Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / July 16, 1953, edition 1 / Page 9
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1 11 ' 'S 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. * WHAT HAS HAPPENED Dr. Mordacai Wescott, eccentric detective, has been called in by the police to assist in investigat ing the murder of Josiah Fen tress, millionaire sportsman, whom the police think was killed by his wife, Octavia. Dr. Wescott thinks that Octavia Fentress is innocent and sets about to get at the truth and unmask the real murderer. Dr. Wescott is accom panied by Jimmy Maguire, news paperman, who is telling the story, and they are now waiting at Land’s End for Sergeant Cros by of the police to ferry them over to Dune House, the home of Josiah Fentress and where the. murder was committed. Chapter Three Whether Sergeant Crosby ever lit his ever-present cigar, I don’t know because I have never seen him use it for any other purpose than to punct uate his rather explosive sentences; occasionally I have seen him place it in his mouth, but then only for a sec ond or two. I have never yet seen him actually smoke. Sergeant Crosby made a stab at Wescott’s shirt front with his cigar. “But I tell you, Wescott, there is ab solutely no other way around it—the girl must have done it. She alone had the opportunity. There are plen ty others there, I admit, who could probably have had a motive, but every single solitary one has been accounted for, but Mrs. Fentress.” We were aboard the launch heading for Dune House, and Crosby was giv ing Wescott the low-down. “There was one fellow there, tho, that I was a little skeptical of at first. Hand some fellow, named Crane. He had reason aplenty for bumping off Fen tress, and maybe he did. He’s in love with Octavia Fentress and she with him, and if Fentress himself didn’t know it, he was blind as a bat. But Crane, with the rest of the bunch, came thru with a pretty good alibi, and unless we can shake that alibi, I guess we’ll have to scratch Mr. Crane’s name off as a possible sus pect. At present, as things stand now, it all narrows down to Octavia Fentress herself. “Why, man! how did her finger prints get on the gun that did the killing? Why is she so silent, won’t 1 WT&j&mSffffj ™/A I mm simocd «io •omio dt Jg| H SCHENLEV DISTILLERS. INC ■ jH nUNKfORI KINTUCKT KENTUCKY WHISKEY* A BLEND \ . WOOF. 70% GRAIN HEimAL SPIRITS. SCHEKLEY DIST-, INC., FRANKFORT, Kt. talk or answer questions, or at least when she does she’s vague or evasive about it. She’s got some tall explain ing to do if she is innocent.” “Maybe she thinks Crane did it, and is trying to cover up for him,” said Wescott, cutting the end off a stogy. Crosby’s cigar came up with a jerk. “Lord, man, I never thought of that. There’s a possibility. But hell, no, that’s out. Crane was with a bunch down the beach on a picnic. No, Crane’s definitely out, unless we can shake his alibi. I’ll put a good man on Crane’s tail—maybe we’ll find out something about Mr. Crane that he doesn’t want us to know.” “Crosby, who found the body?” Wescott had gotten his stogy going and was puffing contentedly, lolling back in his seat, his hand trailing idly in the water. And I knew he didn’t give a whoop who found the body. He was thinking, and thinking hard. “A little red-headed minx they call ‘Reddy’. I don’t know her name, but she’s quite a number. Full of life and as irrepressible as a volcano. She went into the library for a book to read herself to sleep with, she says. She stayed so long someone went in to see if anything was wrong, and there was this ‘Reddy’ girl stretched out on the floor. She had fainted dead away. And there was Fentress sprawl ed on his desk, the blood from a ghastly wound in his head staining the blotter. It was a terrible sight for a girl to see; no wonder she fainted.” “Why haven’t you placed this ‘Red dy’ girl On your list of suspects, Cros by, Suppose that faint was phony,” said Wescott, and Crosby snorted in derision, “Don’t make me laugh—that girl wouldn’t kill a flea.” But Wescott pursued his question. “What makes you so sure, Crosby, that ‘Reddy’ didn’t kill Fentress ? She certainly had ample opportunity; who knows she didn’t have an equally strong reason for killing him.” “If you want to split hairs. Wescott, I don’t know, but it is absurd to sus pect the girl,” said Crosby irritably. “And equally absurd to suspect Oc tavia Fentress,” Wescott shot back at him. “There you are, Sergeant Crosby, you have certain prejudicial reasons for not suspecting one woman and, you must grant me the same privilege. I know Octavia Fentress didn’t kill her husband, therefore, I cannot suspect her. We start even, THE CHOWAN-HERALD. EDENTON. N. C.. THURSDAY JULY 16, 1953. Sergeant.” I must have snickered audibly for Crosby glared at me and jabbed his cigar in a gesture of impatience. The boatman, introduced to us as Captain Wayne, keeper of Sharkshead Light, and who was very much inter ested in the tilt between Crosby and Wescott, now ventured to a question of his own. “Pardon me, gentlemen, but do I understand you to say that you sus pect Octavia Fentress of murdering her husband? Wescott glanced up quickly, “That i seems to be the idea of the police, Mr. Wayne. Why do you ask?” 1 “Then the police are blockheads! • Can’t they see that she couldn’t do a • thing'like that?” “But the evidence, Captain i Wayne—” broke in Crosby. “Evidence be damned!” “Just a minute, Sergeant Crosby, I think Captain Wayne has something to tell us,” said Wescott, and he ; glanced significantly at the Captain i while Crosby scowled. “Just this,” said the Captain. “I , realize that -what I am going to say , will be damaging evidence to Mrs. , Fentress, and I also know it’s going ! to gladden the heart of Sergeant ! Crosby, here.” He glanced at the Ser [ geant. “But I also want you, Mr. Wescott, to know befoi-e the inquest, , as it’s pretty sure to come out then, . and being forewarned is being fore t armed. It’ll probably help you find ’ the real murderer. “I have been stationed at Sharks HOME CANNERS' FIRST CHOICE! —'' —| No Guesswork! DOME DOWN •••Jar Sealed I —1 ! //? a// tAese 1 \ (Jtevro/ets farther ahead | that? ever/ Coupe. With 3 great new series. Chevrolet offers the widest choice of models in its field. * ...IN POWER AND j PERFORMANCE Chevrolet’s entirely new I 115-h.p. “Blue-Flame” engine (teamed with Powerglide*) is the most powerful in the | low-price field! In gear- | shift models, you get I the advanced 108-h.p. I “Thrift-King” engine. Both give brilliant new performance and greater { economy. | i B. B. H. MOTOR COMPANY “YOUR FRIENDLY CHEVROLET DEALER" N. Broad and Oakum Streets Edenton, N. C hfead Light only a few months, but be fore I came here, I knew Fentress. He is as black a hypocrite as ever walked this earth. He poses as a benefactor to mankind to the world at large, and to his wife in his home, he is a fiend incarnate. His cruelty is of a malicious subtlety that only the dev il himself could devise. How do I know all this? Dr. Wescott, I am a close observer of people, and I think I have read Fentress right, Yes, I KNOW I’m right! Fentress was due a killing and he got his just deserts.” “Tell that to these folks down here,” observed Crosby dryly, “and I expect we’d have another killing on our hands.” “And you, Sergeant, may make the most of what I’ve said, as I know you will,” retorted Captain Wayne, “and little good it'll do you.” Crosby stepped from the boat to the dock as we had now landed. “Thanks for the tip,” he flung over his shoulder. “You’ve given me a noose to hang Octavia Fentress with.” (Continued Next Week) Plan Next Year’s Feed Program This Summer North Carolina livestock farmers who have a feed problem should work out plans this summer to supply their LEARN WAYS TO HELP HUBBY GET AHEAD Women eager to help their hus bands achieve success can find prac tical suggestions in a series of ar ticles prepared by Mrs. Dale Carnegie, wife of the man who taught America to win friends and influence people. Look for this four-part series begin ning July 26th in THE AMERICAN WEEKLY Magazine in Colorgravure with the BALTIMORE SUNDAY AMERICAN Order from Your Local Newsdealer ... IN STYLE j AND LUXURY The sleek, low-slung { beauty of this fine new car provides one more reason for Chevrolet’s | truly amazing popular- | ity. The new Fisher Body i provides roomy luxun- I ous interiors, modem ap pointments and colorful, fine-fabric upholstery that can be matched only in costlier cars. | Miiia ■ * . ■*.. MORE PEOPLE BUY CHEVROLETS THAN ANY OTHER CAR! JHHHH ■ animals with plenty of pasture, hay, grain and silage next year. D. W. Bennett, assistant Hender son County farm agent for the N. C State College Agricultural Extension Service, points to the program adopt ed by M. D. McNaughton, Jr., for his 65 head of purebred Guernseys as a good example of planning. Last year, according to Bennett, McNaughton planned ahead for a com plete feed program and carried through with it to provide ample feed on his farm for the first time. Mc- Naughton seeded 14 new acres of hay and pasture last fall. This was seed ed about September 10, using 10 pounds of orchard grass and one and a half pounds of Ladino clover. It was well fertilized, Bennett says, with 1,000 pounds of 2-12-12 and one and a half tons of lime per acre. ( In addition to this, McNaughton seeded eight acres of Ladino clover , grass pasture in strips on the contour, “The King of Swine” BIG TYPE OIC Service Boars, Bred Gilts and Pigs S. R. MINTON MERRY HILL, N. C. Blended Whiskey, 86 Proof. The straight whis kies in this product are 5 years or more old. 35% straight whiskey, 65% grain neutral spirits, 15% straight whiskey 5 years old, 10% straight whiskey 6 years old, 10% straight whiskey 7 years old. Schenley Distributors, I Inc., New York, N. Y. SCHENLEY ...IN EASE OF ; DRIVING Entirely new Power- J glide automatic trans mission, with faster ( getaway and greater | economy, eliminates the | clutch pedal completely. | And Chevrolet’s new I Power Steering* does 80% of the work ... J lets you squeeze in or out of tight spaces with | wonderful new ease. | I SECTION TWO- ...IN ECONOMY I AND VALUE i Chevrolet now brings I you the most impor- J tant gain in gasoline economy in itsjiistory! And, you save substan- | tial amounts on over- | all upkeep, too. Yet | with all its wonderful j new things, Chevrolet I remains the lowest | priced line in the low- ! price field! , along with four acres of Atlantic al falfa. Ail his old established perman ent pasture was well fertilized with 500 pounds of 0-9-27 per acre. The result: recently McNaughton proudly showed the assistant county agent all of his farm buildings bulging with hay, all from the first cutting. McNaughton said he had never before been able to do this—even in an entire year. In addition to the large amount of “stand by” feed, McNaughton’s 65 head of cattle still have more gracing than they can handle. TRY A HERALD CLASSIFIED w - r -uvtivtnj SEE US FOR YOUR PAINT NEEDS We Carry a Full Line of GLIDDEN PAINTS AND VARNISHES Harrell & Leary Phone 459 ...IN FIRST PLACE POPULARITY Again this year—as in every single postwar year—more people are buying Chevrolets than any other car. In fact, latest official registration figures show Chevrolet over 25% ahead of the second-place car. Nearly 2 million more people now drive Chevrolets than any other make. •Optional at extra cost. Cont bination of Powerglide auto matic transmission and US-b.p. "Blue-Flame” en fine available on "Two 'en” and Bel Air niodels only. Power Steering is available on all modus. Page One
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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July 16, 1953, edition 1
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