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The Green Murder Case BY 8. 8. VAN DINE. ' SYNOPSIS Philo Vance, interested in - solving mysteries, becomes interested in- the Greene murders when District Attorney Markham is called In after the fatal Shaoting af Julia Grecre and the wound- a her sister, Tobias Greene's W, together with five children, live in the old Greene mansion. Ulolice in- vestigations result in a blank wall and the world is again horrified when Ches- ter Greene is murdered. Again fooisteps are found to and from the entrance 0 the mansion. Ada recalls hearing a door being closed. CHAPTER XII-- (Cont'd.) Vance was unusually thoughtful as we returned to the drawing room, "I'd give a good deal to know what Ada knows or suspects," he mur- mured. . "She's been through a trying ex- perience," returned Markham. "She's frightened, and she sees new dangers in everything. But she couldn't sus- pect anything, or she'd be only too eager to tell us." "I wish 1 were sure of that." The next hour or go was occupied with interrogating the two maids and the cook. Markham cross-examined them thoroughly not only concerning the immediate events touching upon tke two tragedi.s, but in regard fo the general conditions in the Greene Booatong ameious family episodes in the past were gone over; and whan his inquiries were finiched he had ob. tained a fairly good idea of the do- mestic atmosphere. But nothing that cold be even remotely connected with the murders came to light, There had always been, it transpired, an abundance of hatred and ill-feeling and vicious irritability in the Greene mansion. The story that was un- folded by the servants was not a pleasant one; it was : record--scrap- py and desultory, but none the less appalling--of daily clashes, complain- ings, bitter words, sullen silences, jealousies and threats. Most of the details of this unnatur- a: situation were supplied by Hem- ning, the older maid. She was lesy ecstatic than during the first inter- view, although the interspersed her remarks with Biblical quotations and references to the dire fate which the Lord had seen fit to visit upon her sir ful employers. Nevertheless, sho painted an arresting, if over-colored and prejudiced, picture of the life that had gone on about her during the past ten years. But when 't came to explaining the methods employed by the Almighty in visiting his ven- geance upon the unholy Greenes, she became indefinitx and obscure. At length Markham let her go after she had assured him: that she intended to remain at her post of duty--to be, as she expressed it, "a witness for the Lord" when his work of righteous devastation was complete. Barton, the yourger maid, on the other hand, announced in no uncertain terms, that she was through with the Greenes forever. The girl was genu- inely frightened, and, after Sibella and Sproot had been consulted, she was paid her wages and told she could pack her things. In less than half an hour she had turned in her key and departed with her luggage. Such in- formation as she left behind her was largely a substantiation of Hém- ning's outpouring:.. She, though, did not regard the two murders as the acts of an ou'raged God. Hers was a more practical and mundane view. "There's something awful funny going on here," she had said forget- ting for the moment the urge of her coquettish spirits. "The Greenes are queer people. And the servants are queer, too--what with Mr. Sproot GOLD Syndicate REM ENDOUS, development now goin, on throughout Northern Ontario presage a gold boom of magnitude. ew camps are opening up rapidly, New mines are in the making. For- tunes await those who get into 3he, J leaders in these new areas 0 areas is Tyrrell Matachewan, red pris pending pre; y _ is at oo eh wry McNeely syndi- sate. In the hands of pioneer min- ing men of repute, work has gone ahead steadily until the property shown all Indications of a HESE MEN have done initial work with their own money. PRE With the element of luced, they invite suppor A a number of the original units are still available at $100 each. These units are ange. able for 1,000 i of Junty paid, REMEMBER the. EMBER the. "story of Lake 'e. ip the coupon velow now for Iiptive circular and map. UT STANDING among these 7] and she looks at you sometimes as | account for the rather remarkable fact reading books in foreign languages. and Hemming preaching about fire and brimstone, and cook going around in a sort of trance muttering to her- self and never answering a civil ques- tion. And such a family!" She rolled her eyes, "Mrs, Greene hasn't got any heart. She's a regular old witch, though she'd like to strangle you. If I was Miss Ada I'd have gone crazy long ago. But thensMiss Ada's no better than the rest. She acts nice and gentlelike, but I've seen her stamping up and down in her room looking like a very devil; and once she used lan- guage to me what was that bad I put my fingers in my ears. And Miss Si- bella's a regular icicle--except when she gets mad, and then she'd kill you if she dared, and laugh about it. And there's been something funny about her and Mr. Chester. Ever since Miss Julia and Miss Ada were shot they've been talking to each other in th= sneakiest way when they thought nol one was looking. And this Doctor Von Llon what comes here so much: he's a deep one. He's been in Miss Si- bella's room with the door shut lote of times when she wasn't any more sick than you are, A d Mr, Rex, now. He's & gueer an oo 1 get the creeps every time he comes near me.' She shuddered by way of demonstra. tion. "Miss Julia wasn't as queer as the rest. She just hated everybody and was mean." Barton had rambled on loquaciously with all the thoughtless exaggeration of a gossip who felt herself outraged; and Markham had not interrupted her. Fe was trying to dredge up some nugget from the mass of her verbal silt; but when at last he sifted it ail down there remaited nothing but a few shining grains of scandal. The cook was even less enlighten- ing. Taciturn by nature, she became almost inarticulate when approached on the subject of the erime. ler stolid exterior seemed to cloak a eul- len resentment of the fact that she should be questioned at all. In fact, #8 Markham patiently pressed his examination, the impression grew on me that her lack of responsiveness was deliberately defensive, as if she had steeled herself to reticency. Vance, too, sensed this attitude in her, for, during a pause in the interview, he moved his chair about until he faced her directly. "Frau Mannheim," he said, "the last time we were here you mentioned the fact that Mr. Tobias Greene knew your husband, and that, because of their acquaintance, you applied for a position here when your husband died." "And why shouldn't 1?" she asked stubbornly. "I was poor, and I didn't have any other friends." "Ah friends!" Vance caught up the word. "And since you were once on friendly terms with Mr. Greene, you doubtless know certain things about his past, which may have some bearing on the present situation; for it is not at all impossible, d' ye see, that the crimes committed here dur- ing the past few days are connected with matters that took place years ago. We don't know this, of course, but we'd be very much gratified if you would try to help us in this regard." As he was speaking the woman had drawn herself up. Her hands had tightened ag they lay folded in her lap, and the muscles about her mouth had stiffened. "I don't know anything," was her only answer. "How," asked Vance evenly, "do you that Mr, Greene gave orders that you were to remain here as long as you cared to?" "Mr, Greene was a very kind and cenerous man," she asserted, in a flat, combative voice. "Some there were that thought him hard, and accused him of being unjust; but he was al- ways good to me and mine." : "How well did he know Mr. Mann- heim?" : There was a pause and the woman's eyes looked blankly ahead. "He helped my husband once, when he was in trouble." "How did he happen to do this?' There was another pause, and then: "They were in some deal together-- in the old country." She frowned and appeared uneasy. "When was this?" "I don't remember. 1 was married." "And where did you first meet Mr. Greene?" "At my home in New Orleans. He was there on business--with my hus- "» band. "And, I take it, he befriended you also." It was before A2 + + + (TRIPLE PLUS) Servo Kraft Velveeta to your family oftener! Hidden in its tempting, mellow flavor are health-protective elements of many foods rated one. ils Science gives it a nputri- tional rating of plus, plus, plus! The Food Committee of the American Medical Asso- ciation approves it. Get a package from your grocer today. Spread it; slice it, cook with it. Made in Canada - KRAFT elveeta The Delicious Cheese Food "No!" The denial was like an ejac- ulation. Vance smoked lethargically for sev- eral moments. "You lived in New Orleans until the time of your employment in this house?" he finally asked. "Yes," "And your husband died there?" "Yes." "That was thirteen years ago, 1 understand. How long before that had it been since you had seen Mr. Greene?" "About a year." "So that would be fourteen years ago." An apprehension, bordering on fear, showed through the woman's morose calmness, "And you came all the way to New York to seek Mr. Greene's help," mus- ed Vance. "Why were you so confi- dent that he would give you employ- ment after your husband's death?" "Mr. Greene was a very good man," was all she would say. "He had perhaps," suggested Vance, "done some other favor for you which made you think you could 'count on his generosity--eh, what?" "That's neither here nor there." Her mouth closed tightly. Vance changed the subject. "What do you think about the crimes that have been committed in this house?" "I don't think about them," she mumbled; but the anxiety in her voice belied the assertion. "You surely must hold some opin- ion, Mrs. Mannheim, having been here s0 long." Vance's intent gaze did not leave the woman. "Who, do you think, would have had any reason for want- ing to harm these people?" Suddenly her self-control gave way, "Du licber Herr Jesus! 1 don't know --I don't know!" It was like a cry of anguish. "Miss Julia and Mr. Ches- ter maybe--gewiss, one could under- stand. They hated everybody; they were hard, unloving. But little Ada-- der susse Engel! Why should they want to harm her?" "We shan't let anything further happen to little Ada," said Vance, a note of sympathy in his voice. ¥ (To be continued.) mre henaan Worst Bug Year in Decade Declares U, S. Statistician Springfield, 111.--This is the most prolific bug year in a decade, says A. J. Surratt, Federal agricultural sta- tician, He warns the residents of Il- linois cities that oat lice have spread from country road to city street to in- fest the eyes, ears, head and clothing of the townspeople. One Mattoon resident said ie drove through a cloud of oat lice so thick théy covered his windshield ard he had to stop and brush them off. Oat lice do no particular damage to| crops, Mr, Surratt said, but they are only one pest enjoying a boom year. Chinch bugs and Hessian fly, nemesis of small grains and corn, are flourish- ing. A The 'woman maintained a stubborn "A moment ago," pursued Vance, "you used the "a the first time duri her face en | phrase 'me and mine.' | juve Sey any children, Mrs. Mann- EASY TO PLAY Y reed butterfly of| the eastern United States, according tc Mr. Clark, emits an odor like the faint, sweet fragrunce of red clover| '| blossoms of the flowers-of the com- mon milkweed, Thie comes from scales within a little pouch on each hind wing of the male, toegther with a faint, cockroach-like "odor. male emits only the latter, stronger and more disa butterfly, Mz. Clark says, wanderer, particula.ly fond along the seacoast or. along t Th a great bank of a wide river. It has been reported| 100 miles at sea. The common orange and black regal fritallary, Mr. Clark found, gives out a strong, sweet, spicy odor resembling that of sandalwood. The blue butter- 'fly of the middle Atlantic states has delicata an odor able to that of newly stirred earth in the spring or of crushed violets. The odor of the abundant wellow clover butterfly Mr. Clark describes as that of sweet grass. This insect, he found, has a decided preference for yellow flowers. If a cloud obscures the sun, it at once seeks a place to rest, the first choice being a yellow clover leaf or a yellow leaf of any kind. The tiny sulphur butterfly exudes a pronounced fragrance suggesting dried hay, while the closely related orange clover butterfly has a constant nd ver, iform odor suggesting od rey. ¥ study revealed. About the most common species throughout the East, the cabbage but- terfly, emits a faint odor, difficult te detect, which is comparable to that of mignonette and sweet briar, according to Mr. Clark. The great family of swallowtails, he says, present a range of odors.c The blue swallowtail, com- mon about flower gardens, exudes an odor suggestive of carrot flowers, It is described as one of the most ag- gressive of all butterflies. Mr. Clark records oné instance in which one of the species actually chased an English sparrow for more than 50 feet, each fl ing at a speed of approximately 25 miles an hour. The closely related yellow swallow- tail, an inhabitant of woodlands, has an odor described by Mr. Clark as "like certain brands of honey bis- cuits." ee ln nin Pigeon "Camera Man" Carrier pigeons are being used in Germany to take aerial photographs. These are often wanted for particular purposes, and to make iném by means of an aeroplane is rather an expen- sive business. By means of a wonder- ful new miniature camera, pigeons can be made to take the required snaps at trifling cost. The method used is ingenious, Birds which can be relied upon to fly straight home to their lofts are select- ed. They are then liberated so that the place to be photographed lies be- tween the point of release and the home loft. The camera has a time shutter which can be set to operate to within a fraction of a second. The speed at which particular birds fly is known from previous records, and it is found that they fly at an average height of about 500 feet. The figures having been worked out, the camera shutter is set to operate at the exact moment that the bird will be crossing the place or the building to be photographed. The bird is then released, and at the loft waits an as- sistant who removes the camera. Experiments have shown that extra- ordinarily good photographs can be obtained. --------ts Neighbour She sits there at her window, Looking out, And you wonder what it is She's thinking about. You know she isn't staring At any one thing, For nothing ever happens That's interesting. ~ There's just a row of houses Along our street, And just the kind of people You always meet. 1 wonder what she's seeing That we can't see In such a quiet street As ours seems to be. --Ferry Adams in The Chicago Tri bune. ---- cei Ain't Nature Grand? Two small boys were hunting in the woods, and one of them stopped and picked up a chestnut bur. "Tommy!" "Come here. I've found a PrICupine flying | be called - excitedly, | On returning from our expedition in 'quest of the young Count, I learned that a burrow, or village, as it is 'termed, of prairie dogs had been. dis- covered. in the level summit of a hill, about a mile from the camp. Having heard much of the habits and peculi- arities of these little animals, 1 deter mined to pay a visit to the community. The prairie dog is, in fact, one of the curiosities of the Far West, about which travellers delight to tell mar vellous tales, endowing him at times with something of the politic and so- cial habits of a rational being, and giving him systems of civil govern- ment and domestic economy, almost equal to what they used to bestow up- on the beaver. The prairie dog is an animal of the coney kind, and about the size of a ra. bit. He is of a sprightly mercurial nature; quick, sensitive, and some- what petulant. He is very gregarious, living ir large communities, some- times of several acres in extent where innumerable little heaps of earth «* ,w the entrances to the subterran- ean cells of the inhabitants, and the well-beaten tracks, like lanes and streets, show their mobility. and rest- lessness. According to the t given of them, they would seem to be continually full of sport, business, and public affairs; whisking about hither and thither, as if on gossiping visits to each other's houses, or congregat- ing in the cool of the evening, or after a shower, and gambolling together in the open air. Sometimes, especially when the mcon shines, they pass half the night in revelry, barking. or yelp- ing with short, quick, yet weak tones, like those of very young puppies. while in the height of their playful ness and clamor, however, should there be the least alarm, they all van- ish into their cells in an instant, and the village remains blank and silent. As we approached, we could per- ceive numbers of the inhabitants seat- ed at the entrances of their cells, while sentinels seemed to have been posted on the outskirts to keep a look- out. At sight of us, the picket guards scampered in and gave the alarm; whereupon every inhabitant gave a short yelp, or bark, and dived into his hole, his heels twinkling in the air as if he had thrown 4 somerset. We traversed the whole village, or republic, 'which covered an area of about thirty acres; but not a whisker of an inhabitant was to be seen. Mov- ing quietly to a little distance, we lay down upon the ground, and watched for a long time, silent and motionless. By and by, would slowly put forth the end of his nose, but instantly draw it in again. A rr 7 Sons : a cautious old burgher | Another, .at a greater distance, would emerge entirely; but, catching a glance of us, would throw a somerset, | and plunge back again into his hole, At length, some who resided on the opposite side of the village, taking courage. from the continued stillness, would steal forth, and hurry off to a distant Hole, the residence possibly of some family connection, or gossiping f:lend, about whose safet, they were solicitous, or with whom they wished to compare notes about the late oc- currences.--From "The Crayon Mis- cellany," by Washington Irving. "She said 'on her wedding day that she'd go through everything for him." "Well, 1 guess she Chas. 1 loaned him a ten spot this morning." than the A dwarf sées farther giant when he has the giant's shoul- der to mount on.--Samuel Taylor Col- eridge, 3 CAN YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT BABY? Why does a baby ery at sight? How much Te hould he wel When shoul creep--w How much food does he need? What makes him too at? You will find helpful answers b many questions about baby "Baby Welfare." Write Joday fr your copy. Use coupon below. The Borden Co. Limited,» 50 Powell St., fav snd fa. ee ony of emi "Baby Wi Name Address Wa 18 FAGLE [J CONDENSE SLE 8 JK TERBaROUGH "ron over pL BATS nr risHT" OWN A BOAT Pleasant waterways are within reach of almost everyone. will give you and your family a lot of safe, healthy fun. provided everything for you but the boat and when you read our catalogue, which we will send on request,-you will be surprised at the small investment a real good boat means. A boat Nature bas as her uncle; but Madame de Briante sald that she. was well aware of all her charms, and heightened them of a purpose. 'She seldom wore a mask, and even in pro- cessions she walked with face un covered; and often she would eclipse the more glittering splendour of the other Princesses with an artful sim- plicity; her hands, her ankles and her small feet shod with rare science were peerless; her fingers long and frail; the delight and wonder of the poets; and all at Court imitated the changing shape and colour = of her gloves. Her hair was fair, with' a golden glinting in it, and cunningly "Jere she had the aid of Mary Seton, who was, the Queen said, the first busker that was to be seem in any country. Her eyes were changing in colour; and under her long lashes, live with flame, they sometimes seemed hazel-colour and sometimes blue, but when lit up by anger they were like flashing swords, and when she smiled they were like stars. She wore pearls around her neck, and during her widowhood a veil with a stiff edging; and she carried in her velvet satchel a volume of Ronsard's poems, stamped with her arms, and ded by the poet himself, Ri 8. golden whistle, in playing on the lute she displays ed the skill as well as the shapelinesg of her matchless hands. She favour- ed rings, and had a number of them, well-chosen and wrought, Her deli- cate body was fashioned as it were of steel; she was impetuous and tireless, swift in the chase, and first in the gallop, and ready to ride all day and dance all night, and be fresh at the end as at the beginning of it. Those about her sometimes heard her say that she was sad, but never that she was weary. Her welcome in Scotland in the mists of Leith was rude; the Scottish nobles, the greater part of them be- ing the Reformed religion, came to meet her with suspicion, and with jealous glances for her foreign com- pany; but she won them incontinent with her grace and her lovely ways, and many among them, and especially the young, were swept away by ad- miration.--From "In My End Is My Beginning," by Maurice Baring. New York--1888 It seems almost incredible that New York was once small and neighborly that, if a friend lacked a telephone, one could send a message 10 the nearest drugstone and ask the clerk to deliver it down the street. And it would be dure. And done with grace and dispatch. . I would hear talk at home of the miracle which Mr. Bell had wrought; and it was at this time, too, that the first blue Brush arec-lights were in- vented. The lamp-lighters with their little ladders and matches were fast disappearing. In their place came these beautiful flowers on tall iron stems, which blossomed every twi- light, I can see myself, now, at the end of a street, awaiting the great moment when another flower would burst forth. There came a time, in March, 1888, which I vaguely remember, when the Great Blizzard swept our city. It snowed for three consecutive days, harder than it has ever snowed in New York, and one delight of that period was the fact that the schools had to close, since no pujils could get to them. I recall standing at an upper window in our house watching tke few pedestrians who ventured to go out, trudging along, collars turned vp, rubber boots sinking far, far down into the 'heavy snow... The morning came when the wooden shovels served a goodly purpose, and the snow could be swept away. I can hear their thin, 'raucous crunching yet, as they fell to work, a sounr tuch as Moscow must often have known, and St. Petersburg so far "Then came the clear, clean of sleigh-bells, ig the city was again, and those bl 4 , the grace of her mo- Jer wales all to forget her height. '