The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-11-10
CHAPTER XXXIII


continually revert to the mate
RIAL" he said. "You see things
effectively. | prefer to see them
subjectively. l prefer to turn
back the hands of time and to
treason what is going to happen
from a philosophic contemplation
Of what has happened. | repeat
that Blanche Malone was beauti-
full. that her beauty was of the
type that makes for misery. 1t
! is the flame in which the moth
; singes himself and it is such a
pathetic thing that usually the
flame from this beauty singes the
wings of the beauty itself. ...
Had she been, perhaps, a lit
tie more discreet, had it not been
for this uncontrolled flame which
swept through her very being,
she could have gone far. Had she
not gone through suffering she
might have retained her beauty.
Women do that, you know-wo-
men who have that sensual, ply
steal type of beauty. 1t is re-
tanned and with the passing OF
years and the gathering Of wis
dom it ripens in to a warm vital
ity which lasts them well into
middle age. But so often that
type of beauty, rocking nothing
of of consequences, sweeps all
before it in it's mad rush to have
the demands of youth, and there
comes suffering.
"And mark you this, my friend.
Suffering and beauty do not go
together. There is certain type
of ethereal beauty which is per-
Ihaps developed by suffering
rather it is cold, spiritual some
thing, the type of beauty which
one admires in a snow-capped
peak which is illuminated by
moonlight. But it is not the type
of beauty one embraces, and, aft
er all, since woman is what she
is, the only type of beauty that
she cares for is the beauty that
is embraced. No, my friend, suf-
fering and beauty do not 60 to-
gether."
Bleeker's tone was unsympa-
Ithetic.
go on" he said. "Show your
self a good time. You think you
have discovered something I've
overlooked. 1t makes you feel
superior. You're nervous and
your nervousness makes you want
to talk and keep on talking. I'm
Just a target for your talk. Go
ahead and talk! Don't mind me.
He'll. I'm Just the guy who hired
you! | don't count"
Griff's tone was panied.
please" he said, "believe me.
l am not talking for the sake
of talking. You cannot under
stand murder unless you can un-
derstand the things which have
lied to that murder. There is
nothing so important as an APP
probation of motive. By that |
mean appreciation of the emo
tional backgrounds of all the per-
sons concerned. You cannot de-
Ftect murder until you can judge
it. You cannot judge it until you
can understand it. That which
might we'll incite one person to
murder would cause only mild
irritation in another"
Griff ceased speaking and
Blocker ; frowned and turned
away. oBleeker's manner was that
of one who deliberately ignores a
situation he cannot control. Aft
er several moments he spcke.i
"When you are ready to talk
facts" he said, 81 want to listen.
In the meantime, consider you're
talking Ito yourself, not to me. |
don't give a damn about your
philosophy. | want facts"
Griff sighed, the sigh Of one
who has barred his innermost
thoughts in an attempt to make
an explanation, which, when it is
expressed has become no explana-
ton at all, but merely further
ground of misunderstanding.
X * y
The cab came to a stop.
"This," said Griff, "is the no.
tel where Mary Briggs is regis
tered under the name of Stella
Mockley. Or perhaps her real
name is Stella Mockley and the
name that she gave the police
was one which was assumed for
the occasion"
"At least" BECKER said with
more than trace of Impotence
in his tone as he thrust a bill in
to the outstretched hand of the
cab driver. 1--WE will get some
thing definite here, not merely a
VIZ.