The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-24
BEGIN HERE TO-DAY

9f LINDA AVERILL believes her SelderIy cousin AMOS PEABODY Twas murdered when he fell from the second story balcony of the Ayerills' Long Island home be- xauso of few words he gasped before his death. Linda rushes upstairs. Someone tries to stran- gle her and she faints.
 There are four guests in the hOuse-a1l suspects of the crime. They are: MIR STATLANDER, business associate of TOM AV. BRILL; CAPTAIN DE VOS, Handsome Belgian; MARVIN PRATT, former suitOr of Lin- 6a's: and HAN SHAUGHNES- CSEY, Irish writer. Since there is no evidence on which to base an arrest, Linda and Tom, her husband, set themselves to solve the crime. They are aided when DIR BOYLE, medical examiner, sends word that everyone must remain until he has questioned them. Boyle is on fishing trip and can not return for several hours.
 Linda finds the towel with which the attempt was made to strangle her - Identified by 8 smear of sunburn ointment. She learns that ROSIE, the maid, has laundesed . shirt for Shaugh nessey and Tom searches for the shirt. Shaughncssey finds this out. To set matters right Linda tells him the whole story and asks him to help untangle the
 mystery of her cousins death.
 Pretty FLEUR STONER in- vites DeVOs to . dinner party next evening. Tom still has bus iness to discuss with Statlander and 1t is agreed all the guests shall stay over until Monday morning.
 Linda suggests to StatIander that his room be changed to the nursery which is cooler. He asks If instead he can have the room Cousin Amos occupied. The room has been locked and Statlander shows great eagerness to get into it.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 "Marvin wants to go to church, announced Tom Ayerill.
 Linda nodded. "Of course h. I should have asked tn, others. You'll drive him down.
 Hes started by now = wante, to walk. Statlander voted out, al though he took pains to make m that he always went a home. DeVos and Shaughnesse. both preferred to stay here. Incl fI,, c&n%ta n d n. s1fd rfao ao thought he would. when I sai' that valeska'd be disappointe' that we hadn't been able to ac complish more and he told m you'd. already suggested that h. stay. I gather he agreed witt fervoP-and you remember my i'm pression yesterday was that h was decidedly unwilling to re main. Whether that was becaus he didn't like to be upset twice ol short notice or whether he wa anxious then to make get-awa, and now has decided he's in n danger, of course. I don't know But he's here and that's the i'm portant thing. Now - are vol ready to go into the locked room Linda? That's the next step"
 A ieisurely breakfast was oye and the morning newspapers fiber ally distributed over the groun' floor and the lawn. In the bli wheeibarrow chair. DeVos smoked and read. Linda from the bed room window could see M Statlander inspecting the work if he would call it that-of tn much ch-disapproved gardener. Sh wondered if he would count tn rakel marks, to be sure it hal beent evenly applied. Shaughnes sey was not in sight.
 "Do you think we can stay up stairs long enough to go througl 1t foEether?" 2"
 .sThat was my idea, Binks. bu if you think one of us should b, on deck one could go in and no the bther.p
 sTsm crazy to talk to you. Dit you get anything out of Marvii before breakfast? And did yoi hearl him stop at Cousin Amos ao0r2"
 "Yes, to both. I didn't get an! peasdn for. his trying to get in tha bonn but I think know wha IausSd the final explosion yester' Say tnorning."
 @oh. what? It seemed so queel