The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-07-18
SYNOPSIS

Is stabbed to death In Lakside
Cottage Of exclusive Sherwood
Forest Sanatorium. Vail fbrooded
constantly over his wife's death.
graph record waiting For YOU =
his wedding theme sung ia his own
voice. This record v-aS playing at
the time Of his death. A maid die.
covered Wallis body when she went
into his room to turn OF the record.
Willis Clendsning, Milton Cross
and James Ruxton, the millionaire.
shared the cottage with Vail. Rux.
toms favorits nephew and heir,
Loren Ruxton, and Dr.. John Cal.
vert are rivals for the affections
Of Sue Faraday. . nurse. Marx
Hillysr. the playwright. crippled
from arthritis and bored BY the
monotony Of sanatorium life. vel
comes . little excitement. He
sends his secretary, Bob Fowler.
to investigate the trouble at Lake
side Cottage. Il il discovered
that Wallis room has Z private en-
trance which opens directly on the
grounds. Dr.. Calvert claims Vail
had been dead an hour before the
photograph started playing. Sher-
IL Dave Finn arrives.
CHAPTER VIII
Finn nodded, worried his mus
tache and then turned uncertainty
to us.
"Will you gentlemen tell me
what happened between lunch time
and the time you found the body3"
he said.
Clendening, characteristically,
was the first to volunteer his story.
wall, Cross and had lunch
here, in the living ROOM" he said,
looking very important. "Mr. Rux-
ton goes to meals 1t the main din.
ing room. Vail was In . nasty
humor, but there wasn't anything
unusual about that. He quarreled
with the maid and complained that
his soup was cold and told Cross
he was . whining nsurasthenic and
said that being shut mp With 10
was worse than being In Jail"
He smiled vindictively. The rest
Of us were intentionally silent.
Then DR.. Calvert turned to the
sheriff and said, "Mr. Vail was .
sick man, sheriff, mentally, per-
haps, Is well % physically"
Il take it he wasn't . favorite
here" Finn remarked.
mo, he was unpopular" the doe
tor answered.
eve. hs specially unpopular With
6No, Just generally disliked."
"Then you wouldn't say he had
any particular enemies7"
Calvert shook his head, but James
Ruxton interrupted unexpectedly.
"In one way or another" he said
calmly, everyone here except you
and M. Fowler would qualify.
was on better terms with Vail than
anyone here, but he was not my
friend. We pitied Seifert Vail, per.
haps, and we tolerated him, but ]
doubt that anyone who ever INST
him liked him. He went ont Of his
way to make enemies.
II don't think that's what the
Sheriff MEANT" DR.. Calvert said,
and there was IN edge IN his voics
o. he spoke to the sanatorium'l
wealthiest patient. men aren't
usually murdered because their
manners are unpleasant"
Ruxton did not reply. He sat
dumped In his chair, frowning. The
doctor looked anxious and annoyed.
Finn turned 10 Clendening and
said, ;, ~And what happened after
HThe tray boys came and tool
our trays away. and Mr.. Ruxtou
came back from the dining room,
Gross and ! played . few Ganael
81 rummy and NJ. Ruxton ut q
tho table, reading . book. Altar
: few minutes, VAN went into hi
room and banged the door. That
vas Aso az tn minutes before two
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