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Show Ollf of the 15 lF&lfliSS By Cl3AK..E J. DuTTon Current IS ky D44. Utd ft C. .iikI utisw eretl excitedly, "The butler found him. Mr. Slyke was going lis'i-ng lis'i-ng today, anil was to have been culled arly. The butler went to knock on ids rioor and found It half upeued and" Hartley Intel rupted. "Then. I tnke t. he usually kept the duor of ills room locked." "He did. I do not know why. The butler saw It was open, looked In. called Mm, and got no unsvver. Then lie t-aiiie and told me. I was at breakfast. break-fast. 1 went lo his room, mid there he was " und her voice trailed off in horror. Bartley's fare was very grave ns he Mi d. "What did you do when you found he was dead?" I''or the hundredth time she brushed the hair from her eyes. "I called the servants Kuth was not here. Then 1 telephoned for the doctor." l:orhe did not like Hartley's doing all the i dcsilonlng. and he asserted his ollii'ial position by saying that It was time we wcnl up to the room where Slyke lay. Miss I'otter led the way, walking like one weary and overwhelmed with grief. The room thirty fret siiuare. was larger than I had expected lo Mod. II was furnished fur-nished like a den. The bed in one coiner wits the only evidence that It was used for sleeping purposes. Under Un-der ti e white coverlet we could see :he still form of a man huddled In n heap, ly.ng on his back, his legs extending ex-tending into the air a little beyond the foot of the bed. UN face was half hidden by the bedclothes, which were closely drawn around his neck and over his chin. The doctor had taken his pus thai ul Sl.vkes I d. am1 w e ail -tool ;il,,.iii him in s lencp until I'.a r; lev's i l r hro' e the stillness. "Mis. I'. uter. when you came in did oii much the bedclothes at nil V" S) e hesitated n sec ml. a if crying ,o think, then rcpMed. "No, I gave : it. 'THIS IS MURDER" John Hartley, noted crtmlml In-vestU;atnr. In-vestU;atnr. recently returned fiom Secret Service work di rin the war. is asked by the eovernnr of New York to investt.cnle a mysterious mys-terious attempted robbery of the Robert Plvke heme M Circle like. near Snratoaa. Birtley is asked. In j iev o' recent d-v elopnicius. to eslabl nil the suilt or iuno ence of two nicn in the penitentiary lor the crime. A nilsr arriage . of Jus-lice Jus-lice is eusr-ecte.d. Roger:,, ch.ef of tile x-alil oll'ce. arrives as Hartley Hart-ley and his trend Pell, a its-paper its-paper man. are preparing to go on a fl.-i.-ins trip, and begins to des rlbe the case. Barlley finds tn it the restai.ni of an old as.-. U interested and agrees lo solve the mystery barlley and felt go to Circle Lake and call on Sl.vke. CHAPTER II Continued. 4 Cnrrie rose itnd suggested we plaj a game of billiards; and the conver stit'on about the burglary ended While I play at the game, Hartley plays witli uncanny skill,. and both Curric and the doctor were almost eiptallv good players. It was not until some hours later, when ihe doctor was called away by telephone, that we realized how lale it was. Hartley ami I were tired after outride out-ride and the long hours of visiting we went immed ately to oil i ii.oms. Neither was inclined to talk but Hartley did unburden liiinstli enough lo say he believed that Sly'w knew who had committed the bur giary. but for some reason wanted to hide the fact. Ki'e minutes later. I was in bed anil asleep. 1 slept without dreaming, until someone aroused me by a vigorou-shake. vigorou-shake. Hcnding over me, nlread dressed, was Hartley. I va.-itely no tieed a sttan,-e look in his eyes am-traces am-traces nf excitement on his rar. hu. I was too tired lo lie interested and Started to turn over and go to sleep again. He lluew the covers o.V me saving in an eager voice: "(iet up. I'elt. get tip (pick: pin-tor pin-tor King has Just 'phone.l us to i,.ee' him at Slyke's house. They found Syke in his bed " he paused " dead." "Iiead:" I que -tinned. "Hut why how " I'.art'ev did not wait for me to tin Ish. "Si ot. They tidd King it w.i-suiclde." w.i-suiclde." CHAPTEf! 111 Suicide or Murder. I was oat of 1 1 -. I in u iiiiuiip'it. and gettiti'; Inio my clothes us rapidly a I rouhl. Ku'l.v (Ire-sed. I tollnwei! I'.ni-tlej out onto the l.fw n. whb h w.i 5till wet with the morning dew. We crossed the lield and ui'MI through the wiiorls in k lence. At last I veil fured to nsl; 1 n r it was thai he had heard regard'ng Slv';e's di-i-th. "Abotii lie minutes lie. ore I wolie you. King 'phoned to say that I e had I een called to Slyke'x housi thai In-was In-was ilead. lie w;is told Hull he had commit ted suicide." "Why slum d be have killed him seir?" 1 ns;ed. "He flirt not loon time ti-me like it man vvho had nerve enough for that." In u i.:oo(ly tone Hartley red:erl "I don't think he did." nnd left me to puzzle out Ids meaning. When we iciicl.el the house there n no mi iv. ;i rd evidence Ihal uu thing unusual lad taken place. Pin-tor Pin-tor King's (in- v ' ii h cu. a ng up Ihe drive as we maud tie fiont of the house. With him uiim n sl.ori. re I faced Ir'xhinaii In police uniform whom he In: , ii lured, ii niomeni later H. Koche. tlie ch ef of th local polli.v force. Hartley tut tied to the doctor, ".lust what did tiny tell you over the 'pi une?" he asl.ed. "(inly whsii I told yon. I h:id JuM got'iti out of bed. when Ihe I. ell tan.-nnd tan.-nnd an e:;iiled vo'ce aked me lo come at i. nee. a they had u--t found f'lvl.e dciiii ,,nd thong! t he had I, Hied himself." Hefore ne ro hi rill :. In fact before v.-p could l - :iil I ' top step of 111'-I 111'-I laz-'ii the r'o-ir wn flung oien atul a v. nf-an of nl out Hfty rti died Willi-In Willi-In the i'o I'u'm -Ide. Slie was fur from in i at'rarihf woman lliin. i 1 1 1 1 w lur I- cal'ed a hatr-het face. Iler shrill olr-e hro' e ns sh(i grabbed Ihe doe trir't arm and cried : "It's come, doctor, ll'n come, Jusl a I ei.poctcil. Hc'h kill, d him elf. (Ill I knew theie i oilhl he Iroiible. Night nftor i, Lhl I have had ii nu-s-ia.ie on lie out :i l oin d. It siild ' 1 1 1 1 1 anil ii :ri In. "110111 e. troiib'e coiuitig.' An 1 1 h;ip drciimed lha: he was dead, loo It's come. I le Is dead." Hartley (.me me a look. This, he I I new. was .'.I I - Hotter, Ihe Ksler o M' I e's (lend wile nnd an arileiil splr I 1 1 I III 1 1 Kt . J ll was sonic lime before the dm tot could c,et I rr cal iied dow n enough lo : Introduce ;.. I I'y Ihe time Hie. Int rinlur-t Ioih had I I n coii, .!' ed. vc w ere nil In the hi; ii iiiii in which we had inel Shl.c the i!ii In I'm i ' 'm i ll' hud told u I In pli'VO-IH I'V'TMIU' that Sll.e win In ! 'ill ' e il cji id pn l H thill id --111 . n lid 'le room Inn ed 1 1 nl ll. ere had been in- 111 Ihe ecu el u ere 1 1 1 1 (( '-II id II I . I - -, , lib Ihe ' I I'll -i pll lied I' ick ll'eln 'hi' i e 'ili-n ' I b-r1 ni t lo-y w en , I en I lie p 1 1 1 I l.i ' e li A I l el e 'l i '' ' t'l" tn e ii i ootid I'. I I ! Ini,.id Ii. .'.I: .N 'oil er. ; ',11'. p I"' Mill n-ll in I ."1 Mr. Mi I e wi. illMrm SIim i'fi"e -.'nit ivllili;' lier hllll'ht. del I Why. thnt' foolish, Mi Rart-ley. Rart-ley. It's Buiclda. Ha lias lii sun in his hand." Hartley gave him n ntnused (tlunctj as he answered, "It may be foolish, hut It's murder. True, lie has the I gun In his hand; and that makes It ! look something like suicide, 1 'agree; but that's Just what lonieoue wanted t us to think." This ftatement aeemed to make Koche angry. III face flushed and lie sneered. "Oil, come now, how do you expect to prove that?" Hartley did not answer hut simply pointed to the gun. I think we all looked at It rather foolishly, as If we expected to find in It, by - some miracle. clue to his statement. As we dirl not speak, he replied, "Koche. you think that the fnct he Is found dead with the gun in his hand, proves that he committed suicide. lint to me, that gun and the way It Is held, proves murder. Not only murder, but that the gun wits placed in bis hand after death. Hook at the way the hand grasps the revolver. It Is not held so firmly hut that with some effort It can be removed. The testimony testi-mony of all medico-legalists Is that In cases of suic.de or uf accidents, the. attitudes und acts of the person whose life is suddenly ended nre continued con-tinued for some seconds after death." Koche wa listening alii ntlvely. hut Hartley's last words were u little o-'er Ids head. 1'erce.ving thai lie did not understand. Hartley explained ut greater length : "What I mean by that Is simply this: In cases of suicide or where a man shoots himself by uccldcnt nnd d es suddenly, the hau 1 clutches lite weapon so lightly thai alter death It is almost Impossible to loosen his grip. There Is a muscular spa.-iu Hint toliows death whicii cau-es the hand i to gr.p the weapon even more tlgi.tly ihan in II, e. Jjo.il medico-lc.il Imo s ugiic tint ii we.ipon so held Is the best evidence of suicide." Km he v. u urn w .bing to accept Ibis statement. -'That s u hue taeury," he .ilucicd. ".lust Ihe sort of a thing jou city de.ect : v e.-, dig up. You h.ie! "1 to have ino,t limn that lu make i me t, .in., he vv;.s nun deie.l." H..r.l.V ji-ive u l ine s..rag of h's -.l.oi.li.e, s. i.a if foied lv li.e who.e ii.dig. "As )iU w h;i ! 1 l.nd all idea u n.lgt.l want i.ioie execute Ili.iu II. at." Ik- p. u.ir l. nt d we vv.nieJ liO'..;li:i-.J lid I u.1 ticXI wo. i!s. "l.i. on ill hu e.ic.. Ti.c) uie tightly ili. .ml. II i.- a ii-i-i.;ii ..nl la. I I'.' a l ...vil.i.,1 i.it-u 11. ill, w l.rll de.iill coioes i.y vim. ine. l..e evi u u.e ic.iiu .ue w open and stiiiiag. On thu i tl.er l..illd. in i.im-1 v. l.ere ile.illl i o 1 1 1 1 .1 si. o.l.i, Itiey lu.o he ll.ilf Mint. lu i.i'.i ,.i uistaiue u. e tl.c.v e.er Imly I. UM'il. ,lien w t- 1 1 u J U .ie ivlil'l tf li. e e., es a.e liglol.i i lo-nsl. we kim.v II. .'l b'l.tieille has cio.-,cd liictil. loel 1 1 ... t il was d dic ii. lei toe i.i.ui was ...,ol. "Kele we l.nd the eves closed. If' he i oi.iio. t led ruuiiic. liu'j vinutd bil open. II l.e I ud I. cu n.iu i.e. ed. li.ey viouid be (veil ulso. Tuo.inii (lie luil ' U.ey uie ii'.-vil i..e not i.vip im lo dei ide l.elwi-eu muit.cr nl.d Miicii e. it 1 1 i.-s po u I to the luci ti.at M..,ji iiiid dun l.ei 11 ill Ihe. loom und cli,-i llo-iil .ulei i.e de.l. M.i.v we mil nuppo.-e .ii. il li e K.iine pci. .ii 1. nl pin. ed Ihe ,lill in l.i-. build to tiiin.e I...1 de.iill i.piui to tic itnicide. v ti. iilio tie o.ie who closed his eves. II. l kmoviu t.t.it uf) si. o.. Ill hne iclii.i.lK-d open. liO inn t ler l.o.v he (bed :" He luiiised, uk If will; i 1 1 for olin--elie lo .- i o ii U . I l.i. il u no one did, he i-otit iii hi il : ' l.ul il.ul Is nut nil, Koche. You should use your ioiii.hoH sense, lleio ii Slyke. dciid, Willi l.i. Hi hand h) Ids side, nod Hie bedcloiiie up .no und Ion neck ii..d u.ci hi chill. mi ih u'l expect lue lo lu leve tout ic could have Htol l.iaisclt. pulled the clothes ill. .1.11 I l.li llcck. und Ihcll placed liis in ion by Ii.h sides, lie did ool lur. e lime eli.ui-li lor tliiil; l e .lied iiislatii ly. without evin a .-till;:-.i'. A m'i ihi'I alter tlieshol was tiled, lids woihl via over as tar as lie was comci tied. It vi as .-onieoiie cKo who an. in -.cd tliii l' Ihiius. Si incline who iv Ished IPs death lo nppccr to lie sui-c.de. sui-c.de. ii ml In 1 1 ,v ing lo do that rather ov ei d d I lie w hole tiling. No. I do not I hill , II ere Is I be sli.;hteM ilonbl ii the v v in 1:1 hul Unit he wns uiur dered." lioi he hud long s'n.-e lost his con llileiit air. lie said not hing. I hough, even when Hartley had Mulshed. The doctor, loo. hud li'tcneil Willi ime.osl. vet 1 vviii tail alloL:elhei sure that he wholly agreed with I'.arlleys reason, lug. "Hut. If Slyke was murdered." the doctor asked, "why should all this trouble have been taken to make It look like milcbleV" Hartley, who wns bendliuj over the bed I'Munlnini.' the body, did not an -over until he si ralght ened lip again. "King," be said in a grave voice. "I iiiii sure this In murder, not suicide, Ihe pillion who killed him wished us to bel eve he killed himself. .More-over, .More-over, he was not killed lu bed." I'.olh Ihe doctor and Koche looked us If this laid Kliiii'ineiil were loo tin-l.el'ev tin-l.el'ev aide ; und ev ,-u I. who had long lincc ( ea ed lo he lu priu"d at iiu.v-ililng iiu.v-ililng lliul Hui-Hey lnli:ht say, won-Icicd won-Icicd a bltle. "1 hnve (jt'iiv'o (liioldri it ho w.ii even killed In t h i 1 irtrun." I ei 1 1 mo i 1 1 nt i n r I- 1 1 1 "It't Come, Doctor, It's Corns. Jti-t at I L'xnected Hti Kilied Hirrso.t " a ijulcli look, saw he was ilend. unit huriiirl .'rum the room." "A.ll tiie.v are Just lis you fo- nc 'hem I ne.ill. up nt'ound hi chin this way?" "So lar ns I know. The butler siy-I.C siy-I.C never went near the bed at nil." Without n word. Hai-lley pu'leii buck the coven h Inr us the man s .best. Sl.vl.e's nighlslilit had no' lieen hllConed. Ills I'll' e vvas caliii showing not Ihe slightest sl;n of a death strug.de; his eves cloned; II m-'iith par'lv open. A Hartley pulled Hi chillies si II further down, we saw that the rigid hand held n revolver Then w e noticed the wound lb. 'I I a can ed his death. It was under lib left i'1'f. half hjibb-n by li e p II. .vv on which wire a few drops of Id I The diicior Inch ami oviniin.-d lb. wound closely, then rose to hi leei Knrllcy in linn bent over the Inulv 'nil he tinned his ul lent loll lo I In lu ml holding Ihe revolver. It In lose (o Hie side of Hie body with Hu lingers gripping the butt hrnily. Hurt ev moved It a little lull did not nl tempt to loosen licit- clinch. Will auoiher glam e al Ihe pillow and Ih ace up. hi II. he rose, his I ps com jire-'ail. Ids face iiue. Iioehe nulled to us with ll hal smile. "It's Kdch ( simple cu e, Mi Knrllcy. I lull It won't need any o! your skill lo miIw il. The dnoto won't need to hold n loir.: Impied. It'-ns It'-ns clear a case of suicide as I have ever seen. lie undies -ied, got In bed. .mil then shut himself. There Is Ihe gun In his hand. Not lunch In Ibis i use Is t here V" 'Ihe doctor half nodded III agree nieiil ; but Hartley, as If he hud not I curd, bent mailt) over Hie bed. hb ,nce slern, atul c-.iiinlneil Hie revolvei vVhcii he si t iilghl ened up. lie sahl simply. "It's scrlotiH enough. Chlel M 1 1 ei 1 1 r always Is, and Ibis Ih nun' ler." Al h's w ord i Mb-.-r I'oiter, who Inn' I. ecu nl a ml ng he lide In". eii-crl -i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 : -. ei ei I hing I hat wns done live a I il He cry. A s lor lu.i -ie I', I a ' Ii"l in ea I ly surprli ed a I hi , i.i d '. 1 1 is milliner hud been M' ei Ion" ( 1 1 1 I I had I n epeclln. e: blue id the sol t. Koche t-l lllllei in a i u 1 1 i -1 1 1 1 1 1 1 . and t in lied I o l I lulu. lu-lu. ) on lie, i r Ihe 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 now I Mm' |