hMMis'Hltl^kd~ BABS LEE
SYNOPSIS |
A mysterious assassin cut short
the gay career of Syria Verne, artists'
model, just as she was answering
the telephone in her penthouse
apartment to which she had returned
soon after midnight following
a quarrel with Pierre Sturgis,
art photographer. The police could
find no gun, significant fingerprints,
nor other evidence of an intruder.
The evening of the murder, she
had met an old friend, Argus Steele,
author and former detective, in the
Penguin Club where he was dining
with Ellen Curtis, a model. Syria
left, accompanied by Sturgis. Bill
Carstairs, III, playboy, introduced
his latest blonde, Dorry, to Ellen
and Argus. Later, Ellen found Dorry
in the ladies" room, weeping because
her Bill "was phoning that
awful Syria Verne again." Ellen
noticed a snub-nosed revolver in
Dorry's open purse... Next morning,
Ellen phoned Argus to tell
him that Syria had been murdered.
Police Inspector Grange
visited Steele as the investigation
got under way. Later, Ellen introduced
Argus to Roger Flagg in the
latter's model agency. Plagg invited
Argus to examine his officc
files, and Ellen showed Argus the
routine and records of the model
agency. They note Syria's chart;
she had four appointments for that
day, one of them with Pierre Sturgis.
They agreed to meet later at a
fashion show. After leaving Flagg's
"beauty shop," Argus goes with
Inspector Grange to the Pierre
Sturgis studio where they meet the
gorgeous and gossipy Cynthia Lane
who says that Syria had quarreled
with Plagg. Later she introduces
them to Pierre Sturgis and William
Carstairs, Sr. Pierre invites
the detcctives into his private
office.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Perhaps I'd hotter be going,"
Carstairs rumbled in n deep voice.
"You simply can't run away before
we've had our talk," saiil Cynthia.
taking hold of his sleeve.
"You've sho'ly heard about Carstairs'
Tomato Catsup, haven't you,
Mr. Steele? Well, this is the man
who makes it." She snuggled closer
to the Catsup king. "And I want to
be the new girl on the bottle, now
that Syria—" She broke off as she
saw the look on Sturgis' face. Carstairs
cleared his throat.
"We'll discuss it some other
time," he said. "I really must be
going. I'll call you later. Pierre,
when you're free." He nodded curtly
to Grange and Argus, turned
on his heel and left the room. Argus
watched Cynthia. But her face
was expressionless. Only her dark
eyes were sly as she watched Carstairs
go.
"Is that Bill Carstairs' father?"
Argus inquired.
"Yes," said Sturgis. "Now, if
you'll follow me." He led the way to
a small office and shut the door.
When they were seated, Argus
pulled out a paek of cigarettes and
passed them around. Pierre took
one. Grange pulled out his pipe.
"Air. Sturgis," began Grange
$500 Waiting In
State Rewards On ■
l\vo Convictions !i
BY LYNN N1SBKT,
Daily Dispatch Bureau
H.ilcigh. March 1. — Governor
IV office has five hundred
<1 ilb.' in good American money
th ■ the governor and the res', of the
Ktav would like to see paid to its
r.ith'.Ml owners. It is reward money
ottered for information leading to
the . pprehension and conviction of
desperate criminals.
Two hundred dollars of the sum
Will lie paid for delivery of the man 1 '
dead or alive. That was offered by •
the Si te la<t fall for the appre- '
hcns:<m of Troy Blankenship, of '
Yancey county, escaped convict sub- !
swjtKviily "outlawed" by two jus- | "
t'i'P- of the prnce in Yancey.
Aiinther $200 will be paid to the
pi'r-t iw who accomplish arrest «if an j
unknown rapist at Kli/abeth City. .
The crime occurred about a month i
:iK". . nd the Pasquotank commis- J
sinner.- offered a reward, which was
lain s, pplemented by the family
and friends. All tuld. something
niiire than §3.1)00 will be paid for
that particular criminal.
The other $100 will go for the
arrest and conviction of the murderer
of J.imes Kdw rd Wall in Guilfor
rnunty several months ago. His
identity also is unknown.
State rewards are offered by Ihe
governor and Council of State upon
petition of ihe county commissioners
or the district solicitor. The total
hind is limited and amounts offered
b.v the state usually are smaller th n
'oral offers. The state offers also
expire bv statutory limitation within
six months unless extended by executive
order upon showing of unusual
necessity therefore. The reward
for Troy Blankenship will be
Voided in April unless continued by
Ihe governor.
Another phase of this reward for
apprehension of criminals business
is th.it be common consent and long
Practice slate enforcement officers—
highway patrol and SIH agents—are
tint eligible to receive any of it.
local officers are eligible.
WOMEN IN JOBS IN
STATE INCREASING
Haleigh, March I Women arc real
'v "marching as to war" in North
Caiolina.
In one year the number of wo|"en
workers increased 25 percent,
in contrast to an increase of four
Percent in men workers, in 407 of the
wger and more important war and
essential civilian production establishments
in North Carolina. The report
of trends in these firms, made
oy Miss Gladys Fielding, chief of
Reports nnd Analysis, to Dr. .f. S
Norton, State director of the War
Manpower Commission, was lor the
mildly, "I know that you were with
Miss Verne last night, that you had
an argument with her in the Maison
restaurant and that she walked out
on you." He paused to light his
pipe. "Supposing you tell me about
it in your own words. Did she seem
at all nervous or upset?"
"Nervous! That's putting it mildly,
Inspector. I've never seen Syriu
so upset as she was lust night. She
didn't want to have dinner with the
Carters, after they'd made special
reservations and all that sort of
thing. She snapped me up on everything
I said. She had the ear driver
stop on the way to the Maison, to
make a phone call. Then she got up
from dinner twice to make other
phone calls."
"Then what?" Argus asked.
"Well, she got into an argument
with the waiter over the soup. It
was cold vichysoiasc, and it was delicious.
She insisted she had ordered
it hot. Then she made a remark
which I thought insulting to Mrs.
Carter and I reprimanded her pretty
sharply for it. I reminded her that,
after all, we were their guests. I've
known the Carters for years, you
see, and I had told them what a
grand girl Syria was."
"She sort of let you down," Argus
declared.
"Did Miss Verne tell you why she
was so upset?" Grange asked.
"N >," siiid Sturgis. "I couldn't
quite figure it out." He pressed his
left thumb and forefinger to his
eyeballs and held them there a minute.
When he looked up his expression
was the embodiment of grief.
"I've just never had anything hit
me like this," he apologized.
"What time was it when Miss
Verne left the restaurant?" Grange
queried. He licked the point of a
short pencil and then wrote something
in his little black notebook.
"I guess it must have been near
11:30. We hail our showdown after
her second phone call from the
Maison. We exchanged some pretty
hot words and—"
"And," Grange interrupted, "you
told Miss Verne that if she left the
party it would be either over your
dead body or hers. Is that right ?"
The photographer blanched. "If
I did. Inspector," he answered, "I
want you to believe that they were
just so many words that slipped out
in a moment of exasperation. I can
see what you're leading up to, but I
assure you that the last person in
the world I would have harmed in
any way was Syria Verne. I loved
her." Sturgis felt in his pockets for
another cigarette and lit it from the
half-smoked butt in his hand.
"What t<me did you leave the
Maison?" Grange asked, watching
him intently.
"I suppose it must've been a few
minutes later," Sturgis said. "I
excused myself to the Carters and
ivent for a walk, I wanted to cool
art."
"Oh," observed Grange with renewed
interest. "You wanted to cool
nIT." lie smiled, but not with his
L-yes. They were like two bits of
flint. "And where did you go for
.his walk?"
"I don't know—I—" Suddenly
far ended last November.
In explanation >>| the small in
rease in men workers, as compare
' the increase in the number of wc
ten. Dr. Dortou pointed out thai
uger percentage of the men tver
trendy in industrial jobs, and th:
elective Service had continued t
ike large numbers into the arnie
• ices.
tALEIGH, CHARLOTTE
GET FEDERAL FUND
Richmond, Va., March 1—U. i
reasury checks for sums totalin
I •l.tili"..'{(i have been forwarded b
le regional office of the Feder;
iorks Agency to communities i
orth Carolina to aid in financ.n
[•creation facilities f«jr serviceme
lid civilian war workers. Region,
•irector Kenneth Mark well
oimced.
A cluck ( : S3.600. the initial pay
Sturgis snapped lii.< linj'.i-. "Yit
1 do, too. 1 walked up in O.sii Sluvl
and Lexington Avenue and had a
brandy in (lie corner saloon. 1 don't
recall the name of the (dace but il'a
on the northeast corner of the strict.
It was just midnight, tw. The i.irtcnder
turned on the radio and it
voice announced the time. You cau
chcck on that. Inspector."
"I will," said lirunge. lirmly.
"When you'd cooled oil'," went on
Argus, "did you try to net iu touch
with Miss Verne by telephone'."'
"No." replied Sturgis. "Why?"
"Because the phone was oil' the
hook," said Argus. "I thought that
if you had tried to call her and discovered
that her line was constantly
busy, you'd suspect that something
was wrong."
"I wish to heaven I had!" exclaimed
Sturgis. "But I guess it
would have been too late. Inspector,
you've got to find the person who
did this."
"That's just what I intend to do,"
said Grange. "You knew M i<s
Verne very well. Would you have
an idea as to who might want to
kill her?"
"No," answered Sturgis.
"How about Klagg?" Argus asked.
A muscle in I'ierre's face tensed.
"No," fie saiil abruptly,
"What do you have against him?"
Argus pressed.
"Why, nothing."
"Come on, now. Yon raid yourself
you \vant<-il tln» Inspector t >
solve this case," pursued Argus.
"It's his job to limi out i v. i vthiu.'
that might have any po ii.ie connection
with Miss Verne."
"Well," Sturgis hesitated, hi I
looked uncomfortable, "it'-; jt'
that Klagg tried to make tr >:il.l<- letween
Syria and me. 1 wanted to
marry her and Klagg talked her out
of it. Said she shouldn't mat i v any
one until she'd got along further in
her career. At times I've wumle'i I
if his motives were f inely uti-clli-ii
or whether there was another rmson."
The telephone rang. Stui-ris
picked it up. lie talked for a minute
and then put down the receiver.
"I'm afraid you'll have to exeu?r>
rr.e," lie said. "I've got some work
to do. If I think of anything th.-t
has any bearing on this—this tragedy,
Inspector, I'll let you know."
Grange stood up. "Well, don't
leave town. Mr. Sturgis."
"I won't." Sturgis promised.
"Good-bye, Mr. Steele." He limped
to the door anil opened it.
"Now where. Inspector?" Argus
asked.
"I thought you weren't wovkinpr
r>n any more eases." Argus raised
in eyebrow. "After nil," he said,
'I did know the girl—"
"Well," put in Grange, smiling,
'I've got a phone call to make and
then I thought I'd pay a call on un
jld friend of yours—Dancer Marti
nelli."
Argus bent his fingers and exnmned
his nails.
"That," he said, "ought to he very
titeresting. I think I'll conic along.
Fiut i*cr laughs."
(To be continued)
(*«pr right. by !f.ibs t.re:
Distribute J by Kins I'catLr*# £>>LiirtU. 1am
ment on <i Kt ciornl grant of $22,300,
- , was sent in Mayor tiraham 11. A11I
. r 1 it-ws ol Raleigh to he deposited
in the city's construction account
:i lur the renovation and repair of a
p building ftirmcrly occupied by the
1 State Sciio il tor lilt- 111 rid. Tile
J lirst floi .■ oi the building will l>*?
I reir.odeied to provide :i recreation
, ccnte- for Negro servicemen a; id
. scrvice women. The contract I ji
j the construction work was awarded
; wt" \v«ok.« ago In Keincekr & Oillehav,
Inc. general contractors, 'il
». Kayeltcvillc.
iJ The Charlotte Prak and Hecreav
lir.n Commission fo Charlotte, re!
ceived a check for $9,067.36. whi.-ii
il was the third payment of 'i T'cde'vil
g I contribution ol S4S).0il4 toward the
ii cost of operating municipal reciea1
lion facilities for .-vviccmen c;nd
- war workers from .uir.isl I. i')43.
to next June 30. Tie c.t> will eo..
tribute $63,721.
HQQB QJQSa
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□aaaa asaaiia
ana an uoa
aoBaaa
anaraaa caaraa
HEfflun saaaa
oimsib aaraeiHa
eOSEHH
Mara ran uua
hhhiih cciiiffia
EiDiaaa dgshish
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DAILY CROSSWORD,
. ACROSS
1. Gangs ■
6. People of
Switzerland
11. Circuit
12. Sharp- | ■'
headed .
1 weapon
13. Reigning
beauty
14. To become
liable to
15. Prosecute
judicially
16. Monetary
2. Ostrich-like 21. Jolt
bird (var.) 22. Poem
3. Dexterous
4. Military
(abbr.)
5. Pillar of
stone
6. Splinters
7. Pale
8. Indian
(Peru)
9. Short tail
10. Wither
17. Conclude
19. FlosVer
unit (Bulg.) 20. Like soup
18. Goddess of,
mischief
19. President
(Czecho.)
21. Wattle of
a fowl
24. Sluggards
28. Farewell
30. Retinue
31. French artist
33. Small piece
of ground
34. Floury
30. Fuss
39. Cereal grain
40. Festival
(Jap.)
43. Kind of beer
45. Force
47. Sphere of
action
48. Movable
barriers
49. Bamboo-Uke
grasses
BO. Pitchers
DOWN
1. Flaps
23. Conquer
25. Nothing
26. Greek letter
27. Place
29. Ridges of
mountains
32. Beam
35. Shelf
36. Winglike
37. Venture
38. S-shaped
molding
40. Nip
41. Across
Ycit«rd»yY Anawcr
42. Headland
44. Remnant'
46. Uncooked
43
7T
1
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35
m
w
3-1
CRYPTOQtJOTE—A cryptogram quotation «
U M E H YBYMIZ FINEPA VXB R N P X V,
MU MVXBI HOZA OIMDEH YB-YMM1B.'
VMtorday'a Cryptoquot*: IT WAS A SIGN OF HEALTH
THAT HE WAS WILLING TO BE CURED—SENKCA. *
DUli lbul«d by_Klni r««tur«* fl> nd|f*t«, Inc 1
By LOGAN CLENDEN1SG. M.D.
"MY HUSBAND is sutferity?
from lumbago. He is 53 years old.
Whut duos it come from und liow
should it be treated 1" — Letter
from my correspondence.
That is a pretty typical story.
* Dr. Clendening will answer
questions of general interest
only, and then only through
his column.
Lumbago is not a separate disease.
It is siuiply a pain in the
back — good old backache and in
many ways resembles that other
good old reliable—headache.
The man mentioned is S:» years
old, which is about the average
age for men for lumbago. Women
have it at earlier ages, because a
good deal of it is reflex from the
pelvic organs. A gynaecologist
and an orthopedist once collaborated
on a definition anil evolved
this: "A woman is a potential
mother with a backache." They
were both bachelors, according to
tradition, and cynics, and both met
mysterious and violent ends.
Backache in Children
Backache in children is always
a more serious indication than in
adults. And the child may not
complain vocally of pain, but by
its attitude, posture and method
of stooping down to pick up an
object on the floor, in a way that
protects the back, the trouble may
be suspected.
I.umbago does not mean
Bright's Disease, that old bugaboo
picture of the man with the cane
holding his back and shouting for
kidney medicine has gone forever.
The "kidney medicine" really
never touched the kidneys at all,
but had something like aspirin in
it to soothe muscles. A kidney
with a stone, or infection can
cause the symptoms of lumbago,
but this is fairly rare. i
Lumbago is named after the |
lumbar muscles — a very thick j
heavy, matted group of muscula- i
ture. Here is where lumbago is
located in the vast majority of
cases. These muscles are nearly
constantly moving — not neces- I
sarily only when you are working,
but even when you are sitting still
or lying in bed—as you know full
well when you get lumbago be- j
cause you can't find a comfortable
position.' Everything is smooth i
and automatic usually, but as time 1
goes on and a succession of in- j
feet ions from teeth ami tonsils j
leave small abscesses which turn I
to fibrous spots the mechanism
gets cioggi'd nnil it grinds und
cicaks uud there Vuu are.
❖ v c ❖ •> •> •> * o •* •: * •:
LENTEN REDUCING DIET
By Dr. Clendening
Thursday—500 Calorio
BREAKFAST
Juioe of 1 orange.
1 slice whole wheat toast — no Lutter
or substitute.
1 cup coffee—no cream or sugar.
LUNCHEON
1 medium size artichoke—served
hot with 1 teaspoon melted butter
or substitute—or cold as a
salad with mineral oil dressing.
1 slice toast—'iio butter or substitute.
1 8-ouncc glass of skimmed milk.
DINNER
1 Frankfurter—split and bloiled.
- tablespoons sauerkraut.
1 slice toast—iio butter or substitute.
2 tablespoons fruit gelatin dessert—no
cream or sauce.
1 small cup coffee—no cream or
sugar.
(1 cup clear soup may be added,
if desired.)
The lumbar muscles are attached
to the bones of the spine
and these lumbar vertebrae are
very likely to be the places where
chronic arthritis lights, but that
can be detected by the x-ray und
is another story. «
I read in a medical magazine
about "rheumatism from mental
influences." That is a valid conception,
und particularly applies
to the back. The back symbolically
bears the burdens of life and
when the burdens become too
heavy the bu;k symbolically revolts.
t
The treatment of simple muscular
lumbago is indicated from
the causes. Thank heaven drugs
have little or no place in the
treatment and only do harm. See
about the focal infections in the
teeth and other places. Aiul after
the acute stage limber up the lumbars
in any way possible—massage.
exercise, even though it
nearly kills you at tirst. And the
hot iron applied over a llaniu l
cloth — Grandma's method — still
works in l'J-M.
QUESTIONS AMI ANSWERS
A. S. D.:—At what age shnuM
cross eye# in a baby be <•• rrecti l
by operation?
Answer: It is generally it! :.■< I
to wait six months «>r a y .
!>• \v much collection A.iluiv vwil
make.
SCOTT S SCRAP BOOK
By r. j. scon
:S^|
4[i
CAM NOWPlJLL K>ELF UPBf-frtE.
Woof-lfRAr-j'- A. HEMS HoiS<lt4£J Ply lit
IHA.BILS SCOU'f CAlt &}' U>E oV A. WIN'ri
fo PuLL ITSELF OR ANO-f^LR. VErtlCLE O'jf OF
t'LLP MllP, A BOON m CCMlti; OFFLNMyEC
rs*
(lr>;\ £
r ""
JLz<^x_
If >ou A.RE. A
J-irflK OutfR YOU
AM_ F'WC'fcABLY
UOk'tA.L, ^CCOBplH<;
In OML SCUHhsr
D
*• -WE WORLD'!:
MOr.T Hurvftp FlSrf
- MO S-f*
imi-'ouCami' roou nctl
'Aii^ 1'', •'" I
I'lt.MpLSAfliF I. ,\f'4t
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I',37r» I: •/.. fu
THE OLD HOME TOWN By STANLEY
^flF YOUPE LOOKInVoRTh' )
BLONDIE
(Registered t\ s. 1'atcnl orticc)
By Chic Young
: TH-VS TOU5M.' iTS - -■>
On:I ASTCHANCE TO 1
S5t A BBOAOCAST.'/
, r-y—1
Bv PAUI ROBiNSON
I YOll ~WO Ot.1 ig
RU"otvET n'j
| OUGTtC<£TS AND
PONtr AJ>< ,
QUEST!*JNS. j
—_
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