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Show PHI JAe MAY DAY MYSTERY Uv. Jj Ip Orfavas Rom Cohere Qprit,kt if OtHurut fcv Ck' A N U.f EllVICI!:. mm -i J" gesture. "I cannot breathe, I can-uot can-uot move. I am scared." "You you mean somebody really grabbed you?" "No!" Mike's eyes rolled with terror ter-ror at the very thought. "1 mean 1 feel as had like somebody does that. I am scared. I am frightened. And I run downstairs." Gleason looked up. "We'd better bet-ter 'phone the police. Rube. If we don't call the cops we'll get our selves mixed up In this. And I guess we'd better 'phone the dean, too." Gleason walked unsteadily Into the fraternity house and called the Mariand police station. Then he telephoned to the dean and returned to the porch. It was a ghastly thing made eveD more grisly by the perfect day ; the sensuous, flower-scented breezes of tirst summer; the carefree, care-free, strolling groups of students; laughter and Jollity and careless youth. And upstairs the body of a young man lying dead. Murdered. It wasn't believable. The two young men were appalled by their own knowledge of surrounding circumstances. cir-cumstances. There was so much they knew which might prove damning. SYNOPSIS Antoinette Peyton, senior at the university of Mariand, resents Pat-' erson Thayer's attentions to Ivy Welch, seventeen -year-old coed, and there is a etormy scene, the tension being Increased by Max Vernon, another an-other student, reproaching Ivy for "breaking a date" with him. Thayer and Vernon threaten each other. Larry Welch, Ivy's brother, professor profes-sor at the university. Is appealed to by Tony to end his sister's friendship friend-ship with Thayer. Welch and Tony Peyton are In love. Welch does not see what he can do. Tony then tells him she Is married to Thayer, but Is his wife only In name. Larry determines de-termines to see Thayer and end his. association with Ivy. Tony persuades per-suades him to wait until she has appealed to her husband. She does so. visiting him In his room at a fraternity house. I fraternity house and turned In at : Phi Tau Theta. "Pat Thayer In?" he asked. "Yeh ... upstairs." Then, when he had entered the house, they looked at one another bewilderedly. The affair was too puzzling for mere conversation. Occasionally Oc-casionally one would shake his head, but speech was not necessary. Each knew that the other was thinking In circles. "I'll say this much," commented Gleason after a live-minute silence: "Pat Thayer has sure gotten popular popu-lar with a mixed crowd." "Yen . . ." agreed Kube. "Or unpopular 1" For live minutes more nothing happened. Then, at ten minutes past two o'clock. Larry; Welch appeared ap-peared in the doorway. Lie crossed the veranda with i quick steps and descended to the walk In a single Jump. The two boys stared after him, then directed their gazes toward each other. "Happy lad." commented Gleason. "He looked almost scared." "Ain't it the truth? You reckon" "I don't reckon anything. All I know Is I'd bate to have Larry Welch get as sore at me as he seems to be at somebody right now. I never nev-er knew that bird could get real angry." At Ofteen minutes after two o'clock . . . almost before the mellow mel-low chimes of the quarter hour had died out from the. tower of Old Slain . ., . something happened: something eerlely terrible, something some-thing which Jarred the two students to their feet and caused cold sweat to break out on their foreheads. From upstairs in the fraternity house there came a wild shriek ; an inhuman howl. There was an In stant's pause and then the howl was repeated and there was a sound of feet running heavily down the stairway, stair-way, and on the summer air certain words came to the startled ears of the two boys. "Oli I G d ... oh, my G d I" it A human figure catapulted onto the veranda ; a disheveled, wild-eyed figure which was making passionate gestures and struggling futllely to say something. They recognized him Instantly: Mike Carmicino, Janitor of the fraternity fra-ternity house. He grabbed Farnum's arm. He tried to talk, but no words came; only the gibberish of terror. Farnum grabbed Carmicino by the shoulder and glared at him. "What's the matter?" he asked hoarsely. "Wh-what's all the yelling yell-ing about?" Carmicino gestured wildly toward the Interior of the house. "Meester Thayer!" he croaked I'M eester .Thayer !" "What about him?" " Carmicino covered his eyes with his hands. "He Is dead I" he groaned. "Some- A small car jerked to a halt In front of the fraternity house and two men alighted. One of them was tail and broad and wore the uniform uni-form of the Mariand police force. The other, wearing civilian clothes, was short and squat Students strolling on the Row or lounging on the verandas of fraternity frater-nity houses, stared with sudden interest in-terest at Ps! Tau Theta. There was a general movement In the direction of the house. A young man from Lambda Beta Pi addressed the uniformed uni-formed policeman who stood on the lawn of Psl Tau Theta. "What's wrong, officer?" The cop answered tersely. "Murder 1" "Good G d. ... You don't mean. ..." "I don't mean nothln', young feller. fel-ler. Somebody's been murdered In yonder and nobody's to go In or git out. That's all." The startled young man told his companion. The news sped from Up to tip. Who was It? No, not Rube Farnum: he had been seen on the porch. Then somebody mentioned Pat Thayer. Many persons mentioned men-tioned Pat Thayer. No one knew where the rumor started, but Thayer's Thay-er's name was on every Up. The policeman on the lawn allowed nobody no-body to approach within bearing distance of the group on the veranda; veran-da; the militant, positive figure of John Reagan, chief of the Mariand plainclothes force; Mike Carmicino, the Janitor, petrified with fear and trembling violently; Rube Farnum. tail and limp and frightened; Phil Gleason, reduced from his customary custom-ary alertness to the shriveled miniature minia-ture of his usual positive self. Reagan was questioning Farnum. Rube was struggling to be fair and honest; to remember things and yet to avoid Injustice to anyone. He was absolutely and abysmally miserable. CHAPTER III Continued 5 "There's something funny. . . . And I think the more we say nothing noth-ing the less we'll get mixed up In a scan da L" There was a sound of feet on the stairway Inside the fraternity house. The boys looked toward the door In time to see Max Vernon come out. Ills manner still puzzled them. The moonlike face was sternly set giving it a somewhat grotesque appearance ap-pearance of futile anger; he was moving with short, quick strides across the veranda. He was wearing a different suit from the one - which had adorned his figure a half hour since and he seemed even more engrossed with thoughts of no highly pleasant nature. na-ture. He descended to the walk without so much as a glance at Farnum and Gleason. They noticed that under his arm he carried a sizable bundle. They saw him reacb his car and pitch the bundle Into the tonneau. Then, with more speed than grace, Vernon Jumped behind the wheel, kicked the starter, clashed his gears savagely and jerked into the road. "Something's puzzling me," remarked re-marked Rube slowly. "What?" "Which is the most remarkable phenomenon: Tony Peyton's visit to Pat Thayer's room, or Max Vernon's Ver-non's wild-eyed fury. I ask you, Phil which?" Gleason gave a prompt and explicit ex-plicit answer. "Both!" he said tersely. "What?" He hesitated. "I'm not at Uberty to say." "No. Certainly you aren't I'm ashamed of you, Bud. You're not playing fair. I guess If It's so Important Im-portant that I keep away from Pat Thayer it's Important enough for you to tell me what you know." "1 promised Tony " "Naturally, she'd make you promise; prom-ise; because most likely whatever she said Isn't so." "That isn't very nice, Sis." "And is it nice for you to come knocking Pat Thayer when you know I'm crazy about him? Is it?" He tried to be fair. "I guess It sounds pretty bad." he confessed. "But you know I'm honest Sis and what I'm telling you isn't guesswork. guess-work. It isn't based on rumor. Thayer isn't any man for you. And I don't want you going with him any more. You must lay off him." T don't have to do what you say. I guess If you weren't at this college col-lege I'd do what I want And I'm not going to fool you. Bud. I'll be with Pat as much as he wants me to. and I guess that'll be a good little bit" "Even If I ask you not to?" "Even then. Now listen " She stepped close and put her hand on his sleeve. "I know you mean well. Bud, but you're all wet on this. Pat Is a swell fellow. And he's crazy about me " j "Not that bird I" "Stop!" Unconsciously, she became be-came quite melodramatic. "I'm not going to let even you talk about Pat that way." "No-o? I guess If I know he's rotten. ..." -Oh. That Isn't fair, Larry. It Isn't You're being nasty about Pat and you don't know anything. Well, I guess he's told me all the bad things about himself that anyone else knows, and 1 love him. I'm going go-ing to keep on going with him. and I won't have you Interfering. I shall positively stick with Pat Now are you going to leave us alone?" "No." he said honestly, "I'm not" "I warn you. Bud you'd better." His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean: I'd better?" "I mean this," she said slowly. "If you try to keep Pat Thayer and me apart I'll marry him!" . "You'll what?" "I'll marry him." "But but you can't" ; "Because you say so?" ne cursed himself. He wished he hadn't told Tony that he'd keep her secret "You you Just can't that's all," he said lamely. "We'll see." She was aflame with Indignation: "I'm going to nsk him myself If he'll marry mel And don't think I don't mean that Bud because be-cause I do!" ne stared at her for a minute. She was his sister and he knew that she was serious. He sensed the futility of further argument and turned away abruptly. She jumped In front of him. her eyes blazing. "Where are you going. Larry?" His face was more grim and forbidding for-bidding than she had ever secn.lt "1 can't hammer any sense Into your head. Ivy so I'm going to see Pat Thayer." . Then there emerged from the Main building a tall nnd dignified man before whom a path opened In the throng of students. Whitman Boyd, dean of Mariand. turned In before the tragic fraternity house and was promptly stopped by the policeman on duty. "No further for you," snapped the oflicer. Dean Boyd' spoke quietly. "Are you in charge. Oflicer?" "No. That'll be John Reagan yonder." yon-der." And he gestured toward the veranda. ' "Will you nsk him If I may speak to him? I'm dean of the college col-lege and Pd like to find out what has happened." The policeman called out to Reagan. Rea-gan. "This guj is the big boss. Chief. Can he come up?" Reagan's keen eyes surveyed the dean, ne jerked his head aflirma-tlvely. aflirma-tlvely. "Let him through." The dean mounted, the veranda steps, his arrival sending a glow of thanksgiving through the breasts of Rube Farnum and Phil Gleason. lie spoke directly to Rengan. "My name Is Whitman Boyd." he said quietly, "I understand that someone has been killed." "Murdered. Young feller named Thayer." "Good G d ! Then It's true I heard the students gossiping." "You've heard nothing else?" "No. That's why I came. To find out." "Well he's dead all right enough. Stabbed In the throat 'Taln't pleasant pleas-ant up In that room." The dean shook his head. "What do yoa wish done, Mr. Rea-can?" Rea-can?" "Just exactly nothing," said the detective crisply. "Right now I'm gonna 'phone headquarters for a couple more harness bulls to police po-lice the grounds. Nobody's to come In here and no one's to leave. These Ihree fellers ain't to move from where they are." "You mean." gasped Gleason. that we're under arrest?" John Reagan grinned broadly. "Not yet you ain't, young feller. But don't get impatient." (TO BE CON'TIN'UED.) CHAPTER IV IVY WELCH emerged from the woman's dormitory nnd confronted confront-ed her brother. Larry, gazing at her with big-brotherly affection, found It difficult to reconcile himself him-self to the Idea that any affair of the heart In which Ivy was concerned con-cerned was to be taken seriously. But her first words sounded the alarm. "I know exactly why you've come. Larry. It's to tell me I've got to quit I'at Thayer. The answer Is that I won't do It" The tolerant smile died on his lips, and he frowned slightly. "Why, Ivy?" "Because I love him. And I guess rra old enough to know my own mind." "Not about a man like Thayer. Sis." She stamped her tiny foot "Tony Peyton has been talking to . you. hasn't she? She's been filling you full of poison. She's Jealous, that's all." "No-o,", he answered soberly, "she's not Jealous." "IJow do you know?" "I know It" "Ilumph!" Ivy spoke with the superiority of womanly Intuition. "I guess she's got the wool pulled over your eyes. too. I guess I could see that she was Jealous when she caught us In the Bower. I mean I could tell by every single word she said." "She isn't Jealous, Ivy. 1 feel confident con-fident of that" "Yes; because you're crazy about her that's why. You take my advice, ad-vice, Bud. nnd lay off her. She's playing you off against Pat I guess I understand this better than you d.." "No. You've got to quit, Thayer." LIct tips pressed tightly together 'Since when did you start telling me what I must do?" "It's for your own good." "Oh. yes because a Jealous woman wom-an wants the man who's crazy about me; that's why. And becaose she's got you fooled. Honest I never would have thought Tony Peyton could be so small and mean." "She Isn't that Sis; believe me. I know what I'm talking about She told me a good deal" "About this afternoon?" "About other things." "Somebody Have Murdered Meester Thayerl"' body have murdered Meester Thayer!" Over the bowed head of the babbling, crouching, shaken, sobbing Janitor, the two fraternity brothers faced each other. Their eyes were distended with horror as they struggled to comprehend the message mes-sage which Mike Carmicino brought to them. They led the Janitor to a chair, where he bent forward, his squat, muscular body racked with dry sobs. The boys were badly shaken, but at least they tried to think clearly, and Farnum's voice, when he questioned the Janitor, was almost steady. "You say Mr. Thayer Is dead?" Carmicino shuddered. "Sl-sl, slgnore. He Is quite completely com-pletely murdered. He Is on the floor of bees room. There Is much blood. He does not breathe. Hees heart It does not beat I am quite sure be is dead." "Good Lord. . . . How did you find him?" "I see the door of Meester Thay er's room Is not entirely shut 1 look In nnd 1 see one foot and one leg on the lloor. I theenk that l very funny that Meester Thayer should He on the lloor nnd not move. Perhaps he Is drunk. So I think I will put him on the bed and shut the door so nobody will know he Is drunk. I go In the room nnd then I see the blood and and and " "And what?" "I stand there for a minute. Two minutes. I do not understand that Meester Thayer what Is so kind f. me have come to a sad ending Then I see he Is dpad and sonn- thing grab me right here " IN touched hi? throat with a dramnth "Oh . . . you wouldn't dare! You'll be starting something I" She was trembling violently and her face was pale with anger. "I warn you, Larry you'll be starting something." some-thing." He moved away. "You're darn right I will," he said sharply. She stood like a little statue as he strode off down the path which led through the glen and so up the hill opposite. He tried to think clearly: tried to rid himself of the prejudice which must necessarily arise because be-cause Tony Peyton was the other woman In the case. One thing was clear to him In that moment of worry; he must see Thayer Immediately. Imme-diately. There must be a show down. He couldn't handle Ivy. but his teeth clenched as he reflected upon the fact that he could mighty well handle Pat Thayer. Actually. Larry experienced an exultation nt the prospect that Thayer might not be easy to handle. Ivy had roused him more than he knew. He was boiling Internally and he wanted a vent for his overwrought over-wrought feelings. Rube Farnum and Phil Gleason wtre silll lounging on the veranda of the Psl Tau Theta house. It was P.ube who saw Larry jrsL "And now another" he drawled "Here comes Larry Welch looking like someone had socked him be low the belt. If precedent mean.-anythlng mean.-anythlng he's coming straight here ' But even Farnum did not take hl own words seriously, and so his Jaw dropped as Larry passed his own |