Evening Star Newspaper, October 13, 1930, Page 12

RAB Mu . CHARACTERS IN TI | PHILO VANCE. JOHN F.-X. MARKHAM, district at- $orney of New York Count; ERNEST HEATH, sergeant of the omicide Bureau. HDR. MINDRUM W. C. BLISS, Egyp- tologist, hen({l o(‘u:he Bliss Museum of uities. Em}:}:fi(qfl. KYLE, philanthropist atron. -nMdE-RnYEA'-A}EN. wife of Dr. Bliss. ROBERT SALVETER, assistant cura- tor of the Bliss Museum, nephew of Benjamin H. Kyle. DONALD SCARLETT, technical ex-! pert of the Bliss expeditions in Egypt. ANUPU HANI, family retainer of the Bl isses. BRUSH, the Bliss butler. DINGLE, the Bliss cook. HENNESSEY, detective of the Homi- eide Bureau. i SNT . detective of the Homicide BUICaIRY, detective of the Homicide Buéel;xui‘r'oyw, detective of the Homi- cide Bureau. CAPT. DUBOIS. fingerprint expert. | DETECTIVE BELLAMY, fingerprint . | PR, EMANUEL DOREMUS, medical | examiner. CURRIE, Vance's valet. x INSTALLMENT I. (FRIDAY, JULY 13, 11 A. M.) HILO VANCE was drawn into the Scarab murder case by sheer coincidence, although there is little doubt that John F.-X. Markham, New York’s district atiorney, would sooner or later have enlisted his services. But it is prob- Jematic if even Vance, With his fine analytic mind and his remarkable flair for the subtleties of human psychology, could have solved that bizarre and as- tounding murder if he had not been ‘the first observer on the scene, for, in ihe end, he was able to put his finger on the guilty person only because of the topsy-turvy clues that had met his eve during his initial inspection. | These clues—highly misleading from | the materialistic point of view—even- tuslly gave him the key to the mur- derer's mentality, and thus enabled him to elucidate one of the most com- licated and incredible criminal prob- flmx in modern police history. The brutal and fantastic murder of that old philanthropist and art patron ‘Benjamin H. Kyle became known as the Scarab murder case almost immedi- ately, as a result of the fact that itl had taken place in a famous Egyptolo- gist’s private museum and had centered about a rare blue scarabaeus that had been found beside the mutilated body of the victim. This ancient and valuable seal, in- scribed with the names of one of the early Pharaohs (whose mummy had, by the way, not been found at this time), constituted the basis on which Vance reared his astonishing structure of evi- dence. This scarab, from the lice point of view, was merely an incidental plece of evidence that pointed some- what obviously toward its owner; but this easy and specious explanation did mnot appeal to Vance. “Il\?lg:fl‘em," he remarked to Sergt. Ernest Heath, “do not ordinarily insert their visitin’ cards in the shirt bosoms of their victims. And while the dis- covery of the lapis-lazull beetle is most interestin’ from both the psychological and evidential standpoints, we must not be too optimistic and jump to con- clusions. The most important question in this pseudo-mystical murder is why— and how—the murderer left that arche- ological specimen beside the defunct body. Once we find the reason for that amazin® action, we'll hit upon the secret of the crime itself.” ‘The doughty sergeant had sniffed at ‘Vance’s suggestion and had ridiculed his skepticism; but before another day ’had passed he generously admitted that Vance had been right and that the murder had not been so simple as it had appeared at first view. As I have sald, a coincidence brought Vance into the case before the police were notified. An acquaintance of his had discovered the slain body of old Mr. Kyle and had immediately come to him with the gruesome news. It happened on the morning of Pri- day, July 13. Vance had just finished a late breakfast on the roof garden of his apartment in East Thirty-eighth street and had returned to the library to continue his translation of the Ma- nander fragments found in the Egyp- tian papyri during the early years of the present century, when Currie—his valet and major-8omo—shuffied into | the room and announced with an air| discreet apology: CLOSING! The new issue of the telephone directory is going to press on October 30th. Now is the time to ge! ehange your present listing. If you are moving I you wish a new telephone ¥ your listings n. If you want to directory If you are a seller of Trade- Marked PLEASE Get in touch wit Office. You wil front of your tel By S. S. Van Dine Copyright, 1930, by §. 8. Van Dine, “Mr. Donald Scarlett has just ar-| rived, sir, in a state of distressing ex- citement and asks that you hasten to receive him.” ‘Vance looked up from his work with an expression of boredom. “Scarlett, eh?’ Very annoyin'. . . . And why should he call on me when | excited? RDER CASE and archeology, having specialized in these subjects at Oxford, under Prof. F. Ll Griffith. Later he had taken up chemistry and photography in order that he might join some Egyptological ex- pedition in a technical capacity. He was a well-to-do Englishman, an ama- teur and dilettante and h: | I infinitely prefer calm peo-' Egy) ad made of ptology a sort of fad. £y DRBLISS'S STuDY '| DRAWING,, ROOM | ple. . . . Did you offer him a brandy- and-soda—or some triple bromides?” I took the liberty of placing a service of Courvoisier brandy before him,” ex- plained Currie. “I recall that Mr. Scar- lett has a weakness for Napoleon's “Ah, yes—so he has. . . . Quite right, Currie.” Vanee leisurely lit one of his cigarettes and puffed a moment in silence. “Su you show | him in when you deem his nerves suf-| ficiently calm.” Currie bowed and departed. “Interestin’ johnny, Scarleit,” Vance commented to me. (I had been with Vance all morning arranging and filing his notes.) “You remember him, Van—eh, what?” I had met Scarlett twice, but I must | admit I had not thought of him for a month or more. The impression of | him, however, came back to me now | with considerable vividness. He had| been, I knew, a college mate of Vance's | at Oxford, and Vance had run across him during his sojourn in Egypt two years before. | Scarlett was a student of Egyptology | | t your name in it or eed changing advertise in the new articles Ll o DR RS L1 X stuoy o HALLWAY 5 VESTIBULE tieth street, facing Gramercy Park. He had called on Vance several times since his arrival in this country, and it was at Vance's apartment that I had met him. He had, however, never called without an invitation and I was at a loss to understand his unexpected | appearance this morning, for he pos- | sessed all of the well bred Englishman's | punctiliousness about social matters. Vance, too, was somewhat puzzied, despite his attitude of lackadaisical in- difference. “Scarlett’s a clever lad.” he drawled musingly. “And most proper. Why should he call on me at this indecent hour? And why should he be excited? I hope nothing untoward has befallen his erudite employer. . . . Bliss is an astonishin’ man, Van—one of the world's great _Egyptologists.” (Dr. Mindrum W. C. Bliss, M. A, A. O. 8. S, F. S. A, F. R. S, Hon. Mem. R. A. S, alNEI 20™ STREET When Vance had gone to Alexandria Scarlett had been working in the mi seum laboratory at Cairo. The two h met again and renewed their old mc- quaintance. Recently Scarlett had come to America as a_member of the staff of Dr. Mindrum W. C. Bliss, the famous Egyptologist, who maintained a private museum of Egyptian an- tiquities in an old house in East Twen- CoLps have a habit of striking you just at the wrong time. At the theater, at the was the author of “The Stele of Inte- foe at Koptos” a “History of Egypt During the Hyksos Invasion,” Seventeenth Dynasty” and & mono- graph on the Amenhotpe IIT Colossi.) 1 recalled that during the Winter which Vance had spent in Egypt he had become greatly interested in the work of Dr. Bliss, who was then en- deavoring to locate the tomb of Pharaoh WHEREVE FIGHT Y dance, in the midst of work, your nose begins to run, your head begins up, and you begin to feel miserable. It’s silly to suffer this annoyance. to stuff For you can always keep Vapex handy. It fits snugly in a handbag or a vest pocket. Vapex brings swift relief In 2 minute’s time, you can have all-day- long relief from colds. Simply put a drop of Vapex on your handkerchief. The vapor keeps its strength. No matter what the time or the place you can breathe the refreshing fragrance and feel your head clear, your nose stop snuffling, and your cold vanishing. Vapex has a delightful odor—as clean and refreshing as mountain air. The efficacy of Vapex has been tested time and time again. But Vapex never had surer proof of its worth than during the time of its dramatic discovery. Then in- fluenza was raging in England, but the men who were working with the ingredients now in Vapex completely escaped the disease. A simple and easy way to use Vapex is to put a drop at each end of your pillow just before you go to bed. All night long, you breathe the soothing vapor. All night long it fights your cold. In the morning you awake—with a clear head and 2 feeling. refreshed Be wary when some one offers you a prod- uct tha is “just as good as Vapex and cheaper.” Vapex is the inhalant approved by Good Housekeeping. Millions of bottles are sold yearly. It has never been success- fully imitated. And after all, a single application ot Vapex costs only 2c. The $1 bottle contains fifty applications. Ask for V-A-P-E-X always h the nearest Business 1 find it listed in the. cphone directory. v THE CHESAPEAKE and POTOMAC TELEPHONE COMPANY and insist on obtaining it. . VA Inter V, who ruled over Upper Egyp {at Thebes during the Hyksos domina- tion. In fact, Vance had accompanied Bliss on_an_exploration in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings. At that time he had just become attracted by the Menander fragments, and he had been in the midst of a uniform transla- tion of them when the Bishop murder case interrupted his labors. Vance had also been interested in the variations of chronology of the Old and the Middle Kingdorhs of t— not from the historical standpoint, but from the standpoint of the evolution of Egyptian art. His researches led him to side with the Bliss-Weigall, or short, chronology (based on the Turin Papy- rus), as opposed to the long chronology of Hall and Petrie, who set back the Twelfth Dynasty and all preceding his- tory one full Sothic cycle, or 1,460 years. (According to the Bliss-Weigall chronology the period between the death of Sebk-nefru-Re and the over- throw of the Shepherd Kings at Mem- phis was from 1898 to 1577 B.C—to wit: 321 years—as against the 1,800 years claimed by the upholders of the longer chronology. This short chronol- ogy is even shorter, according to Brested ~ and _the German school. Breasted and Meyer dated the same period as from 1788 to_1580. These 208 years, by the way, Vance consid- ered too short for the observable cul- tural changes.) After inspecting the art works of the pre-Hyksos and the post-Hyksos eras, Vance was inclined to postulate an interval of not more than 300 years between the Twelfth and Eighteenth Dynasties, in accord- ance with the shorter chronology. In comparing certain statues made dur- ing the reign of Amen-em-het III with others made during the reign of Thut- mose I—thus_ bridging the Hyksos in- vasion, with barbaris Asiatic influence and its annihilation of indigenous Egyptian culture—he arrived at the conclusion that the maintenance of the principle of Twelfth-Dynasty esthetic attainment could not have been pos- sible with a wider lacuna than 300 years. In brief, he concluded that, had the interregnum been longer, the evi- dences of decadence in Eighteenth Dynasty art would have been even more pronounced. ‘These researches of Vance’s ran through my head that sultry July morning as we waited for Currie to usher in the visitor. The annqunce- ment of Scarlett’s call had brought back memories of many wearying weeks of typing and tabulating Vance's notes on the subject. Perhaps I had a feel- ing—what we loosely call a premonition —that Scarlett’s surprising visit was in some way connected with Vance's aestretico-Egyptological researches. Per- haps I was even then arranging in my mind, unconsciously, the facts of that Winter two years before, so that I might sope more understandingly with the object of Scarlett’s present call. But surely I could have had not the slightest idea or suspicion of what was actually about to befall us. It was far too appalling and too bizarre for The casual imagination. It lifted us out of the ordinary routine of daily experience and dashed us into a frowsy, miasmic nmosghe" of things at once incredible and horrifying—things fraught with | the seemingly supernatural black magic | of a witch’s sabbat. | stance it was the mystic and fantastic Only in this in- lore of ancient Egypt—with its confused mythology and its grotesque pantheon of beast-headed gods—that furnished the background. Scarlet§ almost dashed through the portieres of the library when Currie had pulled back the sliding door for | him to enter. Either the courvoisier had added to his excitement or else Currie had woefully underrated the man’s nervous state. “Kyle has been murdered!” the new- comer blurted, leaning against the li- brary table and staring at Vance with gaping eyes. “Really, now! That's very distressin’.” Vance held out his cigarette case. “Do have one of my Regies. . And | you'll find that chair beside you most | comfortable. A Charles chair: I picked Just Think of It— ‘The Star delivered to your door every evening and Sunday morning at 13;c per day and 5c Sunday. Can you afford to be without this service at this cost? Telephone National 5000 and de- livery will start at once. R YOU ARE OUR COLD VIR VAPEX ‘i | ALL NIGHT LONG A drop on your handkerchie! PEX Breathe your cold away *Bog. U. 5, Pat, OF. A t it up in Tondon. . . . Beastly mess, people getting murdered, what? But ii really can't be helped, don't y' know. ‘The human race is so deuced blood- thirsty.” His indifference had a salutary effect o:lsarlfitt. b::o ]—nkhm:hn y into rz c an n cigare! with trembling h:n,sl. a Vance waited a moment and then ed: “By the by, how do you know Kyle has been murdered?” Scarlett gave a start. “I saw him lying there—his head bashed in. A frightful sight. No doubt about it.” (I could not help but feeling that the man had suddenly assumed a defensive attitude.) Vance Iay back in his chair languid- ly and pyramided his long, tapering hands. “Bashed in with what? And lying where? And how did you happen to discover the corpse? . . . Buck up,| Scarlett, and make an effort at co- | herence.” { Scarlett frowned and took several! deep inhalations on his cf tte. He| Was & man of about 40, tall and slender, | with a head more Alpine than Nordic— » Dinaric type. His forehead bulged slightly, and his chin was round and recessive, He had the look of a dcholar, though not that of a sedentary book- worm, for there was strength and rug- gedness in his body, and his face was deeply tanned like that of a man who has lived for years in the sun and wind. ‘There was a trace of fanaticism in his intense eyes—an expression that was somehow enhanced by an almost com- rlehely bald head. Yet he gave me the mpression of honesty and s ghtfor- wardness—in this, at least, his British institutionalism was strongly manifest. “Right you are, Vance,” he said after & brief pause, with a more or less suc- cesstul effort’at calmness. “As you know, I came to New York with Dr. Bliss in May as & member of his staff, and I've been doing all the technical work for him. I have my diggings round the corner from the museum, in Irving place. This morn! I had a batch of photographs to classify, and reached the museum shortly before half-past ten.” . . . “Your usual hour?” Vance put the question negligently. “‘Oh, no. I was & bit Jatish this morn- ing. We'd been working last night on a financial report of the last expedi- ‘And then?” “Punny thing,” eontinued Sc “The front door was alightly a generally have to ring. But I saw no reason to disturb Brush——" “Brush?” “The Bliss butler. . S I merely pushed the door open and en- tered the hallway. The steel entrance door to the museum, which is on the right of the hallway, is rarely locked, and T opened it. Just as I started to descend the stairs into the museum I saw some one lying in the oppesite cor- ner of the room. At first I thought it tt. might be one of the mummy cases we'd unpacked yesterday—the light wasn't very nd then, as my got adjusted, I realized it was Kyle. He was crumpled up, with his arms ex- tended over his head. . . . Even then I thought he had only fallen in & faint; and I started down the steps to- ‘ward him.” He paused and passed his handker- chlef—;m:.!;ml:len‘dr;:“ from his cuff— across his 3 “Bl Jove, Vance!—it was a hideous sight. He'd been hit over the head with one of the new statues we placed in the museum yesterday, and his skull had been crushed in like an -shell, Th statue still lay across his head.” “Did you touch anything?” | “Good heavens, no!” Scarlett spoke with the emphasis of horror. “I was too ill—the thing was ghastly. And it didn take halt an eye to see that the poor beggar was dead.” Vance sudied the man closely. | 'dI say, what was the first thing you i I called out for Dr. Bliss—he has his ! study at the top of the little spir irs at the rear of the museum. . . “And got no answer?’ “No—no answer. . . . Then—I admit—I got frightened. Didn't like the idea of being found alone with a mur- dered man, and toddled back toward the front door. Had a notion I'd sneak | arefully selected another cigarette. ‘And then, when you were again in the street, you fell to worryin'. That's it precisely! It didn't seem cricket to me to leave the poor devil there—and still I didn't want to become involved. .. I'was now walking up Fourth avenue thrashing the thing out with myself and bumping against people without seeing 'em. And I happened to think of you. .I knew you were ac- quainted with Dr. Bliss and the outfit, and could give me good advi And an- other thing, I felt a little strange in a new country—I wasn't just sure how to g0 about reporting the matter. . . So I hurried along to your flat here.” He stopped abruptly and watched Vance eagerly. “What's the procedure?” Vance stretched his long legs before him and lazily contemplated the end of his cigarette. “I'll take over the procedure.” he re- plied at length. “It's not so dashed complicated, and it varies according to circumstances. One y call the station, or stick one's head out of the window, or confide in a traffic officer, or simply ignore the corps and wait for | some one else to stumble on it. It amounts to the same thing in the end— the murderer is almost sure to get safely | away. However, in the it case ry the system s bit by tele- ‘)}‘h‘anln' to the Criminal Courts Build- He turned to the mother-of-pearl French telephone on the Venetian ta- boret at his side, and asked for a nu ber. A few moments later he was speak- ing to the district attorney. (To be continued.) CREDIT GIVEN GERMANY American Bankers Reported to Have Shown Financial Faith. BERLIN, October 13 (A).— Adviees that an international syndicate, headed by American bankers, have extended $125,000,000 credit to Germany was hailed today as & break at last in the clouds which have hung over the Reich’s horizon. The information was interpreted o mean that there still is confidence abroad in Germany's solvency and abil- ity of her financial brains. Particu- Iarly is it looked upon as approval of the government's recently announced drastic program of economy. ‘Weighing more than 500 pounds, s tuna fish was recently caught with rod and line off Scarborough, it being the second tuna fish ever caught off the English coast. Often when other treatments have failed Resinol Ointment aided by Resinol Soap, clears Away eczema, pimples, etc., making the skin clear sand lovely again. Try it/ Sample of each free. Wri Dept. 46, Baltimore, Md. Dobbin has been a good friend‘_ OBBIN has been a good friend. He has worked long and faithfully but there comes a time when he should be put to pasture, and something else more up-to-date must take his place. Your old gas range, now . . . isn’t there just a touch of Dobbin in it? on it? Don’t years hang heavily Perhaps the remarkable advances made recently in the design of gas equipment have aged Your range before its time. Oven Insulation and Heat Control have almost revolutionized cooking. With Heat Control you don’t judge your oven by “feeling” it. You set it to the heat you want by turning a dial. cook at any speed. You can If you are not familiar with the new modern gas ranges you should make a point of dropping in at any of our sales rooms to see them in operation. We will allow you $10 on your old range, terms of with liberal $10 down and the balance in 18 months. Models with Heat Control are priced fr om $66.40 and up, counting the $10 allowa nce.