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l The Barnwell People^cntlnel, Barawii, S. C, March 29,1984 S— ./ ■ v - - Tk, WEDDING MARCH MURDER > y > ■——i . by MONTI BARRETT Copyright. INS. by tha Bobbs-'MarrUI O*. WNU Barvlca. 1 SYNOPSIS - Waiting In tha mlnlat«r*a study. Jim Franklin, about to be married to Doris Carmody, Is stabbed to death. Peter Cardiran, novelist, and amateur deteo- tlve of some note, with Sergeant Kil- day, begin the official investigation. Franklin, while Waiting, had. visitors, among them his mistress, “Choo Choo" Train; his Intended wife’s father, Am brose Carmody; her brother, Rylie; Daniel Bullis, politician, and a woman In a blue frock, who had quarreled opeuly with Franklin. Rylie Carmody admits trying toktop the wedding, aft er being informed by Webster Spears that Franklin was still friendly with Choo Choo, despite his approaching marriage. Kllday secures the dead man’s keys. Callis Shipley, one of the brldesm&lds, Is contradictory in her answers to questions, but the Investi gators learn^ nothing of Importance. An Interview with Bullis Is also fruit less. Webster Spears admits Informing . Rylie Carmody. of Franklin's, relations with Choo Choo, for Doris Carmody's sake, in the hope of preventing the.. _ weddtngr FTetcher, Franklin’s man servant, is reticent. An Interview with Milo Dunbar, Franklin’s law partner, reveals nothing of importance. CHAPTER IV—Continued —10 “Jim wasn’t much of a hand to keep such things,” said Dunbar. “But we’ll see.” * : It turned out that the attorney was right. Nowhere In his office were they able to And papers of a personal na ture that even hinted" at helpfulness. His business correspondence Was"all filed, with 'scrupulous neatness. In cab inets In the anteroom adjoining his office. The private office contained only a desk, several chalrs l a tete phone stand and an elaborately carved F— cellaret, convenient to the desk. A careful search of the desk yielded nothing. Peter turned his attention to the cellaret It was not locked, bu! beyond an elaborate array of liquors and necessary tumblers, revealing Franklin’s tastes in intoxicants, It was devoid of clues. ^—It looked like a stalemate. “Where else could he file papers of a personal nature here?” the sergeant asked vexedly. “I’m afraid we’ve looked about every where.” Dunbar glanced searchingly I About the room. “How about the safe?" suggested the novelist J ‘‘£ould It be there?’' “We only file papers of rather un usual i mportance In the safe.” Dunbar demurred. “I don’t think It likely that we’d find what you Are looking for. checked tonight, to find out who was calling on Webster 8peart." On their way, they reviewed the evi- dencd as it had developed thus far. Of the eight people who had seen Jim kiln at the church, at or near the time of his death, most could be proved to have bad a motive for the crime; Ambrose Carmody to prevent his marriage to his daughter, after dis covering Franklin’s relationship with Choo Choo Train"; Rylie Carmody for the same reason; Choo Choo Train be cause of Jealousy; Daniel Bullis be cause of the investigation Franklin had been conducting Into the-polltlcal scandal and which was proving menac ing to him. The motive for the wom an in blue seemed to have been jeal ousy, but all efforts to Identify her so far had met with- failure. There seemed to be no motive, as far as Nick Royce was concerned, but the Investigation had brought out the fact that Royce was aware of the situation existing between Bullis and Franklin. Fletcher had revealed that Nor was it logical to believe that Doctor Abernathy could have had k motive for the mur der. At most, he might have refused to identify Callus Shipley as the wom an In the blue dress. Neither of the -men was able to-identify this girl*# place in the drama which had resulted in Franklin’s murder. Admittedly, she had been In the sacristy once. Had she been there'twice? She had worn blue. Was she the woman in blue whom the rector had seen? She had apparently known of the murder at a- time when it seemed impossible to have possessed this information with- dared by * dozen people, including myself. I aee Pm supposed to be the woman in the case.* v “You’ve-been reading Topics," de clared Kllday. “Half a million other people have, too.” Choo Choo clenched the cover let “My press agent thinks It’s a great stunt He woke me up this morning, to gloat over, the front-page publicity. He’d been reading Topics.” “And what do you think F Peter inquired gravely. the woman shrugged. “I guess Pm not supposed to think," she said slowly, with no attempt to disguise her bitterness. “Me.'Tm Just a show girl A dead lover isn’t supposed to mean a thing in the world to me but front-page publicity and more” eua» tomers at the box office. “I’m Just the woman In the case," she repeated, with' an ache in her voice. Both men were silent Kllday, sit ting very erect was looking out the window, plainly reluctant, to gaze upon the woman's pain. Peter was uncomfbrtahly aware that he had not expected anything like this. The Choo Choo Train he had, pictured M. Woman's Right to Thought of Self Jim Franklin’s mistress—the woman who had quafreteff with her lover In Doctor Abernathy’s study—had been very different Ip his Imagination. The clink of china, as the maid brought additional c^ips and another Weakness in Self-Sacrifice Is Without Sense of , Proportion. — A school to make wives jelflsh 1 That Is the demand of Mary Pick- ford. “Women," she says, “ought to be taught how to be reasonably selfish; there ought to be a school where they could learn. „ “Kindness Is sometimes the most devastating and weakening influence. And wives especially make this mis take. It Is the unselfish ones who ruin themselves and everyone de pending upon them.” One New Year’s resolution she made, says^traFTiwn Maiy, and that was to treat herself as well as she treats the persons she likes best. That Is not a bad resolution. Every wife and mother.should show herself - the consideration ah e shows“TTfose “unselfish" wife our Mary stnpld wife, or a wife without a sense of proportion. She may have thought of a woman who Cld not know enough to “treat herself right" or one who’s conception of love was the blind and unthinking adoration of a primitive ■lave for a mystic idol If a school la necessary to correct snch faults In women and wifoa, then let us have' one by all means. But- let na not confuse t^em with lack of selfishness, and let os not condone or approve or suggest to anyone that selfishness might be anything bat what it la—something ugly and de structive and unsatisfying. ' mm svBaiest*.—wfro awws. there.” “But didn’t he have a private com partment. anywhere in the safe?” Peter waff reluctant to admit defeat “Yes,", said the lawyer. “We each had a compartment In the safe for our uwn use. He had a key for his. and I had one for mine. Walt and I’ll show you.” Dunbar searched through the middle drawer of his partner’s desk. “1 thought I saw Jim’s keys here” he be gan doubtfully. Then he found It “Ah! This looks tike It” Kllday andTardlgan followed him into the corridor, which separated the partners’ offices, to a large wall safe. The attorney twirled the combination knob, and presently the heavy door swung back slowly. He Indicated a smaller door to the novelist ; “That’s Jim’s compartment Here, you open It.” He pressed the key Into Kllday’s hand. —•——*—.—i- The sergeant was elated. For In a subsection of the compartment he found evidence that Franklin had used this as his persona] file. There were letters there, signed “Choo Choo” In a round Immature scrawl. But there was no hint here of any other woman, nothing that would help In the identi fication of Franklin’s mysterious vis itor In the study that afternoon. Both Peter and the detective were disap pointed. *Tm sorry,” declared Dunbar. "I hoped that I might be of some help." “It Isn’t your fault you weren’t,” declared the sergeant ruefully. "Frank lin was Just too methodical. We found the right place, but he had de stroyed the evidence, before we got here.” They were successful, however, In Identifying three more of the keys here. With the two identified by Fletcher, this made five—one to the apartment building—one for the apart ment Itself—a third to the outer office of Dunbar and Franklin—a fourth to the slain man’s private office. One of the smaller keys was found to fit his desk, which had. however, been un locked. For a moment, Kllday thought he had Identified the other small key. It was very similar the desk,, which private compart aeemed to fit, lock, bat it failed to tarn the bolt “That would have been too much luck. I guess,’’ the detective grumbled, pocketing/the keys. Only two of the seven now remained to be identifled. however, one large, door key,* In addition to the one had Just failed to identify. Peter suggested a call on Choo Choo Train after they left Dunbar; but it was late, and a telephone call to her apartment elicited no response. “That’ll have to wait till morning, I guess,” Kllday complained. “There are lota of times on this Job when I wish I was twine, so I could get around faster. If you aren’t tired, though, drop by the office. Something new may have turned np. And," he added. "I’m going to have those license plates see the wedding," she replied-simply^ "If you were a wotnanTyou might un derstand. I’d never been to a wed ding like that. And then, you see, Jim Franklin was my man. That -made a big difference, too. “Oh. of course,” she hurried on to say, “I could have stood out In front with the crowd. But I wanted to see the whole thing—wanted a grand stand seat After all, that wasn’t _ such a lot to ask,” I see." Peter thought he did see. “I’m Just ths Woman in the Case." out having had. some guilty knowledge of the crime. She had admitted lying to them, when they first questioned her. In view ■ of this admission, how much of her lajer' testimony could they believe? In addition, they had questioned Fletcher, who seemed reluctant to talk concerning his master's affairs; Milo Dunbar, the slain man's partner, and Webster Spears. The latter, also, might be shown to have had a motive Carmody. Certainly he had attempted to halt the wedding. Of course, he de nied having been the author of the anonymous telephone call Informing Ambrose Carmody concerning Choo Choo Train. Yet neither of the men was.sure he had told-the truth. He (tebied, too, the story told by Callis Shipley concerning his remark that Rylie would have stopped the wedding, had he been present How to weigh his evidence remained a puzzle. “The trouble,” complained Kllday, "lajoo much evidence. Usually we’re groping around In the dark for It This time we’ve got too much." At headquarters, there was one Im portant bit of evidence. Examination of the revolver found In the rectory garden had revealed a thumb-print on the barrel. “Good,” grunted the sergeant “Now look np these license numbers right away. I think perhaps the owners of these cars had something to do with It" It dl<F not take long. An assistant returned with the Information In n very few minutes. One car was registered under .Weh- ster Spears’ name.' The other be longed to Callis Shipley. pot of coffee, was a welcome Inter ruption. Peter, who had already breakfasted, accepted the cup grate- fully. ■ / ' “Good girl, Marie ” their hostess pralsejl the maid. “You made that entrance Just in time. I was about to emote.” She held out bar cup for more coffee with a hand that did notT tremble. “And now,” she continued, after the maid had left, “let’s have It What did you want to see me about Sergeant Kllday?” / // ' It was Peter who took up the ques tion ingH'You went to the church to she cares for—consideration for her health, consideration for her disposi tion, consideration for her isoks. Her hnsband and children will benefit by all of that Bat this ^rtter takes Issue with our own Mary. No woman, and no human being on earth should be taught dr learn now to be selfish. No wife Aver made a mistake InZhot be- see . Franklin yesterday," he said gravely. “Why? /We need to know that, first." Choo Choo shrugged. “I wanted to Ing jselflsh, nor can she do any good ^o anyone else or to herself by being ■elfish^ Selfishness Is a poison that warps one’s soni and leaves one for ever unsatisfied. It is like a hole that keeps growing bigger aa you try to fill It np. „ . Nobody who has lived a while In this world and made observations can wish any woman to be selfish. It must be Just a confusion of terms be- Wolf Win* Honor* as Super “Police Dog” Around the world has gone the fame of a wolf, probably the sole Illustrious wolf on record, and It Is In a Chinese magazine that one learns of him now, though he lives In Austria, and rates as Europe’s smartest, says the Literary Digest —He was aeub In the Bosnian wuuds ntANKLnrs many honors * .Benjamin Franklin was bononni If t many organizations for his ikOUf - and accomplishments in vartona tttaa of activity. The British Royal so- ~ dety awarded him the Copley goM medal, and Louis XY sent him kin appreciation; both Harvard and Tain conferred on him honorary visgreoa of M. A.; he was elected a fellow of the Royal*’Society of London; tha College of William and Mary in Vir ginia made him a M. A.; the Scot tish university conferred a D. L. de gree upon him; ho Was elected a mein her of the Philosophical society Edinburgh; Oxford conferred the de gree of D. C. L.; he was elected leal society for life; the Academy of Science of Padua, the Royal society of Paris, and the Medical society of London all elected him to member ship. -Wb ness and the real meaning of the word. Perhaps when she speaks of wom en losing by being unselfish she means -by being weak, by lacking stamina. She may be thinking of mothers who "spoil” their children by over-indulgence But that Is not nn- selfishness. In fact It Is something closer to selfishness, for It Is Taking the easier way at the expense of the loved um e. Perhaps by the too “kind” and when a Vienna police clerk, out hunt ing, captured him six years ago, and began to train him with animals al ready In service Last year the wolf took first prize at an International police dog show, making not a atngle mistake In tests for training, skill, and accuracy. He had won mpre than two hundred prizes before that Commenting. on hit brilliant ca reer, the China Journal remarked, “We are not surprised to learn of this wolfs accomplishments, for it Is the experience of every banter who has matched ..his wita against wolves that they are possessed Of an intelligence which la uncanny In ita human qualities, and to.lt is added super-sharpened sense* of hearing and smell as well as an unerring in stinct in detecting danger from man. Unquestionably the so-called Alsatian owes Its superior Intelligence to the fact that it is little more than a do mesticated wolf, notwithstanding that many lovera of this breed hold views to the contrary." End Blackheads And Sallniif Skin nllU OdltulV Olutl Weeks Quicker It Is so easy now to dear away black heads, freckles, coarsenew; to have smooth, white, flawlesa new heauty. Justbeginto- night with famous Nadi- nola Bleaching Cream, tested and trusted far over a generation. Tha minute - you smooth it on, Nad- Tnoli begin* to cleat, whiten and smooth yoor skin. Tan and frecUea, muddy, sallow color van ish quickly. Yon sat day- by-day improvement un til your skin is all you long, lor; creamy-white, satin- smooth, lovely. Get a largo , boa of NADINOLA, only 50c. No disappoint ments; no long waiting far results. Money- DO YOU SUFFER PAIN? Mn. C t. ... Ga., i Your local dealer carries Ferry’t Pure Bred Vegetable Seeds. Now only 5 cents a package. Adv. Old Age and Youth .Yon can get along pretty well with old folks if you-don’t annoy them. htaMi.”-Sold Writs Dr. Pierce’s Clinic, lor free medical advice. New die, tablets SO cts., liquid $1J* Laras Alt,tabs.orUquld,$1J5. "WaDeOwton? “And Franklin didfi’t want you to'be Uhere^~Wss that It?” — The woman nodded her head. “Then how did you happen to go? You must have discussed this with Franklin, before the wedding, didn’t you?” - - " “Yes, we had talked rfbout It, of course. As a matter of fact, we had a couple of pretty stormy scenes over it Jim couldn’t understand 'why I should want to go, unless It was just to hurhTHate him. There were a~ToT s Of things he couldn’t understand about me, I Ruess.” "But Just the same you went, yes terday." f ‘ “Yes, I went But he asked me to, or at least I thought he did. Yester day afternoonT^FI^tcher—that’s Jim’s man-servant—phoned to say. that Jim changed his mind, and I went" ~ these days of recovery...If I don’t, some one else will have my job.". How? “Well, I learned years ago that work... wear and tear... takes some thing out of men and women—particularly those who work indoor* “I tore down those precious red-blood-cells faster than my good body could rebuild. A friend told me -the story of that grand medicine SAB. Now at-A P. M. I am fit to (till ‘carry on’." If you feel w*k...lack a keen appetite... or If your skin is pile... try S-S-S. Unless your case Is exceptional, you should soon notice a pica np in your appetite... your color and skin should improve with increased strength and energy. S.S.S. is not just a so-called tonic but a tonic spe cially designed to stimulate gastric secretions^ and also having the mineral elements so very, very neces sary in rebuilding the oxygen-carrying hemo-glo-bin of the blood to enable yon to “carry on” without exhaustion asyou should naturally. At alldrug stores. oomMctkMiwHhPariMr's 1 floffr. BO i NON FADING WALL PAPER LOVELY NOT PATTERNS. LOW ffKU. FREE - - Writ* Today For Taw FREE Cm MIDLAND WALL PAPER CO. lioa-llll Third St., I RONTON, OHIO CHAPTER V • Choo Choo Train With the exception df the mysteri ous woman in bine, whom they had been unable to identify, Cardigan and . Kllday had questioned every one known to be connected with Jim Franklin’s murder, except Choo Choo Train. Her apartment was their destination the following morning. The actress was having breakfast in bed and. upon learning their er rand, .had the maid 'usher .hem In without formality. Before her, on the coverlet, was a confusion of newspapers. She brushed them to the floor, and leaned forward, her chin cupped In a slender hand. “I was reading about Jim," she said. “T< Kllday aat edge of hla chair. “I guess yon know aa much aa I do, if you’ve read ail those papers." The actress shrugged Impatiently. “If I believed then),” her tone waa con temptuous, “I’d believe ha was mur- ’’ell me what happened.” uncomfortably on the “But when you arrived,” Peter con tinued, remembering the story that ! Nick Royce had told, “Franklin was I angry. Evidently he was not expect- | ing you. Is that correctr , , .J The actress nodded reluctantly. “I went to the side entrance, just like | Fletcher told me to. "Jim was stand ing Just Inside. Nick- Royce was there, too. "'What are you doing here, Choo i Choo?* Jim said. T thought I told you to stay away from here.' '“Yes, but I got your message,' I told him. * “'What message?* Jim demanded. It was easy to see how angry he waa “And then of course I told him about Fletcher’s telephone message, and he was angrier than ever. He told me I was lying. After that, I f lost my temper, too, I guess. We were talking pretty loud, both of us, | because Nick stopped os. He said he was afraid they could hear us Inside the church. 'What do you want to j do. stop the wedding?* Nick saldl ) “That's exactly what she’d like to. do,’ Jim said. But he knew better than that I wasn’t trying to stop the wedding." “But after that you went into the study, didn’t you?” Peter made no attempt to disguise his Interest “We went into the room behind the one we were In,” replied the actress guardedly. ’• “I’m not sure whether It was the study or not” “What happened then?” ^Nothing. Jim swore that' ha hadn’t told Fletcher to telephone me. He said somebody was just trying to play him a dirty trick. By that time, I guess I had cooled off a little, too, because I finally promised to come on home, and I left That’s the last I saw of Jim.” ' "How did you leave? The way yoo came?" “No, I went out a door at the back." “Why?” This time It fras Kllday who asked. "Because Jim asked me to. He was afraid I might be seen if I left by way of the side door." The. detective .palled the key-ring from his pocket, bouncing it In his palm, where the actress might see it “These were Franklin's," he said “Does one of them fit this apart mentr •TO BS OONTtNPMD.1 Household Hint In baking pie shells over Inverted pie tins, prick bottom and aides of pie shell pastry, This will ena’Je the shell to hold Its shape. MAR8-RO8E COTTON NEED. Grew 4 bstss to tho acre; frow IS locks to tbs boll. Early, Ions staple, buy resist iny, wonder cotton. Send tl for 200 seeds postpaid. Writs for quantity price. AB. 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