McCormick messenger. (McCormick, S.C.) 1902-current, October 22, 1931, Image 2
Thursday, October 22, 1931
McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, SOUTH CAROLINA
PAGE NUMBER TWO
FOURTH INSTALMENT
SYNOPSIS
Six people, Horace Johnson
(who tells the story), his wife,
! old Mrs. Dane, Herbert Rob
inson and his sister, Alice, and
Dr. Sperry* friends and neigh
bors, are in the habit of hold
ing weekly meetings. At one
of thenk, Mrs. Dane, who is
hostess, varies the program by
> unexpectedly arranging a spir-
f ualistic seance with Miss
i Jeremy, a friend of Dr. Sperry
and not a professional, as the
medium. ,
At the first sitting the medi
um tells the details of a mur
der as it is occurring. Later
that night Sperry learns that a
neighbor, Arthur Wells, has
been shot mysteriously. With
Johnson he goes to the Wells
residence and they find con
firmation of the medium’s ac
count. Mrs. Wells tells them
her husband shot himself in a
fit of depression.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
Believing then that something
might possibly be hidden there, I
made an investigation, and could
see some small objects lying there.
Sperry brought me a stick from the
dressing room and with its aid suc
ceeded in bringing out the two
articles which were instrumental in
starting us on our brief but ad-
ventrrous careers as private in-
Testigatfbrs. One was a leather
razor strop, old and stiff from
disuse, and the other a wet bath
sponge, rio,w stained with blood to a
yellowish brown.
“She is lying, Sperry,” I said. “He
fell somewhere# else, and she drag
ged him to where he was found.”
“But—why?”
“I don’t know,” I said impati
ently. “From some place where a
man would be unlikely to kill him
self, I dare say. No one ever killed
himself, for instance, in an open
hallway. Or stopped shaving to do
tf.”
“We have only. Miss Jeremy’s
word for that,” he said, sullenly.
“Confound it, Horace, don’t let’s
bring in that stuff if we can help
it.”
We stared at each other, with the
strop and the sponge between* us.
Suddenly he turned on his heel and
went back into the room, and a
moment later he called me, quiet-
* * 1
ly.
“You’re right,”! he said. “The
poor devil was shaving. He and it
half done. Cpnio and look.”
But I did not. go. There was a
carafe of water, ip the bathroom,
and I took a.drink, from it. My
hands were s shaking. . When I
turned around ,1 found Sperry in
the hah, examining the carpet with
his flash lights And ncty and then
4< stooping to run bijSLhand over the
£kx>r. . ; A- . . t ..
,, “Nothing here^’ he said in a low
tone, when I i^d . joined him. “At
v least I haven’t, fpnnd anything.”
k ( How much pf Sperry’s proceeding
with the carpet the governess had
seen^I do not know. I glanced
up and she was there, on the stair
case to the third floor, watching
us. v
She came :down the stairs, a
; lean young Frenchwoman in a dark
> dressing gcn^if, ;! dhd ‘Sperry sug
gested that she sh'ould have an
opiate. She Seised'at'the idea; but
i Sperry did not‘go down at once for
his professional 1 bag. -
“You were not here when it oc-
. cured, Mademoiselle?” -he : inquir-
ed; • w -v >-'
“No, doctor. I had been out for a
walk.” She'Mjlaeped her hands.
.- .“When-I came baelr——”
“Was he-still on the floor of
„N
rfhe dressingrtToem When you >-came
in?”. •. J ; 5 « -
“But-yes. -Of . course.- She was
alone. She could not lift him.”
i “I see,” Sperrjr said thoughtful-
: ly. * ‘“'No' I dare* say shejcouldn’t.
Was -^he«fW)lver on therfloornlso ? ’ ’
•- “YCs, doctor. I myself picked it
- CTo.ftpeiry- ahe showed, I observ
ed 1 , a slight- deference, but when
she-glanced at me, as she- did after
ea^ch reply, I thought her express
ion slightly altered. At the time
this puzzled me, but it was explain
ed when Sperry started down the
stairs.
“Monsieur is of the police?” she
asked, with a Frenchwoman’s timid
respect for the constabulary.
I hesitated before I answered. I
am a truthful man, and I hate un
necessary lying. But I ask consid
eration of the circumstances.
“I am making a few investiga-
, lions/’ I told her. “You say Mrs.
Wells was alone in the house, ex
cept for her husband?”
“The children.”
“Mr. Wells was shaving, I be
lieve, when the —er—impulse over
took him?”
There was no doubt as to her
surprise. “Shaving? I think not.”
“What sort of razor did he ord
inarily use?”
“A safety razor always. At
least I have never seen any others
around.”
“There is a case of old-fashioned
razors in the bathroom.”
She glanced toward the room and
shrugged her shoulders. “Possibly
he used others. I have not seen
any.”
“It was you, I suppose, who
cleaned up afterwards.”
“Cleaned up?”
“You who washed up the stains?”
“Stains? Oh, no, monsieur.
Nothing of the sort has yet been
done.”
I felt that she was telling the
truth, so far as she knew it, and I
then asked about the revolver.
“Do you know where Mr. Wells
kept his revolver?”
“When I first came it was in the
drawer of that table. I suggested
that it be placed beyond the chil
dren’s reach. I do not know where
it was put.”
“Do you recall how you left the
front door when you went out? I
mean, was it locked?”
“No. The servants were out, and
I knew there would be no one to
admit me. I left it unfastened.”
But if was evident that she had
broken a rule of the house by do
ing so, for she added: “I am afraid
to use the servants’ entrance. It
is dark there.”
“The key is always hung on the
nail when they are out?”
“Yes. If any one of them is out
it is left there. There is only one
key. The family is out a great
deal, and it saves bringing some
one down from the servants’ rooms
at the top of the house.”
But I think my knowledge of the
key bothered her, for some reason.
And as I read over, my questions,
certainly they indicated a suspicion
that the situation was less simple
than it appeared. She shot a quick
glance at me.
“Did you examine the revolver
when you-picked it up?”
“I, monsieur? Non!” Then her
fears, whatever they were, got the
best of her. “I know nothing but
what I tell you. I was out. I can
prove that that is so. I went to
a pharmacy; the clerk will re
member.
I know, monsieur, he will tell you
that I used the telephone there.”
I told her that it would not be
necessary for her to go to the phar
macy, and she muttered some
thing about the children and went
up the stairs. When Sperry came
back with the opiate she was no
where in sight, and he was con
siderably annoyed.
“She knows something,” I told
him. “She is frightened.”
Sperry eyed me with a half
frown. “Now see here, Horace,” he
ing in order to commit suicide, but
that’s no argument that it can’t be
done, and as to the key—how do I
know that my own back door key
isn’t hung outside on a nail some-
limes?”
“We might look again for that
hole in the ceiling.”
“I won’t do it. Miss Jeremy has
read of something of that sort, or
heard of it, and stored it in her
sub-conscious mind.
But he glanced up at the ceil
ing nevertheless, and a moment
later had drawn up a chair and
stepped onto it, and I did the same
thing. We presented, I imagine,
rather a strange picture, and I
know that the presence of the rigid
figure on the couch gave me a sort
of ghoulish feeling.
The house was an old one, and in
the center of the high' ceiling a
plaster ornament surrounding the
chandelier. Our search gradually
centered on this ornament, but the
chairs were low and our long dist
ance examination revealed noth
ing. It was at that time, too, that
we heard some one in the lower
hall, and we had only a moment
to put our chairs in place before
the butler came in. He showed
no surprise, but stood looking at
the body on the couch, his thin
’ace working.
“I met the detectives outside,
doctor,” he said. “It’s a terrible
thing, sir, a terrible thing.”
“I’d keep the other servants out
of this room, Hawkins.”
“Yes, sir.” He went over to the
sheet, lifted the edge slowly, and
then replaced it, and tip-toed to
the door. “The others are not
back yet. I’ll admit them, and get
them up quietly. How is Mrs.
Wells?”
“Sleeping,” Sperry said briefly,
and Hawkins went out.
I realize now that Sperry was—I
am sure he will forgive this—in a
state of nerves that night. For ex
ample, he returned only an impat
ient silence to my doubt ias to
whether Hawkins had really only
just returned and he quite missed
something down stairs which I lat
er proved to have an important
bearing on the case. This was
when we were going out, and
after Hawkins had opened the
front door for us. It had been
freezing hard, and Sperry, who has
a bad ankle) looked about for a
walking stick. He found one, and
I saw Hawkins take a swift step
forward, and then stop, with no
expression whatever in his face.
“This will answer, Hawkins.”
“Yes, sir,” said Hawkins impas
sively.
And if I realize that Sperry was
nervous that night, I also realize
that he was fighting a battle quite
his own, and with its personal
problems.
“She’s got to quit this sort of
thing,” he said savagely and
aprops of nothing, as we walked
along. “It’s hard on her, and be
sides ”
“Yes?”
“She couldn’t have learned about
it,” he said, following his own trail
Sperry was bn the floor/ examining the carpet with his flashlight.
said. “suppose we had come in
here, without the thought of that
seance behind us? We’d have ac
cepted the thing as it appears to
be, wouldn’t we? There may be
a dozen explanations for that
sponge, and for the razor strop.
What in heaven’s name has a raz
or strop to do with it anyhow? One
bullet was fired ,and the revolver
has one empty chamber. It may
not be the custom to stop shav
of thought. “My car brought her
from her home to the house-door.
She was brought in to us at once.
But don’t you see that if there are
other developments, to prove her
statements she—well, she’s as in
nocent as a child, but take Her
bert, for. instance. Do you sup
pose he’ll believe she had no out
side information?”
“But it was happening while we
were shut in the drawing-room.”
“So Elinor claims. But if there
was anything to hide, it would
have taken time. An hour or so,
perhaps. You can see how Her
bert would jump on that.”
I said irritably to him. “I intend
to go home, it is 1:30 in the morn
ing.”
But as it happened, I did not go
into my house when I reached it.
I was wide awake, and I perceived,
on looking up at my wife’s win
dows, that the lights were out. As
it is her custom to wait up for
me on those rare occasions when I
spend an evening away from home,
I surmised that she was comfort
ably asleep, and made my way to
the pharmacy to which the Wells
es’ governess had referred.
The night-clerk was in the pres
cription-room behind the shop. He
had fixed himself comfortably on
two chairs, with an old table cov
er over his knee and a half-empty
bottle of sarsaparilla on a wooden
box beside him. He did not wak
en until I spoke to him.
“Sorry to rouse you, Jim,” I said.
He flung off the cover and jump
ed up, upsetting the bottle, which
trickled a stale stream to the floor.
“Oh, that’s all right, Mr. Johnson,
I wasn’t asleep, anyhow.”
I let that go, and went at once
to the object of our visit. Yes, he
remembered the governess, knew
her, as a matter of fact. The
Wellses’ bought a good many things
there. Asked as to her telephon
ing, he thought it was about nine
o’clock, maybe earlier. But ques
tioned about, he drew himself up.
“Oh, see here,” he said. “I
can’t very well tell you that, can
I? This business has got ethics,
all sorts of ethics.”
He enlarged on that. The secrets
of the city, he maintained loftily,
were in the hands of the phar
macies. It was a trust that they
kept. “Every trouble from dope
to drink, and then some,” he boast
ed.
When I told him that Arthur
Wells was dead his jaw dropped,
but there was no more argument
in him. He knew very well the
number the governess had called.
“She’s done it several times,” he
said. “I’ll be frank with you. I
got curious after the third even
ing, and called it myself. You know
the trick. I found out it was the
Ellingham house, up State Street.”
“What was the nature of the
conversations?”
“Oh, she was very careful. It’s
an open phone and any one could
hear her. Once she said somebody
was not to come. Another time
she just said, ‘This is Suzanne
Gautier. 9:30, please.’ ”
“And tonight?” 1 ■*
“That the family was going out
—not to call.”
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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Drought Relief
; Still Necessary
NATIONAL RED CROSS FINDS IN
SOME SECTIONS
Drought relief continues as a
national problem for the Red Cross,
requiring continued relief in many
communities, Mr. J. A. Talbert de
clared today in stressing need of
increased' membership enrollment
in the organization’s ranks, begin
ning November 11.
While active relief to whole com
munities was discontinued some
time ago, he explained, the serious
ness of the calamity left many in
dividual rural families unable to
maintain themselves unaided, and
in turn, created serious conditions
in smaller communities where
farming was the principal indus
try.
The Red Cross, he said, had as
sisted a' considerable number of
local Red Cross units in meeting
such prolonged demands on their
resources, with grants from na
tional funds all during the past
summer-
In addition, he pointed out, the
National Red Cross is now extend
ing relief in the States of Montana
and North Dakota where the
drought of the past summer has
assumed even greater proportions
than'that of the previous year. In
itself, the Drought Relief pro
gram in these two States is a ma
jor relief operation, so great is the
need.
While many local Red Cross
Chapters are still wrestling with
thi^ problem, he continued, it is
rer ized that others either did not
ha ,r ? this particular situation on
thr'r hands, or have completed
thrir work; nevertheless all must
as^st in meeting it as a national
nerd by the support of local mem
bership.
“' r 'he strength of the Red Cross
as a whole.” Mr. Talbert declared,
“is measured by its membership
ovc- the country. Each chapter has
a fhare in the responsibility for
national service, because it is only
through this participation that
the national organization is en
abled to meet its obligations to the
country as a whole, or any part of
it.”
X
Farmers’ Bulletin 1449-F, Selec
tion of Cotton Fabrics, will be
found useful when the supply of
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m
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MAIN STREET
McCORMICK. S. C.
HUMORETTES
Miss Howler-*-Did my voice fill
the drawing-room?
Mr. Bluritly—No, it filled the re
freshment-room and the conserva
tory.
“You are lying so clumsily,” said
the judge to the defendant, “that
I would advise you to get a law
yer.”
Gazonda—Why, Gazoof, how ill
you look! What’s the matter?
Gazoof—Oh, nothing much. Los
ing weight, that’s all. Lost 120
pounds of flesh in one day.
Gazonda—Impossible!
Gazoof—Fact, I assure you. My
wife deserted me.
' ■ ; 1,1 1
Acid
st o mac
idea
you
Heloise—Harold, you’ve no
what it meant to me when
kissed me last night!
Harold—You’ve nothing on me. I
got a five-spot out of it myself—on
a wagerJ
Mrs. Rapper—Miss Oldgirl says
she is 25. Do you believe that?
Mrs. Grabble—It must be true.
She’s stuck to the same story all
the years T’ve known her.
Rhymer—What’s the difference
between guitar and catarrh?
Punner—One makes music and
the other makes me sick.
X
The U. S. Department of Agri
culture now grades turkeys at
many country points as well as at
terminal markets. In the 1929-
30 season, including Thanksgiving
and Christmas, the department
grades nearly 8,000,000 pounds of
turkeys at country points and
terminal markets. It classes the
birds as old and young hens and
toms. The grades labeled with a
Government grade tag are U. S
Prime and U. S. Choice. The cost
of grading is less than one-half
a cent a bird.
Excess acid is the common causes
of indigestion. It results in. pain an<H
sourness about two hours after eat r
ing. The quick corrective is an aikalu
which neutralizes acid. The best
corrective is Phillips’ Milk of Mag
nesia. It has remained standard with,
physicians in the 50 yearn since its-
m ()ne i spoonful of Phillips’ MHk of
Magnesia neutralizes instantly many
times its volume in acid. Harmless^
and tasteless, and yet ita action i*
quick. You will never rely on crude:
methods, once you learn how quickly
this method acts. Be sure to get
the genuine.
The ideal dentifrice for clean,
teeth and healthy gums is Phillips-
Dental Magnesia, a superior tooth
paste that safeguards against acid*-
mouth.
It is a good plan to whitewash
the dairy barn once or twice a
year. To make a disinfectant white
wash, dilute 1 1-2 quarts of com
mercial lime-sulphur with about 3
gallons of water, and add 3 table-
so ■'S of common salt, previously
dissolved in a pint of water. To
this solution, add, while stirring
constantly, a lime cream made by
mixing a heaping quart of good
hye-ated lime with water, or by
slaking 2 1-2 pounds of fresh
quicklime and straining through a
wire fly screen.. _ w