INSURANCE NOTARY PUBLIC BOX 757 REAL ESTATE CONVEYANCER FITZMAURICE (R. and K. L.) VERNON, B.C. BLOOM & SIGALET LTD. Garage and Machine Work COMPLETE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE VERNON Phone 400 SALMON ARM WESTERN CANADA PAD and DRUM CO. LIMITED Excelsior, Bottle Sleeves, Excelsior Pads, Unitized Tops, Etc. PACKING SUPPLIES British Columbia VERNON HARRIS FLOWER SHOP FLORIST - NURSERYMAN Phone 325 Wedding Bouquets Corsages - Floral Designs Bedding Plants - Perennials British Columbia THE VERNON GARAGE “JACK" MONK BROS., Props. GENERAL MOTORS PRODUCTS 28 Years of Selling Fine Transportation “Personal Supervision and Courtesy” Phone 67 VERNON British Columbia Phone 190 24-HOUR SERVICE VERNON Res. Phone 190-L-1 KAL TAXI BOB and JACK CARSWELL, Proprietors INSURED CARS Stand: 21 Eighth St. You Are Invited to Visit the NATIONAL HOTEL WHEN IN VERNON New — Modern — Up-to-date FULLY LICENSED—REASONABLE RATES J. LEMISKI, Manager British Columbia VERNON Page One Hundred and Four Then, into Schepers’ ears he poured a strange story of double murder. T hree years before, when he was bookkeeping for Jules Boivin, a Winnipeg road con- tractor, Desjarlais had also been employed there. One morning the half-breed had jumped in the car as Boivin left to make a deposit in the bank. Next morning Boivin was found dead, with a discharged revolver beside him, on a lonely road on the outskirts of the city. The Coroner’s jury had called it suicide, but Steel in- sisted he knew better. The money had never been desposited, and Desjarlais had disappeared. “Go on,” prompted Schepers, recalling his disagreement with Sergeant Painter over the Boivin verdict at the time. “A year later,” Steel continued, “I ran into Desjarlais in a beer parlour, drunk as a lord and throwing his weight around. He showed me a wad that would choke an ox. Told me he'd run across a fisher- man who'd come in with his summer’s stake. Boasted how he got the poor devil drunk, lifted his roll and dumped him in the Red River. They found the body next morning. I remember seeing it in the paper. “And you didn’t notify the police?” “It was just my word against his. If Thad, he would have repudiated his words and I’d have finished with a knife in my ribs or a bullet in my head.” He turned to enter the car. “Guess I’ve said too much already.” “Hold on,” Schepers ordered. “Check in at the hotel, say nothing—and don’t leave here until you hear from me.” A moment later he telephoned Con- stable Valder at Eriksdale. ‘Get a war- rant issued for Desjarlais,” he said, “‘and make it down here as quick as you know how.” When Valder sprang from his car an hour later they proceeded to the Des- jarlais home and knocked on the door. A heavy silence was the only answer. Gripping the butt of his automatic, Schepers forced his way inside. The place was empty. “Come on,” he slammed the door, “we'll try the Richards place.” As they hurried down the lane a fright- ened cry rent the stillness, followed by the noise of something crashing through the willows. Next moment a woman broke into the clearing ahead, her dishey- elled hair streaming in the wind. “Good Lord!” muttered Valder. “What's happened? That’s Mrs. Rich- ards.” REIGN oF TERROR The woman turned and plunged back into the bush with the officers at her heels. But her familiarity with the trails enabled her to elude them. Convinced that something serious was afoot, they raced for her home, threw open the door and saw Emma huddled amongst the children in a pitiful state of terror. “What's going on here?’ Valder caught her by the shoulder. Casting frightened glances about he she sobbed out a story of brutal doming tion by Desjarlais that made their blog boil. She told of his attempts to force his attentions on her, and of her mother's desperate fight to ward him off. Just ay hour before he’d reeled in, raving jy drunken frenzy, demanding she marry him, only to be driven out by her mothe Leaving Valder to guard the girl, Schepers proceeded to comb the bysh He returned an hour later to find Mr Richards crouched in a chair in a state bordering on collapse. Beside herself wit) terror, she told of being waylaid by De. jarlais who'd caught her by the hair threatened to kill her, and accused her of sending for the police. “Go away!” The VERNON BRANCH Canadian Legion B.E.S.L. CLUB ROOMS IN LEGION CENTRE Open from 10.30 a.m. till 12 Midnight All Visiting Legionnaires Welcome President: Dr. E. W. Prowse | Secretary: T. R. B. Adams | When in Vernon Stop at the NATIONAL CAFE SODA FOUNTAIN - HOME-MADE CANDIES - CIGARS - TOBACCOS VERNON, B.C. MUIR’S CARTAGE AND PARCEL DELIVERY SERVICE PICK-UP AND DELIVERY | Baggage and Cartage of All Kinds | Handled With Care Hauling of All Types Sand : Gravel : Wood PHONE 864 | P.O. Box 1602 VERNON, B.C. A. E. BERRY LTD. REAL ESTATE INSURANCE FINANCIAL AGENTS MORTGAGES LOANS CONVEYANCING | Vernon, B.C. W. A. HANTON Res. Phone 492 REAL ESTATE PUBLIC STENOGRAPHERS and GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Phone 861 VERNON B.C. ee ea 4 THE SHOULDER STRA!