GARDEN
MURDER
CASE
by
S. S. VAN DINE
Copyright S. S. Van Dine
WNU Service
CHAPTER VI—Continued
sree] ree
“Yes, yes. So I understand. And
I want to hear more about this af-
fair.” The tension in his voice was
patent. “Floyd told me that Woode's
death had all the appearance of sui-
cide, but that you do not accept
that conclusion. Would it be asking
too much if I requested further de-
tails with regard to your attitude
in this respect?”
“There can be no doubt, sir,”
Vance returned quietly, ‘that your
aephew was murdered. There are
too many indications that contra-
dict the theory of suicide. But it
would be inadvisable, as well as
unnecess'ry, to go into details at
the moment. Our investigation has
just begun. By the by, doctor, may
I ask what detained you this after-
noon?—I gathered from your son
that you usually return home long
before this time on Saturdays.”
“Of course, you may,” the man
replied with seeming frankness: but
there was a startled look in his
eyes as he gazed at Vance. “I
had some obscure data to look up
before I could continue with an ex-
periment I'm making; and I thought
today would be an excellent time
to do it, since I close the laboratory
and let my assistants go on Satur-
day afternoons.”
“And where were you, doctor,”
Vance went on, ‘between the time
you left the laborat'ry and the time
of your arrival here?”
“To be quite specific,” Professor
Garden answered, “I left the uni-
versity at about two and went to the
public library where I remained
until half an hour ago. Then I took
a cab and came directly home.”
“You went to the library alone?”
asked Vance.
“Naturally I went alone,” the pro-
fessor answered tartly, “I don’t
take assistants with me when I
have research work to do.”
“My dear doctor!” said Vance
placatingly. *'A serious crime has
been committed in your home, and
it is essential that we know-—as a
matter of routine—the whereabouts
of the various persons in any way
connected with the unfortunate situ-
ation.”
“l see what you mean.”
“l am glad you appreciate our
difficulties,” Vance said, “and 1
trust you will be equally consid-
erate when I ask you just what was
your nephew?’
The man turned slowly and leaned
against the broad sill.
“We were very close,”
ment,
regarded Woode almost as a son,
since his parents died. He was not
a strong person morally, and he
needed both spiritual and material
assistance. Perhaps because of this
fundamental weakness in his na-
ture, we have been more lenient
with him than with our own son.”
CHAPTER VII
Vance nodded with understanding.
“That being the case, I presume
that you and Mrs. Garden have pro-
vided for young Swift in your wills.”
“That is true,” Professor Gar-
den answered after a slight pause,
“We have, as a matter of fact,
made Woode and our son equal
beneficiaries.”
“Has your son,” asked Vance,
“any income of his own?”
“None whatever,” the professor
told him. “He has made a little
money here and there, on various
enterprises—largely connected with
sports—but he is entirely dependent
on the allowance my wife and I
give him. It's a very liberal one—
too liberal, perhaps, judged by con-
ventional standards. But I see no
reason not to indulge the boy. It
isn’t his fault that he hasn't the
temperament for a professional ca-
reer, and has no flair for business.”
“A very liberal attitude, Doctor,”
Vance murmured: ‘especially for
one who is himself so wholehearted-
ly devoted to the more serious
things of life as you are . . But
what of Swift: did he have an in-
dependent income?”
“His father,” the professor ex-
plained, “left him a very comfort-
able amount; but I imagine he
squandered it or gambled most of it
away.”
‘“There’s one more question,”
Vance continued, ‘that I'd like to
ask you in connection with your
will and Mrs. Garden's: were your
son and nephew aware of the dispo-
sition of the estate?”
“I couldn’t say. It's quite possi-
ble they were. Neither Mrs. Gar-
den nor I have regarded the subject
as a secret . . . But what, may I
ask,” Professor Garden gave
Vance a puzzled look—‘‘has this to
do with the present terrible situa-
tion?”
“I'm sure I haven't the remotest
idea,” Vance admitted frankly.
“I'm merely probin’ round in the
dark, in the hope of findin’ some
small ray of light.”
Hennessey, the detective whom
Heath had ordered to remain on
guard below, came lumbering up
the passageway to the study.
“There's a guy downstairs, Ser-
geant,” he reported, “who says he's
from the telephone company and
has got to fix a bell or somethin’.
He's fussed around downstairs and
couldn't find anything wrong there.”
Heath shrugged and looked in-
quiringly at Vance.
“It's quite all right, Hennessey,"
Vance told the detective. “Let him
come up."
Hennessey saluted half-heartedly
and went out.
“You know, Markham,” Vance
said, “I wish this infernal buzzer
hadn't gone out of order at just
this time. I abominate coinci-
dences—"'
“Do you mean,” Professor Gar-
den interrupted, ‘‘that inter-commu-
nicating buzzer between here and
the den downstairs? It was
working all right this morning—
Sneed summoned me to breakfast
with it as usual.”
“Yes, yes,” nodded Vance.
“That's just it. It evidently ceased
functioning after you had gone out.
The nurse discovered it and report-
ed it to Sneed who called up the
telephone company.”
“It's not of any importance,” the
professor returned with a lacka-
daisical gesture of his hand. “It's
a convenience, however, and saves
many trips up and down the stairs.”
“We may as well let the man
attend to it, since he's here. It
won't disturb us.” Vance stood up.
‘“‘And I say, doctor, would you mind
joining the others downstairs? We'll
be down presently, too.”
The professor inclined his head in
silent acquiescence and, without a
word, went from the room.
Presently a tall, pale, youthful
man appeared at the door to the
His Eyes Peering Cautiously Into
the Garden.
He carried a small black
buzzer,” he announced with surly
indifference. “I didn’t find the trou-
ble downstairs.”
“Maybe the difficulty is at this
end,” suggested Vance. “There's
the buzzer behind the desk.”
The man went over to it, opened
his case of tools and, taking out a
flashlight and a small screw-driver,
removed the outer shell of the box.
Fingering the connecting wires for a
moment, he looked up at Vance with
an expression of contempt.
“You can't expect the buzzer to
work when the wires ain't connect.
ed,” he commented.
Vance became suddenly interest.
ed. Adjusting his monocle, he knelt
down and looked at the box.
“They're both disconnected—eh,
what?" he remarked.
“Sure they are.” the man grume-
bled. “And it don’t look to me
like they worked themselves loose,
either.”
“You think they were deliberately
disconnected?’ asked Vance.
“Well, it looks that way.” The
man was busy reconnecting the
wires. “Both screws are loose, and
the wires aren't bent—they look like
they been pulled out.”
“That's most interestin’.” Vance
stood up, and returned the monocle
to his pocket meditatively. “It might
be, of course. But I can’t see why
anyone should have done it . . . Sor-
ry for your trouble.”
“Oh, that's all in the day's work,”
the man muttered, readjusting the
cover of the box. ‘I wish all my
jobs were as easy as this one.” Aft-
er a few moments he stood up.
“Let's see if the buzzer will work
now. Any one downstairs who'll
answer if I press this?”
“I'll take care of that,” Heath in-
terposed, and turned to Snitkin.
“Hop down to the den, and if you
hear the buzzer down there, ring
back.”
Snitkin hurried out, and a few
moments later, when the button
was pressed, there came two short
answering signals.
“It's all right now,” the repair
man said, packing up his tools and
going toward the door. "So long.”
And he disappeared down the pas-
sageway.
Vance smoked for a moment in
silence, looking down at the floor.
“l don’t know, Markham. It's
dasaed mystifyin’. But I have a
notion that the same person who
fired the shot we heard disconnected
those wires . . ."”
Suddenly he stepped to one side
behind the draperies and crouched
down, his eyes peering out cautious-
ly into the garden. He raised a
warning hand to us to keep back out
of sight.
‘“Deuced queer,” he said tensely.
“That gate in the far end of the
fence is slowly opening . . . Oh, my
aunt!” And he swung swiftly into
the passageway leading to the gar-
den, beckoning to us to follow.
Vance ran past the covered body
of Swift on the settee, and crossed
to the garden gate. As he reached
it he was confronted by the haughty
and majestic figure of Madge Weath-
erby. Evidently her intention was
to step into the garden, but she
drew back abruptly when she saw
us. Our presence, however, seemed
neither to surprise nor to embarrass
her.
“Charmin’ of you to come up,
Miss Weatherby,” said Vance. “But
I gave orders that everyone was to
remain downstairs.”
“I had a right to come here!”
she returned, drawing herself up
with almost regal dignity.
“Ah!” murmured Vance. ‘Yes, of
course. It might be, don't y' know.
But would you mind explainin’?"’
‘““Not at all. I wished to ascertain
if he could have done it.”
““And who,” asked Vance, ‘is this
mysterious ‘he'?"”’
“Who?” she repeated, throwing
her head back sarcastically. “Why,
Cecil Kroon!”
Vance's eyelids drooped, and he
studied the woman narrowly for a
brief moment. Then he said lightly:
“*Most interestin’. Jut let that
wait a moment, How did you get up
here?”
“That was very simple. I pre-
tended to be faint and told your min-
ion 1 was going into the butler’'s
pantry to get a drink of water. I
went out through the pantry door
into the public hallway, came up the
main stairs, and out on this ter-
race.”
*““But how did you know that you
could reach the garden by this
route?"
“I didn't know." She smiled enig-
matically. "I was merely recon-
noitering. I was anxious to prove
to myself that Cecil Kroon could
have shot poor Woody."
“And are you satisfied that he
could have?’ asked Vance quietly.
“Oh, yes,” the woman replied
with bitterness. ‘“‘Beyond a doubt.
I've known for a long time that
Cecil would kill him sooner or later.
And 1 was quite certain when you
said that Woody had been murdered
that Cecil had done it. But I did not
understand how he could have got-
ten up here, after leaving us this
afternoon. So 1 endeavored to find
out.”
“And why, may 1 ask.” said
Vance, “would Mr. Kroon desire to
dispose of Swift?"
The woman clasped her hands the-
atrically against her breast.
“Cecil was jealous — frightfully
jealous. He's madly in love with
me. He has tortured me with his
attentions ."" One of her hands
went to her forehead in a gesture of
desperation. ‘‘There has been noth-
ing I could do. And when he learned
that I cared for Woody, he became
desperate. He threatened me.”
Vance's keen regard showed nei-
ther the sympathy her pompous re-
cital called for, nor the cynicism
which I knew he felt.
‘““Sad-—very sad,” he mumbled.
Miss Weatherby jerked her head
up and her eyes flashed.
“I came up here to see if it were
possible that Cecil could have done
this thing.
of justice!"
“Very accommedatin’.”” Vance's
manner had suddenly changed.
that sort of thing.
others.
down the apartment stairs.”
he drew the gate shut and directed
the woman to the passageway door.
followed his indicating finger.
When we were back in the study
Vance sank into a chair and yawned.
case is difficult eriough without these
amateur theatricals.”
Markham, I could see, had been
both impressed and puzzled by the
incident.
“Maybe it's not all dramatics.,”
he suggested. “The woman made
some very definite statements.”
“Oh, yes. She would. She's the
type.” Vance took out his ciga-
rette case. “Definite statements,
yes. And misleadin’. Really, y'know,
I don’t for a moment believe she re-
gards Kroon as the culprit.”
“But she certainly has something
on her mind,” protested Markham.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Sermons in Stone
In the Regional Museum in Aber-
deen, Scotland, are many sermons
exhibited in stone. These sermons
are gathered from all over the Brit-
ish Isles, particularly Scotland, and
represent both social and natural
history, and are more impressive
than textbooks. As an illustration,
Carlyle’s life is not only exhibited
by his library of books, but from
scenes associated with his life from
his castle visits to his fishing
haunts. Axe weapons, windmills
and other paraphernalia of man’s
early history in Scotland are shown
as processes of evolution. Geologic.
al specimens are shown amid flow-
OO OH, OH! Did you ever see
anything in the way of fabric
80 dazzling to the eye, so daringly
designful, so altogether fascinating
as the new cotton weaves that are
dancing so madly, so merrily, so
fashionably into the current style
How perfectly they tune into the
costume needs of carefree summer-
time activities! It is no wild state-
ment to say that an e e wardrobe
ton materials that will carry smart-
ly through active sports and morn-
ing dress hours, that will answer
to the call for voguish afternoon
costumes, climaxing the around-the-
clock program with evening formals
that are just too lovely for words.
Cottons for formal wear? Yes, in-
deed! The next time you go to a
dance or nighttime society event,
count for your own satisfaction, the
dresses fashioned of one type of
cotton or another. You will see glam-
orous printed piques, the flattering
swisses, shadow printed organdies,
merous to mention.
Perhaps after all has been said
and done it is the amazing cotton
prints that are of outstanding style
significance. For excitement at high
pitch, watch the procession of ex-
otics in cotton that are that authen-
tically oriental and superbly color-
ful you feel that they must have
sia, or East India, perhaps Java or
China, or from Hungary or some
other central-Europe country, or
just as likely the print that holds
American origin, for the latter rank
high in style »stige this season,
Do these looking Amerie
can-made prints make up effective!
in dance {
the cl
rignt i 2 i
less evening
skirt and
is made
garian cc
3 14. wrrnels
ice old-w ¢
repro-
til The col
rich yd ing and there is
a gypsy flavor about them and the
beads and the bracelets
in definite keeping with the trend
in the summer mode. Needless to
are
worn are
and washing.
Take the thought of the perfectly
gorgeous new cot
thought of the stunning new
coats, such as are proving the big
sensation in fashion realms, put the
two together and the duo-theme is
woman into action. Which is exactly
what is happening.
She who loves to go nautical will
enjoy making up the beach coat
to the left in the picture, which may
be artly used later on as an
evening coat or as a coat.
The patterned an-
chors and other seafaring
house
with
hem
rl
material,
lose its
laundering,
lose out in
A cool ¢
perfect lines or fit from
neither will the colors
tubbing
impetent
play outfit of
American print
trio. Being dependably
pre-shrunk it is able to take its
tubbings cheerfully without tendency
to lose shape. The shirt and shorts
are in one. The skirt whisks on and
off at will
© Western Newspaper Union.
WITH LACE JACKET
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
This lovely lace gown has a
matching jacket, which it should
have according to all the laws of
fashion. The idea of each
dress with a related cape or jacket
t the entire style pro-
has become a
SEPARATE BOLERO
IN LACE IS SMART
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
great popularity of the becoming
bolero is its ability to dress up a
have only to slip one on over a sim-
ple crepe dress to achieve the ef-
fect that is especially attractive
this year. Boleros are particularly
prominent in starched cotton lace,
of these, in different colors, will en-
able you to get different effects with
a single frock.
The simple, brief bolero would
probably be most practical, for the
lace pattern gives a dressy effect
to all types of costumes. One very
attractive design has short puff
sleeves, and wide revers, with the
short jacket slightly flared. If you
can sew at all, it is the easiest thing
to make, of little more than a yard
of lace. Such a bolero shows off
is fairly simple, whether it be an
afternoon frock, or a gown for eve-
nir ig.
Renaissance of Interest
in the “Polka Dot” Theme
There is a renaissance of interest
in the polka dot theme. There are
enormous plate-sized dots with
smaller dots scattered around them,
all sprinkled with tiny confetti dots
in contrasting colors. There are zig-
zag polka dot arrangements, irregu-
IATA AAAR RAR RAAAR
STAR
DUST
Movie + Radio
*
wkd By VIRGINIA VALE o&%
HE President of the United
States, no less, is the new
diction coach at the Selznick-
International studios in Holly-
wood. Whenever President
Roosevelt makes an address
over the radio, David Selznick
has it recorded, and these rec-
ords are used daily in training
actors for voice tests.
Players memorize his speeches,
then play the records over and over
following his every intonation until
they have mastered the art of per-
fect phrasing. Considering the great
charm of the First Lady's recent
studios might do well to
30 20 20 20 26 2 2 2 2 2
M00 2 2 2
broadcasts,
get records of her talks.
I
In recent weeks Carole Lombard
has been the busiest young woman
Holly wood, be-
Carole
Lombard
All of us who could not get to
London for the coromation can com-
fort ourselves by watching the long-
ago coronation scenes in “The
Prince and the Pauper.” This is a
most likable and refreshing picture
and very exciting too. The Mauch
twins are a grand addition to the
ranks of young players.
—_—
Some weeks ago, you may recall,
Gloria Swanson's return to the
screen was all set. She was going
to make ‘“‘Mazie Kenyon" for
M-G-M. And then when Gloria ar-
rived at the studio all ready to go
to work, the director looked at her
horror-stricken. She wouldn't do at
all; she looked too young. Dashing
over to London to coronation festivi-
ties to forget her disappointment,
Gloria had about decided that her
future lay in radio work, when Co-
luz a pictures got her on the
transatiantic phone and told her to
hurry home, they had found the per-
for her. It sounds like a
Gloria.
fect story
break for
wen We
3 yori pr rfiel
wongeriui
In spite of her outstanding sume-
cess in “Valiant Is the Word for
Carrie’ and the forthcoming “They
Gave Him a Gun” which is said
to be even better, Gladys George
looks on herself as just a novice at
screen acting. So intent is she on
becoming as skilled a player on the
screen as she was on the stage,
that she spends all of her spare
time studying movies. The players
she admires most are Garbo, Spen-
cer Tracy, and Merle Oberon,
wa
Social life and cafe-hopping were
at low ebb during the weeks when
there was talk in
the air of a strike of
the Screen Actors’
guild which counts
all the great in its
ranks, but the
homes of Robert
Montgomery, Jim
Cagney, Fredric
March and a few
other leaders were
continual mob
scenes. These men
won the undying
James Cagney
gratitude of extras
no strike
was necessary. These leaders ral-
ers so quickly and thoroughly that
the producers gave in to their de-
mands without a struggle.
Pe
ODDS AND ENDS—Hollywood
throw a grand : ;
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