Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / March 21, 1935, edition 1 / Page 6
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PAGE SIX ]g^ TheMsw il% II c^' By s."sTv "There was nothing cryptic about it, ray dear Markham." Vance was moving about the room aimlessly, looking at the various vases and objects d'art. "When the sergeant told me that Wrede owned a dog, I was particularly interest, for he wasn't the type of man that couM love any animal. He was an enforced egotist, with a somewhat violent inferiority complex his egotism, in fact, had bean automatically built up to cover his complete lack of confidence in himself. He had a shrewd, unscrupulous brain which he was unable to use in any practical way. And he was constantly in need of substitutes for his j sense of inferiority. It is not uncom in for dumb animals. They do not do so because of any instinctive liking for the animals, but because, having laiicu to impress themselves upon their equals, they can bully and torment an animal, and thus give themselves a feeling of heroism and superiority. The animal is merely an cutlet for their lack of self-confidence, and. at the same time, the animal gratifies their profound instinct lor domination. The moment I heard that Wrede had owned a dog I wanted to see the dog. for I was sure he had mistreated it. And when I saw. the Doberrnan's frightened and timid 1 demeanor, I knew that he had suffered horribly at Wrede's hands. Markham. that Doberman showed ail , the signs of having been beaten and abused and thnt fitted perfectly with my estimate of VVrede's character." Bui, objcctcSfl Markhani, "The Doberman certainly showed no timidity at the sight of Wrcdc. He was aggressive and vicious ugh!" "He had regained his confidence in himself." Vance explained "Finright's ' kindness and benevolent treatment after the dog's terrible experiences at Wrede'fe hands was what, in the end; revived the Doberman sufficiently to j kill Wrede." He sat down and lighted another cigarette. "Almost any iVi&n may he .1 murderer, but only a certain type of man can injure a dog the way that Scottie was injured here the other night. By striking that little bitch over the head, the murderer left his signature on the crime. . . . Now do you un- i dcrstand why I was so interested in | Wrede's Dobernia-n Pinsqher?" Markh xm leaned forward. "Do you mean, to say that Wrede did ?" Vance held up his hand. Just a moment. I want to talk to, Liang- Then, are certain things to be explained Perhaps Liang will tell i us?now. * Before Gamble had brought, the Chinaman; Heath arrived. He was paie ari<nipset. ~He noiia<RTTibsrracredly and sat down. Liang entered the library from the dining room and stood respectfully at the door, without looking at any of us. Vance rose and went to him, holding out his cigarette case. "Please have a smoke, Mr. Liang." > His tone was that of an equal. "This is not to be an interrogation. IPs a conference in which we need vour' help " Liar.g inclined his head with a murmured "Thar.k you," and took one of the cigarettes, which Vance lighted for him. Vance returned to his chair and Liang sat down. "Mr. Liang," Vance began, "I think that I apprehend the position in which you have been placed by the unfortunate events which have taken place in this house, and I also think you realize that I have not been entirely Are You U Jf ERHAPS you and your family have given serious thought to having a telephone in your home, but are not quite sure you really need it. It is a matter which concerns everyone in the family. Think how much a telephone would help Mother with her shopping and household duties, and how Father would find it handy in many ways. The young folks vrcui<2 use iL ncquemiy in arranging social activities with their friends. In addition, a telephone assures you prompt assistance in emergencies and quick personal touch with friends and relatives both in ahd out-of-town. Southern Bell lelephc t ft e or p < ? .ennel II | uru?i i ise AN DINE Ignorant of your predicament. You have acted. 1 might say. in very much the same way I myself might have acted, had our positions been reversed. But the time has come when frankness is wisdom?and I hope you trust me sufficiently to believe me when I tell you that no possible danger can come to you. You are no longer in jeopardy. There is now no pos-; sibiiity of misunderstanding. As a matter of fact, I have not misunder-j stood vcu from the first." Liang again bowed his head, andj said: I "I should be most happy tc help. you. if I might he assured* that the; truth would prevail in this unhappy j house, and that I would not bo ac-1 cused of things which some one de-J; sired I should be accused." "I can assure you of that. Mr. Li-; ar.g." Vance returned quietly Then he added significantly: "Mr. Wrede! is dead " Ah the mail murmured. "That1 puts a different aspect on matters " ; "Oh. quite Mr. Wrede was killed| :>\ a do? he had abused^' "Uo Tzu has said." returned Liang.; "that he who abuses the weak is! eventually destroyed by fits own. weakness." Vance inclined his head in polite agreement j "Some day." he said. I hope the' Wisdom of the Tao Teh King will pen- j etrate to our western civilization. . . .! But, handicapped as we are by lack' of knowledge* of the profound wisdom of the Orient. 1 can only ask you to help us in our present dilemma. . . Will you tell us what happened?or. rather, what you saw when you returned lo tills house Ixttwecn eight and nine Wednesday night?" LLiine uiiovcd-siiuktlv hi Ins chair and let his eyes rest searchingly on Vance He hesitated before he spoke, drawing deeply on the cigarette that Vance had given him. It was exactly eight," he began in iiti ever, voice "When T entered the kitchen I heard voices here in the library. Mr. Wrede ar.d Mr. Archer Coe were talking They were angry. T tried, not to listen, but their voices rrtsc until they penetrated even to my bedroom. Mr. Coe was protesting violently. and Mr Wrede was becoming ; more angry every second T heard a ; scuffle, a startled ejaculation, and a noise as if something heavy had fall en to the floor. A brief silence enj sued and I thought 1 detected tnett 1 tinkling sound of breaking china. ! Then another silence. A few moments later I heard some one pass stealthily , through the kitchen and go out the , rear door. I waited in my bedroom for perhaps fifteen minutes, asking myself if I should interfere with matters which did not concern me: ar.d then I decided that, in loyalty to my employer, 1 should investigate the situation." "So 1 came forth and looked in the library here. The room was empty, but the small table in. front of the davenport was upset. 1 put it on its feet; then returned to the kitchen and read for perhaps an hour. But someimng seemed to trouble me?I did not] like the fact that Mr. Wrede had not gone out the front uoor, but went out so stealthily through the kitchen I] went unstairs tn M> i vo'o ^ and knocked on the door. The to was no answer. T tried the door. Tt was unbolted: and when I opened it. I saw Mr. Coe seated in his chair. apparently asleep. But I did not like the color of his face. I went to him and touched him. but he did not move?and I knew he was dead. . . T came out of the room, closed the door, and returned to the kitchen. 1 asked iriysei! what was best for me to do, and decided that since r.o one knew I had returned to the house I would go away and come back much later that night. So T went?to some friends of mine. When I returned at about midnight. T made unnecessary noise, so that anyone in the house j would hear me returning. After a | while 1 came again into this library ndecided? When you sum up the many advantages of telephone service, compared with the small cost of only a few cents a day, you will .probably decide it really doesn't pay. to try to do without it. Order your telephone today. Your friends will be glad to know you have one and every member of your family will enjoy it. Just call the telephone business office. ?ne and Telegraph Co. >rated V' WATAUGA DEMOCRAT?EVEf Mrs. Ned Sparks Given I Divorce from Actor Movie Grouch Carries His Talent Home LOS ANGELES. Ned Sparks iabove), won fame as a "grouchy" husband in movie comedies. His wife was given a divorce last week on the ground that he'd developed the same disposition at home. and looked round very carefully, for T couid not understand what had hai> peneo tnat mgni i tounu uie poker lying1 on *he hearth, and there was blood on it. [ also found the dagger in the larke Yung Cheng Ting yao vase on the tabic there. T had a definite feeling that boll: of these articles were left here for some special pur-' pose, and it occurred to me that if a murder had been committed that evening. it was I who was supposed to t ake the bin me . ." "You are quite right. Mr. Liang. I thir.k that both weapons were left here in order to involve you." "I did not quite understand the situation." the Chinaman continued. "But I felt that it might be safer for me if I took the poker and the dagger and hid them. I could see the possibflltv nf a pnvo hninir urv ftcrnirtef . . -r -o""-" me. if the weapons were found in the library, especially as it might be proved that I had been here at the time Moreover, the dagger is Chinese and it couid be easily ascertained that T was not in sympathy with the means Mr. Archer Ccc unci ;r. country of its rightful antiques.'* "Yes," nodded Vance. "That was no doubt the intention of the. murderer. . . And so, when you had the opportunity, you placed both weapons in the room upstairs ?" ' That is true," Luang admitted. "I placed them there when the butler sent me to Miss Lake's room the next morning Perhaps if I had realized how serious the situation was and had understood all of its complications, I might have acted differently. I do not yet understand the mechanism of the crime. The physical misunderstandii m 0 ~r i ti ] re th d <ic I p. ! ! W IY THURSDAY?BOONE, N. C. ing. so to speak, between. Mr. \Vredej and Mr. Archer Coe took place in this I library, and yet his dead body was in his bedroom upstairs." There was ?io possibility," inquired | Vance, "that Mr. Wrede could have assisted Mr. Coe upstairs, after the melee "" Oh. no." Liang was quite em-j phatie. "Within a few moments of the encounter here in the library. Mr. j <-?!inifi nuf thrnneh the kitchen. surreptitiously, and departed through the roar door." How can you be sure it was Wrcde if you did not see him ?" asked Vance. The Chinaman gave a slow smile. "In my country the senses are more acute than in the Occident. 1 had heard Mr. Wrede move about this house too often not to know his step and sense his presence " Liang paused and looked at Vance. "And may I be permitted now to ask a question of you ?" Vance bowed acquiescence. "Ask me any question you care to. Mr. Liang, and I will try to be a3 frank as you have been." How. then, did you know that I was aware of the crime on the night it was committed?" "There were several indications. Mr. Liang." Vance replied: "but it was you yourself who told me as much- -by a slip of the tongue. When I first spoke to you. the next morning;, you mentioned a tragedy; and when I asked you how you knew there had been a tragedy, you replied you had heard Gamble telepnor.mg?while you were preparing breakfast.'" Liang looked at Vance for a moment. a puzzled expression in his eyes Thee, a faint smile appeared slowly on his mouth. "T understand now." he said. "I had already prepared the breakfast when the butler telephoned, for he discovered the crime when he was taking Mr. Coe's breakfast to him. Yes. I gave myself away, but it took a clever man to grasp the error. " Vance acknowledged the compliment. "And now I shall ask you another question, Mr. Liang. Why were you pretending to work in the kitchen at three o'clock yesterday morning, after the attack on Mr. Grassi?" The Chinaman looked up shrewdly. "Pretending?" "The ink was quite dry on the papers you had so neatly arranged on the kitchen table." A sLv." r~;lc r.^ r.ir; cprc?u Oi ?_* Liang's ascetic mouth. "T was afraid, afterward." he said, "that you might have noticed that. . . . The fact is, Mr. Vance. T was standing guard. At about half-past two that morning. I was awakened by a slight sound. I sleep lightly? and I am sensitive to sounds. I listened, and some one opened the door and passed through the kitchen into the bu*J;.r*? pantry and the dining room, and on into the library?'" "You recognized the footsteps?" "Oh. yes. The person who came ir so softly was Mr. Wrede. ... I natv w tsf \ave Stood th OYSTER Field Tested Ferti experience, and the expcn search work. C. Behind every bi at it has taken a generation to 1 laiity to price or tonnage, anti ake sure of a good crop by ar ested Fertilizers ? See your Ro' any tons you will need. Of coi :id-forming. rtLLD TESTED Fl 8. ROYSTER GUANO SOI | urally did not trust him, knowing1 what I did. and I hoped that I could, trap him in some way. So 1 rose, dressed, turned on all the lights in: | the kitchen, and took my post at the j j table?as if I were working. Fifteen! | minutes later. I heard Mr. Wrede back softly into the butler's, ry and then retreat again toward ! this room. T knew that he had seen | the lights in the kitchen and was : | afraid to enter. I did not hear the j ! front door open?which is the only j I other means of egrees except the j windows?and I decided to stand my , ground. A little later I heard Mr. Grassi call out. and then I heard the butler j telephoning. Even so, T thought it best to remain in the kitchen, for it occurred to me that Mr. Wrede might north c farm have alwa SATISFACTION Ar by u Intern; ? jL.ime Fertil THEY HAVE P SUPER FOR S/ Edminst I BOON! 3 r tster MJZER e Test of Tin lizcrs are the result of 50 years diture of thousands of dollars sg ot Koyster goods is a reputai suild. Royster has never sacrifi i never wiii. Wouldn't it be wis< ranging right now for Royster F: yster agent and let him know 1 irse, ail Royster Fertilizers are n ?|gr'8^1 [UTILIZER* SPA NY, NORFOLK, VIROIM MARCH 21 1935 still be hiding in the house, waiting for a chance' to escape through the rear door. When you came into the kitchen and informed me of the at tack on Mr. Grassi. I suggested th, den window. I could not see how else Mr. Wrede could have gone out of the house." Liang looked up suaiy. "I am sorry my efforts were not more succeaarui. out at least I made it difficult for Mr. Wrede." Vance got up and put out his cigarette. "You've helped us no end." he said. ' You've clarified many things. We are most grateful." He walked to Liang and held out ! his hand. The Chinaman took it and bowed. (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK, AROLINA 1 HERS iys found r HARVEST TIME sing ational Filler lizers ROVEN THEIR iGRiTY ILK BY EN BROS. E, N. C. ? le! I of in lion Ced e to ield iow OQllA
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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March 21, 1935, edition 1
6
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