t
Death Among The Dunes
Introducing Dr. Mordacai Wescott, investigator, who solves the problem at Dune House,
down among the sand-dunes on the coast of North Carolina.
By WILBORNE HARRELL
★ A Chowan Herald Fiction Story.
I——— i i i i F
Note: Although the general lo
cale of this story is identifiable,
all the characters, incidents and
situations are entirely the pro
duct of the author’s imagination,
and have no reference to any ac
tual persons, places or events.*
Chapter One
Dr. Wescott was in when I tele
phoned that eventful Thursday after
noon. The maid answered my ring.
Would the Doctor be so kind as to
grant me an interview ? ... He would
... I was to come immediately. And
hurry!
% I hung up. The Doctor was a queer
duck, a little eccentric in his ways but
a right guy at that. My conneetion
with Dr. Wescott brought me some of
my greatest stories and most sensa
tional scoops. I may also add it en
deared me to my editor, who made no
bones about admitting that he con
sidered my advantageous relations
with the Doc one of his most valued
assets. That also assured me a
plushy job, since I have acquired the
expensive habit of eating, it was Okay
by me. But don’t get me wrong. I
did not use my position to take ad
vantage of Dr. Wescott. I liked the
guy. And although our association
sometimes assumed the status of ap
parent antagonism, we each respect
ed the other. I was really fond of J
the Doc, hut that was a fact I would j
not allow myself to admit except in i
my more mellow moods. In all the
years that I had known him, Dr. Wes
cott had not hurried himself or re
quested haste of another hut exactly
twice—the two times in my life I had
scooped the biggest stories of my life.
His request for haste surely meant
something was up; so you can bet
your bottom dollar I didn’t lose much
time getting there.
I flagged a taxi, and telling the
driver to give her the works, I was
soon pressing the bell on Dr. Wes
cott’s rather unimposing front door.
The maid let me in, the same one
who had answered the phone. Her
name is Marie, and she rightly be
longs in the movies, right along be
side Marilyn Monroe, and not in the
staid atmosphere of Dr. Wescott’s
home. Marie was a displaced war
refugee. That was another thing that
made me like the guy: he was always
doing things, quietly, for the unfor
tunate. But enough of Marie. I
knew my way about and proceeded
straight to Wescott’s study, or den.
This den of Dr. Wescott’s needs a
little explaining. As I have said, Wes
cott was an eccentric individual much
given to little peculiarities that to one
who didn’t know him would appear as
strange, to say the least. And in a
way he was strange. One glance
around his study would convince any
one of that. But despite this he was
the type of man one liked to meet,
and know.
Wescott had been a great traveler,
and in the course of his wanderings
he had collected many odd relics of
by-gone ages and civilizations. These
objects, as they lined the shelves of
the numerous cabinets and rested on
the table tops, were the things that
struck this bizarre note.
Even now I shudder every time I
cross its threshhold. I can’t for the
life of me accustom myself to his
curios, and especially have I a dislike
for those small shrunken heads, about
the size of an apple—the head of hu
mans with the skull removed by some
secret process and shrunk to a grue
some Liliputian size, by the head
hunters of South America. But Wes
cott claims they are the choice bits
of his whole collection, as they are
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very rare, and were obtained with
much difficulty and under conditions
extremely dangerous. In fact, they
had cost the lives of two men, one
native and one white member of the
expedition that had secured them.
Also, there were objects unfamiliar
to the average person but peculiar to
his trade, that added to the mystic
subtleness that pervaded the room.
Dr. Wescott was a criminologist; or,
as he liked to style himself when in
good humor, an “intuitive” detective,
and in that respect he was no less
uniquely individual than the room of
horrors he chose to call his den. He
was, in his habits of dress and man
ner, as old-fashioned as a plush bound
album resting on a marble topped
table. But in his work Dr. Wescott
was as up-to-date as nuclear fission,
and about as deadly, too —for crimi
nals. His was a figure that through
sheer weight of personality and brains
had created an enviable niche for him
self in his chosen profession. And it
fell to me, an ordinary reporter, to
' get within the good graces and to hold
the friendship of such a man. It was
indeed fortunate for me, and much to
my advantage professionally (as I
have said before), to be associated
with him.
I found the door of the den closed,
but opening it softly , I entered. It
| was Dr. Wescott’s wish, or demand
i rather, that I do this. My quietly
J walking in, he explained, was less
' likely to intrude upon his trend of
thought, if he happened to be engaged
upon a problem at the moment, than
the startling staccato raps of knock
ing.
Wescott barely looked up when I
entered.
“Sit down, Jimmy. Just a minute.”
A few scratches of b-s pen, and
then throwing that writ’" :g instrument
down as if it had suddenly exhausted
its usefulness, he whirled around in
his chair. Without preamble, he said,
“Josiah Fentress is dead! Murdered,
Jimmy.”
This he shot at me so suddenly, and
as I had been gaping at those shrunk
en heads hanging by their scalp-locks
on the opposite wall, I was startled;
and I pride myself on possessing
strong nerves, if few other virtues.
I fancy for the moment I imagined
those heads had taken on life and
jumped at me. Damn those heads!
“Murdered, Jimmy. Shot down in
cold blood by person or persons un
known, as those coroner chaps have a
way of putting it.” Wescott was still
talking.
I was pleased to note that he had
taken no notice of my start, and was
proceeding as though nothing had
happened.
“Do the police know who did it?”
I asked. And could have bitten off
my tongue for asking such a foolish
question. Os course the police know,
or were working on clues that would
soon apprehend the criminal. They
always were. I glanced around the
room and those heads were leering at
me.
“In this instance the police do not
know although they think they do.
According to them the ease is cleared
up. They got on the scene soon after
it happened. They examined the
gun—yes, they got that, too—for fin
gerprints and found it smeared with
the prints of that pretty young wife
of Fentress’s and of Fentress him
self. It can’t be suicide, because the
weapon was found hidden—exactly
where a woman would hide it—and
no suicide hides the weapon after kill
ing himself. They’ve got the motive,
too, Jimmy. She’s sole heir of the
Fentress millions and that’s enough
THE CHOWAN HERALD, EDENTON. N. C„ THURSDAY JULY 2, 1953.
for the police.” This was a long
speech for Wescott. He paused and
glared at me.
By this time I had found my ton
gue.
“ ‘Noted Sportsman Slain By Pret
ty Wife’. Lord! What a story; and
Fentress of all men! Say, do you
think his wife really did it? They
fastened it on her pretty quick.”
Dr. Wescott bit one of those evil
smelling stogies he smokes before re
plying.
“She denies killing him but adfnits
the prints are hers; although she re
fuses to tell how they came to be on
the murder weapon. That shows up
bad for her.” He puffed furiously
for a moment and then rose from his
chair. “But I tell you this. Jimmy.
Octavia Fentress never killed her hus
band. I • know her well enough to.
know that she is incapable of such an
act. And that’s where we come in.
No matter how airtight a case the
police have, we’ll punch holes in it.
Suppose her prints were on the gun.
There’s some plausible explanation,
and we’ll find it.
“I am working with the police on
this; they invited me to sit in be
cause they are sure they have an air
tight case, and I won’t be able to up
set it for them.” He glanced at his
watch. “Come on; we haven’t but
a few minutes to catch the bus for
Land’s End. Sergeant Crosby is to
meet us there. Ever been to Dun?
House? Pretty place. Blue ocean,
sanddunes, wonderful air—you’ll en
joy it. And you’ll get a story for
your precious paper.”
(Continued Next Week)
Like gluttony or drunkenness, hat
red seems an agreeable vice when you
practice it yourself, but disgusting
when observed in others.
—Will Irwin.
TAYLOR THEATRE]
EDENTON, N. C. [
Week Dav Shows Continuous
From 3:30
Saturday Continuous From 1:30
Sunday 2:15. 4:15 and 9:15
o ..
Thursday and Friday,
July 2-3
Danny Thomas and
Peggy Lee in
“THE JAZZ SINGER”
DONALD THDMAS
O
Saturday, July 4
George Montgomery and
Audrey Long in
“INDIAN UPRISING”
C. T. DIXON
Sunday and Monday,
July 5-6
Paul Christian and
Paula Raymond in
“THE BEAST FROM
20,000 FATHOMS”
ANTHONY EOSSER
0
Tuesday and Wednesday,
July 7-8—
Double Feature
Joan Leslie in
“THE WOMAN THEY ALMOST”
LYNCHED”
—also—
Dorothy Dandridge in
“BRIGHT ROAD”
H. T. 'HOGSS
EDEN THEATRE
Friday and Saturday,
July 3-4
Double Feature
Guy Madison in
“TRAIL OF THE ARROW”
—also—
Judy Canova in
“LOUISIANA HAYRIDE”
CARLTON IPRIVOTT
HI-WAY 17
Drive-In Theatre
o
Wed., Thura., Fri„ and Sat,
July 1-2-3-4
Charlton Heston in
“THE GREATEST SHOW
ON EARTH” ,
H. C. IBYRUM
O
Sunday, July 5
Rhonda Fleming in
“LITTLE EGYPT”
-
Monday and Tuesday,
July 6-7—*
Joel MeCrea in
"CATTLE TOWN”
- ■
Wednesday and Thursday,
July 8-9
Richard Widmark in
“MY PAL GUS”
(Note: If your name appears in
this ad bring it to the Taylor
Theatre box office and receive a
free pass to see one of the pictures
Advertised in As ad.)
Betty Ruth 6pm
Weds Joseph H. Ward
Wedding Solemnized In
Baptist Church Sat
urday Afternoon
The marriage of Miss Betty Ruth
Byrum, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Al
bert Gaskins Byrum of Edenton, to
Thomas Edward Ward, son of Mrs.
Joseph Henry Ward, and the late Mr.
Ward, took place in the Edenton Bap
tist Church on Saturday afternoon,
June 27, at 5:30 o’clock.
The ceremony was performed by
the Rev. R. N. Carroll, and Miss Ag
nes Chappell rendered the wedding
music. Miss Pat Flowers of Atlanta,
Georgia, sang “I Love Thee” and “Be
cause.”
The bride, given in marriage by her
father, was attired in a gown of Chan
tilly lace and nylon tulle over satin.
The long-sleeved lace bodice was de
signed with off-shoulder scalloped
neckline of Chantilly lace, accordion
pleated ruffles of nylon tulle formed
the chapel length train. Her finger
tip veil of illusion fell from a Mary
Scott Cap of nylon tulle and seeded
pearl leaves. She carried a cascade
bouquet of stephanotis and butterfly
orchids.
Miss Lucille Overton of Newport
News, Va, was maid of honor. She
wore a bouffant strapless gown of
pink nylon tulle -with matching stole
and headdress. She carried a Co
lonial nosegay of blue delphinium, and
pink Ester Reed daisies centered with
pink rose buds.
The bridesmaids were Miss Kathleen
Ward, sister of the bridegroom, Miss
Kitty Campen, cousin of the bride,
Miss Lillian Leary, Miss Margaret
Williams, Miss Peggy Goodwin and
Mrs. John Raines. They were attired
in gowns of apple green nylon tulle,
with headdresses; and nosegays fash
ioned like those of the maid of honor.
Hurley Ward, brother of the bride- 1
groom, was best man. The ushers
were Albert Gaskins Byrum, Jr. bro
ther of the bride, William E. Bond.
. CARD OF THANKS
We are taking this method to ex
press our sincere thanks to our
friends and neighbors who were so
kjnd in helping us in so many ways
! during the funeral of my dear son
and our dear brother, John Orstese
Capehart.
We also thank you for the cars
loaned, beautiful flowers, cards re
ceived and all who rendered service in
any way.
Bettie Capehart and Family. p
We Offer Special Values
In Good Used Equipment
ii
See Us For Your Needs I
• Farmall A Tractor and Equipment
• Farmall B Tractor and Equipment
• Farmall C Tractor and Equipment
• Farmall H Tractor and Equipment
• Farmall M Tractor and Equipment
• F-12 &14 Tractor and Equipment
\ * Ii
SEE US TODAY FOR YOUR
COTTON DUSTERS And PARTS I
Bynun Implement & T ruck Company I
Edenton, N. C.
■■■ ——S= ‘ ■
i Jr., cousin of the bride, Erie Haste,
Sherwood Chesson, Mack Privott and
Gene Spruill, all of Edenton.
The bride’s mother wore a gown of
ice blue lace and taffeta with match
ing hat, and wore a corsage of blush
orchids. The bridegroom’s mother wore
a gown of Navy blue lace and a white
orchid.
Mrs. W. P. Jones was mistress of
ceremonies.
Immediately following the wedding
a reception was held at the home of
the bride’s parents. For traveling the
bride wore a Navy blue dressmaker
suit of embossed Honan silk, with blue
and white accessories. She wore a
corsage of white orchids.
Mrs. Ward was graduated from St.
Mary’s School, Raleigh, North Caro
lina in 1953. She made her debut at
the Terpsichorean Club ball in the
fall of 1952 in Raleigh. Mr. Ward
served three years in the Army Air
Force in World War 11.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH SERVICES
Services at the First Christian
Church have been announced as fol
lows by the pastor, the Rev. E. C.
Alexander:
Bible School, Sunday morning at 10
o’clock; morning service at 11 o’clock;
•vening service at 7:30 o’clock. Wed
nesday Evening Bible Class meets at
7:30 o’clock. Everyone is welcome to
young people’s meeting at 6:30 P. M.;
all services.
With faint praises one another
damn. —Wyeherly.
'3.20 ■ #
100 mo Os LIQUEUR
I SOUTHERN COMFORT CORP.
ST. LOUIS 3, MISSOURI
Page Nine
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Limited space prohibits telling you
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Mrs. Lela S. Wier
2805 Arbor Hills Drive
P. O. Box 3122
Jackson 7, Mississippi
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