Show H 1924 far b tSA A Inc I II I BEGIN HERE TODAY 1 Douglas Raynor Is found shot i i through the heart In the early eve- eve i ning on the floor of the sun nun room roomi i of ot Flower Acres his Long Island home home Standing over the dead man Pistol In hand Is Malcolm Finley I f former sweetheart of Raynor's wife wite Nancy Eva Turner Ray nay nors nor's nurse stands by th the light i switch In a moment Nancy Nancy- appears appears appears ap ap- ap- ap apI I pears white faced and terrified Orville Kent I Nancys Nancy's brother comes In from the south side of the room And then Ezra Goddard friend of FInley Miss Mattie Mattle Raynor's Raynor's Raynor's Ray Ray- nors nor's sister and others enter upon the scene Detective Dobbins heads the police poUce Investigation An autopsy reveals that Raynor al also o was vas being systematically poisoned with ar ar- ar Lionel Raynor son of Douglas Douglas Douglas Doug Doug- las Raynor by first marriage comes to claim his fathers father's estate FInley meets Nancy on the veranda I must take you In my arms he pleads NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY Just for an Instant she swayed toward him and then drew back backwith with a heartbreaking sigh No dear No dear I see I must be brave for both of or us Listen n Malcolm I Iam Iam am In very deep I I cant can't tell tel tho the truth truth truth-I I cant can't cant can't- What Then Nan If It Its It's as bad badas badas badas as all that you that you must must- have a a. a lawyer lawyer lawyer law law- yer a n good one at once You mus must tell him everything But listen Mai Mal Mal-If If this will o of Lionel's holds holds I I am penniless Never while I 1 am In the world mine Is yours yours yours- But nut that wont won't do I 1 cant can't take your money money money- Indeed you can No one need ever know Ill I'll get Wadsworth for you you you-he's he's hes great great and and most discreet Yes h hes he's s 's our man v vAnd I And And and Malcolm whom will wll I you get for yourself For myself Why Why Wh-oh oh yes yes yes-of of course fo tot myself Why Why well well you I see I 1 hadn't thought of that But It will be all all' right Nan trust Nan trust me meto meto to make It all right Oh you are so splendid Malcolm Mal Mal- colm why colm-why why did I marry that a awful ful man man Oh why did I I I Walt Wait a minute why minute why did you youNan I Nan She looked at him a long moment with a grave regard and then said I cant can't tell you Mai Mat Mat-I I cant can't tell tel you But oh Im I'm glad hes he's dead There Ive I've said It and I 1 dont don't care Im I'm glad glad glad I 1 couldn't have lived another day with him Hush dear dea dear dont ont don't say such things Now listen Nancy and do Just as I 1 tell you Im I'm going to send for Lawyer Wadsworth and he will wll take y yu Ju In hand Tell him everything every every- thing thing tell tell him about the the the-the the tablets tablets tablets tab tab- lets you put in Raynor's coffee cup cupI I I saw you do It dear Tell Toll Wadsworth Wadsworth Wads- Wads worth woith all about It Trust him and he will Ill do more for you than any other man I know Of could do But I 1 cant can't Mal cant Mai I cant can't tell tel anybody about the the about about the the the- Ill tell It it then and Miss Mias Mattie Mattie Mattie Mat- Mat tie stepped before them Yes Ive I've been eavesdropping she said as they looked at her In dismay Or I 1 can scarcely call It that as you took no pains to lower your voices very much Nan an I heard you say how glad you are that your husband is dead I 1 didn't I need e i that that to to tell me who killed him hush hush dont don't say a word word dont don't dont arid add perjury to your other ther crimes And AndI I 1 dont don't say Nan but that you did lead a miserable life with him I I know how Douglas treated you you you- and Nancy I know why Miss Matties Mattie's voice dropped to a whisper but her face tace although distorted distorted distorted dis dis- dis- dis with passion was that of one who vho spoke the truth Let that rest for a moment Nan and tell me what you yoP know about Douglas' Douglas will Nothing more than I 1 have told everybody It was vas always kept In Inthe inthe inthe the secretary's drawer Someone has stolen It Or Douglas destroyed it it That may be Nan agreed He lie was very very angry at me the tho day before before before he died and he threatened to disinherit me but me-but but I I I didn't think he would do so He lie couldn't said Miss Mattie Mattle A man cant can't disinherit his lis wife And the will must be found I 1 hardly hardly hardly hard hard- ly think he destroyed It Why does old Gannon deny witnessing wit wit- it If Finley asked Gannon Is an old snake in the grass Miss Raynor said He lie has some ax to grind you ou may be sure For I 1 know he witnessed that will The other witness Peters must be e found said Finley You see Nan Miss Mattie Mattle went wenton ent enton on I r dont don't know as that will Lionel Lionel Llon Lio Llo- n nel l has remembers me me properly In the later will Douglas left me mo a a. large bequest He lie had much more money of late years but if It that will his son has claims It all where will we we be Where will we be bo anyway Nan said wearily But I 1 dont don't propose to give up my rights without a struggle and Im I'm going to have a 11 talk with Lionel and Im I'm going no now She went away In search of the young man and found him in the sun parlor Cant we Join forces Lionel she said Sit down and antI talk It over he said arranging a big cushion for her Id like to be friends Nan If It you can convince me you didn't kill my father You cant can't expect me to be friendly with you otherwise other other- wise Of course I 1 didn't kill him Nan said How can you even imagine such a thing thing- You say that b bi but t your our face your eyes your whole expression belles belies your wor 1 Do you OU also deny poisoning mm or hIm or are you only disclaiming the shooting The hard sharp black eyes of the young man looked closely Into her own and there was something In hISs hla manner in his effect that repelled Nan so utterly she was scarce able to speak to himI himI himI him that I 1 I think she said slowly prefer not to discuss anything with you I 1 will refer you to my law law- yer Lionel Raynor Baynor gave a a start A lawyer have you one I shall snaIl have very soon Meantime Meantime Meantime Mean Mean- time you may wait walt for my answers to your questions Holty Hoity is that the tone youre you're going to take toward me me Going to have a lawyer are you And pray how are you going to pay him Dont Don't you know youre you're practically penniless But I 1 suppose your friend Mr Finley will be only too glad to pay pay pay- But Nancy had risen and walked a away At r the he doorway she met Detective Dobbins on his search as always No overshoes found he announced an an- Been all over the house family servants guests guests cant cant can't find finda a new rubber In the place Plenty of old ones ones good good enough ones too but no brand new ones ones and and only a brand new one would have havo made that print Most remarkable But it cant can't be of real significance significance significance cance can It Mr Dobbins Nan raised her sad eyes to his hia face Why do you put such stress on It It Why Its It's a Mrs Raynor dont don't you see see see-a a clue And i U l' might be of utmost importance to you Mrs Raynor For if it we can prove that rubber was on the foot toot of ot a man from the outside outside outside-an an in intruder in- in why why then it lets out everybody everybody everybody every every- body In the house house everybody everybody Then if It you cant can't find a new overshoe in the house It must have been an outsider Nan was interested late inter ested now Looks that way yes way yes maam ma'am it looks that way Oh you cheer up Mrs Raynor things look pretty black against you Ill Ill I'll admit that But if I 1 can pull pun yoU out I 1 will Yes maam ma'am I will Though we ve may have to Implicate your friend Mr Finley T The Te e detective made this speech purposely as a test of Nans Nan's be be- havior He lIe gained little for she presented only a calm of face and an air of utter ence A deep one he said to himself I as she slie walked slowly away yes a mighty deep one one and and therefore most likely a wrong one Nan wandered on down to the gardens down the hillside to the bridge over the brook and seeing Dolly Fay Pay waved her hand in In In- In And Dolly came flying her sash ends straight out behind her I Nancy darling how are you this morning I cant can't stand it to have you so awful sad all the time Dolly Dohl Do nt dear have you the packet safe you safe you know the one ono I 1 gave you to keep for me Oh yes Nan of course Run and get it then then Ill Ill I'll wait walt for tor you here here and and well we'll go for a I walk Dolly obeyed and soon the two were walking along the brookside I down the path that led to the falls Nan carried the little parcel noting by a glance that it had in inno inno inno no way been tampered with doing about Mr Raynor Nan 1 Dolly Dony asked Earnestly Whenever I 1 ask asIc mother or dad they tell ten me to keep still Orry wont won't tell me a thing and that fool detective e glares at me when I try to pump him Old Grim Gannon Gannon- hes he's my friend you know know but but he says such awful things I wont won't histen listen listen lis his ten to him What does he say Dolly or Dolly or no dont don't tell me me-I'd me Id I'd rather not know Indeed I 1 wouldn't tell ten you you why why Nan STan he says terrific things a about ut you and about Mr FinleY 3 about everybody even Including Miss 1 Turner Eva Turner Yes that Is Is he didn't say anything anything any any- thing definite but I sort of gathered he thinks she's sly Never mind Dolly Id I'd rather you wouldn't listen to such gossip but it f you do dont don't repeat It to me Now look out dear Im I'm going to destroy this little parcel Its It's nothIng nothing noth- noth Ing of any value I Standing on the bank Just above a a. small but turbulent waterfall made by the brook over a stony dechine decline deline de- de line cline Nan tossed the packet lightly into nto the foaming bubbling cascade Then without a backward glance I and looking a little frightened she said hastily Come along Dolly ets et's go home They climbed the bank and hastened hastened has- has ened back to Flower Acres Yo You wont won't mention this episode dear Nan Ian said Of c course urse not not Yo You know Ill I'll never do a thing you dont don't want me meto to o. o Nan And besides I know more things than that about the whole affair that Im I'm not going to tell I Why Dolly what do you me mean n Oh nothing But youre you're not tho the only one Im I'm keeping still about Continued in our next issue I |