| Show MUI del At iii r r I ANNE ANN AUSTIN ill BL BLACK cK PIGEON 5 t-rnE t THE AVENGING PARROT sand sand- MURDER MURD BACKSTAIRS CO NC INC GIN nT-GIN UnitE HERE TODAY T Special Investigator Dun Dundee I. I sum cum mooed monel to lbs tho house bouse of or Juanita murdered murder during a bridge party lie be be lieve that th the woman ba baa ha been shot ahot by one ot of her meet guests Dundee orders to take the places place the they occupied from fron the tho dealing or tho the death hand band tho the body was waa found foun 1 and loam learn the Penn Tenny Grain Cram Karon Karen Marshall and Caroline Drake Drako aro are playing bridge re Loll Lois Dunlap and lid Mile are aro in tho the rO rOm m Judge JUdG Marshall comes In soon on After alter tho the beginning or of tho the thoM h hand nd J John hn Dr Drake DrAko Xo conies conic In Jun jui before M the end of ot the tho hand band r Dexter Duter er a and J Janet t Raymond come In together at tho the end ot of the hand band and go FO Into the tho dining room Polly Folly Beale Deale and her fiance cuvo hammond h the tho solarium are aro o In n who hn In lb the tho ll JH hail U J Dundee unde sees Flora Piora Mile says 11 that after arte tel tel teJo- phoning her home homo the she went nent to the guests guests' lavatory to make maUe u up Her ifer tally Is III ml aln After learning that no one vas lIeen ceen outside Dundee sends the guest tf to the tho livIng JIving room and tells CAptain Strawn claim hit his and i findings th 1 A Suddenly A A he u. u V v or closet dOlot OW cow CO GO OX as WITH nun T THE TUE E STORY CHAPTER XI Almost Immediately tely Special In- In rose roso from his crouching position on the tho floor o of NHa Nita Ha Selima closet and faced the chief chic of ot tho homicide squad of Hamiltons Hamilton's police force I think ho said quietly for all tho the excitement that burned In his blue eyes that wed we'd better have Mr l Allies UIe in for tor a a. few tew questions What have havo you got there a there a d danco program Strawn asked c curiously but as Dundee continued to stare silently at the tho thing he held the older man strode strod to the door and i relayed clayed tho order to a plainclothes detective I 1 sent for tor Mrs Miles Dundee said ld coldly when husband and wife appeared together Floras Flora's thin tense shoulders encircled protect protect- by Tracey plump arm I If youre you're going to badger c lay y wife further I intend to bo ho pres pres- ent cat sir sh Miles retorted thrusting out his chest Vcr Very well Dundee Dundo conceded curtly Mrs Miles l why didn't you OU tell ten mo me In the first place that you were In this loom whoa when s olini m was vas shot 7 Because I wasn't wasn't-In-In wasn't in In tho the room Flora protested clinging with both bOUl thin veined big hands bands to her husbands husband's bands band's arm Sir you ou have no flO proof of or this accusation and I shall shaH personally per per- personally tako take this matter up up- up I 11 1 havo the best of or proof Dun Dun- deo ee said quietly and took his hand from Crom his pocket You recognize this thill Mrs Miles You admit that It Is tho the taU tally card you used sed T playing bridge this after after- No no nor It Isn't mine mind mInel Flora cried hysterically cringing against her het husband who ho began to protest in a l voice falsetto with rage Dundee Ignored his splutter ings May I point out that It is Identical cal with tho the other tally cards used at at Mrs l Selima Selim's party toda today and that on Its face taco it bears your name Flora and ho politely extended tho the card for tor her Inspection I I yer it must bo be mine but I was not In this room when Nita was wa as was shot But you will wUl admit that you vero in Jn her clothe r of At n an nm I time during tho nine nino or i 10 minutes I i that elapsed between your our leaving lea t the tho bridge game when you became dumm dummy and tho the moment when Karen I Marshall screamed 1 S S C CAs As B lo Flora Jorn Miles said ald nothing starIng star star- i Ing ng at nt him with great terrified black eyes Dundee went on relent relent- lt l lessly essly Mrs Mn Miles 2 when you OU left t tho he bridge e game you ou did not Intend t to o telephone your our house You came hero into hero Into this room and room and you OU lay layn In i n walt wait hiding In her closet until Nita ita Selim appeared as you OU know she she- s he would sooner or later laterNo later later- No no not That's Thal's a a. lie lie lie-a a lie I t tell ell you youl yoni tho the woman shrilled at him I 1 talked to lo Junior when the maid put him U up to the phone You can ask lk her yourself I If you dont don't o believe me But after you ou telephoned you stole Int Into this room roomI room room- I No no I I-I I I made up my face tace all aU fresh Just as as' as I told sou you you- Dundee did not bother to tell her how hov well eH ho lie know she sho was lying v 7 V 4 ii j v i c S I ILet jr Lots Let ice see boy Strawn a said id with respect in his hia harsh voice for suddenly something knocked on the the- thedoor door of or his mind lb Ho strode to the closet searched for a lI moment among the multitude of or garments hanging there then emerged with the tho brown silk summer coat which Nita NHa Selim had worn to Breakaway Inn that n noon on Before tho the terrified womans eyes ejes ho thrust a n. hand band first Into ono one deep pocket and then another finding nothing except a L handkerchief of ot fine fino embroidered linen and a pair patr of ot brown suede gauntlet gloves Will you ou lot Jet me have havo the tho note please Mr Mn Mr Miles Tho The note Nita received dm during Ing her luncheon party part and which sho she thrust before your eyes into a pocket of ot this coat 1 It is In your hand bag I am ant sure since you havo have had no opportunity unobserved to destroy It What ghastly Is this Dundee Tracey Miles s demanded furiously But Dut Dundee again Ignored him His Implacable eyes held Flora Miles Miles' until the the- thew w woman broke sud Bud I denly piteously She Sho tumbled jumbled Inthe In I Ithe the raffia bag which had been hanging from her arm Good God Flora Floral What does It all mean Z Tracey tile Ics collapsed like Uke a a. pricked pink balloon b became mo almost as s wrinkled and absurd as aslie ho lie saw tho th corner of ot a a. gray blue-gray envelope slowly emerging from his wife's wIro's nand hand bag baS m my stationer eta sta Uon r ono one of ot my business en envelopes envelopes en- en elopes tO Flora Miles dropped the bag which w Sh sho need no longer longor watch and clutch cutch with terror as ns she sho dug her hOl thin fIngers lingers Into her husbands husband's shoulders and looked ed down at his puzzled face f for r waS was a a. little littie taller l' l than he be mo me darling Oh I knew God would punish me mc for tor being belna Jealous I thought you were writIng writIng writ writ- Ing lag love letters to to-to to to that Woman woman Wom worn an an- an anDun Dun Dundee ee did not miss the slightest slightest slight aUght est significance of ot that scene as he retrieved the hand bag and drew out tho the gray blue envelope It wasI was I Inscribed ns bed in a a. curious j Ing ng Mrs 1 ScUm Private ate Dining Room Breakaway Inn C S S Lets see sec boy Strawn said cold with respect In his harsh voice olce Dundee withdrew tho single sheet shoe of ot business stationery and obligingly held It so that the chief of ot detectives could read It also may sweet tho the note began began began be be- gan without date data line lino no forgive your bad boy tor for last lost nights night's row but I must must warn you again to watch atch your st step P. P Youve You've alread already gone too far Of Ot cou course e I 1 love lovo you yet and understand but but but- Bo Be good baby and you wont bo sorry Tho The note note- was WIlS signed Dexy Dozy Dundee tapped the noto note for a along along long minute while Tracey Mites Miles continued to consol bis wife A Anew new now avenue he thought thought perhaps perhaps a 0 along along long long avenues avenue Mrs Miles he began abruptly and tho tear d face turned toward him You Bay say you ou thought this letter to Mrs elim had been I I I written by y your husband I Yes she sho he gasped ped Im jealous jealous- natured I admit It it and when I saw ono one of ot our own own own-I I mean menn one of ot Traceys Tracey's business envelopes envelopes- You made up your mind to steal It and nd read zend It 1 Yes I did I A wife ha has ha a right to know kno- what her bet husbands husband's doing If It Its ita anything like anything like that that that- Her haggard black eyes eyes' again in implored her husband for tor forgiveness before she went on I did slip sUp Into bito Nita's room and go into her nero closet to to- see if Ie she sho had left tho the letter in her coat pocket I closed the tho door on rn myself thinking I could find the tho light cord but It t was caught in one oneo o of tho the dresses or something and it took me a n. long Ion time Ume to find It Inthe Inthe in inthe the dark of ot the closet but I did find it at last and was waa j JUst 8 reading the note note note-It You read It U. U oven aven after atter you saw that tho handwriting on ou th the tho en envelope envelope en en- wanet Y your Ul h husbands husband's r rD D Dundee queried In assumed amaze amaze- ment Floras Flora's thin thin body sagged d. d I I I thou thought ht ma mayne mabe be Tracey had IaU disguised dIll dis guised his handwriting So SoI I r read ad It and saw saw w It was from Dexter Dex Dex- ter- ter Mr Mites Miles do you know how some Borne of ot your business stationery got into Spragues Sprague's s 's hands Ho had plenty of ot opportunity to filch tUch stationery or almost anything he wants hanging banging around ro nd my of offices of flees as ho does does does-an on Idler Idler Idler- But nut Dundee was waa in itt a a. hurry He wheeled wh from the garrulity of the husband huband to tho the tense tens terror of the wife Mrs Miles l I 1 want you to tell mo exactly wh what t you ou w u unless n you prefer to consult a lawyer first first first- Sir If t you ou are arC Insinuating g that my wife wife wHo Oh let me mo toIl ten him Tracey Mrs Miles mes capitulated suddenly completely I 1 was In ha tho the closet when Nile was killed klUe I 1 suppose but I didn't know sIze she was waa being klU dl B Because uso I 1 was lying in there ther on the closet floor toor in a dead faint fain U e C S S Dundee stared stare at the woman In Incredulously In- In credulously then suppressed a groan of ot almost unbearable It If Flora Miles was WIlS telling tell tell- big ing the truth hero went a flying his Ills only eye oye witness probably or rather his hs only ear witness Just when did you faint taint Mrs Miles Mites ho asked struggling for patience Before or after NUa Nita came Into this room It was Just finishing the tho n n e c with tho the light on In n the tho closet close and the tho door shut when whon I heard Nita come Into tho the room I knew It was Nita because she sho vas was singing one of ot those Broadway songs she Is lit Is- was was was-so so crazy about I off ort the light and crouched way back ina in ina a a. corner of or th the tho closet A velvet et evening evening eve eve- ning wrap fell down over my head I and I was was nearly smothering but butI I was afraid to try to dislodge It for tor fear a a. hanger banger would fall fan to the floor and make an awful clatter And then then and and then then then- Sho She shuddered shuddered dered and clung to her ber husband What caused used you to faint Mrs Irs Miles nIes Sir my wife has heart trouble trouble trou trou- ble blo ble- What did you hear bear Mrs Miles mes Dundee persisted I 7 l couldn't hear very well all I tangled up In tho the coat and wa way back In tho the closet but I did hear hoor a n kind of ot bang or bump no bump no no nola not nol nota a a. pistol shot and and because It came from so near me me- meI I thought It wa was wasI I I Nita or Lydia coming to get something something something some some- thing out but of ot tho the closet and Id I'd b be discovered so eo I I-I I I fainted fainted- She Sho drew a So de deep breath an and I went Wont on When I camo came to I heard I Karen screaming am and then people running In In- In But all 1 the tho time that thai I awful tune tuna was going on and on on- on Tune rune Dundee gasped Do yo you I mean SeUm's Selim's song T To B B. B Continued Experiments to obtain high grad grado bond paper from wheat and oat oats B straw are aro under way at Iowa Ierna State Stat 0 college Chicago has retail stores Th The Tho new story 12 St S1 Elizabeth Elizabeth's S hospital in Chicago has a n. radio in ii a every room |
