OCR Text |
Show I THE RICH COUNTY REAPER, RANDOLPH, UTAH oPWE tanu BROWN W.N.U. FEATURES Duke McCale, private detective, is guarding the wedding presents at the Bigelow mansion. He senses that old Miss Adelaide Bigelow is afraid of some thing more than theft. He meets the bride and groom-to-bVeronica and Curt VaUalncourt, and Veronicas mother, Sybil, and her brother and sister, Stephen and Victoria. McCale learns that VaUalncourt is a free spender and gambler. He also finds out there was a curious episode in the Uves of Stephen Bigelow and his wife. There is a strange tension at the mansion. Christopher Storm, who had once been rejected by Veronica, seems particularly iu at ease. Stephen is also notably Jumpy. Karen goes out, and returns in an hour. CHAPTER VII Comes in all decked out for the night life. Soup and fish. Gave me and had a few quick the once-ovstraight ones without more than a glance at me sitting there with my tongue hanging out. When the butler stuck his snoot in the door, he spat out, Tell my mother Im going out this evening. Not his wife, mind er you his mother. Mamas big boy. Oh, sure. He and his wife dont get along, I take it? Your surmise is a good one, I think. Well, while he was having his snort, the wife comes in. Id been wondering whod been playing chopsticks all night until she stood there in the doorway, looking daggers at him. Going out, Steve? she says, and he walks by her without a glance. She put her hand out, but he brushed her off. Then King, the major-domcalls her to the phone and she goes out. She had a phone call? Yep. After which she banged heck out of the piano for another half hour. She went out, you say? Yes, she did. She wasnt gone long. About an hour. When she came home, she messed around the ivories until hubby rolled in, about Then the place twelve oclock. quieted down for the night. Stephen came home late?" Yes. He. must have heard her going in, cause a door opened up- mind. I knew you were in trouble even though you withheld your confidence. Even now you will not admit it, even to yourself. I have gone on that premise from the first that you wanted me to find out things without even the responsibil-?u- r Par f telling me what. I wish to withdraw from the case, Miss Bigelow. Theres noth-m- g I can do for you. Oh, no! The words, half muffled in the heavy atmosphere, magnified themselves in the vastness of the room. The fire crackled fiercely for a long minute, while the essence of fear hung in the air like a strong accent. It is necessary for me, since you will not confide in me, to tell you exactly what it is that is bothering you what it is that you fear. You see, I know. What is it? Miss Bigelow turned once more to the room and McCale saw into her mind quite easily. So many things are not as we want them to be, nor as we believed them to be, she said. Her eyes clouded. What do you know? I know that a certain young man of undeniable physical attraction is marrying thirty million dollars next week. I know that in your subconscious mind, you believe him to be an adventurer. I know that you should have investigated him months ago that you are also both- - The piano stopped. y. Miss Adelaide Quits The Pretense When he had finished, he cocked an eyebrow, looking interrogatively at his friend and employee. Rocky said at last slowly, 'Die thing that sticks out farthest, chief, at least as I see it Is what? Js what Mr. Curt Vallaincourt, seems to be as bridegroom-to-bbusy as a bee, painting himself right into a comer. that afternoon, At Duke McCale stood before the fireplace in the upstairs drawingHeroom was of the Beacon street house. was who Adelaide Bigelow, facing a Victorian of comer the in huddled sofa. McCale had been talkmg quietly, in a voice which surprised himself at its own compassion. "Youll have to pardon me if I say say you have been shallthisI situaextremely British about concession tion. You have made a until here, an appeasement there,action. it is quite futile to take any You have called me in months too late. Mr. McCale, there was a light touch of hauteur in her tone in spite of herself, you are presumin to ing too much. I called you week the look after the house during of the wedding. Im sorry, but that is not the truth. Never orice .have I believed you came to my office with that in e, four-thir- ty i Cut-Up- s Gay ek for Kitchen Towels Due to an unusually large demand and current conditions, slightly more time is required in filling orders for a few of the most popular pattern numbers. Send your order to: Sewing Circle Needlecraft Dept. San Francisco 6, Calif. Box 3217 Enclose 20 cents for Pattern. No Name. Address- - Relief FROM SNIFFLY, STUFFY DISTRESS OF She steadied herself, as if giving information on so private a matter required a supreme effort. I think he believed we would all benefit eventually. I I believed he counted on Veronicas marrying someone whose background we all knew. You see, Sybil and I have to agree on Veronicas choice. Rather hard on Veronica, I should say. . She was trying hard Oh, yes. to explain it as she' saw it. But he He shouted something or other at her that I didnt get. Then a couple more doors slammed. That the story? She stopped All but mamma. for Steand in asked hall the King phen. She almost dropped when he told her sonny boy was doing the town. Then she yelled for Karen. When the butler reported that Karen had gone out too, she made a beeline for the upstairs. In about twenty minutes, she came down looking like the Merry Widow and just as worn out. She called a cab and made her exit. When did she get home? She Just before Stevey-bocame in, os floated in, would be more like it. She had just got the shock of her life. No act this time. McCale nodded thoughtfully and they fell silent for a few minutes The figment of his imagination was jumping about wildly. He was surer than ever that tragedy stalked the Bigelows. Finally with a gesture he half disdain, half despair launched into a description of the events witnessed by Ann and himself at the Abbey. NEEDLECRAFT PATTERNS liar will. o, stairs. :nf Leather or skin gloves should be A spray bath refreshes indoor plants such as ivy, freeing them mended with cotton thread; never from dust and preventing attacks with silk. of red spider which spots the To remove chewing gum from leaves. clothing, rub th spot with ice unStore paint brushes in turpen- til the gum rolls into a ball, then tine, not in water. Water causes the scrape it off. bristles to become soft and flabby. When refinishing furniture or When measuring windows for wood paneling, wait at least two new curtain fabrics, measure all or three days before waxing it, if the windows. They may look the you desire a wax finish. Paste same size, but often differ. Cor- form finishing wax is recommendrect measuring may save you ed. After waxing, again wait a needless waste of material. day or two before polishing. not unusual for his time, I think He believed that women have no heads for business cannot handle money. He was heir to my fathers business and fortune of about twelve million dollars. With real estate and clever investing, he more than doubled that fortune. There was no male heir to whom he could leave it, you see. There was his adopted son, McCale put in quickly. Stephen, Yes, she hesitated, but not his own flesh and blood. But there was She edged over certainly Stephen. to the window again. She faced him from the recess of the windows bay, the high red velour draperies dwarfing her in the elongated shadows. Her eyes, for a moment, seemed to play with a memory. At one time, I thinlc he intended for Stephen to inherit. But Stephen, in his eyes at least, proved himself unworthy. Sybil always spoiled him. He grew up precocious, extravagant. He ran away once and joined the navy. A bitter experience for him. The more so when he found that Joel could no doubt have procured an appointment to Annapolis for him. He did manage M.I.T. by the skin of his teeth. Marriage to Karen has straightened him out somewhat. So the Bigelow fortune is held in trust? Yes and no. Miss Adelaide rushed on now as though pressed for time. My brother did not believe in having money standing idle for always. He wrote a most pecuhide-and-se- (. He stood behind her looking over her shoulder while he talked. Instantly relief from head cold distress starts to come when you put a in each nostril. Also little it helps prevent many colds from developing if used in time! Try ltl Va-tro-- Follow directions In package. VIC!IS thought The old voice rose now, an hysterical note in it. He wished a man to have control of it. Veronicas husband gains control of it to do with as he will. God! McCale exploded. The spool of his brain turned swiftly in a convulsive unreeling. The plot it brought to mind left him humb by its malevolence. ered by the fact that your entire It was his turn to go to the winfamily seems jealous of his mar- dow. He stood looking into the riage to your niece. Not jealous, blanket of fog, seeing nothing for a mind, of his perhaps having the moment. He felt lost in the stunned benefits of a great fortune, but jeal- silence of his own thoughts. Beous in a more personal way, as if hind heard Miss Bigelow he him, secretly they were all in love with sigh. themfor him and wanted him Why didnt you come to me beselves. fore? was all he could say. And You are so right, she faltered. his voice sounded so loud in the Her eyes lit up in admiration. How stillness that it seemed almost to, in the world the outside. As if he had I am a trained observer. It is penetrate the heard, loitering sailor across the my job to see what others miss. way actually looked up once at the Then, too, I have sources of infor- windows. McCale laughed harshly. mation. Now you are caught in a really web. Too late to extridiabolical Will A Strange cate yourselves without a scandal. Complicates Things Light fled from her old eyes as She crossed to the windows again, inwardly she contemplated such a searching the outside hastily. .What thing. He felt cruel and vicious and in the world is she looking for hard, but at least rational, and there? he pondered. Is she anxious was not quite able to comprehend to have this over with before the her attitude. others get back? The family was having another of the interminable Tragedy Strikes wedding rehearsals. Or was it some other thing she sought in the dark- Suddenly We can still expose this ening afternoon? She had glanced Its quite possible that I at the clock more than once, he notcan dig up something in a few days. ed. She joined him in the bay winHe crushed his cigarette in an ashtray, going over to her again. dow, shaking her head in a quick He stood behind her, looking over gesture of distaste. Impossible, she murmured. her shoulder while he talked. There Then why, in all justice to yourwas nothing to see. The sailor still slumped against the gateway, try- self, did you call me in at all? he ing to read a paper in the unsteady wanted to know. I think I wanted to be sure. glow of a street light. A woman silk He a left her staring out into the a in raincoat, shiny passed red scarf whipping out from her rain and went back to the fire. Who introduced Curt Vallainneck in a sudden gust of wind. I know, he went on, his voice court into this house? he asked, low and impatient now, that you raising his eyes to the woman at must have another reason, for sure- the window. But his query went unanswered. ly you are not caught in the trap this fellow sets for the unwary. Are For on the instant of -bringing his you afraid Veronica will lavish too glance to focus on her,- he saw her much of the Bigelow money on him, sway as if something outside had He forgetting the others? You see, I struck tefror to her heart. have heard that she inherits the thought for a moment she would fall through the window. bulk of it upon her marriage. A shot split the silence, forcing She sought his eyes again, and the queer secret duel that they had a cry from her lips. He believed all the while been fighting under- for one awful moment that someone neath the smooth surface was ended outside had shot Adelaide, half exsuddenly and completely. pected to hear the shattered glass Adelaide Bigelow was giving in. of a windowpane fall to the floor. McCale could tell. It was in her In one leap, he was at her side. gnawing worry She huddled against him, pointing eyes, all the pent-u- p horrible and unclean. out and down. out hold on One quick glance and the scene She wasnt going to him any more, and now maybe he below was forever photographed on the film of his mind. He saw a could help. I will tell you; she said simply.' woman in green running along the of die Common that bisectVeronicas father, my brother, she began, motioning him to sit, ed the hill. (TO BE CONTINUED) was a hard man, I suppose, but fellow-me-la- by-pa- th d. sms THESE puppies get into mischief through Saturday. They play different tricks every g lots of day . . . make fun. dish-dryin- Oh, so gay and colorful for your kitchen so easy to embroider. Pattern towels 7491 has a transfer of 7 motifs about by 8 inches. ... Ua-TQO-ri- Double the pleasure of walking . . . Ask for SOUS us welt us Heels by O'SuUivun But 115 Zoos Maintained In 26 Major Countries , Although the educational value of public zoological gardens has been recognized for centuries, only 115 such parks are maintained toimportant day in 26 of the 60-o- 1 countries. contain which Of these zoos, some 100,000 animals of 15,000 species, Africa has 4, Asia 7, Australasia 5, Europe 48, South America 6 and North America 45, of which 40 are in the United States. AME 9036 Cb mlfUl m ncls )(- iM 7emptng, rot PARKER HOUSE ROILLS Tasty, tender Parker House Rolls anytime with Fleischmanns Fast Rising Dry Yeast IF YOU BAKE AT HOME youll cheer this baking discovery that stays fresh for weeks on your pantry shelf iteady to help you make delicious bread, rolls, buns at a moments notice. Dissolve according to directions then use as fresh yeast At your grocers. Stays fresh .on your pantry shelf |