Show I Backstairs by ANN AUSTIN AUTHOR O o oTHE OT THE THE AVENGiNG PARROT P- P THE THE BL BLAcK BC CK PIGEON ETC ETC 01 t nc Iu n TODAY Y Doris Dart ll u w. w mold IK IL I. I mur In A oo ou Ibo ho U stat b by Slow How from nar cl n Mrs Irl Berkeley b by Cro tn Creed T RC J to 10 ley who l o tir is s found round bound about Mut r n. n u bod body It II I II e removed front the be lake lole by D t A wealth of or o l ol ln rs Mr Mrs r Berkeley I Dick Ilk lcK Berkeley In hi InIe Ie lire lev u whim 11 th iri Irl l lint hN or fiance luC iuen sen 1 Arnold Arnol chauffeur B U is r who i ver rno Friday with lh wil p from tho ho harder r fU 0 H liter later placed I In Mrs Irs n Perks Perks- l Ij bathroom by the butler buler r. r an aol ana John former suitor ot or Clorinda believed to lo h h ht liar t teen been with wih JI let r Jay FrIday night when chA us 11 admits admit h hIn In been In th th summerhouse C r the tho crime erline fut ut utan an unfinished letter of ot Doris lo to h her r sister r In 1 sri An n entirely n new nw w light on the he ca case a e. e and nd d Seymour prosby pros pros- ros by becomes ol ln ed Dundee novice detective has hal been a c guss t In the house houi to 10 Crosby li a. a cloud lou fourteen months month before hen hI his Young j wits lUl Crosby die died lo In En Eng En land In lar letter Doris Doria Dor formerly mold to Mr Ir Crosby hints hint darkly ot or murder molt And nd her hr own O plans han of ot tn vengeance f but dots does not name minis her Dundee I suspect frae to Scotland Yard Yut then lien grIlls CrO Crosby by who protests innocence of or hl ire death dalh when hen she h fell from tm Il roof o of or hotel In London When ho 10 hI yb violently repudiates tl the chirgo that list t. t he ha has 1 tried to bribe Ports Dorl to silence then Lien her Captain Strawn tn aho lows 3 him I Port DorK damning loiter OU OW GO j OX UX WIH Til TIlE STORY TOR I CHAPTER 1 I Well Wehl el what ha have haie you ou got Jot to o say Ray Y now no Crosby Captain Straw Strawn n I snapped when Sa Seymour mour Crosby by had Co silently read red Doris Matthews Matthew's 1 letter t r to her hel sister and was WIS returning It with will wih a a tr trembling hand can enn U eay ay 1 Is that I 1 wish to God clod Cd loris Doris rs was still sti alive o al to tell tel rno mo flO what she sho knew or suspected d so 50 that that I co could ld avenge 1 my uty wife's death cob Crosby answered As it is I dont don't cont know knots what whal she sho meant meant- i When t she thc he wrote If U only But only But it Its Ills too to late lato now My dashing lad lady Is ha In Jn her grave ra ratho tho the case caso la Is co closed E forever an and all maybe mabe I did what she zhe would ha have havo wished mo roe to do Dot But ButI nuli I t should dlo die happy If I I could live J C to see BeG tho the one who broke her heart I and killed her yes her ye actually i killed her suffer bert suffer nn ns sh she suffered I know the law In Is powerless in fn a n case Jk like this but but thero aro arc other ways as a's o Strawn Strat Interrupted reading the thc damning passage with wIh slow alow and terrible ter- ter emphasis I repeat I dont don't dont don't know what what Doris meant meant I Then let me tell el you rou Crosb Crosby Strawn commanded ed sternly For Tor Tormore moro more than two weeks ecks ac according to your our own o admission slon at nt tho inquest t tand and according to the testimony of or Mrs oIls Lambert your our wife had not been herself She wept frequently I refused ed to t see sec fee 1 any of or her friends except Mrs frs Lambert Lanbert and antl even o wrote to her father in New e York hork that sho she bad made a a. a terrible mistake mis ml take In marrying In that letter tl she asked a aked him to cable her and ant begged him to lo allow her hel to return to his home Her father refused the first request b by cable but told her hr herto herto to cOnic come home Immediately That's Thal's 11 right ht Isn't It I Crosby Crosb Those facts came camo out out at t the In Inquest In- In I f quest yes CS Crosby Crosby admitted in a a. I flat fal voice yolee It It was as tho the first I knew of or her letter leler to to her father I had no idea she wished she wished to leave n nand mo mO and nd until this day dR I J haven't tho the re remotest rc- rc molest Idea Idea wh why she he as a she Bho did I repeat repeat- I loved 1 my wife with all al 1 my heart and she loved 10 0 1 stir me During those t t two o 0 weeks weel you 0 speak of or she he hc told me tile 10 repeatedly that sho she loved hovel 11 10 me but would give Ivo no explanation ex ex- o of her fit fits ot of S S S Yeah 1 Strawn sneered Cant f B By that time you OU guess Phyllis Crosby Crosb knew beyond ond the Ih shadow a 0 of a a. R doubt that that you OU bad lied married maried her for or her money a a. foul fO 1 He lie Ic Crosby flung I at him hint furiously I Yeah Yeah Well ell ell I He lie or not that's thal what Phyllis Cob Crosby lU must t have havo had had good gool 01 reason to believe c belc otherwise wh why should th she sho h have hia v written her father n ns she fhe did Straw Strawn wn n gibed I tr believe IJ further that your jour I wife ife found that you ou were unC unfaithful to her hel that you OU were ivele keeping another woman on her fathers father's money money- moner- moner Ill I'll Il be damned If IC I X let you yOU yOU- ou now How are you rou going oln to h help lp yourself your our self fel Strewn Strawn grinned I admit admi But Hut that's on Oil my part pat ho how how elso do cIlo could ou 0 break brek your wife's heart hert n ns as Doris Dori Mathews 1 charges you ou did Tho Thoo o words do not refer to tomo tomo to denied passionately mo mo Crosby Crosb pas Whom did lel ii sho site mean meAn then 1 Str Strawn wn del demanded l' l reasonably ad al- al I dont ont 1 don't dont know Crosby 31 I wish sh to God Cot T I did Well lets letB get et along lon with the story shortly alter after dinner din Tho The conic came her ner on tb of Run Sunday l May 6 6 Your ic wie at ato nothing lur burst t into tears tear at tit tho the to table and fl lied fled d to her hr room in iii hysterics You followed her and Mic he refused to admit you yoi c About 10 III o'clock that evening c Mrs Mis f Lambert who liar hid been tren a n guest lit In home since the tho previous r jo your our hOI pc lol f Sunday st Hel summoned b by you 0 front from t to cheer your our wife wie up uP-IK- uP up-dis- up dis discovered CO covered Unit that Mr Mrs Cro Crosby h had bad hae loft lert lofther her bedroom She tracel traced her to tho the roo roof of or the thu apartment ht hotel found her weeping t b tried a again alf to le learn rn h what t Was as wrong ron and anti finally at our wife's t os request t re returned cc- cc rC- rC tur turned e 1 to th the apartment to tell y you t that hat Mrs t Cro Crosby Crot-by hy wished to see ff you Ol You 1 left rt the cIte hC drawing nJ room In Instantly In In- Cud and Jd Mrs 18 suro- suro sur- sur Mrs Crosb Crosby's 5 nM maid Doris Darts asking her to take an nn evening wr wrap p I Ito Ito tIm the wife since the to 1 00 roof loof for our your wie night had bad ha turned turne cool and ani Mrs tr Crosby was wearing a thin evening e dress Still correct Crosby Y Yes the tortured man ad admitted ac- ac el- el and bowed hii his head upon his trembling hands I Now ow a according to your our testimony mon mony at t the tue inquiry you hill did dil not nol proceed Immediately to the tho roof In Instead In- In stead you OU took time to go to the thc library anI and anI get et a n. volume o of poetry from frona CrO which you OU say a you ou Intended to read to your wife And that that too too Is 2 the tho exact truth Crosby n. n asserted pas passion passion- lon lon- tel I raising reddened eyes eyt to glare at his hil tormentor Phyllis was unusually un un- usually fond fOd of and nid d I had a n sudden inspiration to read to her I believed beloyed then as I 1 have havo be believed be- be Ie c until toa today that 1 her hysteria was vas wa the result of ot her condition and that the poetry she sho ho loved would soothe her nerves and an and S' and heiress wife wire convince And Ad your that It it was as she alto you rou lived hired I cd not not the tho woman she hc was ws Jealous of oU Strawn Insinuated For Gods God's sake AIe stick to the facts Crosby Crob groaned There was no other womanS woman woman- S SS SuI Suits mo mc o Strawn Strewn grinned The Thin bare larn fac facts are arc t that hit you OU had a n. volume of poetry In the po pocket ke of or your oUr dinner coat o t when sour jour our wife's bod body was Wl found and that you OU walked up two flights of stairs to the root roof Instead of or taking the ele ole vator valor Con Consequently no rio o of tho the apartment hotel could Ia say Just JUt how long you ou hal had been cen on the roof when your our wife was waR killed Right flight I rail rang rang- for the lift but as It wa walo was slow lo In coming I ran n UI up the stairs to Join my wife wie a as 1 quickly quick as ns b explained dully I bl tile ble CIo Crosby dull Yeah Yenh Well cl jour your story tory Is that when ou j-ou 0 got Jot to the roo roof you OU saw aw your our wife standing at tho the low railing rail rail- roof You In ing which enclosed the called to her ler she fhe hc raised her Tl hl hand to wa e wave to ou you then quickly climbed to the lie toll tOIl of th r railing and Jumped and and Jumped to her death to the tho court below i Only an agonized groan from front the tho bowed h head answered him I Now Xo lot for 1 Doris D Mathews Mathews' stor story I at al the Inquest Strawn Straun went on Im un She testified that tha she sIte rang for the elevator ator which opened for Cor her almot almost A point in Ia Mr 11 Crosby's favor Captain Strewn Dundee Dunce Interrupted Inter Inter- quietly Tho The elevator operator oper oper- ator ater testified that lint he was ascending In answer to a n previous ring re recorded recorded recorded re- re corded when hen his car cr was wa on the first rRt floor Yeah Strawn grinned d In no- no i nonplused d You didn't think Doris Dds and alid her heI master forgot ol ol to fix fix- fx up that thai little point between them did you Well lets let's see ece what Doris testified now She he mid she he Drs emerged from front from tho the lift lt at ft the top floor foor walked up P tho very ery er short flight of or stairs leading healing to the roof and n wius ju Just t. t stepping foot upon pon the shrill scream roof when she sho heard a n shri followed h hy by the sound of ot a 3 mans man's Ih Phyllis Oh voice calling Ph Phyllis II m my Cod And nd most pro providentially for or 1 Mr Seymour Semour Crosby Crosb Doris Dors testified tes tea that alto sho seen him hint running across the roof root to tho the N spot pot t from front acoss had hind conic come the which tho the t cream place place- from Crom which his lila wife leaped to her hel death According to her hel storY j you ou were fully ul DO 50 r feet rel front from rom the ln l' railing wh h when n ii she sho he heard the tho scream and lInd cau caught ht a glimpse of fluttering white as as' the woman leaped Mr lr Ci Cro Crosby osby r I Yes YM Crosby Crsby groaned That That h is hall all the exact truth Doris reached al tho the railing almost t as ns soon son as l. l 1 I did and restrained and restrained me from front leaping after m my wIe wife I So sie paid Shawn Strawn nodded Now Noi o let lt mo me 10 tell tel you what t really al happened ilc as I r reconstruct that tragedy hadr You ero lying when you jou ou said ild you jou ou stopped tot for Ol a look book It was pocket locket You went In Jn your to the root rot Immediately b bj by the stairs just Jupt a tm C you o said because even evem then lien you jou ou were wem planning an nil In its case It It because became nece necessary to kill Im jour wife idle YOI oi met lt l our j-our cite lc shin sho charged you O Ow w with tl II ha having runt i lieu lieu- her for fo for her he 01 0 money with having been heen unfaithful to her or 01 with some omo moro more cl IC the exposure ex ex- X- X pour oure of or which I would h have ruined you socially A crime po possibly I b of or 01 l c which only Phyllis Crabb I know and anti lot for which sho aho could have ha e h had 1 you jou a a. fOll He ie too Crosby groaned U M. M Yeah Well elI el you jou become became violently vio io 01 angry angEr with h Ii ann in your lifted hilLel her h herd d il II hurled hurld her hel rage you Ou over tho the railing And nil you YOl were ele cau pr o caught ht In imi th tl act cl by bj DorIs Dorla Mat Mat- th You Yo s deserve to be he 1 killed Capsin Captain Cap Cap- sin tain wn cro tol told him Idol Ina in iii ina a a. d dead rl toneless 9 voice 0 t I a Yeah tra n grinned and l lit lit- hi hh hl s pi pipe pa aga again in striking it g t the the- he iii miloh I li upon th sole Jol of his hiI hi big ho The Th o of time the mill l' l Itco a unexpected l didn't t u jour Ol idles wife's wrap J on 01 know o of C COln course that Mr Mci 11 Lambert r had enl her afi afire rl m NIia with wil you you ou threw you lulu Into si a I blue tun flunk did tr to leap heal after hal PI you Ol try 3 your you I wi ivi fe f. f and tl you jou 0 God Cod Gul Know knows a what you lU u to her I dont don't say y you OU offered her I hush mon money then I rather think you OU appealed to her love for 01 her mistress s urging her to believe c belc that Phyllis Crosby Crosb would rather be listed aa as a n suicide than titan that lie her husband should haj hang for or her murder murde mur mur- de der At an any rate It Is m my firm conviction conviction con con- that you soil ou and Doris Matthews Mat Mat- theirs concocted concoct cd our your alibi albi between n you ou then and there She had rung lUI twice for the elevator tor You macho mado maco her agree ng to say that nho sho Iho had run rung only once PO so o that your our own story of or having Just just como to th tho roof could bo be partially substantiated Well cl Crosby Crosb it all al worked out as ns you ou ou planned The Tho girl stood tood by jou ou at t the inquest an and you jou OU were exonerated Phyllis Crosby Croby was listed as n a n. o while temporarily temporal temporal- 1 fly ily deranged But nut loris DorIs Mathews had lad a conscience and sho she 10 loved her dead ea mistress vf very ry dearl dearly Sho confided con con- to her he sister as this thus letter leler er verj- verj clearly cearly indicates and Kathr Kathryn n Matthews advised ed Doris Dors for her own sake rake riot not not to try to reopen th thC the C case lest Dr Doris be bo convicted of or 1 per per- r- r jur jury As Doria writes Kathryn Kathrn The Tho ca case o Is closed forever nail maybe I did then what what sho ho would havo haio o h wished mo to do co hated OU Crosby But nul she he you Doris Dors wanted to make jou suffer as Crosby Crosb had bad bal suffered And Andas nt there other as ns sho she 5 says a here arc Wor ways ways' One W way was to expose you ou ou to tho the 1 as a n fortune hunter and In strict strict confidence wife killer as 3 a l No 0 I 1 tell you ou No Xo I Crosb Crosby denied de de- Ic- Ic nied passionately not nol You camo cattle hero yesterday knowing that Doris Doria Matthews was now no 18 Mrs Berkeley's maid maid maid- not true tre true Crosby Crosb Inter Mrs Lambert had written mo Inc that that she sho ho had hired Doris Dris for the tho Job It was wa Dundee who spoke now with curious reluctance Par Pardon on me mp Captain Strawn 1 Mr Mi Crosb Crosby Crosby Cros Cros- b by It is 1 my duty ditty to lo remind you ou ou that thal when Mrs B Berkeley mentioned Doris last night you jou ou appeared surprised sot sur even startled You Mid sail Sure Surely yo you 01 dont don't mean menn little Doris Dorla Dors Matthews and amid Mrs I. I Lambert then lien tol told you ou site she was quite qute 5 uro Sit she sho had written j you ou u of |