Show 1 f The Notts Wh I sp ers Ht Stoil CHAPTER Continued X X 13 13 It looks like you were guilty from rending reading the morning papers he answered answered answered an an- with a grin But nut I dont don't believe believe believe be be- lieve all I read They They've e made out a strong case against you though I III didn't do It I I cried passion passion- If you didn't who ho did It must have bave been Mr Ir Wick There you go Jumping at ions Why not Claire Bradford Why do you mention her Do you suspect her If she didn't do It It why did she come down here to to see you How did you know she was as here I was watching you all the time you were talking to her But how did you know who she was I saw the other ther one this morning They look alike But how did die you know which sister It was You didn't seem to get along well enough In your talk for It to be Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara he answered with another grin ft It t had not been my Intention to reveal reveal re re- re- re veal even to him Claire Bradford's second visit to my apartment but I saw how foolish it would be of me to attempt to deceive or to withhold any Information from such a shrewd ob ob- se server ver Without reserve and with the utmost utmost utmost ut ut- most detail 1 I proceeded to relate everything everything everything ev ev- that had happened since I had seen him the afternoon before I 1 told of my discovery of or the secret panel in my room and of the blind passageway Into which It apparently led of Barbaras Barbara's having Ing made the perilous Journey over the window ledge to Inspect my find of ot the screams we had heard followed by bythe the shot of ot othow how Barbara had fled back by the way sh she came and I had run downstairs and with Wick had discovered the body I told him every detail so far faras faras faras as as I could remember It It winding up with my catching Claire Bradford leavIng leaving leaving leav leav- ing my apartment Just before my arrest arrest arrest ar ar- ar- ar rest and the finding of ot the revolver You dont don't think the detectives themselves planted the gun on you he asked Ive heard of them doing things like that He spoke with such an nn air of ot Innocence Innocence innocence Inno Inno- cence that I had to smile I doubt i If there were many tricks of detectives that Gorman did not know all about They had no opportunity whatever Neither of ot them had been near the dresser before and I was watching them every moment Wen Well who did hide the revolver er there If they didn't I dont don't know Wick have haye done It I was as with him every moment after we discovered the body Maybe It was Claire Bradford I shook my head hend I thought at first It might have been she but Im I'm convinced since tamIng tam tam- Ing lug with her that It was not Sho's She's either entirely innocent or else the most wonderful actress In the world I think we can leave her out of ot It It ventured Gorman That leaves only onty Wick Gorman shook his head positively ely No Wick didn't do It Hes He's a bad badone badone badone one all an right and he has done time but hes he's only a tool Wick has done time I 1 I exclaimed How did you find that out What ha have ve you learned about him Gorman grinned at my eager ques ques- I 1 dont don't know much about him yet yer et but Im I'm sure hes he's an ex ex con While White you were in court this morning he explained I went up to the Grand- Grand deck to take a look at things for my my- self Wick showed me through the Lutan apartment thinking I was from the coroners coroner's office epics I spotted him at once A crook that has done time Is always sure to give himself away awny How I asked Well said Gorman Judicially mens businesses leave their marks markson on them A clergyman dont don't have to tobe tobe I be wearing a high vest for you ou to spot him and nobody ever took a dancing teacher for a pugilist A man that has looked at as many crooks as I l have I knows them by Instinct and then theres there's little ways you can enn tell As AsI I was going up to the apartment with I IWick Wick he Just naturally fell tell iota Into step with me showing he had been used to marching with other prisoners Lie Ue talks too without moving his lips That's a sure sign They learn that In prison to o they can talk without the guards guard snowing Knowing It It Thas so I cried It struck me that there was something funny about the wa way Wick talked but I 1 couldn't hav hay told Just what It was lck's V a crook all right but 7 1 th think uk he comes from somewhere s upstate upstate up up- state or maybe mabe out West Vest but he I hasn't Intelligence eLough to be toe anything any any- thing more than a runner for the gang v Well what's what your theory theor I I asked It If If Wick lids t J murder Miss floss Lutan Lutan- 4 who did I I J 1 dont don't snow mow Yet vet Wl aint b big ble though Lobs Job tU take bl big me men 1 to 0 plan them This whole thing Is a abig abig abig big affair carefully planned out It takes moro more brains than Wick ever dreamed of or- or hiving having to plant anonymous anonymous anonymous notes and terrify people nearly out of their senses with mysterious whispers and then to steal the tile Bradford Bradford Brad Brad- Bradford ford papers and the Gaston pearls and then when things get set hot to have you OU already framed as ns the goat to blame things on Then you think my discharge from the office was part of the plot Sure It was You butted In on their blackmail plans and they wanted wanted wanted want want- ed to get square with you ou and a young ayoun fellow out of work and discharged In disgrace Is always an easy eusy mark for Cor suspicion And was It part of ot the plot to blame Miss Lutan's murder on me I dont don't think so The Lutan murder murder mur mur- der was an accident Even the biggest biggest biggest big big- gest c crooks seldom deliberately plan murder They're all nil afraid of the chair She came In and surprised some one of the gang In the apartment apart apart- ment He had to shoot her to make his getaway It was quick thinking on somebody's s part after the murder to plant that gun guu in your rooms That sort of scheming takes brains and Wick hasn't got them Who was It It then Weve Veve got ot to find said Gorman speaking slowly and with emphasis the big crook that Is back of all aU this the the master The mind master-mind I 1 echoed Y Yes cs he said theres a big crook crooked ed brain somewhere that has been di directing directing directing di- di the whole plot and planning the actions of or Wick Vick and of ot the telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone girl and mn maybe be of Claire Bradford Bradford Bradford Brad Brad- ford too I wonder If It could be her hus ex band She told me though a few moments ago that she had not heard of or him for years jears and she site seemed to tome tome tome me to be telling the truth I dont don't think It was him said Gorman He was only a chauffeur If It hes he's In It at all aU hes he's only one of the gang Ties He's not the master mind I hope we can keep the out of It altogether I said You see Gorman I 1 I III understand he Interrupted know how the land lies You need not worry about that If It Claire Bradford Bradford Bradford Brad Brad- I ford had any part In the plot you youcan youcan youcan can bet she was ryas forced Into It and driven to do what she did Have Haye you seen her sister No and I hope shell she'll make no effort ef ct- et- et fort to see me She mustn't You'll see her wont won't you ou Leave It to me tae said the detective Ill manage to reach her without even en her own family knowing anythIng anything any any- anything thing about It Ill I'll make her understand understand understand under under- stand that If It she tries to see you or says an anything she shell she'll ll only be damaging damaging ing Ins your case Dont Don't worry about her Theres eres ere's one thing though I said that I wish you could do that Can you find some way of getting setting to the Gaston apartment and exploring explorIng exploring ing that secret passage and ind see where It leads He turned savagely on meSay meSa meSay me Sa Say young feU fellow ow he said If lilt I didn't know linow that you were Innocent Id I'd swear that you were a dope fiend with this tale of a secret passage S I I Ir Sr r r t Weve Got to Find the Ule Crook That Is Back of All This This the the Master Mind Youve You've been reading rending too many thrill thrillers thrillers ers or going to the movies too much They dont don't have havo secret passages In modern apartment houses You better better better bet bet- ter keep quiet about that You cant can't get anybody to believe you ou and you'll only hurt your case But I 1 know theres there's a passageway there along there along the hull huH I J found the opening a panel In my bedroom Theres There's a n place there big enough for fora a man to walk In I saw It He looked at me pityingly and I 1 could see that he ho did not believe a word I 1 was saying All AU right theres there's a pa passage sage there and well we'll leave It there A young fellow fellow fel fel- fel low tow In n love lore Is apt to Imagine all aH sorts of ot things I saw law there was no nouns tl In my Insist Insist- Insisting In ing further farther about the passageway His mind was Wal stubbornly made up that It could not lot exist He De was the only friend I J had bad In all aU the great grent city and I must leave It to him to work the thing out In his own way vay What about a lawyer I asked the court assign n you one oneT Yes but he took It for granted that 1 J was guilty so I 1 got rid of him w Well n there thero aint much a lawyer could do yet et Ill I'll dig up one when we need him Ball Is not possible In Ina Ina ina a murder case so there Is nothing for tor you to do but to sit tight and take It as easy casy as you can By Dy the way have hae you heard anything from old oid Gaston since you were arrested Not a word I answered I 1 h have not the least Idea where he Is or how to reach him Humph that's funny tunny said sald Gorman Gorman Gorman Gor Gor- Ill I'll see man abstractedly Good by you again tomorrow He pounded d' d don on th the cell door and a guard released him leaving me alone atone t to ponder over my ray plight and and especially espe espe- espe daily over oter his last question What had he meant by It Where was old oM Rufus Gaston Once more suspicion of ot my aged relative shot through my brain Was It possible that hl his was the mastermind mastermind master mastermind mind behind all this plotting Gorman Gorman Gor Gor- man had Insisted that the arch criminal crim crim- inal inai behind Wick and the thc others must be be some man of Intellect My great great- uncle Rufus had brains Out of a clear sky he he- hend had nd summoned me to live In the and then had mys mys- disappeared Certainly he had had opportunities for knowing Wick and the telephone girl Barbara Bar Bar- barn bara had recalled once having heard her father speak of ot him in disparaging disparaging ing terms Had it been he who was plotting against the and had brou brought l f me Into the case as a scapegoat Was old Rufus Gaston the mastermind mastermind master mastermind mind Where was he CHAPTER XI Fortunately for tor me there had recently recently re re- re- re been a wave of ot public criticism of ot the courts for tor the long delays In bringing criminal cases to trial and the district attorney was moving with all nIl celerity to bring my case to a con con- An Indictment against me metor for tor the murder of ot Daisy Lutan had been quickly found and the date had been already set for tor the trial trial one one week weck hence so hence so that the period of my Incarceration and doubt as to my mato mate fate seemed likely to be very brief Utterly absurd as the situation was accused of ot murdering a woman whom I never had seen and hardly had heard of ot until I saw her lying dead In her apartments conscious as I was of my entire Innocence In the matter still as In the solitude of ot my cell I 1 revl reviewed wed the case I found myself facing facing fac fac- ing the ordeal of ot a trial for tor murder with considerable apprehension Circumstances certainly looked much against me There was absolutely absolutely absolutely no way In which I 1 could refute the testimony of ot the two detectives that they had found the revolver with one chamber discharged In the drawer of ot my dresser I m myself self had seen them find It While G still held that there was a possibility lIty that they themselves had put It there I knew that neither of ot them had been near the dresser after I had admitted them to my rooms The only person whom I had the slightest ground for tor suspecting suspecting suspecting sus sus- was Claire Bradford yet et what motive could she have had Wick undoubtedly would testify that he had met me at the door of the Lutan apartment directly after he had hac heard the shot He might say that I appeared to be greatly excited This would be the exact truth There was even een the tho possibility that he might swear that he had found me coming out of Miss Lutan's apartment Even If he lie did not make the statement direct dl dl- dl shrewd questioning on the par part of ot the district attorney could easily make It appear that I had Just left the Lutan apartment How could wo possibly controvert his testimony Then In addition there were the damaging statements that would be offered by Nellie Kelly Kelty She would swear that the evening before I had taken her out to dinner and had been questioning her about the other tenants tenants tenants ten ten- ants In the house Even though we knew that she was a tool of ot Wick anc and W was S the wife of Lefty Moore the burglar burglar burglar bur bur- glar unless Gorman was able to discover discover dig dis dis- dis cover coer that she herself had a criminal record It seemed utterly hopeless to attempt to confute her har statements It would also militate against me that at the time of the murder I was out of a Job and almost without funds They were likely too to bring out the fact that I had been discreditably discharged from the only position I had held in New York The only man wh who knew an anything about the matter Mr Wood the head of ot the firm had hat been suddenly called to France In connection con con- with an order for tor munitions and was not expected to return for tor several months The fact tact would woul weigh against me too that I would be unable to offer the testimony of ot any character witnesses Birge anc and Roller Hotler my classmates with whom I had hat roomed ever since I had come to New NewYork NewYork NewYork York were somewhere In France with th the American troops and could not possibly aid me m All An of this ibis was pointed out to me meby meby meby by John McGregor a young attorney whom Gorman had employee employed for me While Gorman and I had I think succeeded succeeded succeeded suc suc- In convincing him of my Innocence innocence innocence inno Inno- cence the fact that he was continually continually ally citing clUng the difficulties tP In III the way of our proving It made mad me realize that he was waa very dubious as sal to the tha outcome n u Wt we were nose r aOI that The Ibo trouble was witnesses Old Rufus tea y without still rema remas remained l lG G Gaston aston WD- WD s discover r him biro himIn a mystery U If we at could least explaIn satIsfactorIlY satisfactorily sat sat- could In time we In n the Grand Orand- my presence that I wasand was establish and c could uld deck penniless vagrant homeless not the me The would try to prove they remained In hiding biding Rufus l longer old suspicion became my the stronger involved be In n some way might that he In keeping his In the p plot lot Dis action from me IDe seemed to secret a address deliberate Intent have been with andI and andI some discussion Gorman some Alter After mention either of ot I |