Show J-HE J I U 1929 By NEA Service Inc ANNE AUSTIN CHAPTER CONTINUED I Please Mr c Iann may I 1 aska ask a question 1 Ruth spoke for lor the first time since Jake Bally B had ente entered d the room Ive just been wonderIng wondering wonder wonder- Ing how Mr Borden got Into his office since hed he'd given his key to Rita Ima Dubois FrIday afternoon and never got jt It back right Mc rann agreed rather ungraciously lie He did not enjoy having been caught napping noW how did Borden get in Jake Check kid and Jake touched his forehead in a salute to Ruth Harry didn't remember till he got gotto gotto to his door that he didn't have a ake akey key ke and since I never had one myself my- my self he had to hunt up one o. o of theold the theold old janes that cleans the offices to let him in with her passkey lIe couldn't find the Old lady that took care of his office and had to prove who ho was by a aletter aletter letter with his name on it Ito 10 the WOman I scouted around and found for tor him Hmm Hman Letty Miller Iiller I suppose She's the only other cleaning woman Oman on the floor l Ic commented as he made a note Where dill did you find her Down the hall Bailey Balley answered promptly Said she wasn't acq ec- ec q with the tenants on this corridor but was just help helpin In out the theold theold old lady who belongs on this part ot of the floor For the first time in many minutes min min- utes addressed a question to Martha Manning Did YOli see this scrubwoman yourself Miss Manning The contralto voice w was s quite steady No As I told you before I saw no one I was alone while I waited this for man and she me I nodded scornfully toward Jake Bailey to leave and and no one but m myself sel was In the hall when I left I after seeing M M. Borden The rhe scrubWoman scrubwoman scrub scrub- Woman who admitted Mr l Bor Borden en must have finished her work In this corridor before I had walked up the stairs peremptorily commanded the amazed pugilist ex-pugilist to silence nce You realIze Miss Mice Manning Lanning he saId to the now calm but burning burning- eyed ed that I if Letty Miller tells nie me she he woos was working on this corridor while you claim you wco in It your story will be blown skyhigh skyhigh sky sky- high Im not afraid ot of an anything hing that tills this Letty Miller may say Martha Manning fanning retorted scornfully for forI I am telling the truth I was 95 hero here I did wait until this man had left r I did have a talk with Mr Borden Borden- Say Jake Bailey burst out rev re ardless ot of Injunction Where was you You wasn't In no nG hall when I 1 come me out ot of here to take the elevator elevator- No o I I was behind the stairway do door r holding It slightly ajar and watching you ou Miss Iss Manning Man Ian ning assured him cool tri tri- Say Jake Bailey turned to Mc- Mc Ic Mann You got he goods on that dame aint you and Ou and s she's es e's tI lie He out of it aint she You got proof she was in Harrys Harry's office an and she's trying to make you Ou believe It was Friday night she Was here and not Saturday That's rIght aint it i t t I Iann o. grinned Substantially Sub corn correct Ct Jake Ve Weve We've e got her fingerprints left me between Friday afternoon ft and andron Monday ron Mon day morning on the glass panel of that door between the two Of offices Miss Manning insists that those fingerprints were made mach on Friday night that she followed you and Borden Into the building walked up the stairs waited at the head of them on the seventh floor until you left Borden and then immediately knocked on Bordens Borden's door counting countin on Ms hs thinking it was you ou returned for a last word Bailey spat us- us ly Claims Borden let her In in- pretty and polite as you please does she lio Ho Not Harry Earry Not KOt this dame Hed He'd as soon let a wildcat in- in Mr 11 Borden carelessly opened the thedoor thedoor door wide thinking it was you Martha l answered vexed him him n calmly Mister BaIley youve you've just told Mr Mc Iann that you GU kept a sharp eye out for forme forme me lest I follow Mr l Borden Dorden and that you did not see mo me again after Christmas Eve That's correct isn't It The man glared at her Well what of it I 1 couldn't have passed V very Y close to you on the str street without your seeing me she persisted voice Then the lovely contralto Vibrated with triumph I think I Ican Ican can convince both you and Mr Mc- Mc Mann that I watched you from the head of the stairs stains on Friday night CHAPTER All AU right Miss ss Manning Mc- Mc cIann c- c Mann Iann urged Impatiently as the womans woman's wo- wo mans man's blazing eyes swept dramatically cally from Jake Bailey Balley to himself The stairway door Mr Ir Bailey y it if you OU dont don't happen to have ha noticed no- no Martha Manning lanning begun quIetlY quIet quIet- lY Is next to the elevator As you Ou waited for the elevator ele to take you Ou down I had ample time to note not with some your amusement taste te teIn In shirts and Is that soo Jake Bailey snarled wrong with em and he looked down at the blue and white striped shirt and plain black necktie neck neck- ne tie he was wearing at the tho moment i the tho latter obviously a tributo to his dead d d employer with Nothing those you Ou have on Martha Manning smiled hut ut Friday Iday night you ou were wearing a shirt with broad purple stripes and anda a bright red cravat The color combination combination com com- was rather noisy Were Vere you wearing such a shirt and tie on Friday night Malley Dailey Iann demanded What Well it if I was Bliley Baile re- re tl tedI ted I suppose you U yourself have Eon an alibi for lor Saturday Bailey Balle changed tactics sUddenly Alibi What tell teU do I need with an alibi Jale spluttered I left leftt t town rn Friday night at went to visit m my folks up near n Gr Newton They live on a farm and I guess at least leest 10 p people can tell you that Jake Bailey the famous was spending Saturday Sunday and Monday with his family Id I'd beat a-beat it home sooner but I didn't see a city paper till this morning and then I took the first train Just give mo the names of a few ot of those 10 people Mc rann sur and Jake Bailey promptly obliged You can go now nO Jake said when that formality was as concluded con con- eluded but dont don't leave town Where are you ou going to lIve now that Borden Borden Bor- Bor den Is dead Back to the Mills hOtel for Jake I guess the pugilist ex-pugilist admitted l ruefully Sure Ill I'll keep In touch with you oll Cap he add added d with his former Then And geniality say Cap dont don't let this dame Pull the lire wool Ool over your eyes Take a tip from Jake Bailey She got harry When the tho man had swaggered out of the tho office fann 1 gave an order to De Birdwell BrIng in Rita Dubois She's in charge down dawn the hall hail Then returning to his desk and his inquisition ot of Martha 1 I he asked the question which Ruth had been expecting e him lim tO ask for forthe tile the last hour i Mi MIss s Manning Iannino where were you ou on Saturday afternoon after atter- noon Youve You've said your work Worl at atthe the tho switchboard 6 keeps k you only till half past 11 oath each morning Ac- Ac count for ur O time after that please I I did what I do every afternoon Miss Manning answered ered calmly though Ruth saw that again the tho thin hands bands were twisting nervously in her lap I walked My doctors doctor's doctors doctor's doc doc- tors tor's orders are that I spend at least leat halt the day In the ope opus all air He says it Is my Only chance to conquer the lung condition ain Again her voice and manner made It cl clear that she was not asking r or wanting sym sym- pathy tapped on the edge o of norden's Bordens desk with his pencil Then It if I remember correctly correctly- and I think I do Saturday was WU a 1 avery yen very cold and windy day da But the sun was vas shining Miss Manning reminded hIm quickly Where SPhere did you ou walk nd Ind how bow howlong long I 1 had my lunch milk first and fruit and rolls rolls-In my room at the and then I walked thu tho streets until about past half one when I went Into a drug store to telephone to Mr Ir Borden Which drug store Ic nn caught her up sharp sharply Promptly she gave ga the name ol of one of the busiest drug stores inthe in inthe the down town n district And talked with Borden Me- Me Mann lann suggested with an effect of casualness I Xo No Martha Manning smiled slightly A wOman with an brogue answered the phone Said she was the leaning cleaning lady lad that Mr Borden had just stepped out U r ra a minute but would be right back and please wouldn't I hold the line Amazingly the contralto voice oice was gone and in its place nnnie Minnie Cassidy's Cas Cas- sidy's pleasant cracked old voice oile rick rich with the brogue she had bou t from Ireland Ruth but rc lann did not And then nd then Martha MannIng resumed her own voles oice In a minute or two the tho cleaning lady told me that Mr r. r Borden Borden Bor- Bor den would not talk then but wanted The me to call him again apin In 16 15 or 20 minutes And you said l Iann leveled a forefinger at her and narrowed his grey ee eyes to you slits said sald Tell Mr Borden that it If he Is wise he will talk to me When hen I call again again- Your last warning wasn't it l Manning U If you wish to call it that the woman shrugged What I meant was that 1 if he did not k keep p promise to establish a trust fund foe our our ourson son son I would go through with the tilt Fatt to make e him support th the e child as a. I had threatened on Friday Friday Fri Fri- day night And yet ll f Iann pounced pounced- You were so dizzy with joy and relief whEn you OU came out of his office Friday night that you OU had to tolean loon lean against the door for support How do you OU account for your our sudden sud- sud d- d den change of heart Continued tomorrow The annual earning earning power power of employed em- em loyed bo boys s 's 14 15 and 16 years ears of ago age who are attending day continuation continuation con con- schools In the state of New York approximates |