Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1943)
f >s5C“ PIRATESHEAD ISABEL WAIT THE STORY SO FAR: Judy Jason, who i* tolling tbe story, receives an anonymous letter enclosing J800 and ask ing her to bid for an abandoned church to be auctioned the next day. She sus pects, in turn, each of the guests at the Inn where she Is staying. They are the Reverend Jonas DeWitt, LUy Kendall, Thaddeus Quincy. Albion Potter, Hugh Norcross and his sister, Bessie, and Vic tor Quade, a writer who has Just ar rived. Judy bids for the church and gets It. After the auction the body of a man Identified as Roddy Lane Is found In a cbest in the basement of the church. Hearing Aunt Nella cry for help the guests have gone to tbe rescue. Now continue with Judy’s story. CHAPTER IV “Here, he’s dead!” came a muf fled wail from the vicinity of the old fish-shed. The light Mr. Quincy and I had seen earlier had vanished, but we followed the sound. Soon we found Aunt Nella,-tugging at the inert form of her husband, who was lying prone on a bench near the door of the shed. “Not dead—dead drunk, Mrs. Ger ry," Hugh said. “He’ll be all right." “Give us a hand,” Mr. Quade gaid. “You old fool," said Aunt Nella, chattering. “Not you, mister. I mean Wylie.” “ ’S queer the old codger who lives in this shed hasn’t poked his head out—what with all the noise,” Lily Kendall commented. “Deaf as a haddock," someone said. “Why bother the old man?” Hugh called over his shoulder. "Asleep, probably. Anyway, he’ll keep till morning.” "I imagine the police will question him then," Mr. Quade said. “Unless —aren't there any boats here at the Head?” “I can answer that,” Lily said. “Wanted to go rowing over in the cove one day, and they said there warn’t a boat in the place.” “Lanes used to have boats," Aunt Nella volunteered. “Our boat—the Eleanor—leaks." Back into the living room we all trooped. “Is everybody at the inn here?” Victor Quade asked me. I looked around and saw Mr. De Witt, Hugh Norcross, Albion Potter, Mr. Quincy and Lily Kendall. “All but Miss Bessie Norcross, asleep upstairs, and my aunt and uncle.” Mr. Quade and Thaddeus Quincy held a consultation. Then Mr. Quin cy thumped for silence and leaned back in his chair with an eager, pleased look on his withered face. I could vow he was enjoying himself. “Mr. Quincy and I think a com mittee should be chosen to go down to the old church where Miss Jason made her—her terrifying discovery a while ago to verify it. Not that we doubt you. Miss Jason,” Victor Quade expatiated. “But, after all, you did enter that basement alone and saw what you think you saw by •two flaring matches. You might have been mistaken. You did not touch that—” “No—no! But—it stuck out—all— all stiff” He looked at me queerly. “If you’re right, that would mean rigor mortis—long enough for it and not too long afterward.” "You appear to know plenty about such things,” Hugh said. "If one is planning to write mys teries—” Mr. Quincy broke in, "Wasn't you running through the Lane estate right after dark, was it. Norcross? Judy and I called to you?” I held my breath. Hugh changed color. He looked as if he'd been caught stealing lump sugar. “May have been What of it? I went to my sister’s room and—well, she was gone. Thought she might have strolled over toward the sea and ran after her, but just then her light came on and I ran home again. Any harm in that?" He turned to me, "If I’d heard you speak I'd cer tainly have answered.” Victor Quade whispered in my car, “Could you make a note of that?” Aloud, he said, “Such ques tions are for the police, provided Miss Jason’s right. The first thing isn’t mutual recrimination, as I see it, but a trip to the church.” Mr. Quincy’s cane thumped. “I appoint Mr. Quade. Mr. Potter and the Reverend De Witt. Keep close together and come straight back. We'll wait here. Judy, got a flash light?” I made Albion Potter come with me while I found Uncle Wylie’s, out on the shelf in the back pantry. “This kind of business makes me sick to my stomach,” Potter said, pop-eyed. “Could we have some thing hot when we get back—coffee or cocoa?” “Sure. I’ll make it for you." Lily Kendall stood in the kitchen door. “Mr. Quincy says he wants his malt ed milk.” He could just wait. 1 went back with the flashlight and I gave it to Victor Quade. Then Lily and I re turned to the kitchen and put the kettle on. I let her slice a fresh loaf of bread and then wished I hadn’t, she cut such chunks of slices. We made coffee and malted milk for Mr. Quincy, and I sent up a cup to Aunt Nella. We went back to the living room to wait for the committee and talked in lowered voices. A short laugh reached us from Outside. Voices, cheery. The men N were coming back at last. Before they reached the steps we could hear Mr. De Witt’s admonishing boom: “—mustn’t be too hard on her—giddy young woman—imagina tion." Thaddeus Quincy's eyes sought mine, questioningly. Then his mouth quirked and he muttered a single word. Now the committee came into the room. Jonas De Witt beamed at us as he spread his hands. “False alarm, dear friends. The young la dy’s imagination got the better of her.” Albion Potter nodded in agree ment. “There certainly wasn’t a— a hand sticking out of the sea chest. Or—or anything in it. Mr. Quade looked. It was quite empty.” “That’s right. Miss Jason, in that dark basement at night it’s no won der your imagination played you tricks. If you saw anything it’s not there now.” There they all sat in a circle, staring at me as if I were nuts. I stood up and said tartly, “All right, I’m glad I’m wrong. I had a day nightmare, I suppose. Only remem ber this: Roddy came to the Head to Albion Potter nodded in agreement. attend the auction and wasn't there. He engaged breakfast here and didn’t show up. There's been no light at the castle. He did wear a square-cut diamond like the one 1 imagined I saw on—on a hand stick ing out of the sea chest. And the bridge was blown up!” Had they forgotten that in the larger issue? I could see Victor Quade’s eyes twinkle. "Maybe I imagined that, too.” I had to say it. “Maybe it wasn't blown up at all. It just collapsed when one of your cars backfired, ac counting neatly for the noise and everything That's just dandy Now none of you will have any reason for leaving Auntie in the lurch Shall 1 get the coffee?" “Please do,” Victor Quade said, looking hard at me. Lily left the room with me, highly elated at the turn of events. "Been a killer round that church I’d a-seen him,” Lily said, piling sandwiches on a tray. “1 was watch ing the sunsquat, remember .” I re membered there wasn't any sunset —just a miserable panorama of clouds and gathering fog from the sea. The sun had died at supper time, but I didn't say anything When I brought in the coffee, Al bion Potter was explaining to Mr. Quincy that the committee had gone from the church to the castle, and, failing to rouse anyone there, had tried the fish shed. Both were locked and silent. That’s what had taken them so long. They’d wanted to be sure the person Judy thought she saw wasn't hiding somewhere else— ill, maybe, or wounded “Perhaps he’s in your trailer, Mr Quade," I said shortly. Lily giggled. “Yeah, how chum my! There ain't no other place he could be less it's in the Pirate’s Mouth.” Victor Quade looked blank When he learned about that slit in the cliff he wanted to go down right away. But the rest of us forestalled him. Almost inaccessible in bright daylight, it would be suicide at night. One had to be very careful of those tricky footholds. A slip, and blooey—down into the foamy depths! Morning would be time enough. “Who’s imagining now?” 1 ac cused him. Lily yawned. “Shucks!” she said. “Tomorrow the Rockville street de partment will fix the bridge. There won’t be any publicity to amount to beans. No murder, no pictures on the front page. Me, I’m going to bed.” "Good idea. Ought to sleep well after our little excitement and the coffee.” Thaddeus Quincy handed me his empty malted milk glass and began to wheel himself across to his room. “Good night, all. Sweet dreams.” One by one the party followed suit, going to their respective rooms. The inn wasn’t large, having been originally, as I’ve said, a private house. Upstairs we had only five bedrooms, with two and a cubicle on the third floor. This is how we bed ded our guests: Mr. Quincy had the front room op posite the parlor on the first floor, as a special concession, as before related. Above him was the Rev. Jonas DeWitt. Across, in the oth er front bedroom, slept Lily Ken dall. Bessie Norcross’ room came directly behind hers, and then Hugh’s, a tiny one, even smaller than Albion Potter’s self-styled stu dio at the rear. Aunt Nella and Uncle Wylie oc cupied the room on the third floor directly above the Rev. Jonas De Witt’s. My nook, next them, had two windows, sawed-off and rattly, but I could see the ocean from one and the long, curving Neck toward town from the other. Across the tiny hall was a storeroom full of oddments to delight antique collec tors. the Salvation Army and the junk man. It seemed as if Auntie never threw away a thing. She hadn’t used a butter churn for years, but there was one in the attic be side an old bustle, neatly wrapped in newspapers and marked—"Aunt Code’s bustle.” I’d never even heard of Aunt Code. Hugh Norcross had put up a tent on the lawn, where he sometimes slept on warm nights. With the inn on one side and the castle on the other and woods at the rear, it faced virtually the whole Head—a gor geous spot which he himself had se lected. I wondered if he’d sleep out tonight. He and his sister were ap parently having an argument about it in the hall. “Nothing to be afraid of,” I heard Hugh explode. But he went along upstairs just the same, the poor, henpecked brother. Victor Quade waited till they were all out of hearing. “With your per mission I'll sleep here on the daven port tonight. I know you haven’t an extra room, but a blanket, per haps?” He couldn’t be afraid! “Of course,” I said. "You don’t mean you’re beginning to believe I didn't imagine things." “Go to bed and forget it. No use worrying over—” "But I’m not worrying. Are you? And—and do you always carry stacks of $20 bills?” He looked at me puzzled, then his forehead unpuckered. “Oh, you want me to pay in advanre. Is that it?” "Certainly not. I’ll get a blan ket.” If he’d sent me the auction letter he was a good actor. I came back with the blanket, and he fol lowed me around while I locked up There were only the back and front doors Perhaps 1 should have described the inn before A narrow hallway ran down the center of the lower floor, with the parlor (so ugly!), dining room and kitchen off the left, as you enter; Mr. Quincy's room, my office and a string of down stairs lavatories off the right. At the end of the kitchen was a built on woodshed. The old barn across the drive served as a garage, work shop and storage for the Eleanor That's all there was to us. The cas tle, with its stables, boathouse and garage, all in one. and the eyesore of the Smedlcy fish shed, were the remainder of the Head. Except, of course, Mr Quade’s trailer. A nar row beach skirted the bluff from the church to our woods below the barn, though you couldn't see it "1 hope you'll be comfortable,” 1 said to Mr Quade. ”1 hope you won t be nervous.” "Nervous? Well, wouldn’t you be if you felt sure something pretty terrible was going on and no one believed you?” “1 believe you, Miss Jason," he said, quietly "But there’s nothing to be done tonight. That’s why—why I let it slide about your seeing things Would you feel too badly about this Roddy Lane?” 1 shrugged "Not from what I’ve heard. Broken too many hearts. But why the change of face?” “You’d be scared to death. You’d lie awake all night and worry.” "Behaved terribly so far, haven’t I? You tell me this instant or—or I’ll scream.” Victor laughed ‘‘It’s just this There’s a car in the Lane garage I peeked in the window with the flash. Green it was. That his?” "Lord, yes And if he’d left the Head he’d have gone in it.” "Exactly Having no boat Came in it, didn't he?” I nodded and put a pillowcase over the softest sofa cushion. "Do the others know? Potter and Mr De Witt?" "Sure they know. They must have seen it, too. But there’s something else they don’t know.” We were almost whispering. ; finished making up the best bed 1 could on that slippery old daven port and sat down, wide-eyed. "Who at this house plays golf? Victor demanded. (TO BE CONTINUED) Work of Champion Quilt Maker Is a Challenge to All Sewers By CHERIE NICHOLAS QUILTING has been an important part of the fashion scene for many weeks now, with accessories, jackets, coat linings and even skirts made warm as well as attractive by the quilting technique. Home sewers, with a tremendous quantity of quilted fabrics available by the yard, have been having fun turning out their own quilted creations. Of course, you may not want to tackle anything so ambitious right away, but the quilt illustrated in the above picture gives you an idea of what can be done by one who makes quilting her hobby. An ill ness which, ten years ago, confined her to her home for many weeks, has brought to Mrs. Bertha Stenge of Chicago national recognition as champion quilt maker. While she was idle and unable to carry on her usual activities of car ing for her home and her flower garden, Mrs. Stenge noticed a Chi cago newspaper was promoting a quilt-making contest. She decided to enter the contest, just to get started on a hobby and keep herself occupied. She did not win « prize in this contest, but the quilt she entered won a prize at a later contest and since that time she has made 20 quilts, all of which have won cash awards and blue ribbons throughout the country. Mrs. Stenge has won nearly 40 prizes in her ten years of entering contests. She has never sold any ’of her quilts although she has been requested many times to place a sales price on one or another of them. She says she cannot evalu ate in dollars and cents the six months or more of effort it takes to make a quilt. Her Bible quilt has won repeated awards in various contests. In this design, she has pictured incidents of the Bible—Moses in the bul rushes, Daniel in the lion’s den, Jo nah and the whale and others. Still another unusual design is her Fam ily History quilt. From old por traits, Mrs. Stenge worked into the design, pictures of her father and I mother, herself as she started to school, her husband and her daugh ters, as well as incidents of her married life. In the above illustra tion Mrs. Stenge is displaying a portion of the Family History quilt and the original photographs. The insets show other motifs from Mrs. Stenge’s quilts. Her top honor up to this year was $750 won at the New York World’s fair. Recently, she won the region al contest of $100 and the sweep stakes prize of $1,000 in a national needlework contest conducted by Woman's Day magazine. Mrs. Stenge has won state prizes in Kentucky, home of the appli qued quilt and where fine quilt mak ing is taken as a matter of course. She has won top honors in state, county and city contests in Illinois and just to prove she has abilities in other directions, one year at the Cook County fair she won three bak ing prizes as well as four quilt prizes. The quilt which won her the sweepstakes prize in the Woman’s Day contest was a Victory quilt, an original design. It has a shield out lined in blue and appliqued with white stars around an American ea gle in blue, with the Liberty Bell in blue above it. Red V’s are placed at each corner with the Victory sign —three dots and a dash—beside each V. Blue stars are used as a border around the quilt. An alphabet quilt for a child’s bed is another consistent prize winner. And now she is working on a “quilt of quilts.” This will display minia ture replicas of standard and fa mous quilt patterns. Mrs. Stenge is a graduate of the University of California, where she majored in art. Her husband is an attorney. They have three daugh ters and two grand-daughters. Released by Western Newspaper Union. Expertly Styled This season’s fur coats arc noted for their versatile styling. The flat ter furs are taking on the suave lines of tailored cloth and the fetch ing details that give interest to fab ric handling are being matched in fur technique. In the high-styled oce lot coat here shown this point of expert styling is clearly demonstrat ed. The rolled collar, facing, pock ets and tie-fastening, which is drawn through slits at the side and tied in front (leaving the back loose), give a very youthful effect. Fringe-Trimmed | In the new collections many charming print frocks are seen that are trimmed with fringe. In the newest technique the fringe is ar ranged in two tiers on the skirt Feature War Stamp Prints for Spring Prints will have an exciting story to tell, judging from advance show ings. Perhaps the most unique and outstanding at this stage of the game is the new war-stamp print. It has boutonnieres of war stamps spaced all over the background. A dress made of this print with tie fastenings of self fabric is very new looking and. being prettily col ored, is exceedingly attractive. Cross-stitch prints for children’s dresses are something to consider when buying wash materials for home sewing. You’ll love these prints and they authentically repro duce colorful cross-stitch embroid ery effects. Border prints are being used most intriguingly, sometimes with flowers massed at the waistline or along one side fastenings that extend from neck to hemline. The rest of the gown is made of the simple far spaced little design. Satin Sports Frocks Make Debut in Spring Showings Here’s the latest! It’s the charm ing little sports frocks that have just made their debut in the early spring showings. Fashioned of lus trous cotton-and-rayon slipper satin they are in the most delectable pas tels you can ever imagine. Their sophistication is in the strict simplicity observed in their styling. Some button with the new pottery buttons in the same shade as the satin. Others indulge in self-fabric ties all the way down the front or side fastening. You can get these adorable dresses in such ravishing shades as copper pink, aqua, ice blue. For winter up north thcw look charming under fur coats, ahd they will be delightfully wearable later on as sports frocks Af ' , , 5 Bflfilfflafil pmi\ Released by Weatern Newspaper Union. KIDNEY STONES A patient consulted a physician for a pain in the region of the appendix. As the appendix had been removed, the physician told Dr. Barton the pattent tnai tne pain was likely due to adhesions following the appendix opera tion. However, to the surprise of the physi cian X-rays showed a large stone in the kidney and that kid ney stone was re moved. It was because the pain was in the ap pendix region and there was no pain in the back or pain following the course of the tube carrying urine from kid ney to bladder, that caused the phy sician to mistake kidney stone for adhesions. Thanks to the X-rays the removal of the kidney stone brought complete relief from pain. The above, however, is an ‘'excep tional” case as most cases of kid ney stone that cause symptoms can be recognized. Dr. Charles Pierre-Mathe, San Francisco, director of the depart ment of urology, St. Mary’s hos pital in “Clinical Medicine” says: “A sudden, severe pain in the small of the back or abdomen which radiates to the groin should be looked on with suspicion by the at tending physician. All patients suf fering from kidney stones have red blood cells in the urine which can be detected by making a micro scopic examination. I have never seen a patient suffering with kidney stone whose urine did not show red blood cells under the microscope. In many patients, crystals, usually of the variety found in the stone present, are encountered. While the family physician with the aid of X-rays, microscopic ex amination of urine, use of dyes, can locate the position and composition of the stone or stones. Dr. Mathe advises, and most physicians will agree, that a genito-urinary special ist—urologist—should be called into consultation in these cases. The urologist will carry out a complete examination including cystoscopy— instrument with lamps and mirror— use of a catheter up into ureters (the two tubes carrying urine from kidneys to bladder), study of the | amount of urine coming from each kidney, and a complete study of the urines collected from kidneys and bladder. After removal of stone or stones, they are examined to find composi tion and nature or organisms pres ent so that the proper diet and anti septics can be used to try to prevent the formation of more stones. • • • Diabetic Coma And Insulin Shock Some months ago a moving pic ture showed the inside of a hospital in which a patient was undergoing diabetic coma. The floor nurse had rushed for the intern on duty, and on arrival the young physician in jected insulin and ordered salt solu tion. The physician in charge of the case when told about the pa tient's symptoms was furious, and told the young intern that the patient was suffering from insulin shocks, too much insulin, and the patient’s life was endangered. The young intern suggested that they both take a look at the patient and he was found to be in a normal condition. The point of the story of the pic ture does not concern us. How ever, there are now so many dia betics, all of whom know how to treat themselves when at home or at work, who may be placed in Strange surroundings when they are suffering with diabetic coma (aci dosis) or with insulin shocks. The treatment is very simple in either case, but, as the two conditions are ] exactly opposite in character, the treatment for each case is different. What is diabetic coma and what is insulin shock? How can one tell the difference if a known diabetic is found unconscious? Diabetic coma is a condition brought on by overeating—that is, the patient himself may eat too much food—or the body, due to an overactive thyroid gland or infec tion which eats or burns up the food too rapidly. Treatment is there fore by insulin injection. Insulin shock or reaction is due to too much insulin, to taking too little food after insulin has been taken, or taking too much exercise and using up the food eaten too soon. The treatment is to give some starch or sugar at once. . • . HEALTH BRIEFS To prevent psittacosis, parrot fever, government authorities in 1932 adopted U. S. Interstate Quar antine Regulations. These regula tions recommended that every inter state shipment of parrots, love birds, aTid parrakeets be accompan ied by a certificate from the prop er health authorities. This certificate stated that: "The bird or birds in the shipment have come from dis tributing establishments free from infection.*' Easy Directions on Making Slip Covers 7397 CLIP covers work magic in a ^ home—give it a fresh new look —hide worn upholstery—bring in a new color note! This pattern shows you—step-by-step—how to j make your own covers. • • • Pattern 7397 contains step-by-step direc tions and Information for making slip covers for varied chairs and sofas. Send your order to: Sewing Circle Needlecraft Dept. 82 Eighth Ave. New York Enclose 15 cents (plus one cent to cover cost of mailing) for Pattern No. Name .. Address ... 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