Show r i Murder I By Inez Haynes Kaynes Irwin vin 4 Copyright Inez flames Irwin Service FRIDAY FRIDA FRIDAY Continued Continued Y 17 17 I all wonder now now why with a sword sword in his hand that Ace brave man that he W was lS did not jump at me on the chance th that lt I would miss Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps he remembered that I was a swift swit and accurate shot But I think thin Ace rC realized suddenly what he had done to his own life he life he h had ld come to the end of the thc tr trail liL A Am Aman Aman m man ln naturally decent magnanimous magnani and generous he had become so involved in debt and sin and im im- penning disgrace nat inai the only W way lY out Ace put the point of the sword over his he heart He held the handle firmly with his two hands and fell forward his whole length upon it J I I h had ld w warned myself over an anover andover and andover over to remember about finger finger- prints There were grapevines hanging over the trees I picked some of ot the long leaves and using them as a guard I turned Ace over on his f face I closed his eyelids I 1 composed his arms I drew his tunic close to his body I withdrew I the sword from the wound wiped of off both the h handle and the blade and placed it by his side I put the mask to one side I smoothed out the hole the sword hilt had made in the gravel Last of all I carefully collected the grape leaves walked back over the lawn and vaulted the stone wall I went went back the way I came rowed across the river and up to the island camp On the way I dropped the gr grape leaves overboard Adah and Berry never knew that I had left the place 0 0 one 01 or the me insane p passages wherein poor Bruce seemed to be trying to justify justly him him- sell self The document ended poignantly poignant poignant- ly I loved Ace Blaikie as ns I have never ever loved another man God help me I love him yeW yeti Three days later Patrick came over to calL We talked the whole story over from beginning to end Finally Patrick Patrick I asked what made you decide to go to Bruce BruceH Jl H camp that afternoon Because I knew by that time that killed Ace How long had you known it About a minute A minute when what when what How did you find it out Sylvia told me Sylvia Sylvia really solved this mur mur- der But as we cant can't get Sylvias Sylvia's name into this terrible business I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall have to t take the credit I want you to promise me though that when Sylvias Sylvia's a woman you'll let me tell her I promise I acceded at once in a frenzy of ot h haste Go on on Patrick Patrick Patrick Pat Pat- rick Well Sylvia and I were out on the piazza talking You were in the living room rummaging In your desk for something something later later I discovered discovered ered cred it was a list of or books that Bruce had given you We got onto the subject of Dorinda Belle I cant can't for the life lie of me remember remember remember re re- re- re member how it came about but L S Sylvia told me this story She said th that lt after Marden left loft the Stow kitchen the night of at the masquerade ade she suddenly remembered that she had left Dorinda Belle BelIe down by bythe bythe bythe the Merry Mere She said that she couldn't bear to have Dorinda Belle stay out all night It might rain She didn't want to ask you if it she could go o get her for tor fear you wouldn't let her And so she too went out through the little lithe gar garage door and r ran ln as ns fast as she could to the Merry Mere It took her a afew afew few ew minutes to find the dolL The little imp I exclaimed involuntarily But what she let drop was what established this case for me that me-that that she could hear Ace m Blaikie likie and Mr talking biking in the Spinney That you see was my 1 last link Now I have to go back and tell you that when we all went into the Spinney after Sarah Darbe discovered Ace I found something Nobody else S saw lW it and Ive I've never spoken of at it to anybody On the bark at the base of of the nearest white birch were three drops of what appe appeared fo to be green ink It was a loose piece o birch bark I tore it of ofT off and put it into my pocket In the excitement nobody noticed Both you n and d Sarah were watching Joe Geary as he worked over Ace Patrick drew out his bill billfold From it he be nipped an envelope I From the envelope he drew a piece of at birch bark and handed it to me On it were three green grcen Ink spots By hook or crook he went on onI on I managed to find out if it there was any green in any house on the Head Perhaps you can remember remember ber now that I got two of ot the witnesses witnesses wit wit- n nesses I examined in this house to lend me their fountain pens Nether Neither Neither Nei Nei- ther of them used green ink I had asked Ken Winslow to hold up any letter that came through the post postoffice postoffice postoffice office written with green ink But ButI none came When I came in from my talk with Sylvia on the piazza believe me I was boiling with excitement ex ex- c there ment-there t there you stood with a written list of some kind in your hands And all the Items on it were written in green ink When you told me rue that you had made that list at t Bruce I mew It made sense with what Sylvia told me But Patrick 1 exclaimed what w were re either of at those men doing with with- witha a a fountain pen that night Well I think I know Patrick answered But I c cant can't mt prove it And so Im I'm never going to say anything about this green ink Youre You're the only person Im I'm going to tell M Mary and youre you're going to keep your mouth closed over it as long ns as you live I nodded First place I tho thought it strange that M Marden had made his accusation of Ace in Bruce Hex Hex- sons son's presence that feel feel feeling ing as he did toward him him let Ace drive him back to his camp In Inthe Inthe Inthe the second place account of at what Ace said to Doctor Marden Marden Mar Mar- den in your Spinney disagreed with Doctor Marden's account According According According Accord Accord- ing to Doctor Marden Ace said that he was going to change his will According to Bruce Ace said he had changed his wilL At once 1 I figured that confession confession con can w wasn't entirely on the level He was trying understand me with the best motives motives motives-he he was trying trying try try- ing to put something over And he has put it vcr over Ace Ace Blaikie Blaikie did not sign that new will at nt Bruce Hex- Hex sons son's place the afternoon of the mas mas- He signed it in your Spin Spin- ney Bruce typed it out carried it with his pistol and his fountain pen to your place He made Ace sign it He gave gave- Ace his pen and Ace did what we all do when he found the tho pen pen wouldn't work at once He shook k it Three drops of at ink fell at nt the base of at that white birch I THE END Elm |