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THE STORY THUS FAR: A Aim Bract, FBI operator, Iaspcctor Tope aad Mrs. I Tope met la the Heine wooda. Tope ! found a man murdered, who wai at lrit ' Identified aa Ltdfarfe, head o< New Ear land utilities. Mrs. Kell was foand mar dared la Ledforfie's ear, aad KeU com mitted calcific. doe Dane, asslataat D.A., accused Tope of buafUaf the case, to look charce. Tope arraated for Ebcily to keep a fisklas data with the maa who was said to he Lefiforg t. While they were la the caaoa, Ledforge upset the eaaoe. j Tope aad Brace, la a motor boat, wait oat aad broaght the mea to shore. Led ' forge told about his twin brother aad how i he thought Uoldom had done the mar 'W CHAPTER XV r '< - * _ 1 He spoke so simply that his ac cusation lacked reality. Ledforge cried: "I can't believe you're seri ous?" "Why, yes," Tope assured him, "I'm serious." The door from the hall opened, and they all looked that way; saw Bee Dewain. For a moment no one spoke; and Bee said: "Go on, please. May I listen?" Tope answered her. "We're just trying to make Mr. Ledforge admit that he was the man in Little Bear last Friday night," he explained, and turned to Ledforge again. "If you weren't," he challenged, "how did you know it was a dog blanket that they wrapped him up in? I said 'blanket,' but I never mentioned a dog." "Why, I've been in Holdom's ga rage many times. When you said 'blanket,' I thought of the police dog sleeping on his blanket in the corner there." "Well, maybe," Tope agreed; but before he could speak again, Joe Dane took a hand. Here was, it seemed to him, not only his cue, buV Bee Dewain for an audience to witness his triumph over Tope. He strode a little forward, and spoke briskly. "Come, Tope," he said with a mocking kindness, "I guess you've gone as far as you can, haven't you? Maybe you've got at the truth, all right; but Tope, it isn't enough for me to know the truth. I have to be able to prove it. I have to get something that will pass as evidence in_court." 'rope looked at him thoughtfully. "That's so, son," he agreed. "You do have to try the case, don't you?" Joe nodded. "So while you've been reading dream-books, and telling fortunes by the cards," he derisive ly explained, "I've been collecting a few facts?just plain facts. And, of course, one particular fact! One good fact that can't be shaken is all we need, isn't it?" Adam Bruce demanded: "Joe, do you have to be a fool twice in one day?" But Tope touched Adam's arm, hushed him. "Now, Adam," he pro tested, "you let Joe set off his fire works 1 It wouldn't surprise me a bit if he had something. Joe's a smart young man." "Then he ought to know better?" Joe said resentfully: "Now, wait a minute, Bruce! After all, this case is my job. This old man hasn't sn ounce of evidence, but I have. I can prove that Rufus Ledforge, here, was in Little Bear that night, Friday night," he said exultantly. "Rufus was, all right," Tope as sented. "1 know that too." "But you can't prove it?" "Why, that depends! Maybe not!" "Weil, I can," said Joe proudly. "While you've been chasing will-o' the-wisps, I've found a witness. I've got a man who heard Mrs. Kell, in the cottage that night, call Led forge here by name." Tope exclaimed: "Well, if you have, that's something, sure!" Dane laughed exultantly. "You bet it is!" he cried. "It's worth all your guess work." "Ctriled him by name, did she?" Tope reflected. Joe cried in a hot triumph: "Yes, she did!" And he explained care fully: "I think she was begging him not to leave poor Christopher there to die. But at any rate, she said: 'Oh, no, please don't, Rufe! Don't, Rufe, please!' " " 'Rufe,' eh?" Tope echoed. "Sure. Rufus. Rufus Ledforge) And that's proof enough to convince any jury?with the rest of what we've got?that Rufus Ledforge was in Little Bear that night." Tope rubbed his mouth with his hand; he wagged his head. "Why, Joe," he said, "Rufus Ledforge was in Little Bear that night, all right. Or right handy. But the woman, Mrs. Kell, she wasn't talking to him; and if she had been, he wouldn't have heard her. Rufus was out in the car, under the rumble seat, sick and unconscious, with the drugs in him. No, Rufus couldn't hear her." Joe stammered: "What are you talking about?" "This man here isn't Rufus Led forge, son," said Tope. "This?what was his brother's name??this here is Christopher." And while they were all for a mo ment silent, Bee Dewain?as though she had heard what she came to hear?quietly slipped away. Bee had departed; but no other moved. Only Ledforge laughed, ap pealing to young Joe Dane, to big Mat Cumberland. "Who is this-aged jackass?" he protested. "Our best friends couldn't distinguish between us, so you may have to take my word for it; yet I assure you I am Rufus, not poor Christopher." "Who was your dentist?" Tope inquired. "Doctor Loud?" Ledforge smiled. "No, Doctor W v Christopher's. 1 went to a New York man." There was a mocking triumph in him. "Oh I assure you we covered all points, in spector." ? "JVst the same," Tope insisted you re bound to be Christopher. RUI InVfll'r&i*i htVe any g00d reason to kUl Christopher; but Christopher ?figuring he could step into his anH 0es' talce over the money and the power that his brother had accumulated?he'd have plenty of ?ason to kill Rufus. Yes, you're Christopher. It don't make sense any other way." Ledforge started to speak; but lope said implacably: "That's why you tried to drown Mr. Eberly. Be cause he told you that you didn't look uke Rufus. I figured you'd try to ? ^ht.dld 8U5pect; end when you invited him to go fishing, and I found out he couldn't swim, I guessed how you'd do it. You had tried to find out, two weeks ago, whether he'd notice anything?tried to see him, but he was away. You were checking up ahead of time, with him and Mrs. Kell, to see if they d realize you weren't Rufus. Must have had this idea in mind be fore Rufus got sick and gave you the chance to pull it off. You fooled her, then; so you took a chance on being able to fool Eberly." And he explained: "So I told him to pretend to see a difference in you today; and he did; and you tried to drown him!" "Ridiculous! He imagined that!" "And Mrs. Kell," Tope added re lentlessly, "in Little Bear the other night, finally realized you weren't Rufus. That was why you killed her." Ledforge said harshly: "Man, you're?" Tope cut in: "Well, if you weren't there, how did you happen to think of Kell's shoes with the heel-plates on them? I mentioned footprints, but not Kell nor his heel-plates." Ledforge licked dry lips. '.'Just a guess! It would be natural f&r Hol dom to put on some one else's shoes; and Kell's were available." "Mr. Ledforge," he confessed, "I laid some traps for you awhile ago, when I was telling you the story. I didn't tell you that the sweater was gray. You stepped into that one. I didn't say the wires were ignition wires, or that it was elec tricians' tape, or that it was the dog's blanket. You dodged the wires and the tape, but you stepped right into the dog one. I didn't mention that your brother was drugged, but you did. I didn't say anything about Kell's shoes, but you did. I didn't say your brother's body was in the rumble, but you did." He added calmly: "And there was one more, the worst of all. You put your neck right into that one, Led forge. You knew it the minute you did it!" "You're crazy!" Ledforge cried hoarsely. "I mean," Tope explained, "that I didn't tell you Mrs. Kell was stran gled. Oh, she was, all right! But how did you know?" Tope as he spoke turned toward the door. Now, before Ledforge, ter ribly shaken, could reply, the old man said: "Oh, hello, ma'am!" They all swung that way. Here were Mrs. Tope and Bee, and be tween them they supported Miss Ledforge. The little old woman, white as a wraith, came uncertainly into the room. She looked from one to another till her eyes fastened on her brother's face; and then she spoke. "Christopher!" she whispered. "Christopher!" She tottered weakly. Ledforge took one step toward her; and she seemed to collapse upon a great divan there beside her. Mrs. Tope eased her as she fell; the old wom an lay with eyes closed, breathing heavily. Ledforge strode briskly toward her. "Careful, gentlemen," he said warningly. "My sister's heart can not withstand a heavy shock!" He came to where she lay, and his hand caught up her wrist, his fingers pressed the pulse; he stood intent and listening. Then without a word he took from his vest pocket a small vial, poured half a dozen pellets into his hand, selected one, replaced the others. "Some one get water," he whis pered. "Here, Alice, swallow this." His hand touched her cheek. Her lips opened, received the small pel let. She seemed to swallow. And Tope said softly, behind Ledforge: "Doctor, will she die?" "Oh, no," Ledforge assured him; and then he whirled to face the oth er man, and his cheek was ashen. "I'm not a doctor!" he cried des perately. "You took her pulse like one," said Tope. He added: "And you an swered to the name of one. And your sister is like me. She thinks you're Christopher. And Christo pher's a doctor!" Ledforge said rapidly: "No, lis ten! I must explain, gentlemen, my sister has hallucinations. Has been for years a little dim-witted; and she's frightfully upset now. She al ways worshiped Rufual" Tope looked past Ledforge at the woman on the couch. "So it's Rut us that's dead, not Christopher?" Ledforge stammered: "No, no! I meant Christopher?" But Miss Ledforge spoke, behind him. Her voice was faint, yet strong: "If Rufus is dead, you killed him, Christopher." Ledforge whirled on her in incred ulous surprise; he appealed to them all. "How can she hear? Without her ear-phone? She is deaf as a post!" "I can read your lips, Christo pher," said Miss Ledforge. "I have done so for years, have thus known many secret ugly things about you." "You mustn't talk, Alice!" Led forge cried. "Your?" But Tope said calmly: "Oh, she won't die, Doctor Christopher. She didn't swallow the pill you gave her. If you could have killed Eberly and your sister, you might have taken your brother's place with no one to prove you weren't Rufus. But Eber ly's alive, and so is she." And he spoke to Mrs. Tope. "Give Mr. Cumberland that pill Miss Led forge didn't swallow, my dear. He'll want to have it analyzed, to see if it's the right medicine to give a weak old woman when she has s heart attack." Mrs. Tope obediently dropped the white pellet into Mat Cumberland's great hand. But Ledforge laughed; he said briskly: "Of course it is." He lifted that small bottle from his pocket again, poured the pills out into his palm. "I kept a supply always ready," he said, "They've helped her before. They're all the same. Like this one?" And he selected one, and sudden ly lifted it toward his mouth. But Adam Bruce, long since forewarned, was ready. His smashing blow stretched Ledforge prone and sense less. The pills went flying all across the floor. (THE END) PLECTED /*? :TION BYai FTED AUTHORS* """ improved"1"--" uniform international Sunday i chool Lesson By HAROLD L. LUNDQU1ST. O. D. Of Th? Moody Bible Inetitdte of Chicago. Released by Western Newspaper Union. Lesson for March 10 . Vy? wMacta and Scripture text. ? A PEOPLE IN CONFUSION LEMON TEXT: Judge. 1:T. II. IMS. MEMORY SELECTION: Th. Lord la my helper, and I will not (car.? Hebrew. 13:a. Confusion is a word well suited to describe the world today. With the end of the war we had hoped for peace and goodwill, and what have we? We may learn from the ex perience of Israel the reasons for such confusion. They, too, had come into their land and should have had only peace and prosperity. Instead there were turmoil and disorder. Why? The sucoeaa or failure of both na- ! i tions and individuals is ultimately I determined by their attitude toward the law of God. He is always right and true. The constant factor in a world order that swings wildly from one extreme to another is his law, which is perfect and eternal. God is no respecter of persons. Even Israel, his own chosen na tion, found that observing God's law meant blessing, and failure to do so brought judgment and sorrow. No man is great and powerful enough to ignore this rule, and none is exempt from its operation. I. The Cause?Forgetting God (w. I HI* , The Lord had promised the land to them is they went in and pos sessed it by faith in him. He fully kept that promise in the measure that they believed him. They never did take the whole land, but that was because of their failure, not God's. As the people of Israel took pos session of the land, they went for . ward in the way of blessing as long as Joshua, and the elders who re membered God, kept them steady and true. We have here an excellent illustration of the power of a godly example. It is far stronger than we think. ( The fact that a nation has been highly privileged and has been ex alted to a place of power and honor will not save it in the day when God is forgotten. Israel no longer had God-fearing men to bring it back to the Lord, and so began its aw ful drifting. We Americans are rightly proud of our great land, its mighty re sources, its fine past and promising future. But what is the future to be? Oh, we say, the most glorious days are ahead! They may be, but only if we, like our forefathers who established this nation, recog nize God. If we do not, America will go the way of the forgotten em pires of centuries past, and that in spite of all its past achievements and its present promise. It is a significant thing that our business and national leaders often come from Christian homes, but it is sad that they themselves are' so frequently not Christians. Their lives are shaped by the teaching and influence of godly parents, but what will their children do if they are not brought up In the fear and admonition of the Lord? n. The Condition?National and Spiritual Confusion (w. 16-19). The history of the period of the judges in Israel is Incomplete, but what we have shows the awful con dition of the nation. Not only were they in separate tribes, but the peo ple as a whole were divided into three groups?north and south of Jerusalem, and east of the Jordan. The moral and spiritual decay were evident in their turning to the immoral practices of Baal-worship. One would have thought that God would give up a people so set on sinning, but he did not He provided deliverance for Israel. That gives us courage, for we know that he has not given us up, but has pro vided in Christ a sure deliverance, if America will turn to him. It is interesting to note that God works through men. Some of these judges were great men; others were just ordinary men. But each in his appointed place, at the appointed time, was God's man. Confusion, sin and disobedience cannot be tolerated indefinitely. So Israel stubbornly went on to III* The Conclusion ? Judgment from God (w. 20-23). J God not only will not hold a back i sliding nation guiltless, but will | bring judgment even if he has to I turn over his people to a despoiling nation. He has instruments of in dividual and national chastisement, | and he is ready to use them. Notice that wherever they went the Lord's hand was agsinst them. | There is no place to flee from the | presence of God. Anyone who thinks he can do it should read Psalm 139: 7-12. It can't be done. That is a comfort to the believer, but it is I very disquieting to the unbeliever. They compromised with evil, and lost not only their testimony but their very spiritual life. They for sook God and took into their friend ship the enemies of God, only to find that they were their own enemies. We are in danger now of compro mise with evil, both in our personal and in our national lives. As we do ?and if we do?we may expect only disaster and judgment News/Jx the.'N^S By PaulHallon^^ Rtlnitd by Western Newnpapnr Union. THREATENED VETO POWER ON LABOR LEGISLATION WASHINGTON, D. C.?WNU.? Confidential canvasser* have found congress in almost total disagree ment as to what will be done about strikes and the unions. Twenty of the men, best placed to know, gave 20 differing private predictions. Many cnirt frnm tKa Aral that the steel strike would be settled, then autos, then the big others ; whereupon inter est would die, while congress argued without a decision until after their election next No vember. Free. Truman Others did not be lieve congress could longer duck the problem and expected various union-curbing enactments. But Mr. Truman had told his leaders pri vately he would veto anything which might be called an anti-union law. Surely nothing opposed by the unions could get two-thirds ma jority necessary to pass over such a veto. The confused and confusing predictions, in the last analysis, therefore, appeared to add up to Just about the same total ? nothing, or little-or-noth ing. A nice neat hole in the wall is quite evidently being dug, .through which all may escape. A commenta tor or two started it with toothpicks, but behind them some congressmen are ready with drills. FACT-FINDING WITHOUT POWER OR TEETH This is a proposal to cut the Tru man fact-finding bill down to fact finding alone. It would be stripped of its power of subpoena, to which General Motors objects, and the cooling-off period of 30 days before strikes, to which the union objects. Just pass a law letting the President appoint commissions to find facts. The only trouble about this es cape is too many people can see the hole. It might be uener lu gu urauu ly out the window, or keep arguing interminably In hope* everyone will forget about the whole matter. Such legisla tion simply pro poses what already U-. A r* m a miiwiaw Without legislation Mr. Truman has established precisely that kind of fact-finding. General Motors walked out on it The question raised by such a permanent fact-finding law is: Weald anyone ever show np for the hearings? To handle the problem that way would be like waring back a windstorm with a feather. If congressional leaders try to push their boys, through this hole, there will of course be trouble. The labor committees of both houses are closely controlled by the unions. Nothing can escape them which is opposed by the unions, or nothing ever has. On the open senate and boose floors, however, their bill would be open to amendment by * the attachment of every possible solution every congressman has proposed. The problem of Mr. Truman's leaders will then bo to prevent any important action, and they are likely to wind np with conflicting bills from the two houses. Certainly anyone looking for solu tions from congress must wear long range glasses, and anyone looking toward consideration of the funda mentals of the problem will have to look hard. The plain fundamentals are these: ENTIRE NATION CAN BE 8TRIKE BOUND The unions have developed their strike technique to the point where they can tie up the nation any night. A simultaneous strike in tele phones, telegraph and radio alone would nearly do it. Add electrical pswer - house workers, and yon can see what four onions could do to the coun try. Add not the big railroads bnt the teamsters who merely handle all freight in the cities, the elevator operators and bos drivers, and you have the ebliter ative possibilities of a general strike from only a few onions. I have mentioned only a few of the strikes which have already been called. In this campaign the unions, by rather clever timing of local strikes to keep pressure on the White House (first buses, then telephones with out real issue in either), and by preliminary and bolstering strikes in other cities, have used their new power to get an unprecedented wage increase which will average above 18 per cent, a figure repre [ senting just about what they expect ed to get from their demand for 30 | per cent. SEWING CIRCLE NEEDLECRAFT Gay Cross-Stitched Kitchen Towels Sunbonnet girls look like applique?srw easy cross-stitch! Pattern 7320 has trans fer of 6 motifs averaging 6 by inches. Due to 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: fewiag Circle Needlecratt DepC ?2 Eighth Ave. New York I Enclose 16 cents tor Pattern. No Mi"" | Address j Amos Let the Doc in on His Secret of Longevity *s Upon examining old Amoa, who was 87, the doctor was surprised at his excellent health. "Amazing!" exclaimed the medic. "To what do you attribute such good health at your age?" "Well," answered Amoe, "when we married, my wife and I agreed not to argue. If she got angry, - she promised to go out to the kitchen without saying anything till she calmed down. And I was to go out into the backyard if I got angry." "But," interrupted the doe, "what has that got to do with it?" "Well," drawled the old man, "I've lived a good part of my life1 outdoors." ? - ?~"\W ?% AFTER dinner, dishes are fun to do when you've towels em broidered with these gay sunbon net girls and colorful balloons! Simple stitchery. Put spices, seasonings, baking ] powder, cream of tartar and the ji like on a cookie sheet and keep on v a shelf in the kitchen cabinet, e When cooking or baking, take out fl the cookie sheet and make your g choice. ? ??? a Wrap gold and silver evening f bags and slippers in dark-colored cloth to prevent tarnish. ??? s Grease glass baking dishes be- s fore putting food in them to bake and they will be much easier to wash. s If you have a favorite piece of ? Jewelry which cannot be worn be- ? cause it discolors the skin, try this: i After cleaning it, give the back a t coat of colorless nail polish. ??? An old tennis racket makes a I mighty good carpet beater. t ?o? I To make a good wire splice, lay . the ends side by side, pointing in opposite directions until the doubled portion is about two inches long. Grasp firmly right in the middle with the jaws of a pair of pliers. Wrap one free end firm ly about the splice at the left, and the other in reverse about the splice at the right. The result is neat, easily taped, and won't pull apart. Such joints should be sol dered, particularly if the wire is part of an electrical unit. New York City Buries Its Paupers in Big Trenches New York City buries weekly an average of 200 bodies of paupers, unknowns and still-born babies in its potter's field on Hart's island, says Collier's. As about 65 of them a year are later sought by rela tives or friends for reburial in a private cemetery, the city main tains a descriptive record of all bodies and a numbering system so they can be readily located and exhumed. They are buried in large trenches, each of which contains the coffins of 200 adults or 6,000 infants. Do not throw my used wax elly tumbler covers. Wash in cold /ater, dry them, and place in an mpty tin can. When the can is illed, they should be melted to ;ether to form a cake and cov ?red. Thus, it will be kept fresh ind as good as ever to be used or next season's Jelly jars. Before sta fling fowl wipe the in iide thoroughly dry to prevent the luffing from being soggy. Immediate patching of worn ipots may add years to the life if a roof if it is, on the whole, still in good condition. It is, how jver, usually poor economy to do i patchwork job on a roof that is veil worn. For sweeter mnsie, give your >honograph records a bath now ind then, using warm water and nild soap. Acid Indigestion I YOU TOO (a&aMiat i with msssaairs ; rinT-mm n?? c>. WHitH " W 11 j EXTRA TASTY BREAD! ) (??3 . \ BECAUSE IT'S FULL-STRENGTH ?this active fresh Yeast goes right to work. No waiting?no extra steps! And Fleischmann's fresh Yeast helps make bread that tastes sweeter, ia lighter, finer-textured every "me. ,F YOU BAKE AT HOME-be sure to get Fleischmann's active fresh Yeast - Swith the familiar yellow label. Depend able ? America's time-tested favorite "* for more than 70 years. ? ?
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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March 7, 1946, edition 1
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