL Xaives and Tools The "L," like some old dream, goes by LUXE Betwixt the Avenue and sky. $1 65 Busey 'Wheel, ~--E. B. W,, in "The Lady Is Cold." 3 Tor Postpaid to Sena or ef te place : nT Cane of tools "Was your uncle's life insured? |, g TARSHIS & SONS, Managers "No. He was a total loss." 450 MoGill Street, - . Eontreal S-- -- for one's nerves! It's unwise, and it's unnecessary, For a tablet or two of HH : 1 : joie - * J o - Such punishment isn't very i He : F i "| tions of African lightened the weight of th coat. New secrets of the o resulted in the production of a su glossy surface. i Sealing is a risky trade, ers must take the seal : prise and kill them before tI slide off the warm rocks, wher sun themselves. This means € ous small-boat work in the surf: or among sharp rocks. Many cutters have been lost on unchartered reefs in these waters, and many a poat's crew drowned. A royalty on each skin is paid to the government by private sealing ex- peditions which have obtained their licenses. The crews are paid by re- sults, and sbme of the men who form the gangs have earned as much as $2,000 during a season of four months, The poachers fit out in Table Bay and clear for the rich fishing grounds off 'Luderitzzbucht, where the 'Seal Islands lie. 'With clubs, rifies and even dynamite they butcher scores of seals on the uninhabited islets, land. ing in foggy weather and usually es- caping long before any government vessel reaches the spot. These raiders have often made such valuablc hauls that the prices of government seal skins have suffered. Great care is taken in removing the pelts, for a slip of the knife means a ruined skin. The pelts are loaded in- to boats and taken out to the ship, with sharks swimming eagerly along- side in the hope of snatching the skins. Once safely on board the skins are salted and stowed away in barrels for shipment overseas. : The islands of the seals are queer ly named. Elephant Island, Quain Rock, Hallam's Bird and Ichaboe are some of them, Less than a century ago they were the resorts of pirates, the scene of ghastly fights between rival crews loading guano there. ee 5 Age-Old Question Where Do Elephants Go When They Die? The long-standing African mystery of what happens to dead elephants has received a new explanation at the hand of Sir William Gowers, Govern- or of the British Colony of Uganda, says Dr. BE. B, Free, in his Week's Science (New York). This is it: "Instead of the legendary idea of some hidden 'elephant cemetery,' so remote that human beings have never found it, and to which each dying ele- phant is supposed to make his way to let his bones lie with those of his an- cestors, Sir Wil suggests, in a spe- clal article in the London Times, that the missing bones of all past genera- plephants may be ly- ing at the bottoms of that continent's rivers. Experts agree that dead wild elephants are seldom found in Africa. In years of experience Sir William has seen' but two. Yet at least two thousand wild African elephants must die from natural causes, he computes, during each average year. There are practical as well as scientific reasons for finding these dead animals, for many of them would have tusks very valuable for ivory. Yet no searcher

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