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Show THE SPANISH FORK PRESS. SPANISH FORK, UTAH PINOCHLE Tikia from the Notebook of an Old Detective by Charles Edmonds Walk And With Num ind PImn Hidden PublUhtd u Proof That Truth Is Strantfer Than Fiction On tbs records ot the Sutherland Detective agency Helen Bertels name was only one of several after which appeared the word, 'Stenographer." As a matter of fact. In certain special lines of work this uncommonly girl was one ot the pretty, most capable operatives the company ever had In Its employ. Although Felix Hazard's lean, hawklike visage was too well schooled to betray my hint of his deeper feelings, nevertheless sometimes while looking at her his dark eyes took on an Intense glow that shook the girls poise. She was wont to chide herself because this look bad the power ot agitating her, and she would discourage It In different ways sometimes by treating Hazard with cool reserve, another time by poking fun at him, or, most effective of all, by making some abrupt, unexpected appeal .to bis friendship. They never quarreled; they were much too good pals for self-relia- that. So on a certain June morning the first, to be definite when Hazard found a note upon his desk In her handwriting, which was as familiar to him as his own, he forgot everything else until he had read It some times. As he tore open the envelope and spread out the single sheet therein contained, two objects fell out and fluttered to the floor. He picked them up. They were In the corners of the knave of diatwo playing-cards- , monds and the queen of spades. These he laid carefully aside and half-doze- n read: My dear Felix: Take me to luncheon today and IU tell you about the enclosed relic. H. For possibly a minute he gravely speculated upon the card fragments; but they only teased his curiosity. The ragged torn edges exactly matched, demonstrating the two corners had been held tightly together when the balance of the cards were torn away: this was the sole Inference he was able to draw from the "relics." at twelve Helen Bertels animated face appeared at Hazard's doorway. She was a tall, graceful girl, fond of tennis and of being both on and in the water, for Promptly half-pas- t The Effect of This $3ttS$3$S$$S3SS3$$S$S$$S3$S$33$gg This story throbs with real Ism , For some moments the man scrutinized the pretty 'ace opposite his. "According to the newspapers that was an accidental death," said he. "I dont know much about It, though." "Ill tell you about It. For my neighbors sake I Interested myself In the case; Ive gone as far with It as I can without a mans assistance. You're to be the man." What she recounted may be briefly sketched. On the morning of May 31st the lifeless body of Henry Paradis had been found, under peculiar circumstances, at his North Halsted street residence. In the middle of the room used by the old bachelor as a library and lying on a stood a table-desrug in front of this and underneath a protruding drawer the body had been discovered by the household's sole negro named servant, a middle-ageSam Webb. , There were numerous factors that tended to veil the fatality In mystery. On the surface these factors sugthat Henry Paradis had gested opened a drawer of his desk and Immediately fallen dead from a bullet wound inflicted by his own revolver. By way of mute testimony, there was the partially open drawer half full of neatly tied packages of letters, together with papers and documents of various sorts, upon top of which lay the weapon. Its cylinder contained five loaded cartridges and one freshly exploded shell. The revolver was of a make, and Just below the dead mans heart was a small purplish d well-know- n Simple- - Question besides being an ardent conoelst she was also an expert swimmer a choice of pastimes than which no others are better adapted to mold the figure In perfect lines and give health and strength and beauty and the litheness that characterized her every movement 8he called to him brightly from the threshold: pan-theri- r "Ready "And waiting." he returned, grabbing his hat and following her to the elevator. It was not until the waiter had and held poured Hazard's deml-tasia lighted match to his cigarette that Miss Bertel, propping her elbows upon the table and resting one cheek upon her clasped hands, referred to the subject that was uppermost In her mind. "Felix, I have a neighbor who needs 'your help a poor widow with . a scapegrace brother. Their uncle was murdered day before yesterday, and the two are entitled to his money." Hazard darted a sharp glance at e her. Murdered?" he repeated Inquiringly. "Who was he?" "Henry raradls." the words narrowest In meaning. It is a faithful rendering of an authentlo experience In the career of a high official of a detective agency whoso name Is a household word throughout the English-speakin- g world. Real names of persona and placea are sometimes disguised. In all other respects the amazing, often thrilling, always gripping facts are recorded Just as they happened. Was Extraordinary. puncture which a few minutes' probing demonstrated to have been made by a bullet of the same size. Powder marks on the left breast of hts shabby showed that the old house-jackmuzzle had been close when the weapon was fired. From these details the police and reporters, and next the coroner's jury, drew their conclusion that the old man had accidentally been overtaken by death, withal In a most extraordinary manner. "However," added Miss Bertel, "In spite of the verdict and the police, they are suspicious of the niece, Mrs. Pell, and her young brother,' Curtis Paradis not wholly without reason, either, 1 must admit "Mrs. Pell, while begging me to help her, Is afraid to talk much; there Is something she Is holding back; and whatever It Is, If I'm any Judge of another woman's character, It's something that will tend to Incriminate v again on the evening of the 28th of May. On the occasion of the last visit Sam Webb' says he heard them quarreling about money. "Now the murder occurred some time during the night of the 30th, Decoration day. Nobody heard the shot, and the tragedy was not discovered until seven oclock next morning." Why," Hazard queried, "are you so positive It was murder?" "There are several reasons why I cant accept the police theory," Miss Bertel replied. "First, It Is asking a good deal of one to believe that anybody can be killed by a revolver catching in a drawer In such a way that merely opening the drawer should explode It; then, that the weapon should be aimed so unerringly at the victims heart simply knocks the law of probabilities to smithereens. Its Impossible. "But I got most of my Ideas from Sam Webb those two card corners, for Instance. He slipped them to me and told me he had found them tightly clenched In the dead mans right hand. Now there wasn't a deck of cards In the house from which the Jack of diamonds and the queen of spades were missing. "Here are several curious facts in this connection. Mrs. Pell tells me that in his younger days Henry Paradis was a gambler, but that years ago he foreswore cards and all games of chance. Now then, according to Sam Webb, early in March the old mans Interest In cards all at once revived, and he became a pinochle fiend. And, too, early in March is the time when young Curtis Paradis, the nephew, first appeared on the scene. Also at about this time Henry Paradis took up with a disreputable individual named Blackburn, a tinhorn gambler who hangs out at a neighborhood saloon. Sam says there used to be some notable games at the house, marked by constant quarrels and bickerings either between Curtis and or between Blackburn and the uncle; never between Curtis and Blackburn, nor, to Sams knowledge, was there ever a game when the three played all together. "I'm simply giving you these facts for what they might be worth; they tell me next to nothing. "Finally, on the afternoon of May twenty-nint- h Henry Paradis drew from his bank $2,800 In currency, which so far is missing. II. Felix Hazard spent the better part of the afternoon nosing about the North Halsted street neighborhood. He gathered a lot of Information of one sort and another, the net result of which he summed up in the If Helen wanted to help reflection: hts-uncl- her friend, shed better have let the coroners verdict stand." For, among other things, he learned that Mrs. Pell had called at the Paradis house early on the evening of May 30th the evening of the tragedy and that Curtis Paradis also had been seen thereabouts by at least two persons. One individual asserted that about nine oclock of the same night he had seen Curtis burning away from hts uncles residence and In the direction of the car barns at Dewey place; that he appeared nervous and agitated, and that he was tearing to pieces as he went along and scattering broadcast what looked like "a couple of postcards," but which, the spectator having been made inquisitive, on examination proved to be two playing cards! These circumstances, In connection with the fact that Henry Paradis must have been slain some time during the night of May 30th, and that the 32,800 was nowhere to be found, Indeed looked bad for Mrs. Pell and her brother. It was at a nearby corner saloon, however, that Hazard obtained definite knowledge of Blackburn, the "tinhorn," and In addition some general knowledge of Henry Paradis character that was In no way a credit thereto. Speaking of Curtis Paradis, the barkeeper told Hazard that the young man was an automobile mechanician who had come to Chicago from Kansas City about March 1st in search of employment. "He sure was some pinochle field," averred the informant, "a reg'lar bug. Only one other gink around .here fella named Nick Blackburn thats as bad. Blackburn, he's a shark, out for the coin there Is in it, and boobs, like this young Paradis, are pickln's for him." The speaker abruptly asked: "Have you any Idea why old Henry Paradis warmed up to Blackburn? No? I'll tell you. The old man was learning to play pinochle. Yes, sir, he was! He paid Blackburn to teach him; not Just the rules of the game, either her .or her brother. yunderstand, but the fine points that "Here are the facts that make It win games. For two hours, three look bad for her: A bitter enmity has times a week, he gave old Paradis leskept her and his uncle apart for sons on Inside pinochle, at two bucks Not since she was a little per night. years. "la less'n two weeks the old man girl has she been In the house, save twice once about a week ago and wins back But only all he'd paid Nick, hut about all Nick bad picked np here besides. That's goln some for an old party like him. Why, blamed if Nick didnt have to go to work!" ' For some reason Felix Hazard found himself strongly attracted toward Mr. Nick Blackburn; and by following an inclination to learn all that he could of this individual, he early found the apparently plain trail of Henry Paradis' slayer to be splitting up into a number of confusing and misleading For example, Blackburn had been rooming opposite the car barns, in the direction ot which Curtis Paradis had been seen going on the fatal night, tearing In small pieces two playing cards; but the barkeeper thought Blackburn had given up his room, having found employment on some lake boat Hazard was shown the room, where the landlady was still keeping its recent occupants effects pending his calling for them, and by the simple strategy of sending her to fetch some matches be contrived to pocket a pack of playing cards which lay on a small shelf. examination proved Subsequent them to be a pinochle deck from which one knave of diamonds and one queen of spades were missing! hls, Sam Webb, was scared to call off of South State street, a region hls soul hls own. He held something whose population is mostly colored. over Sam, and treated him like a Ha?frd and hls companion were dog." conducted up two flights ot stairs and to Hasard turned Curtis down a hall to a room where the "Were you here at any time on the baited and threw open a door.. of the thirtieth Decoration When evening they came up with him so they day?" could see within, he pointed dramatDefore replying the young fellow to a figure lying upon a bed. hesitated and glanced uneasily at hls ically "There," he solemnly averred, "is: sister. She urged him with a nod to man who killed Mr. Paradis. the answer. Then The man rolled his head round and : I tried to hide it, he returned, "but I suppose I might as well tell. looked at the Intruders, two of whom Yes, I was here. I saw my uncle recoiled in astonishment. Lineament for lineament. line tof tying dead on the library floor." "Heres the way of it, Curtis pur- line, his face was a facsimile of the sued. Uncle Henry knew how I mans who had brought them hither! "Yes," confirmed the man on the liked to play pinochle, and he hired a shark to teach him so be could win bed In a weak voice, "I done It. Webb. And I'm about all in; my odd bits of change after hed robbed me and sister of what was Im bad hurt." Sam's double spoke. rightfully ours, too! We'd play two or three times a week, and other "My name's Clifford Hartley. I nights hed be taking lessons from a knew you wouldnt believe me unless fellow named Nick Blackburn. Nick Sam and me was together, so I: rted wouldn't talk. got him a Job on the Andrew to work day before yesterday "Were first cousins, Sam and me,, and be couldn't have fooled with though we might be twin brothers by the old man any more. the way we look alike. We are al"Are you sure he went to work on ways being mistook for one another, the thirtieth? Hazard interrupted. and it seems like the resemblance has "Yes, sir. I saw him off in the landed me In a peck o' trouble. "Sam cant talk much; I'll have to morning Decoration tyy." Paradis then recounted, in so far as talk for him. Last night he was hit he was concerned, what happened at by an automobile, and the doctor says III. his spine Is broke. He won't Uve the house on the fatal night. To round out the days work, Has-ar"I came in like I always did, hoping long. resolved to call at the Paradis I might pick up a piece of ebango "It was like this. Sam's boss had' residence, hoping that he might be from the old man. The bouse was as treated him so scandalously for so able to see and interview the negro still as a cemetery. Sam was gone; long that Sam Just couldnt stsnd it ne--gr- o . Im-Sa- Cole-sta- d servant, Sam Webb. The scene of the tragedy concealed more than one surprise for him, the first of which happened as he was ascending the front steps. He saw a negro, whom be took to be Webb, coming round from the rear. "Are you Sam Webb? he paused on the steps to inquire. The effect of this simple question was extraordinary. At the first sound of Hazard's voice the negro started and, all atremble, stood staring at him. The man's face and attitude were expressive of utmost terror and consternation. Without the least warning, he wheeled and ran at top speed back though the narrow passageway between the two buildings. The detective was too astonished by this singular conduct to think or act for a second, and when be did recover himself and In turn went plunging down the narrow passageway to the back yard, Sam if U were Sam had disappeared. With something ot the feeling of an explorer into unknown wilds, Felix Hazard, instead of returning to the front of the house, mounted the rear steps; perhaps somebody was in charge. The screen door stood wide-opeand under the Impact ot his fist the inner door proved Itself to be unlatched by, swinging Inward slightly. Without the least premonition, Hazard was blinded . by a flash ' and stunned by a deafening report as a revolver was fired almost polntblank In his face. So close was the weapIs the Man Who Killed Mr. Paradlsl "There," He Solemnly Averred, ons muzzle that his cheek felt the hot blast of the explosion and the I couldn't raise my uncle nobody at stinging touch of two or three powder all. This seemed queer because the the money from the bank the devil grains. door wasn't locked. Just naturally got into Sam. At once the door was jerked clear front As soon as I lit the gas in the li"Sam he plans It all out I'm chef man excited an and young open, on a Great Northern dining car, and saw on I Uncle the floor, Henry brary rushed out at him, yelling: A he knows Ill be in Chicago over Deco"Good God! Did I hit you? 1 dead. I was pretty badly scared. pinochle deck was on bis desk with a ration day. He has me go to a colthought" lot of as if he'd ored folks' ball on Twenty-elghtlWhatever he might have been been melds spread out. with a playing somebody. street, where he's invited, and mako game thinking was not immediately re- On top of the cards was hls gun. It out like I'm him. Weve often donei vealed, for Hazards fist caught him looked like whoever had shot him had that Just to be skylarking, and X squarely upon the point of the chin reached across the desk and poked thought nothing of it till I saw tho with a blow that bad all his weight the then papers next afternoon. Then 1 realhim, gun right against behind it. The fellow went down ized wbat a position I was in, preIt and run. dropped as if every bone and sinew ot his I whoever tending to be Sam, because right away "Right thought, body had turned suddenly to Jelly. 1 felt it was him that had killed away found like the out cards they spread A minute passed, then, weak and boss. his were much how anybody knowing dazed, the young fellow roBe slowly "I was scared. We favor one anto his feet. When Hazard realized wed played together would think I'd other so close, if the police was lookhow frightened and unstrung his an- shot him. "1 dropped the gun into a drawer ing for Sam, like as not they'd pick tagonist was he regretted the imstood open, and put the cards in me up instead of him. that blow. He the petuous pistol pocketed I was wild to find him. When I went my pocket. and sternly demanded: The balance of Curtis Paradis to where hed been working there was "Who are you? a lady and gentleman there, and by "My name's Faradls " chattered story agreed with what Hazard already had heard, and likewise explained hls the frightened way they acted at sight the other, "Curtis Paradis." 1 "Curtis, eh? Id like to have a movements when leaving hls uncles of me was surer than ever that folks house and proceeding south on Hal-ste- knew Sam waa guilty. word with you. Come Inside. Then I met this gentleman, and I street. As they entered what proved to be Just before turning off the gas I thought I was gone for sure. 1 reckon the kitchen, Paradis protested with nervous volubility that he had fired saw two cards In the old man's hand. I oughtnt to have run; but 1 Just Believe me, it was worse than being couldnt help it on a sudden Impulse. shot at to stoop and snatch them "By and by some colored folks told' "I thought it was that crazy nigger coming back," he amplified. "He away; yet I might as well have left me about the accident to Sam. 1 went to the hospital and had him brought nearly frightened my sister to death." the rest as those two. After I'd talked to him a while At this juncture a pale-faceter "Well, I snatched them, and the here. rifled woman appeared in a doorway corners tore away. I was too rattled he promised to tell everything and opening into the house's farther re- to stop and get the corners; I was give back the money hed taken. As he finished speaking he went to scared stiff. 1 beat it as fast as 1 cesses. a dresser drawer and took out a long Dont hurv Curtis," she pleaded could. Knowing of Blackburn's vacated thick manlla envelope. This he handtremulously. 'He's innocent. Are ed to Hazard. you an officer? Oh, I'm glad so room, he bad slipped Into it from the "You'll find all the money there Just all and there remained alley to hiding glad! Let us tell you all we have tell about this terrible affair! night He it was who had left the like Sam got it 32,800." Sam Webb's story was not long. As this proffer exactly met the visit- pack of cards there. A period was put to the colloquy by His plan to slay hls employer and dior's desire, he was soon listening to both of them excitedly talking at the hall door opening and the fright- vert suspicion from himself was once; hut for the purposes of brevity ened negro reappearing upon the simple. He knew Paradis would bs and clearness their recitals shall be threshold. Mrs. Pell and Curtis re- alone the night of the thirtieth, anil coiled before him in obvious alarm, also was familiar with Blackburn's disentangled here. the latter exclaiming: frequent visits to the house and their as woman The declared her identity "Sam! What's been the matter with object. He also was cognizant ot CurMrs. Pell, the dead man's niece, and tis visits. He did not, however, confirmed Helen Bertel's assertion you? The Intruder addressed himself to know that Blackburn had left the city that Henry Paradis had been a on the Andrew Cole that morning, " Hazard. gambler in hls younger days "a "Boss, I can't explain myself very and that, when he Interrupted the old she expressed It. Her father game and shot and Curtis' Henrys brother, had well not here. 1 reckon you are a man's dummy-hanconsiderable owne.d property and police officer; I want you to come him with hls own ptstol, suspicion of money; In an unhappy moment he with me. if you please." He paused, Blackburn would rebound from a dead had appointed Henry his administra- and as Hazard only contlued to eye wall and alight upon the real culprit. him steadily, In a moment added: tor, without bonds, and then died. I can take you to the man who We only want our rights, Curtis "You're a duck, Felix!" Helen Berand 1," Mrs. Pell passionately averred. killed Mr. Paradis." tel assured him when once more she' We had agreed to re'inquUh all could breath the sooty but more faiv claims for a certain sum, and we commiliar Loop air. "You were kind Mrs. Pell and her brother were left promised on 32.800, which Henry enough to take me to lunch today; promised to pay me the night he was In charge of the home. ' On the way If a girl should Invite you to be Ur killed. I never got It; nobody an- down town Hazard and the negro guest at dinner tonight, wot;ld you' were Joined by Miss Bertel, to whom swered when 1 rang the bell. "Ask me!" Felix Hazard Inter"He waa a devil, Henry Paradis the former had telephoned. The Jour rupted. waa. Why, even that old nigger of ney ended among the Twenties Jrnt (Copyright, ISIS, by W. O. Chapman.) x d card-sharp,- d |
