The Washington times., 1937-05-14

OOAoAuS AAAoSSAS WA - - - $500
I called up Howard Wrenn at
his apartment. He was in and
promised he would wait for me. I
got another cab, thinking revenge
fully of the fine expense account
I'd have for Calhoun.
The apartment in East Ninetieth
Street where Wrenn lived was a
small and Ritzy affair of three
floors. A colored youth in uniform
operated the single elevator and
answered telephone calls. Mr..
Wrenn, he told me, lived on the
third floor, and he ran me up and
pointed ou the door.
Wrenn, freshly shaven but hag-
gard looking, greeted me in dress
ing gown. He looked as though
he might have spent sleepless
night.
I explained that was sorry il
I had got him out of bed. But
that's a reporters life for you.
Always getting someone out Of
bed to talk about something he
doesn't want to talk about"
He smiled at that. you didn't
get me up. I'm not a late riser.
AS a matter of fact, I was just
brewing myself a little coffee. It's
my only breakfast. Will you join
me?"
Thanks. I believe I will" He
moved into the kitchenette and I
sank back in my chair and looked
about me. The room was beau
tifully done, everything about it
-hangingS, rugs, furniture-Sug-
costing quiet good taste and the
influence of artistic hands. There
were several landscapes on the
walls. I got up to see if these
were specimens of Wrenn'S work
and found his signature on each
of them. There was a fine por-
trait, too, in colors. 1t was of an
elderly, gray-haired woman.
my mother" said Wrenn. COM
ing in quietly with the coffee. He
stood beside me and gazed at the
picture. "She was a BEAUTIFUL wo-
man." he said proudly.
That's easy to be seen, Mr..
Wrenn."
Eyes. Well, here's our coffee.
And now if you will tell me"
Thanks. came principally to
find out something about the dag
ger Margie Shannon was muir
dered with. You gave it to her.
] understand"
EYES," he said. He reached for
o silver cigarette box and asked
me to help myself.
II saw it q little while ago." I
said. Curious looking thing. 1t
looks as if it might be valuable.
What is it-a poniard?"
mot exactly" he answered with
q faint smile. Its a miseri-
corde."
"An odd name" I said.
1.-THE Germans had an odder
one - Panzerbrecher, meaning
'armorbreaker' Wait a moment.
I'll let the encyclopedia describe
1t for you"
He moved over then to the long
bookshelf and came back pres
emily, turning the pages of a large
volume.
Here we are" he said, sitting
down once more and beginning to
read. From the end of the
Twelfth Century it was used in
all countries in which chivalry
flourished, to penetrate the points
Of the armor of an endorsed ad-
versary.-You see how well the
Germans described it."
1T was so-called," he contin-
ued. either because the threat
of 1t caused the vanquished to
surrender Eat mercy or from its
use in giving the coup de grace"
He closed the book. There you
are. The miSericorde had its uses,
you See."
Thought of Dagger'S Use Brings
Anguish
TT was put to a devilish use
night before last" I said, and he
Sobered instantly. His face
clouded and I thought he would
actually burst into tears.
'It'S helliSh, he said hoarsely;
absolutely hellish. Who could
have wanted to kill that poor
girl? She couldn't have had any
enemies. Why, she was just gay
irresponsible little redhead WHO'D
never harmed a soul in her life
-oh. can't believe it yet! It's
mad, I tell you, mad!"
de sank into his chair and held
his head in his hands. I let him
alone and got up and wandered
around the room, feeling none too
cheerful myself; and presently
heard his voice again. He had