New Britain Herald Newspaper, July 11, 1921, Page 5

THE RED SEAL By Natalie Sumner Lincoln A Gripping, Baffling, Tantalizing Tale Cf Mystery (Copyright, 1920, by (Copyright 1919-20, by (Continued trom Saturday's Herald) Synopsis of the Story. James Turnbull, who burglarized the McIntyre home, dies shortly after being taken into custody. Suspicion points to a man named Rochester, but a handkerchief with the “B" would indicate that Barbara, one of the McIntyre twins, was at The private detective alled in, is of the opinion that Rochester is guilty. A sealed en- velope given to Kent by Rochester, or safety, is stolen by Ferguson, de- ective, and is again stolen by Mrs. Brewster, the principal character thus far. Several actions directly outside of business ethics are noted in dealing with some of the family money in the bank with the result that Mrs. Brewster admits hayinz signed = large check which the bank officials believed forged. Mystery ' deepens as at night a blood-red hand appears out of the darkness to snatch at the letter which seems of im- portance now. A blow, a falling body, silence and light revealed that another murder had been committed for the butler Grimes, had been killed and his body secretly placed in a casket. The detective tries to find how the killing could have been accomplished by an outsider—sus- picion really seems directed at Mc- Intyre—and asks Kent to volunteer to help him. He places the latter in the casket and locks it in an effort to have any secret openings revealed. “~.A post mortem on Turnbull reveals his death as having been caused by aconitine poison. A nitro-glycerine pill had been substituted in Mrs. Brewster’s box of aconitine pills and + mgain the detective is puzzled in try- ing to find the murderer. Kent finds that the check had been in the en. velope, with the read seal “B”, which was stolen by the “bloody hand” the night Grimes was killed. ™ He also learns that part of the seel was broken off and a corner of the envelope torn off but he had the mis- sing portion of seal which adhered « to his coat as he lay in the Venetiar casket during the investigation. An exanination of handwriting on the papers of Mrs. Brewster shows that the “B"” was made to correspond io * the capital letter made by Mrs. Brewster although the lettered mono- gram was originally made for Bar- bara, one of the Mclntyre twin: Kent is suspicious of Mrs. Brewst: ..and asks Helen McIntyre to confer with him in his office. The story continues: initial the scene. < “Take this chair,”” he suggested, and not until she was seated did Heler realize he had placed her where . the light fell full ‘'upon her. “T asked ® You to come here,” he began, as she ‘waited for him to speak. “Becausa I must ¥e your confidence—it I am to aid u. Did you meet, recognize, . and talk to Jimmie Turnbull in your house sometima between Monday midnight and his arrest on Tuesday morning?” “l talked with him, yes,” sha ad- mitted, and her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “Then why did you go through the farce of having Jimmie arrested as a burglar?” Kent demanded. “So that Barbara might wager,” promptly. her incredulously. “Do you mean that, notwithstanding the risk to which you were subjecting him with his weak heart, you kept up the farce simply that Barbara might win the idiotic wager?” Kent asked. His question met with no response, and he repeated it, but still the girl remained silent. Kent gave her a ¥ moment's grace, then drawing out the ‘“unaddressed envelope from his pocket he held it toward her. A low cry broke from her, and her expression changed as she caught sight of the broken seal. “You have opened it!" “Not yet,” Kent held the envelope 4, just beyond her reach. “I will only give it to you with the understanding that you open the envelope now in my presence and let me see its contents.’” Helen drew back, then. impulsively extended her hand. “I agree,” she said. envelope.” “Stop!” The word rang out, star- tling Kent as well as Helen, and Mrs. Brewster, whose noiseless entrance a fe— seconds before had gone unob- served, hurried to them. “The en- velope is mine.” .. “Mrs. Brewster, Kent withheld the envelope from both women. “Will you tell me the contents of this en- win her Kent stared at v “Give me the curtly. “It is not your af- t is my affair,’” retorted Kent with equal shortness of manner. “How came your handkerchiet in Jimmie's possession ””* “Jimmie must have picked up the handkerchief when in the MclIntyre's house,” she answered sullenly. *“T presume he forgot to provide himself with one in his make-up as burglar.” “I see,”” answered Kent slowly. / “You saw and talked with Jimmie Turnbull on Monday night? “I did not.” Her denial was firm. “T overheard him conversing—'" “With whom?” Kent demanded eag:rly as she paused as if to recon- sider her confidences. Helen, one hand on the desk and the other on > < arm of her chatr, tried to rise, but her strength had deserted her “With whom?" repeated Kent as the widow remained silent. “Jimmie was talking with Grimes," Mrs. Brewster stated slowly. “From what I overheard, he paid Grimes to let him inside the house. Kent looked perplexed as he gazed first at the widow and then at Helen, jwho -had 'sunk back in her chair. “Mrs. Brewster,” he began after a use. “Who gave Jimmie your aco- itine pllls which Grimes left on the il table?” Ape. D. Appleton & Co.) Frank A. Munsey Co.) 17 he looked hunted, and her eyes fell ore Kent's; abruptly she turned her {back on him to find Colonel McIntyre at her elbow and Barbara just en- tering the room. Her eyes traveled past the girl until they rested on Philip Rochester and Detective Fer- guson hovering behind him. Her face altered. I saw Philip Rochester,” pointing dramatically toward him, “crawl out of the reception room window ana dart into the street just as O'Ryan came in the front door with Helen.” Detective Ferguson could not re- strain a joyful exclamation. “So that was it!” he cried. *“You were at the McIntyre house, and gave the poison to Turnbull there—and not in. the court roora—four hours before he dGied. You'll swing for that crime, my buck, ih. spite of your glib tongue and slippery ways."” As he ceased speaking Ferguson's ever ready handcuffs swung sugges- tively from his hand, but Helen's'ag- onized cry checked his approach to- ward Rochester, who stood 'stolidly waiting for him. “Father! You cannot permit thia monstrous injustice; Philip shall not suffer for another. No, Barbara,” as her sister strove to quiet her, “we must tell the truth.” “Suppose I tell it for Colonel Mc- Intyre,”” Rochester advanced as the door gpened and Sylvester ushered in Benjamin Clymer. “You have come in time, Clymer,’”’ his voice deepened, the voice of a man accustomed to pre- sent a case and sway a court. Wait, Svlvester, sit at that table and take down titess charges—'' harges?” questioned Kent, watch- ing his partner narrowly; he tossed a stenographic pad to Sylvester and made a place for him at his desk. “Go on, Rochester; charges against whom ?” “Charges against the man who, oc- cupying a position of trust, planned to swindle the Metropolis Trust company through forged notes and checks,”” Rochester stated with slow emphasis. “Jimmie Turnbull learned that you, Clymer, were to visit Colonel Mclutyre en Monday night, and hae went there in disguise to find out if his suspicioni: were correct. The in- vestigation cost him his life.”” Clymer, who had followed Roches-:| ter's statement, first with bewilder- ment and then with rising wrath, found his voice. “You drunken scoundrel!” he roar- ed. *“How dare you!" “Dare!” Rochester laughed reck- lessly. *Jimmie kept his wits to the last; his mind was clear; he recog- nized you in the prisoner’s pen and he tried to call you, but his palsied tongue éould not say Ben, but stut- tered—B—b—b.” “And whar did he wish ‘to tell me?” gasped Clymer, down whose colorless face perspiration trickled. “‘Aye, what?” broke in Kent sig- nificantly. “Jimmie may not have golten the information he wished at your house, Colonel McIntyre, but his presence there on Monday night showed the forger he was in dan- ger, and |like the human snake he is, he poisoned without warning. . Don't move—Sylvester!'" With a backward spring Kent caught his clerk as he sped for the door. DY CHAPTER VII. “S¥ivester Confesscs. There was absolute stillness in the room; then a babble of exclamations broke out as Sylvester, his expres- sion of dumb surprise giving place to one of fury, struggled to free himselt from the detective’s firm grip. “You cannot escape, Sylvester,” de- clared Xent, observing his efforts. “Your carelessness in using your pe- culiar gift to penmanship in copying Barbara Mclntyre's signature in this memorandum of her visit here”— Kent held up a sheet torn from his pad, “gave me the first clew. These, the second,” he showed several pieces of blotting paper freshly used. ‘See, in the mirror here is reflected the im- pression from your clever imitations of the handwritings of Barbara, Col- cnel Mc/niyre and Mrs. Brewster.” They crowded about Kent, all but Ferguson and his prisoner, who haa subsided in his chair with what the detective concluded was dangerous quietude. . “My next step, now that suspicion was directed against Sylvester, was to make personal inquiries regarding him,” went on Kent. “Judge Hilde- brand, who had just returned to Washington. said that he first met Sylvester at a circus side-show where he gave exhibitions as a contortion- ist. Judge Hildebrand became in- terested in Sylvester, found he was handy with his pen and tired of the show business, and gave him an open- ing by engaging him as confldential clerk,” continued Kent. “You will recall, Colonel McIntyre, that you sent business papers in your handwriting and that of your daughters to Judge Hildebrand's office to be typed by his staff. That is how Sylvester became s» well acquainted with vour writing and was able to forge a letter to the bank treasurer directing him to turn over your ncgotiable securities to Jim- mie Turnbull.” “But how in the world did Sylves- tes induce Jimmie to present the forged letter?” asked Colonel McIn- tyre. Kent turned to the sullen prisone: “Answer that question, Sylvester, he commanded, and the man roused himself from his dejected attitude. ‘fnything in it for me if T do he asked with a cunning leer. “That's for the courts to decide,’’ declared Kent. The man thought a minute. take a chance,” he said finally that T waited for an get my swag out of this safe, T wouldn't FLave been caught—curse you! I overheard Colonel McIntyre tell Judge Hildebrand about his secur- ities and their present value, and the next day he came to consult the judge about ergaging a secretary. 1 fixed up credentials and went to Mr. Turn- et “But opportunity to the colonel’'s new secretary and got the securities.” Sylvester paused. “If I'd rested content with that success I'd been all right,”” he added. “But I was in too great a hurry and forged Mr. Clymer's signature to a check for five thousand dollars and presented it at the Metropolis Trust company. As luck would have it Mr. Turnbull cashed it for me himsel “But didn’t he suspect you?” ex- claimed Clymer. I made the check payable to Colonel MclIntyre and forged his en- dorsement,” Sylvester spoke with an air of pride. ‘“Mr. Turnbull accepted You SAY THEYRE GON’ON A LoNG) | HECK=THEY | s THE ROADS A PARTY CF TOURIST= GAVE ELMER SLACK A DRINK OF CITY MADE HOOTCH- HAD SOMETHIN ON THE HIPL New Britain Boys’ Club News VOLUME 1. JULY 11, 1921. No. 27 C. EMERSON, Editor. W. KNAPP, A ssistant Editor. B. HUCK, Shop Mgr. EDITED BY AND IN T HE INTEREST OF BOYS. THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER If you have stood at attention at a public meeting or at a patriotic service or in’ the rank and the file of a military orgapization, as all of us have, you must have felt the wave the check; jater something must have aroused his suspicions, and I found when he questioned me that he be- lieved Colonel McIntyre had forged ths check.” “Good heavens! You let him think that”’ gasped McIntyre; then wrath gained the mastery. *“You scoun- drel \ “OF, ¥ encouraged him to think it Sylveste grinned again. “You must have Landed Mr. Turnbull a raw deal; he was so ready to think evil of you.” “That is a lie!” exclaimed Helen hotly. “When I went downstairs to investigate the noise I heard in the library, father, Jimmie told me who he was to quiet my fright. He showed me a letter, which he had just found on your desk in tha l- brary, confessing that you had forged Mr. Clymer’s name on the check, and begging Jimmie to conceal your crime and save Barbara and me from the shame cof having you exposed as a forger and a thief.”” “I never wrote such ” a letter!” shouted MclIntyre, deeply incensed. “No, it was a clever plan,” acknowl- edged Sylvester. “On one of my trips to your house, Colonel McIntyre, I se- cured wax impressions of your front door lock. I went to your house Mon- day night and put the letter among your papers just before Turnbull was admitted by your fool of a butler. “I waited to see if Turnbull got the letter and to find out what he’d do with the seccurities, which he had re- fused~ to turn over to me. After he had resd the forged letter Mr. Turn- bull acted sort of faint and went out in the hall. T could just see him put dowa « box on the table and lean against the wall. Then he went into the dining-room and came back a sec- ond later carrying a glass of water, and T saw him take up and open a small box and toss some white pills into his mouth; then took a good drink, and, picking up a handker- chief lying on the table, he went back into the library.” There was silence as Sylvester's cal- lous reci of the tragedy -ended. Helen, her eyes tearless and dark with suffering, sank slowly back in her chair zna rested her head against Baibara's sympathetic shoulder. 0 Turnbull's death was accident- al after all,” exclaimed Ferguson. “Or was it svicide?” “Accident, answered Kent. “I found some nitro-glycerine pills in the umbrella stand by the hall table.” Colonel McIntyre nodded. “Evidently Turnpull put down his pill box before setting a glass of water and in his at- tack of giddiness accidentally opened the box of aconitine pills.” Mrs. Brewster bowed her head in agreement. *“That must have been it,”” she said. “However, I saw Col- onel MclIntyre tear off the paper wrapping and open my package of pills just before dinner, and when I heard that Jimmie had died from aconitine I-——I—"" she stammered and stopped short. “You suspected I had murdered him?" asked McIntyre softly. “Yes,”” she looked appealingly at him. “Forgive me, I should never have suspected you, but the pills, box and all, were missing the next morn- ing from the hall table.” “Turnbull must have thrown the bex into the umbrella stand,” ex- plained Kent. “That was where I found Did vou get the securities Sylvester?” turning to the prisoner. o, ' sullenly. “She did,”” and a jeck of his thumb indicated Helen McIntyre. & Helen raised her head sed them slowly. “Jimmie and I expected Barbara to come in at any moment, and he start- ed to leave when we saw you coming downst: ."" she turned to Mrs. Brew- ster. “Jimmie declared that if we were found together I might be com- promised He couldn’t explain his | preserce without exposing father— and ad- i dr we both thought you a forger, father, she interpolated, as McIntyre took Brewster’s expression changed [ bull; he believed my story that I was her hand and pressed it undersmnd-] of the pride that swells our hearts as the notes of “The Star Spangled Banner” fill the air. How many are there, however, that plead ignorance of the words that accompany our national anthem. And they will do it without showing the slightest signs of self reproach or shame. The same men who pride themselves upon their intimate knowledge of the latest ‘“‘song hits” know little, if any, of the grandest song ever dictated to a nation, “The Star Spangled Banner,” the work, the very essence of a patriotic soul. From the first note to the dying echo, our national anthem has thrilled the hearts of true Americans for over one hundred years. It has created a thrill greater than that of a thou- sand “Tannhausers,” “Il Travatores’ and masterpieces of all the other musical geniuses combined. No member of the Boys' club should plead ignorant of the grand- est song that any people of the world can boast. Memorize the words, and when the strains of the “Star Spangled Ban- ner” again fill the air, let those with- in hearing listen to a real American sing it the way Francis Scott Key must have dreamed it would be sung. The song, like Old Glory, will never find its way to oblivion. Make the words and the melody a treasure of your memory.—F. G. O. ACTIVITIES DURING THE WEEK Monday—Club closed on account of the Fourth of July celebration. Tuesday—Movies: ‘‘Bobby Bumps in Cheff,” “Juggling,” “The Industry of Oil.” Band beginners’ class. Show- er baths. Games, etc. Wednesday Outdoor baseball practice for seniors. Printing class. Reading and game room open all day. Shower baths. Thursday—Printing class. baths. Reading and game open all day. Friday — Band practice. Games. Shower baths. Reading room. Saturday—The Winchester Junior Rifle corps had their meeting ,and pragtice shooting at the range. No cases at the juvenile police court. Reading room and game room open all day. Shower baths. NOTICES The band will play at Newington Tuesday evening for the Grange. Friday, July 15th, the band will have their annual field day and out- ing at Clinton, Conn. Boy Scouts leavihg for camp Sat- urday morning will be taken via auto if they will leave their names at the office of the superintendent. B. Huck and Bernard Allen are in the lead with the shoe shine con- test. They are three and five points ahead of all the rest. A great many boys have library books out. Please return them as soon as convenient. A. C. Brunnelle will take charge of the junior and senior baseball teams and will be assisted by Fred Bramhall. Our time on No. 2 dia- mond has been changed to later hours as follows: 4 p. m. Mondays to 7p m. 4 p m to7 p. m. Wednes- days. The juniors will use Monday and the seniors Wednesday. The con- stitution and by-laws for the O. B. A. are now ready to give to members. Shower rooms ingly. *“So he insisted that I should treat him like an ordinary burglar— we had both forgotten Barbara's silly wager in cur horror about father. Jimmie didn’t dare take the securi- ties ana father’s confession with him for tear he'd be searched at the po- lice station, and the scandal woula bave come out then.” “True,” agreed McIntyre. Helen.” “So Jimmie thrust the securities end fatner's confession into an en- velope and sealed it with red wax, using Barbara’s seal,” explained Hel- en. “He hadn't time to write an aa- dress or message on it, but he told me to return the envelope to him later in the day or give it to Philip Ro- chester and ask his aid. I brought it here on Wednesday morning and with Harry's permission put the envelope in the sare.” “I tried to get it from there,” vol- untecrcd Sylvester, “for I overheard Turntull’s plan, before I left by the reception room window.” “So it was you and not Mr. Roches- ter whom I saw steal out of the win- dow,”” exclaimed Mrs. Brewster. “It's not the first time I've been mistaken for him,” exclaimed Syl- vester calmly. Kent started and, gazing at Roches- ter and the clerk, saw there was a general resemblance in coloring and physique. “Did you present the checks to Me- Donald at the Metropolis Trust com- rany bearing Rochester's and my forged signatures?’’ he asked. “I did,” acknowledged Sylvester. “Mr. Rochester’s wardrobe came in very handy for deceiving the casual glance.”” Kent looked up aiickly, struck by on idea. “Sylvester, did you steal the envelope containing the securities from me at the Club de Vingt?” he asked. “Go on, (Continued Tomorrow) CASTORIA In lf:elll;f::‘:)va?rc;gd::ars Always bears the Signature of UNSweETENED YVApQRATE? MILK LadiesKeep YourSkin Clear, Sweet, Healthy With Cuticura Soap and Cuticura Talcum What is wrong with yonr skin? Clogged or enlarged pores, blotches, roughness, etc.? Try Resinol Soap and Oint- ment. They usually over- comesuch troubles prompt. 1y, easily and at little cost. 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