The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-31

shoes found him seated with the tiny tots watching the Punch and Judy show, but looking about him apprehensively at times. Dutch was so scared he wouldn't even trust the men in the bar. He had joined the women and children.
 But before the detective could attract Dutch's attention he be- came aware of the increasing in- tensity of the storm. It seemed to rise crescendo, as he stood there listening. The roar rose like a vast volume of sound, like a howl that had no end. And the winds began to shriek and tea things loose on the decks outside. Crash after crash resounded through the din, and then pandemonium reigned.
 Every person in the recreation rooms paused, and listened. They thought they had become used to the storm, and then these new furies were added. It was the big blow, and human bravado didn't answer this one. People stood up, with their hands to their throats. This was what they had all been waiting for, the last three hours since the first onslaught of big winds. It was 1 o'clock and the winds had reached hurricane force.
 The first great surge of the wind seemed to lift the ship clear of the water. The answering shudder shook the very timbers loose. The ship rolled terribly. One of the grand pianos broke 1t lashings and went sliding across the room, to the accompaniment of shrieks of terror. Stewards stopped the plunging instrument, and tried to lash it again, but it wort amuck, pinning a man to the wall, crack ing his ribs like sticks. His cries added to the terror.
 Outside deck chairs were torn loose from flashing and splintered like kindling, and one great wave rolled up the side of the ship and pounded over the boat-deck. The sound of the water pounding against 10000 tons of steel was more terrible than the wind. The ship listend badly.
 The roar didn't slacken, but one became accustomed to the added fury of the storm. People stared at one another, wide-eyed, and those who had not donned their life belts, hastily compiled with the order. No one played cards. Mo- mentarily the orchestra had stopped. The careening piano had unnerved them.
 Dirk saw the detective and came to him just as Dutch Lenz turned his head. Snowshoes motioned to Dutch who came within hearing shot. T just came by Suite AA", the detective said. T thought something might turn up at the scene of the crime. Can you im- agine what discovered? The long black box was gone. The corpse had disappearedl"
 Dutch's hands dropped to his side, and he was quaking with ter- TOT again. Dutch clutched the de- tective's hands, suddenly, pleading like a child. You see! The mur- dere's loose in this storm. He won't stop at anything to cover up his tracks. He'll try to dispose of me-like the corpse. "Pleasel" he begged. Give me some protection. Don't let him get me! I don't know anything about the crime"
 "Corpse?" Madame Doremus cried. But she did not faint. She paused, and said angrily: "Who cares about corpse in this storm? Have you found Millie and my jewels? I've just remembered that she was problem child. Oh, dear, surely my little Millie hasn't run away with the corpse?"
 Snowshoes shook his head sol- emnly, and one saw that he was, as he had said, stumped.
 Dutch looked about him wildly. He began to move toward the cab- ins, shaking with fear. T got to get something" he said, and ran down the stairs toward Deck B. Snowshoes followed him.
 (To Be Continued)