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ALLY TIM:S v A -- The Murder of (By Agatha Christie) Roger Ackroyd CHAPTER XXVI And Nothing But the Truth here was a dead silence for a pute and a half, hen I laughed. ou're mad," I said. 0," said Poirot placidly. "I am mad. It was the little discrep- py in time that first drew my at- tion to you--right at the begin- Discrepancy in time?" I queried. 5. You will remember that one agreed--you yourself in- ed--that it took five minutes to from the lodge to the house-- if you took the short cut to the e. But you left the house at. minutes to nine--both by your n statement and that of Parker, d yet it was nine o'clock as you ed through the lodge gates, It a chitly night--not an evening man would be inclined to dawdle; had taken ten minutes to do five minutes' ? All along I ised that we had only your state- nt for it that the study window ever fastened. Ackroyd asked if you had done so--he never ked to see. Supposing, then, that study window was unfastened? 'ould there be time in that ten nutes for you to run round the tside of the house, change your oes, climb in through the window, Ackroyd, and get to the gate by o'clock? I decided against that pended. I had a very vague notion of how it was worked when I came to see your sister that first day and inquired as to what patients you had seen on Friday morning. I had no thought of Miss Russell in my mind at that time. Her visit was a lucky coincidence, since .it distracted. your mind _ from the real object of my questions, I found what I was look- ing for. Among your patients that morning was the steward of an Am- erican liner. \Who more suitable than he to be leaving for Liverpool by the train that evening? And af- terwards he would be on the high seas, well out of the way. I noted that the Orion sailed qn Saturday, and having obtained the name of the steward I sent him a wireless mes- sage asking a certain question. This is his reply you saw: me- receive just now. "He held out the message to me. It ran as follows i-- "Quite correct. Dr. Sheppard ask- ed me to leave a note at a patient's house. I was to ring him up from the station with the reply. Reply was 'No answer'." "It was a clever idea," said Poirot, "The call was genuine. ' Your sister saw you take it. But there was only one man's word as to what 'was ac- tually said--your own!" I yawned, "All this," I said, "is very interest- ing--but hardly in the sphere of practical politics." "You think not? Remember what I ory since in all probability a man nervous as Ackroyd was that ht would hear you climbing in, d then there would have been a iruggle. But supposing that you d Ackroyd before you left--as u were standing beside his chair? hen you go out of the front door, round to the summer-house, take Iph Paton's shoes out of the bag brought up with you that night, p them om, walk through the mud them, and leave prints on the win- ledge, you climb in, lock the udy door on the inside, run back the summer-house, change back to your own shoes, and race down the gate. (I went through similar tion the other day, when you were th Mrs. Ackroyd -- it took ten inutes exactly.) Then home--and alibi--since you had timed the gtaphone for half-past n'ne." "My dear Poirot," I said in a voice t sounded strange and forced to _own ears, "you've been brooding er this case too long. What on rth had I to gain by murdering ckroyd?" "Safety. It was you who black- ailed Mrs, Ferrars. Who could ve had a better knowledge of what lled Mr. Ferrars than the doctor ho was attending him? When you poke to me that first day in the rden, you mentioned a legacy re- ived about a year ago. I have been able to discover any trace of a igacy. You had to invent some way a4 ting for Mrs, Ferrars' twen- t d pounds. It has not done pu much good. You lost most of in speculation--then you put the rew on too hard, and Mrs, Ferrars ok a way out that you had not ex- cted, If Ackroyd had learnt the uth he would have had no mercy h you--you were ruined for ever." "And the telephone call?" I asked, lying to rally. "You have a plaus- le explanation of that also, I sup- bse 7" : "I will confess to you that it was y greatest stumbling block when I und that a call had actually been t through to you from King's Ab- bt station. I at first believed that bu had simply invented the story. was a very clever touch, that. You ust have some excuse for arriving Fernly, finding the body, and so} the | ctaphone on which your alibi de-| tting the chance to remove Special! en's Overshoes two-buckle $2.5 Collis £2 Sons 54 King Street West, Oshawa pp. Centre St, elt Bros. he LEADING JEWELERf METAL BUMPING AND ALL KINDS OF BODY WORK MERRITT AUTO AND REPAIR King St. W. Oshawa Wi Funerals J. A. WRIGHT i FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND EMBALMER Successors. to DISNEY FUNERAL SERVICE Phone 1082 nsurpassed Ambulance Service | your Ruo- and Shoes bers, at Dominion Clothing Co. 68 Kinz St. W. Phone 2141 82 Simcoe St. S. Ui Special! Get Boos thee For Better Values DIAMONDS Burns' Jewe'ry Stor. SIMOOF & PHONF 2mo Cash or Terms Phone 733W | | iom, the letter otill w-read. said--the truth goes to Inspector Yaglan in the morning. Dut, for the sake of your good sister, I am wil ling to ,give you the chance of an- other way out. There might be, for | instance, an overdose: of a sleeping draught. You comprehend me? But Captain Ralph Paton must be cleared --ca va sans dire. I should suggcst that 'you finich that very interesting manus? of yours--but abandoning your foi...r reticence." | "You seem to be very prolific of ! suggestions," I remarked. "Are you sure you've quite fin'shed?" "Now that you remind me of the fact, it 's true tl there is one th more. It would Le mist unwise on your part to att mpt to silence me as you silenced M. Ackroyd Tia kind of busin ss does not succe fd agaist Hercule Poirct, you un ler stand." | #My dear Poirot," 1 said, smil ng a little, "who ever else I may be, I am not.a fool." I rcse 'to my feet, | "Well, well," I sa'd, with a slieht yawn, "I must be offi home. 'Thank you for a most intercsting and in- structive even.ng." Poirot also rose and bowel with his accustomed politeness as I pas- sed out of the room. XXVIII had to be dome!" It was uite little --just to shove the dictaphone into my bag and push back the chair a- gainst the wall in its proper place. 1 never dreamed that - Parker would have noticed. that chair. Logically, he ought to have been so agog over the body as to be blind to everything else. But I hadn't reckoned with the trained servant complex, 1 wish I could have known before- hand that Flora was going to say she'd seen her uncle alive at a quar- ter to ten. That puzzled me more than I can say. In fact, all through the case there have been things that puzzled me hopelessly, Every one seems to have taken a hand. My greatest -fear all through has been Caroline. I have fancied she might guess. Curious the way she spoke that day of my "strain of weakness." Well, she will never know truth. There is, as Poirot said, one way out. , . . I can trust him. He and Inspector Raglan will manage it between them. I should not like Caroline to know. She is fond of me, and then, too, she is proud. , . . My death will be a grief to her, but grief passes. , .. When I have finished writing, I shall enclose this whole manuseript in an envelope and address it to Pai- rot. 7 And then--what shall it be Ver- onal? There would be a kind of poetic justice. Not that I take any responsibility for Mrs. Ferrars' death. the' It was the arect ___"eauence of her own actions. 1 feel no'piy 4 I have no pity for myself either. So let it be veronal. But I wish Hercule Poirot had never retired from work and come here to grow vegetable marrows. THE END Fine Watch Repairing Specializing in the finer work on precision move- ments and small Bracelet B On Oshawa's Main Corner -- EYESIGHT SPECIALIST Regular care of the eyes wil' postpone for many years the nec sity of wearing glasses constantl : 248 1516 wePHONE = 1516 Disney Block Opposite Post Office v CHURCHILL'S 53RD BIRTHDAY TODAY Chancellor of Exchequer Has Seen Much Military Service London, Dec. 2--Winston Chure- hill, Britain's soldier-statesman-fin- ancier, and possibly the next Prime Minister, celebrated his 53rd birthday 'Wednesday. Although the fact is not generally well-known, the man who, as Chan- cellor of the Exchequer, has been re- sponsible for conducting the tax-rais- ing campaigns of the British Govern- ment since 1924, has also served as an army officer in numerous military campaigns. Churchill's miltary career began in 1895, when he served with the Span- ish forces in Cuba. .Later he served with the Malakand Field Force, Tirah Expeditionary force and others including the Nile Expeditionary Forces in 1898 when he was among those present at the famous battle of Khamtoum. As Lieut. Churchill of the South African Light Horse, the Chancellor participated in several battles during the Boer War. Later he became a war correspondent for a South African . DECEMBER RewSpapLs. i The ncellor's political activities began when hebecame member of Parliament for Oldham in 1900. Since then he has occupied numer- ous important foveramental posts, in- cluding that of Home Secretary, First Lord of the Admiralty and, during the war, Minister of Munitions. He became Chancellor of the Ex- chequer in 1924. A wave of Chur- chill antagonism" swept part of the country upon the inauguration of the Chancellor's famous betting tax. This tax was greeted with delight by Churchill supporters because it brought in much needed revenue |; without the need for an additional tax on the wealthy of the country. But the only consolation of the "man in the street" and Churchill's poli- tical opponents was the indignation which resulted among the poor and many of the middle class throughout the country. Churchill was busy Wednesday re- plying to birthday congratulations from old soldiers, personal and poli- tical friends. CHATHAM SHOW SWAY TO SPORTING CLUBS | 1his Week Only ] By Vacuum Process, Latest Modern Method To our knowl:dge we have the only Vacuum Furnace Cleaning Machine in Canada, having been specially built for us by the Hoover Co. of Cleveland, Do not risk Fuel Gas-- a deadly poison. No Dirt--Not necessary to have fire out. | ;) Furnace Cleaned $5 | Eave Troughing--15c per ft., 28 gauge iron, heavy SECURE OUR ESTIMATES Furnaces Rebuilt and Installed Roofing -- General Tinsmithing Randall & Gallagher 191 College Avenue le hone 1820) Chatham, Dec. 2--The directors of the Chatham Amateur Athletic Asso- ciation have been authorized to make a grant to the Canadian Olympic Committee towards the financing of the Canadian athletes who will re- represented on the team, it is felt ITS ONLY FAILING that every sport organization should The trouble with an automobile * present Canada in Holland next |do its share toward financing the |is that you can't teach it to shy at. summer. While the city will not be | trip. a locomotive. i - I} I 4 a A A €é # yr }) LW YOU'LL Apologia i Five am "I am very tired--but I have finished my task. My arm aches irom writing, | A strange end to my manuscript. I meant it to be published some day as the history of one of Poirot's fail- | ures! Odd, how things pan cut, All along I've had a premoaition of disaster, from the moment [ saw Ralph Paton and Mrs, Ferrars with their heads together. I thought then that she was confiding in him; as it happened I was quite wrong there but the idea persisted even after 1 went "into th: study with Ackroya that night, unt.l he told me the 'ruth Poor old Ackroyd. I'm always glad that I gave him a chance. I urged | CHAPTER X him to read that letter hefore it was | too late. Oy let me be honest--dida't | I subconsciously realize that with a pig-headed chap like him, it was my | best chance of getting him not to read it? His nervousness that night | was interesting psychologically. He knew danger was close at hand, And | yet he never suspected me, | The dagger was an afterthought. I'd brought up a very handly little | weapon of my own, but when I saw | | the dagger lying in the silver table | it occurred to me at once how much! better it would be to use a weapon that couldn't be traced to me, I suppose I must have meant to murder him all along. As 'soon as I heard of Mrs. Ferrars' death, I felt convinced that she would have told him everything before she died, When I met him and he seemed so agitated, I thought that perhaps he knew the truth, but that he couldn't bring" himself to believe it, and was going to give me the chance of re- futing it. So I went home and took my pre- cautions. If the trouble were aiter ; all only something to do with Ralph --well, no harm would have been done. The dictaphone he had given me two-days before to adjust. Some- thing had gone. a little wrong with it, and I persuaded him to let me liye a go at it, instead of sending (it back. I did what I wanted te it, and took it 'up with me in my bag «13% evening. I am rather pleased with mysclf as a. writer. What could be neater, for instance, than the following: "The letters were brough: in at twenty minutes to nime. It was just | on ten minutes to nine when I left 1 hesi- tated with ny hand on the door vandle, lcoking Lick rnd wondiring if there was any:hing I bad left un. Gone" All true, you see. But suppose 1 = had put a row of stars aiter the first sentence! Would somebody then have wondeored what exactly happen- ed in that blank ten minutes? When I lcolzed round the room 'rom the door, I wes quite satished 'oth'ne had 'been left undome: The vie by ot at nine that litle clever--basad or f an alarm clock), ans > 'door. 12t it e-ve me ra Our Window Carries a Message of Vital Importance. Make it a Point to See It! LOW LYCETT DEVELOPMENT, OLLOW OSHAWA'S BEST GROWTH!" | This slogan is the keynote of the greater Lycett Organization, that has come into being with the beginning of Oshawa's exe pansion. 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