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Superintendent . . ." "Oh, I won‘t be too hard on the girl. Mr. Oxton. But we mustn‘t let ourâ€" grow too sentimental. We nave Only a couple of instalments of this interesting story have been published. You can start the story right now. If you read the synopsis you will have a clear idea of the story so far. Here is the synopsis up to date:â€" Synopsis NIKOLAS NOLESCUE, a departâ€" mental silk manager at Oxtons, a big ILcndon silk emporium, is discovered by PHYLLIS VARLEY, first assistant in the Chinese Silk Department, lying dead. his kedy wrapped in a roll of Superintendent Beck pulled himself out of his chair and closed his noteâ€" bock with a snap. "Thanks a lot," Mr. Oxton. I think I‘d betier hop along and see Miss Varley hefore her memory grows cold." Peter Oxton appeared just a little bit upset at the intimation. "Do you think ths wise, Superinâ€" tendent?" Beck lcoked squarely at Oxton. "You mean that the girl is likely to be upset after this morning?" Chinese silk beneath her counter. SUPERINTENDENT JAMES BECK. ci Scotland Yard, finds that Noiescue has been strangled, but after interviewâ€" ing FETER OXTON, the mmanaging director, he dissovers that the dead man had no apparent right on the preâ€" miises the previous night, when death was adjudged to have taken place. Believinz that Miss Varley can supâ€" ply the answers to a numizser of quesâ€" tions perplexing his mind, he sets out to interview the girl, who has been sent off dus‘y after her gruesome experience. (Now Read On) ONLY ONE FRIEND Becsk nodded. "Now what was Mr. Nolescue doing in the store last night?" "I can‘t tell you that berause I aon‘t know. From the inquiries I have made there was no reason at all why he should have bzeen so employed. No one on the staff seems to have any idea." "*You have no information regarding the dead man‘s popularity? His reiaâ€" tions with other members of the staff?" "Again I have scant information. From what I can gather he was a quiet, unassuming little man of rather reserved temperament. The only thing I.can gather, however, is that he apâ€" pear‘s to have been rather friendly with Miss Varley." "He was her immed{ate superior in the stere?" questioned Beck. "That beâ€" ing soq he was likely to make contact with her more than with anyone else?" ‘"Yes, I suppose he would. I have, of course, not had an to question Miss Varley." "He was on the premises contrary to regulations?" "I suppose yeu could put it that way."‘ "When ysu appointed this man, Mr. Oxton, was he given to understand that in his case certain departures from orâ€" dinary cus‘cm might be permitted? For instance, supposing he had to reâ€" main behind last night because he jrad not quite completed some task on which he was engaged when the store closed last night, would he have had to seek permissisn to remain bshind to comâ€" plete it?" } Peter Oxten looked thoughiful. "I can‘t remember whether Nolescue was given such an instruction, Superinienâ€" dent, but normally I can ithink of no work which would have detained nim given such an instruction, Superinienâ€" dent, but normally I can think of no work which would have detained nim after the store closed at sixâ€"thirty.~ "You have a watchman on duiy ai night?" "No! Not all niglhy. There is a man who goes around to see that the.piace is locked up. He‘s the man cn the aoor. He tells me that so far as he knows everyone was off the premises shortly after seven Oo‘clock." "Thanks," murmured Beck, ‘"but since Nol:escue was killed some time the closing of the store and midnight, you must see that the affair presupâ€" pcses the existence of a second party. I take it that there were no signs 0i entry having been gained during thc night and that Nolescue would not have a key of his own?" "None whatever, Mr. Beck. The whole affair‘s a complete mystery." "And can he remember secing Noâ€" lescue leaving?" "He cannot, ‘but it is scarcely likely that he would pay particular attention to any one individual." YOU CAN START THE STORY ‘ THE SILK All, to remember that a man has been murâ€" dered . . . a man who seems to nave teen friendly only with Miss Varley. Miss Varley discovered his dead body, and I particularly want to know why Nolescue was murdered and by whom. That‘s my j¢b and the taxpayers who eccntribute towards my stipend have a right to demand that I do my job as thoroughly as my limited powers will enable me to do. May I have Miss Varâ€" ley‘s address?" Peter Oxton consulted the staff ledger and scribbled the information on a piece of paper. "You don‘t think Miss Varley knows anyching, Mtr. Beck?" Phyllis could not very well suppress a smile. She liked Mrs. Shapling. She wasa "sincere, ~honest ~and "Simpleâ€" hearted soul. Phyllis nodded. "I expect so. He was going into the City and decided that he‘d walk along with me and get ‘he train from Sloane Square." "So no one knows who murdered the poor gentleman,." mused the woman. "‘Nother cup of tea, dear? There‘s plenty in the peot, and I‘ll have to make fresh for Mr. Chamberlin after his I suppose you didn‘t hear how "So zsoon as I‘ve had a few words with her I‘ll be letting you know," smiled "Yes, I suppose he was," murmured the girl, absently. "He told me to try and not think about it." "That‘s right, dearie," agreed Mrs. Bhapling, "you must forget all about it. I‘d go for a walk through Hyde Park if I were you; or down Cheyne Walk to the river. It‘s nice down there even in October. By the way, dearie, was that Mr. Nolescue I saw you with in Sloan» Square last weekâ€"that little man, with the hooked nose and a yellow complexâ€" lion?" When he had gone, Peter Oxton stood for a‘ moment staring at the door that had clcsed behind the Scotland Yard ES:perintendent. In his heart he hoped that Phyllis Varley knew nothing at all and yet . . . a murder on his premises was disturbirs and what Beck said about "duty" was very true. NOLESCUE‘S WORRIES CHAPTER III Phyllis Varley lived in a "combined" in Moore Street, Chelsea. It was a pleasant rcom and hetr landlady was cne of that motherinz type for which many provincial parents with sons or daug‘hters in London should be thankâ€" ‘ul. For Phyllis the accommodation was ample and ccmfortable and when ‘he girl had arrived home before tenâ€" thirty Mrs. Shapling had first raised an interrogative éyebrow and then unâ€" leashed an inquiring tongue. "He‘d be the one they have for tellâ€" ing ‘em how long the body ‘had been there," explained Mrs. Shapling, sagely. "I‘ve read all about that‘” "Is it murder, dear?" she inquired, as she proceeded ts brew the girl a cuy ol strong tea and welccmed the excuse to have one herself. "I don‘t rightly know," confessed Fhyllis. "All I heard was that Mr. Ncolescue was dead. Isn‘t it dreadful?" Mrs. Shavpling locked up from watchâ€" ing the kettle cn the hcb. "It must have been terrible for you, dearie, just to lcok down and there he was. Like the pictures, isn‘t it?" "It wasn‘t quite like that, Mrs. Snapâ€" ling. I only saw his hand. I recognizâ€" ed that curious little twisted serpent ring he always wore on his small finger." "He was wrapped in a roll of my silk," explained the girl, "and only a hand and a little bit of his arm werse sticking cut. It was a bit gruesome." "And quite right too," commended Mrs, Shapling. "I think he cught to send you down to Margate or Brighton for a week. All the same, it was decent {him‘ Isuppose the police were callâ€" ed in?" asked the landlady, with reâ€" uewed interest. "So I was told. I didn‘t see any of them. â€"I was in the staffâ€"room. They did send a funny old docter around to look at me." "I should say it was. _ Must have given you a fair turn it must. Kettle‘s boilingâ€"at last." "Only saw his hand, dear‘! You don‘t mean to say they‘d cut the poor gentleman up?" Phyllis felt tetter after Mrs. Shapâ€" ling‘s strong brew. "I didn‘t want to leave the shop at all," she explained, "but Mr. Oxton sent down word that I wasn‘t to think of coming in again toâ€"day." Published by Special Arrangement AUTHOR OFP "20RA, THE INVISIBLE," "DEATH IN THE STALLS," c. he died, did you? Was he shot or stabbed? T like ‘em stabbed best. You know, shortâ€"handled dagger usually in the back." ‘"Please, Mrs. Shapling," Phyllis proâ€" tested. "I really ‘have no idea . . . "Sorry, my dear! My thought do run away with me at times. Perhaps you‘d better have a lie down on the bed until after lunch." "Our conversations were mainly reâ€" lated to business, Mr. Beck. I think I only met the man half a dozen times outside the store, and there was a reaâ€" son for that." "My I inquire what that reason was?" "Certainly! Mr. Nolescue was a man with a very wide knowledge of silksâ€" particularly Chinese silks. I know something about them mysel{. I atâ€" tended a course of commerzial lectures at South Kensington and became interâ€" ested. I realized that Mr. Nolescue could tell me more about the manufacâ€" ture and history of Chinese silk than perhaps anyone in England because he‘d been in China â€"and studied the subject at first hantg. I always found him willing to answer my questions." _ ‘"‘Thank you, Miss Varley. I under- stand. But in the course of your pur- suit of professional knowledge, Mr. Noleszue, no doubt, told you something about himsel{." "As a matter of fact, he told me very‘ little and I never pressed him on that point because I really wasn‘t interested I gathered that he was a Rumanion by birth, that he had travelled extensively rot cnly in Central Europe but also in the Far East. Hemantioned'mathJs‘ reason for coming to London was that he wanted to settle down. and he thought London would sum hnim better than anywhere else." â€" l Beck was patently disappointed. "Can you think of any reason, Miss Varley, why Nolescue should haveereâ€" mained behind last night after the store "Still, it was a nasty shock, wasn‘t it? By the way, Miss Varley I‘ve an idea that you‘re going to help me tremendcsuslyâ€"over this ease. Youâ€"knew Mr. Nolescue ‘better than most, didn‘t you?" But Phyllis Varley had not been restâ€" ing for more than ten minutes before Mrs. Shapling annsunced "A gentleman to see you, my dear. He looks like the police." she added, darkly, "so for goodâ€" ness sake be careful. I‘ve hard it said _hat they can make you say just whatâ€" ever they want you to say. Shall I ask him to come in or do you want to tidy up a little first." "You can ask the gentleman in, Mrs. Shapling," she said, but not before sinc had taken her handbag from the bedâ€" side table and scrutinized her ‘complexâ€" ion. "It is rather nice, ismn‘t it? No, I‘m not exactly on my own. My people live cown at Aylesbury. They moved out of London two years ago on account of Daddy‘s health. I usually go down at the weekâ€"ends. It‘s too expensive to travel up and down every dayâ€"expenâ€" sive and fatiguing after you‘ve been on your feet most of the day." "Once I came out of that stupid faint I was quite all right, but they insisted cn sending me home. IT‘d be much better at work you know." "Good morning, Miss Varley. I‘m Superintendent Beck from Scotland Yard. Td like to have a little talk, if I may. Ncothing serious, you know. Nothing to be afraid of." "That‘s fine, Miss Varley. Very nice little rom you‘ve got here! All on your own in London?" . "Perhaps I‘ve put it rather ‘baldly," smiled Beck. "I assure you, Miss Varâ€" ley that I am suggesting nothing more than my question implies. Mr. Nolesâ€" cue had been employed at Oxtons for four or five weeks. He was, I underâ€" stand, in sole charge of the Chinese Silks Department. As such, you, as first assistant, must have had many conversations with himâ€"more cpporâ€" tunities, I mean, than anyone else, and it is because I know so little of this man that I am compelled to invite you to help me in whatever way you can." "Sit down, Superintendent, if there‘s anything I can tell you I‘m sure you‘ll find me only too willing to do that." PBeck ncdded this agreement. "Now about this affair this morning at Oxâ€" tons. Feeling better now?" Phyllis Varley «id not reply immeâ€" diately to the Superintendent‘s quesâ€" tion. While it had been asked simply and rathey ingenuously, she felt tinat its interpretation was capable of more than cne implication. "I knew him as my immediate superâ€" icr m the shcop, if that is what you mean." Superintendent Beck sat regarding the girl coiled up on her low divanâ€"bed with puzzled eyes. He told himself that she was very beautiful and that hnis experience had taught him always zo be on his guard when dealing with beautiful women. "Might I ask just precisely what do you mean by that question? It doesn‘t sound any too nice to me.‘" f "Was that the full extent of your asâ€" sociation with this man, Miss Varley?" she looked the Superintendent straight between the ceyes. â€"a t 6 dugy. + Copyright "B5 far as I know there was no reaâ€" j e | * son at all. I have been thinking over Health flf a Nfltlflll that and I don‘t understand it." i "The shop closed at 680 as usuar ang | NOted â€" English D entist t‘was away from the premises by 645. Urges Care of Teeth from "Did you see Nolescue?~ Infancy. The girl shook her head. "I hadn‘t seen him at all sinse atout four ovlock | â€" "The health of a nation is largely deâ€" when he came to my ccunter to inquire pendent upon the nation‘s teeth," whether I had delivery of a now conâ€" ‘writes Dr. C. Payton Baly, an English signment of silk from Suchow. I told dentist, in the current issue of "Oral him that it had not come down from Health." the warehouse and that I doubica very| "The teeth of a nation are largely much whether it had arrived." dependent on the national food," he "Did he appear particularly anxious continues. "Through our rates and about this ccnsignment?" taxes we are spending much money to "No more than usual, I suppose. We provide dentistry for our school childâ€" had ample stocks to meet current reâ€", ren, but alas, how often do these childâ€" quirements. Of course it was Mr.|ren start their school careers with sepâ€" Nolescue‘s job to see that the stuff |tic mouths and neglected teeth." clased? LDid he mention anything to you about it?" ‘"You don‘t think that Nolescue reâ€" malned behind last night for the purâ€" pose of ascertaining whether this conâ€" signment had or had not arrived?" The girl answered that she did not think so. "It was not as important as all that," she added. "Besides, Mr. Oxâ€" ton usually okay‘s any overtime, and if you‘ve already see him and he doesn‘t know what Mr. Nolescue was doing, then I‘m afraid I can‘t help you, Mr. ‘"Now about Nclesitue‘s relations with the staff," persisted Reck, "was he well liked, or can you call to mind anyone who had cause to dislike him." Beck was surprised to see the colour mount to the girl‘s pale cheeks, and he felt that for the first time during the interview he had asked a question that appeared to disconzsert the levelâ€"headed Miss Varley. "No, she answered, thcughtfully, "I can‘t, You see Mr. Nolescue had no occasion to interfere with the other deâ€" partments so it was unlikely that he could arouse anysne‘s dislike." "Yet a momenst ago when I asked the question, Miss Varley, I noticed that you appeared embarrassed. Are you quite frank with me?" "I was thinking of that rather atâ€" tractive blush that came to yo3ur cheeks," said Beck, shamelessly. "It is within my experienzte that the modern young woman doesn‘t blush for noâ€" ‘‘Then I must be the excention," she told him, giving him as good as he gave. "You see Mr. Beck, I don‘t usually discuss matters like this with strangers. I might so easily give a toâ€" tally wrong impression." Kincardine Review :â€"Old Job‘s patience was never tried to the utmost limit. He didn‘t have to answer teleâ€" phone calls when trying to get some urgent work done. "I‘m afraid I don‘t know what you mean, Mr. Beck." was sent was of the standard (To Be Cornitinued Look at La Salle! La Salle has safety glassâ€"a safe nonâ€"glare lighting systemâ€" an easy, quickâ€"acting transmission. In fact, La Salle is worth the price in SAFETY ALONE,. Remember this when you buy your next car, Step on up to AND UP La Salleâ€"and be safe in ALL ways. Look at La Salle today! i f * All prices list at Windsor, Ontario, subject to change without notice; taxes included. Special equipment extra. Monthly payments to suit your purse on the General Motors Instalment Plan. La Salle‘s brakes are big and powerful, Its steering is casy and dependable. Its body has the famous Fisher Unistceel construction. EVEN if you stripped the new La Salle Vâ€"8 of its greater heauty and comfortâ€"one factor would still remain to make it worth more than other cars of similar cost . . . LA SALLE SAFETY! La Salle, of course, is built by Cadillac. . It has Cadillac strength, Cadillac endurance, Cadillac roadability. Telephone 229 MARSHALLâ€"ECCLESTONE Ltd. Teeth Important in â€" Health of a Nation "The teeth of a nation are largely dependent on the national food," he continues. "Through our rates and taxes we are spending much money to provide dentistry for our school childâ€" ren, but alas, how often do these childâ€" ren start their school careers with sepâ€" tic mouths and neglected teeth." ‘"Many people are advocating extendâ€" ing the school age downward by the provision of nursery schools, so as to make school dentistry available to younger children" he â€"continues. He notes that much is being done at welâ€" fare centres and schools for mothers by way of providing dentistry for toddlers. "Our preventive public health work is far more advanced on the medical than on the dental side," Dr. Baly writes. "In the last forty years there has been a marked dimunition in tuberâ€" culosis, typhoid, diphtheria, scarlet fever and scurvyâ€"rickets, but diseases due to malnutrition are still far too rampant." "Good water, air and light, better housing and better sanitary conditions tor all expectant mothers, together with proper medical and dental supervison are the ideals that must be kept before us," the dental leader asserts. "The dental profession can do much by paying more attention to preserving the teeth of the younger generation, and less to wholesale extraction and the manfacture of artificial teeth," he goes "And the profession can help in an even more important direction, by enâ€" couraging parents in the right attitude toward the conservation of their childâ€" ren‘s teeth. "Dental ~inspection of the child should begin certainly not later than the age of two and a half years, and preferably earlier," Dr. Baly writes. "Too many parents still cling to the old notion that milk teeth do not matâ€" terâ€"that they can be left to decay and will come out all in good time. As the modern dentist realizes, the care of the milk teeth is just as important as the care of the permanent teeth. Literary Digest:â€"According to an Inâ€" cian newspaper, a new way has been aiscovered to fill seats in vacant movie theatres. Twenty minutes after thc show started in Bangalore, a monkey came through an open door, toox a seat. Calmly lhe watched tne flim, and took his leave at the end. Showrooms, 7 Third Ave..... . March of This Year Exceptionally Fine Although a little colder than usual, March this year was exceptionally fine. There was no rain and only.a very little snow early in the month. The Porcupine basked in 230 hours of sunâ€" shine, an average of 7‘% hours a day. For five consecutive days, from th¢ 25th to 31st not a cloud dimmed the sunâ€" shine, giving a full 12 hours of bright sun each day. No Rain and Only a Little ‘Snow Early in the Month. One of the other remar kable features about March‘s weather was the almost entire absence of rain. The closest apâ€" proach to rainfall was on the evening of the 18th when a sort of sleet fell, totalling a hundredth of an inch. Total snowfall, 16 inches, was a little lower than normal for March. Half of it came in light falls on 10 days of the month, while the other half came on the 6th, 7th and 8th. Range Was 52 Degrees Range of temperature for the month was 52 degrees, from 37 above zeroâ€"on the 31st to 15 degrees below on the:10th. The .average temperature forâ€" the whole month, 12.8 degrees is lower than the average, although 1932 wasâ€"slightly colder with an average of 12.3 "degrees. The average of the daily high temâ€" peratures for the month was‘23 deâ€" grees; the average of daily ‘"lows‘" 2.6 The 9th and 10th were particularly cold days for March in the Porcupine. On the 9th the mercury failed ~toâ€"get above 4 degrees. The 10th‘ was colder on the average, with a maximum ‘of 7 degrees and a minimiim of 15 below zero, giving a mean of 4 below. Highest of the "low" temperatures was on the 19th when the early mornâ€" ing mark was 22. _ $ 2s in * 2 CC C BCOR CC HH At the beginning of Apnl the sun rises at 5.40 a.m. and sets at 6.30 p.m. Lighting up time for vehicles is from 7.15 to 7.30 p.m. The new moon that comes on April 11th is at the full on the 25th. Ottawa Journal:â€"The mayor of Montreal demands more power. That puts him in tune with thne times. , Green _tea at its best GREEN TEA CADILLACâ€"BUILT Why They Call a Quarter of a Dollar "T‘wo Bits A lady reader of The Advance en«â€" quired last week as to why the slang expression for a quarter was "two bits" and that for a half dollar "four bits." She could not see why a "bit" should be 124 cents. The answer is that the term "bit" as applied to money means exactly what the lady. thinks it shouldn‘tâ€"twelve and a half centsâ€" certainly an odd amount. Rev. E. Cobâ€" ham Brewer, author of "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable," says that the word "bit," as applied to money, is used in the West Indies for a half pictareen (five pence). In Jamaica a "bit" is worth six pence. In America it is worth twelve and a half cents, while in Ireâ€" land its value is ten pence. The author proceeds to explain‘that the word is thieves‘ slang for monéy generally, and coiners are calledâ€"bitâ€"makers. "In Engâ€" lish we use the word for a coin which is a fraction of a unit: ‘Thus, a shilling being a unit, we have a sixâ€"penny bit." Rev. Mr. Brewer gives no suggestion or hint as to how: ;the term originated, further than hlq ference to it being thieves‘ slang. . Ii event, however, it is certain that ‘one bit is twelve and a half cents; four bits is half a dollar. (Wall Street Journal) Playing among the bBbushes of a vaâ€" cant lot in Dorchester, Mass., three boys â€"John Lynch and Paul and Rcbert Boucherâ€"dug up a metal box which contained 540 silver half dollars. They notified police, who took charge of the money. News of the find soon spread, and before night scores of perâ€" sons, with shovels, spades and picks, were digging over the lot looking for "buried treasure." The next day, John Slavin appeared at the police court and claimed the treasure. He said he had buried $270 in half dollars in the early days of the depression, fearing bank failure. Police refused to turn the box over to him, and Slavin went to court. When he produced the key that fiitted the box the judge ordered the money returned to him on condition that he pay each of the three boys a reward of $10. Court Deals With Matter of Buried Treasure Found Timmins, Ont. PAGE THREB