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i A EAE SCRE EE BL oR yr Cw BROWN AT ALL GROCERY STORES {To have done so, in those circmstances, "taken such a risk on a mere bluff. : down his four aces when I raised him, 0 LABEL -- ooo TE soe of Ranaiky HORDER CASE DINE AUTHOR 97 THE BENSON MURDER CASE ~* THE STORY THUS FAR Skeel's finger prints were found in the apartment of the strangled Mar- garet OZell, but Vince believes Skeel had been hiding in a closet while the murderer did his work. The thing that baffles police is the door to.the alley. 14 was bolted on the inside, seemingly precluding the exit or en- trance of anyone through it. Mannix Dr.' Lindquist and Cleaver all lie about their whereabouts the night of the murder. Spotswoode, who had called on the girl, had rushed to her door at sound of a scream, bul had been reassured through the door that nothing was wrong. Tater Skeel is found strangled, after promising to reveal the murderer, Vance demon- strated how Skeel could have manipu- lated the side dosr and asks Markham to invite Spotswoode, C'leaverand Man- nix to his apartment for a poker game, stack alongside of it. Then he coolly and deftly counted the remainder of his chips, and pushed them all forward with the palm of his hand, saying quietly: "The limit." Vance shrugged almost impercep- tibly. "The pot, sir, is yours." He smiled pleasantly at Spotswoode, and put down his hand face up, to establish | his openers. He had held four aces! "Gad! That's poker!" exclaimad Allen, chuckling. "Poker?" echoed Markham: "To lay down four aces with all that money at stake?" Cleaver also grunted his astonish- ment, and Mannix pursed his lips dis- gustedly. "I don't mean any offense, y' under- stand, Mr. Vance," he said. "But look- ing at that play from a strictly busi- ness standpoint, I'd say you quit too soon." Spotswoode glanced up. "You gentlemen wrong Mr, Vance," | he said. "He played his hand perfect- | ly. His withdrawal, even with four! aces, was scientifically correct." promising to | the murderer after it is over (Meaver wins an unusually large stake from Vanee, heating four kings with a straight flush, CHAPTFR XLVIII About half an hour later Vance again took out his handkerchief and passed it across his forehead. As before, T noted that it was Allen's deal, and also thot ike hand was a jack-po' which had bron twice sweet ened. Allen pausad to take a drink of his high-ball and to light his cigar. Then ( after Vanee had cut the cards,' he dealt thom. : Cleaver, Markham and Spotswoode passed. and aain Vance opened, for the full 'amount of the pot. No one, stayed excort time it wo him and V Spotsw stroagle 21 for one card; and Vance stood Then there followad & moment of almost breathless silence. The atmosphere seem.d to me to be electrically charged, and 1 think the others sensed it too, watching the play with a curiously strained in ness, Vance and Spots- boy! What a battle that was!" | Spotswoode nodded and, turning to; Vance, said: "Since the exact situation is never likely to occur again, the least I can do, by way of showing my apprecia- tion of your remarkable perception, is to gratify your curiosity--I held Sro'swoode; and this nothing." A rire mil Spotswoode put down his hand and extended his fingers gracefully toward the upturned cards. There were re- vealed a five, six, seven and eight of clubs, and a knave of hearts. "I can't say that I follow your rea- soning, Mr. Spotswoode," Markham for they were | confessed: "Mr. Vance had you beaten and he quit," "Consider the situation," Spots- woode, however, appeared frozen ini%oode replied, in a suave, even voice. attitudes of superlative .calm. I watched them closely, but neither re- vealed the slightest indication of any emotion. Tt was Vance's first bet. Without Speaking he moved a stack of yellow [iL most certainly would have opened so rich a pot, had I been able to, after Cr. Cleaver and you had passed. But since I nevertheless stayed after Mr. Vance had opened for so large an {amount, it goes without saying that I chips to the centre of the table--it was | must have had either a four-straight, by far the largest wager that had beén made during the game. But imme- diately Spotswoode measured another 5, ergy and keeps you alert, {a four-flush and a four-straight-flush. I believe I may state without im- modesty that I am too good a player to have stayed otherwise." "And I assure you, Markham," in- terrupted Vance, "that Mr. Spots- woode is to6 good a player to have stayed unless he had actually had a ,| four-straight flush. That is the only hand he would have been justified in baeking at the betting odds of two to one. ount in the pot, and Mr. Spotswoode had to put up half the amount of the money on the table in order to stay-- making it a two-to-one bet. Now, these odds are not high, and any non. opening hand smaller than a four- straight-flush vould not have war- ranted the risk. "As it was, he had, with a one- nineteen - chances in forty-seven--or than one chance in three--of "Sure it was," agreed Allen. "Oh, | had been {én cents. "You see, I had opened for the am-| { Vance Sgtred; and figured rightly, that 1 would not have bet and also have raised It ° og 'have been irratfonal poker. Not one player in a thousand would have "Therefore, had Mr. Vance not aid he would have been foolhardy .in the extreme, It turned out, of course, that I was acially bluffing; but that does not alter' the fact that the correct and logical thing was for Mr. Vance to quit." od "Quite true," Vance agreed "As Mr. Spotswoode says, not one player in a shousand would have wagered the limit without having filled his straight-flush, nowiag I had a pat band. Indeed, one might almost say that Mr. Spotswoode, by doirg so, has added another decimal point to the psychological subtleties of the game; for, as you see, he analyzed my reason- ing, and carried his own reasoning a step further." Spotswoode acknowledged the com- pliment with a slight bow; and Cleav- e- renched for the cards and began to | shuffle them. But the tension had been broken, and the game was not re- sumed. Something, however, seemed to have gone wrong with Vance. For a long while he sat frowning at his cigaret and sipping his high-ball in troubled abstraction. At last he rose and walked to the mantel, where he stood studying a Cezanne water color he had given Markham years' before. His action was a typical indication of his inner puzzlement. Presently, when there came a lull "Want some more?" asked Mannix! "It, only you'd look at me straight in with good-natured aggressiveness. leavening qualities give the same satis: Is factory results with every baking. SA Raeaite 3 out of every 4. Gu housewmives,® who bake at 84d by A ym dL suggestions. tablespoon butter 3 freee "ing Fore 24 cape flour ab Fryers B "ii | 4 Cream butter and y , beat well. ey, IRpremat eerie Sad ad to Sout mlkhane nately with milk. If batter not stiff add a little more 'flour. Put in well-greased muffin pans for 20 minutes in a quick oven. : ; *Tlis fact was revealed ih a recent Dominion-wide i bake at-home; thi ; 8 8 | 4 at the Neéw Magi on ¢ wil furnish you with dozens of attrac --~ i Bock gM Recipe for Muffins ~~ - STANDARD BRANDS LIMITED GILLETT PRODUCTS fble. ; : Leaving Spitzberg during July. 1931, 1'in a specially equipped submarine, Sir Hubert plans to go through the North Pole to. Alaska, about 2,000 miles away. The trip is expected to last 'two months. Not only will' meteoro- Jogical and magnetic observations be attempted in places where they never have been recorded before, Sir Hubert sald, but efforts will be made to find a. permanent base for observations some 700 miles northeast of "Point Barrow. : : Use of the submarine, he explained, 18 the only means for obtaining the in- the eyes," in the conversation, he turned sharply | "That's enough." Vance seemed bor- gafq the man with the heart of flint, and looked at Mannix i "I say, Mr. Mannix" he spoke with only casual curiosity--"how does it happen you've never acquired a taste | for poker? All good business men are gamblers at heart." "Sure they are," Mannix replied, with pensive deliberation, "But poker,' now, isu't my idea of gambling--posj- tively not- It's got too mucH science. And it ain't quick enough for me--it hasn't got the kick in it, if you know what I mean. Roulette's my speed. When I was in Monte Carlo last sum- mer I dropped more money in ten min- utes that you gentlemen lost here this whole evening. But I got action for my money." "I take it, then, you don't care for cards at all." "Not to play games with," Mannix had become expansive, "I don't mind betting money on the draw of a card,' for instance. But no two out of three) y' understand. I want my pleasures to come rapid." And he snapped his thick fingers several times in quick succession to demon trate the rapidity with which he desired to have his pleasures come. : Vance sauntered to the table and carelessly picked up a deck of cards. "What do you say for cutting once for a thousand dollars?" Mannix rose instantly. "You're on!" Vance handed the cards over, and Mannix shuffled them. Then he put them down and cut. He turned up a ten. Vance cut, and showed a king. "A thousand I owe you," said Man- nix, with no more concern than if it Vance waited 'without speaking, and Mannix eyed him craftily. "I'll cut with you again--two thou- sand this time. Yes?" Vence raised him eyebrows: "Double? . .. By all means." He shuffled the cards, and cut a seven. Mannix's hand swooped ®own and turned a five. "Well, that's three thousand I owe you," he said. His little eyes had now narrowed into slits, and he held his cigar clamped tightly between his teeth. "Like ta.double it again--eh, what?" Vance asked. "Four thousand this time?" > Markham looked at Vance in amaze- ment, and over Allen's face there came an expression of almost ludicrous con- sternation. Every one present, I be- Heve, was astonished at the offer, for obviously Vance knew-that he was giving Mannix tremendous odds by permitting successive doubling. In the end he was sure to lose. I believe Markham would have protest- ed if at that moment Mannix had not snatched the cards from the table and began to shuffle them. : "Four thousand it is!" he announc- ed, putting down the deck and cutting. He turned up the queen of diamonds. not!" He was suddenly jovi "I fancy you're right," Vance; and he cut a trey. ured "You can't beat that lady--positively ed. "Far too excitin'. 3 rugged constitution, don't y' know." Ho went to the desk and mr.de out a cheque to Manmix for a thousand dollars. Then he turned to Markham and held out his hand. I haven't yours "rd t But your lies," squint. she - couldn't--because of her and forbids that 'which is evil; | {shes and resists the wicked. --Luther, | Use 'Minard's for Burns. "Had a jolly evening and: all that sort of thing. - . . And, don't forget; we lunch together tomorrow. One o'clock at the club, what?" Markham hesitated. "If nothing interferes." | "But really, y' know, #"musn't)" insisted Vance. "You've no idea how eager you are to see me." He was unusuaily silent and thoughtful during the ride home. Not one explanatory word could I get out of him. But wken he bade me good night he said: * "There's & vital part of the puzzle still missing, and until it's found none of it has any meaning." (To be continued.) -- lp simp | Come-to-Grief Alrpan--I was trying to make a record. Farmer--Well, you've made it, sur; you be the first man in these parts who climber down a tree without having to climb up it first. 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Write fir it formation, as attempts by surface 1s "and airplanes have proved futile. ¢ y Both the season and special me- chanical features of the submarine Te combine to make the trip safe, he said. ry and forgive yout the whols of wards and defends the godly, but pus! During the summer months, it was explained, there are numerous patches of open water. through which the sub- | marine can come up about every 26 miles for surface observations. The 115-foot vessel, however, will | have . battery strength to Tun 125 . miles without replenishing. In ad- dition, it was to carry, Sir Hubert pointed out, equipment for use im bringing it through the ice, should the need arise. The submarine will be topped with a flexible trolley attached to graze the ice' above as it moves along, forcing the ship to the surta®, Sir Hubert ex- plained, uon its reaching thin ice. Should the vessel get caught under the ice, he sald, electrically-driven drills capable of indefinite extension, a revolving saw, a pressure apparatus for forcing the core from the drilled ice, a sleeve With hot electrical points, and chemicals to melt the ice, would be used. eee pee Canada By D. P. Graham, aged 12. Oh, Canada! thy magic name, To which none other can compare, Suggesls to me a la; u supreme Blest with rich mines and fields so fair;-- Gold, silver, nickel, iron ore-- All found somewhers from shore to shore-- Wide fields and macy forests great Help to dnance vur youthfui state. Ae x When first thy name breathed * It came from Ameritian tongue; And many wars about thee seethed In days when Canada was young. We took thee from the French of yore, in air was more. fhe Crumabout| Thanks to the oldiers of Isaac Brock Jor Joi That we our southern rivals mock. the lai A : i & 4 Mackenzie and french Papineau, O great reformers of our statel rot 'urly. 0 great lords Elgin, Durham, oh! You made our Constitutior great. = : . dependable TI0ELE, nih Fathers of Confederation, lC ar S on Lil RL pid We would give yo: rank and station, ? . varty. 'The Small bow| Ye builders of the Ca dian West, Ss b ouls cubln baw tollet and' 1ots| We would give you oi our best. q hs shits | So grew our country in the past . fishing Into the nation of to-day; - «| May each Canadian heart stand fast; When other coun 'es tempt, say " . ? : Then in the future we wiil grow Till-we with wealth shall overflow. 'We'll keep the honor and the truth That we have won in early youth, NES General Smuts Sydney Bulletin: The cables report that General Smuts, the ex-Premier of South Afriea, is mentioned as a prob- able Governor-General of Australia. If ! any such idea is really entertained, it "should be dropped at once. . . . Much as wa might desire to oblige South Africa, our first duty is to preserve. _ | Governor-General is held in Australia; the respect in which the office of