„ IN Mi'S CLOTHING hJ BWl ®'945 BY AUTHOR ~D^rRlBurrD aY KING ' ' LULnn^8 j rriAPTER TWRXTY-OXE The f'ccting glimpse 1 had of the - minded me o| a very trivial (• • - 1 had forgotten up to then. -i.i ,. yes.” 1 said. "A- a matter fart there was something.” . .i -lopped yawning so smi th nly her jaws snapped together and Maud’s scorn changed to alert jnii'1' . I went on. "There was a in.; of hump against the closed »: or to my patient's room.” "Hump!” exclaimed Di.-trict At toi m v Super. •A ’ s. Something in the hall i s' r :i I. against the door.” -hu'iH'mg! What'.'” cried the ji \. "What was it? Didn't you go I- door ai.d open i' and look !” ' , ■ , I did open the door and 1 I topped again on the verge of : 1 had seen Xicky coming - ■ a room down the hall. But that w i ong. 1 had teen Xicky. hut i ..* was before something—what . i it was—bad struck against the • ■< and struck so sharply it roused nr and the cal. \o; that was wrong, ton; the cat ! id already aroused, as if he heard .nr in the hall. The hump ,r.‘.o' st the door had come later. A i d when 1 had got. to the door and i pencil it no one was in the hall. Tb" 1 list riot Attorney said, "Well, vl " did you see ? Who did you see ?” "I didn't see anyone. 1 don't know who it was. I saw nothing.” “Hut yuii . . ." began Soper ex j !o ivcly. and Xugent. said, “All livid. Mi-'-' Kcatc. We believe you.” P • . yes looked very narrow and • "oil. He went on quickly, “You wore in the library when you beard ti.r sound of something falling, U i at. did you do?” "1 van upstairs.” 1 told him of it again, briefly. And brought for ward what seemed to lie, up to then, a bit of new evidence, or at least a new fact. That was the matter of Craig's being found in the linen rk it, unconscious and bleeding from a bruise on his temple. "lie says somebody was in the hall and struck him,” I explained. The District Attorney interrupt ed. “Who?” “He -aid he doesn't know. But if someone did that it proves there was an intruder, a—a thief . . .” "But he said he was in the hall ■when he was -truck,” said Soper, looking a little impressed with his 0 ." astuteness, and very pompous. •'You “ay you found him in the linen i' ■ ■m.” "I did. Or rather MBs Cable f end him there first.” Again glances went to Drue; again no one ' questioned her. “Someone must, lap." dragged him into the linen !■ et and left him there. A ihnn, j 1 txean.” "A woman could have done it,” j began Soper, and Xugent cut in ‘ rather quickly. "I’ll question Craig 1. .d later.” Soper frowned, tapped hi -tomach and began again brisk ly. “Xow then, about Conrad Brent’s bu- '.ness affairs . . .” That did rot take a very long l.s ; everyone 1 think Aas con - 1 ! that Conrad's business af- j vert in good oi'ih r and in any I : >• il would be an easy matter for ; .to find out through his bank- i ors ami his lawyer. There seemed to be, houi'rt, b(tle q'.msl ion 1,1. that point lie I ;ol been .1 1 n o man. living Well Within an income which was, certainly, on the more or le lavish side. Only later inquiry could confirm it, but just then' there seemed to lie no reasonable doubt but that bis alTao - were pcrfeitK sound. Xothing however was said of bis wi;!—which seemed to me another omission. After that they went into the matter 1 1' alibi —very eau.mus ic. vi ry suavely, so one didn't .1 ®t■ t 1 ealize the • xatt tfend ■ f at! their detailed questions of time. I the end, however, -o far as 1 could see, ... reall 1 an alibi . cept Craig. Xieky, at least, l ad adn.it'ed hi presence in tiie nnuniug roam when Conrad returned. Had he -ecn Drue? Was he going to tell of ! ■ r interview with Conrad? There was no way to know and no way to read Xicky's enigmatic face. At length the District Attorm y observed, rather petti ;hly. tHat there was no alibi, really, for mur der by poison, looked impatii ntly at Nugen t and fit I go ted. Nugen t looked hack at him ami -hook hi; head.ot.iv a little, ainto t impcreeiitibly, but as if he’ll said, "Wait—not yet.” I saw that. And 1 'hough' I pre pared myself for it. I didn’t really; no one does again t catastrophe. But I knew that it ’.va ‘ r e. ing; they had axled tth, ut :t h/nod-ratio, so thoy had seen that to v red mark on Conrad P.rent's arm. They had searched ltrue' room and mine and had taken av.y i 1.■ little bag in which she caned in imments and 1 be few drug" -he had, so they knew site had a s tppl; -if digital'1*-' and knew 'die dt : *■ have a hypodetniin —as I l.ad mid as any nurse nor mally would i.uv". 'I hoy had e- tab lished t:.o t that Conrad's moo;, cine vva forte, box and all. 0 he couldn't have t at. -11 it him self. They wouidn'i have far to bok for a motive, or a vvitm - of or--', either, for Nicky must have seen Drue going to the library t-veu if, for any purpose of his own. he did not then admit it. Above nil. ’he look Sopor and Nugent exchanged admitb'd a pie' .-ly agree,I-ttron purpose. So they had not yet questioned Drue. M; ting about that -■ a right, t)b\ it . : ■ they 1 bought that it would weaken hot to have to -it there before them and hear the case built up—possibilities eliminated, circumstances s-t forth so they Wore indisputable. I felt cold, as if all my muscles had tightened hard. 1 felt that I had to look at Drue and 1 wouldn't. It canto sooner than I expected and it was worse. Maud at last brought the thing to its ugly cli max. She said, interrupting a ques tion as to any possibility of the medicine box having been empty and thrown away by Conrad him self. previous to his attack, "Xon 3cnsc!" Everyone looked at her. She said again, "That’s utter nonsense! Con rad never would have done that. He always kept a supply of digitalis at hand. Besides, as Claud has al t-eady told you, his prescription had fbeen r« fillc ■ • oiiiv three «tn\*s ruro. He ha< an at . > .t " :l> » 1 '• ri• w >:ipp!y. A» 11 I don’t su d<»n't *jt* t to tin* point. Mo w;i.< ^iven a hypodermic, you know Unit; (’laud mark?” \u'j f j?!aia- ; .* me and ■* p« i * a Mark I h>"k at .<•. .\ ,10 • aid. “Do . « u •'ant to t-i.\ . - NuV-rt K< ate?” ' *l * -• • * ! w anyone, • a : ■ i!i\e ' ■ o by a hypmict .. "!■<.!' . Ir very .-mall; i're.pmmiy .* n;;;'l that it I'iin't bv all. The kin in elastic ami nstan! y elos< ai ter I hr ivni'f >; •. • ' ■ w ji.’’ -M- “It fr& 1 shrugerr-d. *'i rlon't rjuestion Pr. Chi vet i t to the effect ! that hi Mun.j • ?:..* , rt f .-mail ; mark tba' m 7).■ . • v> • • i n: m • io '•y a iiypi - dir. I .•.* uiii s tion any< ■ . ■ . to a any ur^rve of < *•) ’airP •,* uL .. - well, a b; re pinoi < k b> ii r n ar k of a IK ' dir ” “.Mi Iv« ate,” frow rd M: od. ‘‘You ai r Mol here 1 . >■■■., > rt ; t» veracity of .thi tor .3 ime fio 1“ “Jt's t! pi n tl A I . . i one.” h.’-d v '• .idr.I around t«,v. rd Xlift* lit. “j>r. ( •.;•.< !'. v. r-{ h..s never !• •••; pu»- ’ rd. A 1 v.7.; • about in ay. i{ i ob\ ions t hat m 1/ •• i - • ise had a mo tive. j hat v..;- I)rut* 'abb •Mi". ( h.V(7‘y . . .” i.rtrail Xu pent, I- *•}.<• m nt on o via m. nt.y it 1 r! rd; ! ■ : little !. M ‘ s 1 i i • 111 «.•;»* • 1 «: j c • •.: > j ♦ • j «j J' • j ^. "Sim mu -l ha-.- nu: • ,! ... n to '•Ilf library to him ; ' 11 : o persuade hint i t to ■ i1 . gQ, He had told her he mi t •, day. Sir t; reu m i : sterday | afternoon. I !:i a; d : • , did you. Nicky. Y ! 1: ; . i could kill you or • ] : • x actl.v what * j : i; > i • ;]•■■!. m. . • ,■ m • he Ii’jt..i y ate! : - * ’at of '■o'l-aking 1 p a r a! ■ C! . . . i , • . i I aad ati att:c k a I - ."d her for | medicine; si:" v t '■1 :i ■■ d>-k ar.d —and took the medii ine away, pre i tended it was gone. So idiirad, living, hoggeil i ■ 1' to : ■ ::i f; a. She \\as ;t m.i.-n. itn\v .-i. ti.J };>. i::,o\v w hat she would do . . . "Slop! UY 'II ci t a lawyer. You can't accuse ..." I r ami Nugent was at my side, his hand tight on my aiIh le : I. ■ i like a eh. with great dark eyes fastened on Maud. There was a shadow of a smile on Alexia’s kps. Maud swept on vigorously, black eyes .-napping. "So she gave him a hypodermic of digitalis and she . a\o i. in too much. It killed him. - is : wi tld if'V'f he tt... I. T: ' .v it hapl" 1 . . ." (To Im co’.tira d) Cow M .' ■ G f • .1 rt; D«itr. .:n ... Im , i a . • ,. Inc. _ I Marine Nursemaid Marine Pfc. Mike Hartley, Mobile, Aia„ lives up to the tradition of the h'oi'ps that it can readily have the fc huh ion well in hand. Here he ores (or a native baby on Guam vdi.le die child’s parents are being treated at a medical post. Marine huips Photo, (International) THESE ARE HITLER'S BABY SNIPERS WHEN SNIPERS OPENED on Yank troops ju-t outside of Aachen, a round up of suspects resulted in the capture of this qt die extra'>rd nary quartet —four young-dors, ranging in age from " to l-\ v. h<> v.-c-rr, nc :.• • ted as Hitler’s future "supermen." The lads had an Am or iec.fi ill-1 raid a German rifle which tliey had plan .1 on v. ■ * n p tro:v 3, m 1 ’ the weapons were too heavy to hit. The boys and tncir r^m.-ats arc neing held by the authorities. Signal Corn, pinto. (ePiterr.tiionai) SUPPLIES AND MEN POUR ASHORE ON LEYTE _ —- --m— ■ - in—i n'm _ . . ___ _u„„* the Philippines has opened the way for the landing THI HISTORIC DEFEAT of the Jap Fleet m the wa abotrt ‘he PhW »^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ vf m eat numbers of men and vast anl"“nt*^''d Co«t Guard plruto. •oare ut lire supplies uvuM <^rr • Itee-lrirmeu oeauu The Lhiid Nail biter «> ! (m; \n ( !.r\l)iM\r;f \i i>. IT IS VKRY flatlm- • ,r to have people ask you how to *i.p a child from lining its nail-, a it you iiad the an.'we. - to such questions in 'our vest pocket and could cure loimnie. or Susie, of t < hahit when Father. Mot nor. Unde dim. In. ('loudening wiii answer questions of general interest only, and then only through his column. Uiaiidma and the neighbor lady had neatly driven themselves crazy for years trying bv threats, tears, persuasion, appeals and everything that ha< ever been sug gested to slop it. It soem> a very little insignificant tiling to balk the medical profession, hut they are just, about as helpless as any hic else in the prc. • ucc of this habit. In fact the only scientific in quiry into the subject known to me was made by a school teacher. He noticed early in his career when he was assigned to a grade school .-dilated in the melting pot section of a large city that while in general the cleanliness of the hands of most of his pupils left something to he desired a few had beautiful clean fingertips, lie soon found why. I hey were accustomed to pul them in their mouths, either for sucking or nail biting pur poses. .Making a count of them lie found that the number who did thi-* was about *10 per cent of the class. Tin* girls were slightly moi** tlUliiel'oii t bail the boys. No Improvement idl ing, a- lie ays, as naive as the nest po-on be first asked them politely to refrain from do ing so. \i-idle - io .-ay this made no improvement at all. He had conver -ation • with them, None of them l.n-w why they did it. .Most of them admitted it was a had habit, ami tin- all wi-hed they could . top. B it t key didn’t. As ; ear: went on he got a new class every Year, but in spin-* of the fact that the puuil changed. th • hair' w■!v ' 4 . t.. pvcn.nf iitM the same in tie* -am*4 propor tions of m w pupils. In -hort. it i> a In,hit. Ami “a hahit is not a trifle.” according to Plato Montaigne an!, habit m • eond nat ure, and the I take of Wellington saw hjin and rat ed I ni and said, habit is ten limes nature. Since the habit is in grained iii in per cent of children of primary school age me respon sibility for stopping it rests on parents who ran get n • 1 it- very incipiency. It prohablv heconn - estahlislied almost in the cradle. Psychiatrists may tell \ on that i; js an imitation of the -ticking re flex. 1 *ut that doesn't elp mu» h. The fact re i.ains :• i - a hahit and must he broken up early it' it is tu he broken lip at ail. 1 sc* of Quinine* An old well-established remedy was to put quinine, or -o»m t:dug biller (>n the ends of the lingers. Th'^sehool teacher to whom 1 have referred got the con ent of most of the parents to try this and lie put a saturated aqueous solution of quassia on the ends of the lin gers. The children were given this treatment ut;t;l they had stopped biting the nails for one week. After Iliis period had gone by most of tho pupils had been con ditioned to give tip the habit. Hut if after the t bird day’s applicat bui was made no improvement was noted, it was found best not m per .-i i as continuation only made the habit more -table. '] he teacher was afterwards ad vat.red t«> a high school and con tinued hi I till i He found that about do per cent of his pupils Were active nail Inters, and about per cent repot ted that they mid once been hut gave it up. In the higher grades the percentage mill f ert her decreased. so ii may Lie ar - ? tuned that with the social pres sures of adult life the habit does th idilie almost to th< vani*:hing m int. Most of the high school pu pil: - aid i i.ey did il or ly under r citeic.en!. \:, r m iling im.*vn .Vuuld atai l them. ! j b^kA'.r by k J bV-O i ■ -SCQAPS- ^ o00 000 ^ji. ~ ^ 'TAcKtNSfR.r, a Can >o i saml f5,-0M AMSfiKMv. r •> E v F N FA1 • fiO/. Z A .V D, •) ! MARSF ILLES, FRANCE y APCUCK-O B> 'TuBN'Nn C .,^ooi oO MLR A uts Ike. no AfLAhfid SO ASS J i j V . . • . \ j r-« > w . • - - , THE OLD HOME TOWN - - • By STANLEY ' ! I i THIMBLE THEATRE—Starring Popeye “THE ENEMY LOSES FACE!” r Y an ENEMV [she's of the skunpoI we WASTEP our Y] >---i—BATTLESHIP./ ^PETYA A YYT-YCLASS TCPPEFOES. THEV ' REAPING-ZERO ZERO. ZERO Snuum> . - jjlLL NOT PENETRAKE jf (VES. THE SKUNKO HEP ARMOR \ •-BATl-HI v— 'setho^ AY p AYIloU Ipm ' u->■ - I BLONDIE—(Reelncred 8 Ililenl oince) “A SATISFIED CUSTOMER.” By Chic Young ' I FOUGHT A SET OF' HISTORY SCIENCE, - LETS SEE--NOW , ( ENCYCLOPEDIAS TODAY ASTRONOMY BIRDS ) WHAT WOULD / SO [ CAN ANSWER BEES AND O-_THAT BE —. (r ALL THE QUESTIONS BUTTERFLIES- ) /OS. LISTED ;• ^ „ v THE CHILDREN ASK EVERYTHING! r 'A w" UNDER • A v ME, INTELLIGENTLY THEY CAN'T ) A A fv K--- ^ ><—stop me, -Uc.-v /4 v now! j/.'■ t ss r n —■■■' 6® v /: '! H fyk i fet /•.*> tl~ -!;L—!—L: ii.ij ■ I err a KETT . .. ■ -<■ _ _ _8v PALI!, ROBINSON 1 MEJOO.'LETS WELL" AT LE IF ITS WHEN YOU ASK MEG THEBESrWAY TOCU^- Hc-;, w^UlD r777T~ ~ - K'ISS AND ,: LEfy M AKE UP. ABOUT ANY QUESTIONS 1 BE TOTUPN Hti*. OLLk v. ^ _ M,1 MAKEUP J LISTEN THE she SHUTS UP ANDGlVb HEP J . It WETFFED'J -' CAROL ' like A CLAM WITH A600D r^-^. ,, '“7/ t pettwelu logic-- r~-' iv x U CA<3EH i Aii i / . '-JMf-i11 _/ JdfSM \ I'M FEoj " ' ii THE GUMPS—GROUNDED! '