Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-08-07
oopyrisht: ls4a By News Syndicate Co. I,
A Bit of Overacting
UncOvers a Long
Planned Murder
m TWO PARTS-PART ONE

IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE
"Well," demanded Doctor Hay-
dock of his patient. "And how goes
it today?"
Miss Marble smiled at him
wanly from pillows.
81 suppose, really, that Pm bet
ter" she admitted, "but I feel so
terribly depressed. I can't help
feeling how much better it would
have been if I had died. After all,
Pm an old woman. Nobody wants
me or cares about me-"
Doctor Haydock interrupted
with his usual brusqueness: ayes,
yes, typical after-reaction to this
type of flu What you need is
something to take you out of your
self. A mental tonic"
Miss MARBLE sighed and shook her
head
tor Haydock, I've brought my medi-
cine with mel"
He tossed long envelope onto the
bed.
Just the thing for you. The kind
Of puzzle that is right up your street."
"A puzzle?" Miss MARBLE looked in
terested.
Literary effort Of mine," said the
doctor, blushing a little. Tried to
make a regular story of it. He said,
she said. the girl thought, etc. Facts
OF the story are true"
a ct
MARBLE.
Doctor Haydock grinned. Because
the Interpretation is up to you. want
to see If you're as clever as you always
make out"
With that Parthian shot he departed.
Miss MARBLE picked up the manu-
script and began to read.
"And where is the bride?" asked
Miss Harmon genially.
The village was all agog to see the
rich and beautiful young wife that
Harry Laxton had brought back from
abroad. There was general indulgent
feeling that Harry-wicked young
scapegrace-had had all the luck. Ev-
eryone had always felt indulgent to-
ward Harry. Even the owners Of win
uOWS llldG lldO SullCleu 4lOlll lliS LII
discriminate use of a catapult had
found their indignation dissipated by
young Harrys abject expressions of re-
greet. He had broken windows, robbed
orchards, poached rabbits and later
had run into debt, got entangled with
the local tobacconist's daugh ter-been
disentangled and sent off to Africa
and the village as represented by va
rious aging spinsters had murmured
indulgently: "Ah, well! Wild oats!
He'll settle down."
And now, sure enough, the prodigal
had returned-not in affliction, but
in triumph. Harry Laxton had made
good as the saying goes. He had pulled
himself together, worked hard, and
had finally met and successfully wooed
. young Anglo-French girl who was
the possessor of a considerable for
tune.
Harry might have lived in London,
or purchased an estate in some FASH
ionable hunting county, but he pre-
ferred to come back to the part OF
the world that was home to him. And
there, in the most romantic way, he
purchased the derelict estate IN the
Dover House of which he had passed
his childhood.
Kingsdean House had been unoc-
cupied for nearly 10 years. 1t had
gradually fallen into decay and aban-
don. An elderly caretaker and his wife
lived in the one habitable corner OF 1t.
II was a vast, unprepossessing, grand
lose mansion, the gardens overgroWn
with rank vegetation and the trees
hemming it in like some gloomy en-
chanter'S den.
The Dover House was pleasant,
unpretentious house and had been let
for long term of years to Major Lax
ton. Harry's father. AS boy, Harry
had roamed over the Kingsdean estate
and knew every inch of the tangled
woods. and the old house itself had
always fascinated him.
Major Laxton had died some years
ago, so it might have been thougnt
that Harry would have had no ties 10
bring him back-nevertheless it was
tn the home of his boyhood that Harry
brought his bride. The ruined OLD
Kingsdean House was pulled down. An
army of builders and contractors
swooped down upon the place and IN
almost a miraculously short space OF
time-so marvelously does Wealtn teu
the new house rose white and gleam-
ing among the trees.
Next came a posse of gardeners and
after them a procession OF FURNITURE
vans.
THE house was ready. Servants ar
rived Lastly. a costly limousine de-
posited Harry and Mrs. Harry at the
The village rushed to call, and Mrs.
Price. who owned the largest house.
and who considered herself to lead so.
ciety In the place, sent out cards OF
invitation for a party ito meet the
bride" , ,,,o
It was a great event. Several ladies
had new frocks for the occasion. every
one was excited, curious, anxious to
zoe this fabulous creature. They said
it was all so like fairy story!
Miss Harmon, weatherbeaten. hearty
spinster, threw out her question as
she squeezed her way through the
crowded drawing room ooof. Attie
rFt,, Dr,,,t n thin calculated SplnSter,