Evening Star Newspaper, February 15, 1927, Page 34

j The Murder g rod | By AGATHA CHRISTIE. Copsright by Dodd. Mead & Co (Continued from Yesterday's Star.) Yes, I think so.” “I thank vou,” said Poirot. ”.\I\’ friend, Dr. Sheppard. said something of the butler being suspected? “That’s all bunkum," said Raglan, instantly. “These high-cl get in such a funk that t piclously for nothing at all “The fingerprints”” I hinted. “Nothing like Parker's.” He gave a faint smile and added: “And yours| and Mr. Raymond's don't fit either, doctor.” “What about those of Capt. Ralph Paton?" asked Poirot, quietly. 1 felt a secret admiration for the way he took the bull by the horns. T saw a look of respect creep into the inspector’s eye. “1 see you don't let the grass grow under your feet, M. Poirot. It will he a pleasure to work with you, I'm sure, We're going to take that voung gen- chair a minute. I thank to me the exact position of S I did so in the doorway “The hilt o servants act sus- asked over his shoulder. was dow s . tleman’s fingerprints as soon as we | can lay hands upon him.", i “I can't help thinking you're mis. | taken, inspector,” said Col. Melrose, | warmly. “I've known Ralph Paton from a boy upward. He'd never stoop | to murder.” “Maybe not,” tonelessly. “What have you got against him?" said the inspector, “Col. Melrose, would you be so ex- | tremely obliging as to sit down in this you. M. le docteur, will you kindly indicate hilst the little man stood | | | the dagger was plainly | visible from the door, then? Both you | o Parker could see it once?" irot went next to the window. “The electric Iight was on. of course, | came to rest when vou discovered the hody?" 1 assented, and joined him where he | tudying the marks on the win- | 1 “The rubber studs are the same pat- THE EVENING ~ETZR,” WASHINGTON, “Excuse me a minute,” said Col. Melrose. He left the room with Par. ker. “Do you think Parker is speaking the truth?” I asked. “About the chair, yes. Otherwise 1 do not know. You will find M. le docteur, if you have much to do with cases of this kind, that they all re semble each other in one thing." ness it is to observe such things. You permit——"" He moved swiftly to the fireplace and rang the bell. After the lapse of a minute or two Parker appeared. “The bhell rang, sir,” he said, hesi- tatingly. “Come in. Parker,” said Col. Mel-| rose. | “This gentieman wants (o ask you something.” ‘hat is that?” I asked curiously. ,‘.iSZ'é‘?o'?‘n?fif,‘ir"" a respectful at | ry one concerned in them has “Parker." said the little man, “when | "TqtNINg Lo hide. - Fou V'W‘}lfl“ d"“'r; N nhor e n D oot Tookea &t T aitentively. Sheppard last night, and found your ' ave,” he s y. master dead, what was the state of | .v}h',?flu e e the fire?" . : Parker raplied without a pause Have you told me everything “It had burned vers Tow. o Tt was | Known to you about this young man st out.” | Patonz " He' smiled as 1 grew ret. exclamation | “Oh! do not fear. I will not press 'm,m:‘m\ IAmation | cow. 1 shall learn it in good time." " ‘I wish vou'd tell me something of said hastlly, to cover e point about the Now, the dag ‘Look round you, my good Parker, |Your methods | Is_this room exactly as it was then?" - confusion. The butler's eve swept round. It|fire, for instance? . on the windows., | “Oh! that was very simple. You “The curtains were drawn, sir, and |leave Mr. Ackroyd at--10 minutes to | the electric light was on.” | s it not” § Poirot_nodded approval. | es, exactly, T should say. “Anything else?” | b ers-!:r;n!dP:'owdrlv:r t::;?nr;h‘ei“d A:n:: | “Yes, sir, this - wi g | holte od. 2 T e i chatr was drawn out | FRIRC fPhet 10 when the body is dis | covered, the door is locked and the | window is open. | Who opened it? Clearly only Mr. { Ackroyd himself could have done so, and for one of two reasons. Either | hecanse the room hecame unbearably | | hot (but since the fire was nearly out | | and there was a sharp drop in tem. | perature last night, that cannot be | tha reason), or hecause he admitted he | | some one that way. And if he ad- | mitted some one that way, it must | | have heen some one well known to | D. ©,” TUESDAY, FEBRUZRY 15, 1927T. the express for the north, which comes in at 10:19 and leaves at 10:23. The whole place is in a bustle, and “But why telephone at all?” de—l manded Melrose. “That is what I find so0 extraordinary. There seems no the chances of one particular person | rhyme or reason in the thing.” “When we know that, we shall being noticed telephoning or getting | Poimot carefully straightened a | know everything. This case is very Into the express are very small, in- | china ornament on one of the hook- | Curious and very interesting.” deed. | cases. (Continued in Tomorrow's Star) CHOOSE A CANADIAN NATIONAL N_THIS YE “Be sure there was a reason,” he said over his shoulder. “But what reason could it be?" himeelf uneasy on the subject of that same window." “It sounds very simple,” T said. “Everything is simple. if you ar- range the facts methodically. We are concerned now with the personality of the person who was with him at 9:30 last night. Everything goes to show that that was the individual ad mitted by the window, and though Mr. Ackroyd was seen alive later by Miss Flora, we cannot approach a solution of the mystery until we know who that visitor was. The window may have been left open after his de- parture and so afforded entrance to the murderer, or the same person may have returned a second time. Ah! Here is the colonel, who returns.” Col. Melrore entered with an ani mated manner. | ““That telephone call has heen traced at last.” he sald. “It did not come from here. It was put through to Dr. Shappard at 10:15 last night from a public call offic King's Abbot station. And at 1 the night mail leaves for Liverpool CHAPTER VIIIL. Inspector Rpglan Is Confident. We Inoked at each other. “You'll have inquiries made at the station, of course? d. “Naturally, but I'm not oversan- guine as to the resu You know what that station is like." 1 did. King's Abbot is a mere vil lage, but its station happens to he an gleam to thrill you with their beauty HERE isa vacation that transcendsany you have ever experienced, a trip to Alasks, that glori- ous land of midnight sun and mystery. Sailing through sheltered scenic seas you vie: riot of gorgeous sunsets, gleaming, ever-movi glaciers, colossal mountains, weird, totem-pol wvillages. No land is like Alaska. Strange, flower-decked, still ringing with tales of memorable Klondike important junction. Most of the big 'd:l"',','.A ‘;-‘hl'm-, e oy will ot et expresses stop there. and trains are SUB FIE Y Our Ssemioey and Py shunted, resorted and made nn It 1 U haunt you for years to come. has two or three public telephone y boxes. At that time of night three local trains come in elose upon each Round trip fare only $90. Vancouver to Skagway including meals and berth, all outside rooms. CHAIR IN WHICH | | T asked. ! “Went out just on 9 o'clock last | night. Was seen in neighborhood of | Fernly Park somewhere about 9:30. | Not been seen since. Believed to be in | serjous money difficulties. I've got a | pair of his shoes here—shoes wit ber studs in them. He had two pa o almost exactly alike. I'm going up now to compare them with those foot- | marks. The constable is up there see- | ing that no one tampers with them." | “We'll go at once,” said Col. Mel- rose. “You and M. Poiret will accom. | pany us, will you not?" We assented and all drove up in the colonel’s car. The inspector was anx. | fous to get at once to the footmarks | and asked to be put down at the lodge. About half-way up the drive. on the right, a path branched off, which led round to the terrace and the wWindow | po caidq quietly. of Ackroyd's study. JFnm Naule Ll “Would you like to go with the in- | y,17en e came back once spector, M. Poirot?” asked the chief | constable, “or would you prefer to ex- amine the study?" Poirot chose the latter alternative. Parker opened the door to us. His manner was smug and deferential, and he seemed to have recovered from his panic of the night before. Col. Melrose took a key from his pocket and, unlocking the door, which led into the lobby, he ushered us through into the study. “Except for the removal of the body, M. Poirot, this room is exactly as it was last night.” “And the body was found—where?"., As precisely as possible I described Ackroyd's position. The armchair still stood in front of the fire. Pofrot went and sat down in it. “The blue letter you speak of, where was it when you left the room?" “Mr. Ackroyd had laid it down on this little table at his right hand.” Poirot nodded. “Except for that everything was in its place?” ~ G FIREPLACE .in the room with a quick glance. “Are you a man of good fire? Was it low?" T gave a vexed laugh. “I—I really can't say. Blunt—" his head with a faint smile. method. in asking you that question. man his own knowledge. vou. was to see. HAIR IN WHICH HEPPARD SAT | term as those in Capt. Paton’: traveled round, searching everything tion, Dr. Sheppard?" he asked at last. “I think so,” I said, surprised. “There was a fire in the grate, I see. When you broke the door down and found Mr. Ackroyd dead, how was the notice. Perhaps Mr. Raymond or Maj. The little man opposite me shook “One must always proceed with 1 made an error of judgment You could tell me the details of the patient's ap- pearance—nothing there would escape If I wanted information about the papers on that desk, Mr. Raymond would have noticed anything To find out about the fire, I must ask the man whose busi- 19 in 20 ACKROYD WAS FOUND DESK & CHAIR 's shoes,” He indicated a big grandfather chair to the left of the door between it and the window. I append a plan of the room with the chair in question ‘marked with an X “‘Just show me," The butler drew the chair in ques- tion out a good two feet from the wall, turning it so that the seat faced the door. “Voila ce qul est curfeux,” mur- mured Poirot. ‘“No one would want to sit in a chair in such a position, T fancy. Now, who pushed it back into place again, I wonder? Did you, my I didn't 42" “No, sir,” said Parker. “I was too upset with seeing the master and all.” Poirot looked across at me. more to His eye trained observa- “Did you, doctor?" 1 shook my head. “'It was back in position when I ar. To each | rived with the police, sir,” put in Par.| V Sy Hate ot Ay -l' g bilious, urious,” said Poirot again. “Raymond or Blunt must coated pushed it back,” I suggested. it isn't important>" ‘It is completely unimportant,” said Poirot. “That is why it is so interest- ing,” he added softly. have “Surely | SO0 there waste. Mouths Are Safe! 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Interest Due and Accrued e o Net Uncollected and Deferred Premiums an Notes and All Other Assets........ Total Admitted Assets... LIABILITIES Reserve on Policies in Force as Computed by the Actuary of the Company.... B All Other Liabilities Total Liabilities . Capital Stock Surplus ... $42,305,512.61 709,260.40 746,542.36 .. $51,533,559.02 $ 41,607,554.00 * 2,667,951.62 $44,275,505.62 Surplus of Assets Over Liabilities. Total ... by the Company, and have proved that the Bonds are carried at their market values on Decem- ber 31, 1926. We have counted the Cash on hand, and have verified the balances deposited with Banks and Trust Companies. i The Reserve on Policies in Force and other Actuarial Liabilities are certified by the Actuary of the Company, and the Legal Reserves have been confirmed by the Virginia Bureau of Insur- ance. We certify that, in our opinion, the above Statement of Assets and Liabilities correctly sets forth the true financial condition of the Company on December 31, 1926. H. B. BOUDAR & SON, Certified Public Accountants. Richmond, Virginia, January 25, 1927. Statement of Operations During 1926 GROSS INCOME ... . .$ 13,709,827.12 INCREASE IN GROSS INCOME 881,270.88 INCREASE IN ASSETS............ ” 4,970,891.62 INCREASE IN INSURANCE RESER -$ 4,136,602.00 SURPLUS i .$ 4258,053.40 INSURANCE IN FORCE ... ..$312,738,604.00 INCREASE IN INSURANCE IN FORCE ... TOTAL NUMBER OF POLICIES IN FORCE. INCREASE IN NUMBER OF POLICIES IN FORCE. DEATH CLAIMS, Erc,, PAID TO POLICYHOLDERS.... Total Payments to Policyholders Since Organization $43,073,090.38 Growth of the Compal;y Since 1901 Outstandin, Insurance at of Year $ 29,845.450.00 54,507,580.00 78,499,874.00 118,349,212.00 214,188,461.00 312,738,604.00 No. of Policies in Force at | | End of Year | 270,566 443,551 568,462 725,119 956,051 1,231,835 Assets at End of Year Gross Income for the Year 1901 | § 1,195319.08 2218,551.07 .304'%456 Yeari nd 13,709,827.12 A. E. CALL, District Manager 205-209 NATIONAL SAVINGS & TRUST COMPANY BLDG. i Washington, I}. C.