Show th dill ta U ado matt AL A arder by MILTON 1 0 wright lm 1932 b by milton mien profyr berroc CHAPTER vill VIII Continued 15 and still mure more seared scared the detective stated staled significantly that after initiation he would be to interpret the incident and iden tiby you ua as the tiller thief that would have meant exposure and for you flushing at ills tone patterson nevertheless admitted tile the indictment 1 I was ready to replace the watch to stave that off tie lie said hut but it ani have e helped the other bi truth would still tell allm the truth then when his loath death removed flint danger rinne tir I 1 dare get rid of it until walton grew insist ent still it was most opportune as on oil the day lie he died you stole etole a 0 quantity of coalee and from air kenneth fley wards chemistry laboratory you find heard of tile the supply of poisons lie experimented with As though rankin hod had touched a gitil nerve tile the student stu ilent clutched ills hla chair with a grip that whitened tits ills knuckles anil and moistened ills dry knuckles you know that tool he gasped in a hoarse whisper YOU roil must havel found tile test tubes in my bureau 1 11 1 I lid did air patterson I 1 traced to you as soon as mr air hoy hey waird reported to me ine about his tarn vered poison supply that was my first duo clue that you were implicated in tile the murder artler tu and there Is other evidence just as the case your conduct has beef suspicious and required investigation 1 evidence what do yun dinean surely you dout dont con slifer tile me responsible for poisoning stuart I 1 11 instead ol of alaria con ster nation disclosed only astonish anent ment mill all lie he stared nt at rankin with wa widened ened incredulous eyes nevertheless the detective maln tallied stand what else am I 1 to believe be Meo he be demanded dein harshly barsh ly besides il obtaining the poison you admit having tin tile strongest reason for cor wanting to silence him 1 you could not lot face the scandal bis donld would cause you were frantic to conceal your guilt at apy api cost rho ilio opportunity was also yours instead of acting its as jordans sponsor aix insor luring during the you stood behind hlin in a position to administer the chiline co iline and your nerv is ness afterward 11 hill 1 di naf I 1 never thought of giving it to it if the worst earne cania to worst I 1 was going to use it myself I 1 the confession coures slon rung from ned rn by sheer desperation caused ca used a suspended silence of pure horror the students ghastly hue r ivalea only that lint of fits schoolmates 11 ns s they regarded him in shocked nwe 11 we you iou took it fur for yourself V began breaking the tension hot snatched nt at ills his meaning inc ailing more swiftly and a note 0 you took rook it t for yourself ran kin began breaking the tension Tenn lon of 0 f palli aln tilled filled tits his voice nell my G d you going to coin coal ailt idel you have hae d done olle it old ninn I 1 I 1 patterson on shrugged shrunK cd his shoulders dc lesial spa tinly Y 1 1 I dont know tell ted lie fie returned 1 I 1 cant tell fell whether ill id have hall the nerve to go through with it I 1 was beside my self brooding over it I 1 decided I 1 bear abe shaine of it tile lie loss losa of peoples respect resie ct perhaps even a prison term terin at any rate I 1 was rendy ready it if I 1 finally innelli got up agal I 1 31 it IL why I 1 take part in the ritual on tuesday Tue the day was van too much of a strain for nu me trembling he burled his face in tits hands again no arting could have been as ton con mincing us as tits hla genuine wretched ness it was too ton overwhelming to tie be his avowal too solemn to 0 o be merely a cleverly eyerly cl coneo connoted ted fabrication its very eor SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS stricken during initiation into alu beta sigma fraternity stuart jordan university student dies almost immediately A physician was poisoned declares declare he tommy investigation rankin nankin philadelphia ph detective takes charge of f the an jordans death two injection of conine is shown to have been the balose cause of in the investigation students ralph buckley and walter randall figure A initiation prominent lawyer edward fletcher present at the has also engaged rankins nan kins attention A student larry palmer was drugged the fraternity by house ralph buckley the night elgh of the initiation and a key ke y of stolen from him jordan has a month to some unknown been paying by ch check ec k person howard merrick jordans uncle as his guardian had supervision of 0 his conduct until he was years old when the boys twenty two large fortune became his own dr arnold prince st louis physician Is arrnold brought into the from the investigation con condne no Is stolen university jordan laboratory A woman seeks an undelivered vered letter to but rankin nankin secures it the letter Is from edward pletchers fletchers Flet chers wife young and reveals that pletcher fletcher list has been suspicious of jordans to her on the night before the attention fraternity initiation tile the pled geen were taken to an isolated spot and abandoned to set get home as best they could the stolen poison Is found in the room of ned patterson Patte raon a student rankin finds on tits his abandonment jordan that telephoned from a farmhouse to airs bletcher rl who wh 0 camo came for him in an auto in fletcher hers roadster nankin finds etcher r der mir needle EvI evidence denes a hypodermic 0 involving lial ralph P h buckley Is secured ned patterson so pawns a watch which will c h the detective det e active secures rankin nankin learns of f thefts in the fraternity house questioned of a series concerning the had pawned pa patterson catterson admits the watch he digness guaranteed guarantee its authenticity viewing tile the sponsors conduct in tills this new nev light rankin un understood a the reasonable cause of tits ds distress s t r after tile tho tragedy gedy As in tile the present interview he was wa chiefly alar ined lost lest tile the in intention te 7 tie lie had harbored now that he could nhan aban lon ion it would be disclosed and if his theft of the toxins was related to ills design of suicide only the detective was satisfied to overlook it completely ile he could sympathize with pattersons Iatter Patter sons fredica predl pr edica ca it was cincu circumstances instances tie lie felt air a weak character rather than any real ran viciousness that had driven hlin him to thieving arven his de to take tal his life rather than be caught all and punished suggested tin an innate sense of decency one particular needed explanation however before rankin was ready to dismiss the possibility that lie he wits was implicated tn in the pled gees death can you swear mr air patterson he asked sharply that no use was duade or of either cither poison you selected hither for your own purpose or by anyone else in connection with the murder tilt the student looked up listlessly no one except myself them since I 1 took them sir then what happened to almost half of tile the coatne mr air heyward I 1 ley ward reported the loss of two grains or of atropine rind and six drops of codine i and nil all the fie missing atropine was in one vial in your dresser but the other ither contained only three drops of cOl collillo lille 1 I 1 spilled a bit in pouring it out patterson responded unhesitatingly 1 I 1 was nervous anyhow and hur hiir mod for rear ken might return and interrupt me ine he fie spoke earnestly studying Itu dyIng ra filkill intently im telling the truth sir 1 he added whether you believe me or not the detective definitely reached 1 11 I decision 1 I 1 do believe you he said more kindly in fact there Is just one more point id like settled before you go then you can leave with mr flit anton and air crawford and forget about the thefts As far as I 1 nm am interested they are a closed hook book pattersons Patter sons eyes lighted with relief and stanton S expressed ills appreciation pre clation Tl inta mighty one flue of y you ou mr rankin it helps the fraternity out of a very bad hole im 1 m speaking for all of us u in saying how grate ful we are my aly question quest lots la is about a student named ralph buckley Huckl py rankin pursued disregarding tits thanks lie ile Is A freshman and a good friend of larry palmer you recall him film pat terson im sure during rushing sen sIn palmer sponsored him film as a candidate only lie failed to make the grade rind and was not pledged ralph buckley the boy nod led ded yes I 1 remember him he said bluntly 1 I 1 expected you would because I 1 understand it was you who voted against accepting him exactly what im after why you approve of him was it some information jordan had given you that lint resulted in your veto information from stuart sir A puzzled look crept into ons face echoed by his query news view q to me I 1 even linow know he was acquainted with the fellow ile he never once mentioned his name to we me it was iia tile the detectives turn to be surprised do you menta menn he had nothing to do with your rejecting then rhen why lid did you object to him because he ha happened to know I 1 gani gambled bled at the morton club the sponsor returned As I 1 told you I 1 to have my fro fra eternity brothers find that out call it a guilty conscience lin ile he had vis difed the club several times an and d seen tue me there though I 1 learn who lie he was until the first smoker still stall he help guessing my iny L business lie ile paced with a touch ton c h or bitterness lle besides sides it if lie he fre quentel a place like that I 1 figu figured red lie he desirable material for the chapter and you were correct rankin 1 agreed thank you mr air Int terson that Is all I 1 wanted tie ile rose to close the interview when rankin hankin returned to headquarters after a belated lundli be ia found the long expected reply to ills his inquiries at aberdeen awaiting liari ji I 1 in it was just a telegram verl tying walter randall Ilan dalls S tale of the gambling episode in the doral tories buckleys Buck leys run in with jor nun and ana ins ills subsequent expulsion from the college tile the complete report was following by mall mail but as soon as he rend read it the detective swore out a warrant for buckleys Buck leys arrest unlike patterson tits his con duct proved that he fie was an cipley and incorrigible rascal for whom there could he be no excuses or extenuating considerations the only disquieting element in ran ilan kins assurance was tile the contrad nordic lc tory evidence of fletchers fletcherr Flet chers guilt in deference to mr air warwick he decided to consult him film before executing his warrant the supervisor had co operated cooperated with him film whole heartedly when it would have been more advantageous to obstruct ills his inquiry and hush up unnecessary publicity in return now that even more unpleasant notoriety impend oil ed rankin nankin felt lie he owed him some warning of his move accordingly he phoned mr air barwicks War wicks informed him that he would call on him film ile he requested him to send for nuckley buckley at tile tho same vale time to inter IV view jew him in the supervisors presence that done lie he drove to air war w wicks icks ollices along walnut street severn several I 1 blocks from tile the campus A flaxen haired young lady at the desk desh was the only occupant of the office rankin entered ile he stated his name and business and she plugged a 11 connecting wire into the next nest room ill just let air warwick know youre here slie she ad addressed dresse d him with mingled interest and respect theres a young wan man in ili there with him but he said lie he would see you as soon as you got here A young man rankin nankin repeated aed interested then mr air buckley ihas haa arrived already the secretary shook her head no that the name nam L she r lie replied its some student who wanted to consult mr air warwick war w ick about dropping out of school 11 at that moment the door to the inner office opened nud and unexpected ly enough walter It tindall appeared now in civilian clothes they accent ed his dapper slight stature and the pallor of his small symmetrical features they had an almost seekly hue hire lie greeted the detective with a quiet pleasant smile tire the coincidence of encountering the boy responsible for ills fits own errand made rankin ask quietly did you speak to mr warwick about the matter we discussed I 1 in a your room the trouble beaw between L en ralph buckley and jordan at aberdeen last randall responded soberly no air rankin ive been too busy with my own troubles I 1 believe I 1 said the other day I 1 last out the year at school with these lunga of mine well it looks na as if I 1 was right im sorry to hear that rankin was sympathetic 1 I 1 realize your condition was that serious yes ive just been talking over when I 1 can lenie leave the student re turned im checking out monday morning or afternoon at the latest I 1 brought air warwick a letter from my doctor at home advising me against continuing this term teral im arri afraid ald he added quietly it means my stopping school for good gond well I 1 wish you tile the best of luck M mr r randall kandall the detective eald the rhe university lias ins your address addre 3 in case I 1 should have bae to get in 1 touch 1 with you mn warwick appeared in the door of his private office you can con alt suit dean stone of the business school chool lie informed the student and complete your arrangement arr gellien ts for going lu in your department depart men t your records will be sent there and lied come in mr rankin how are you iou he shook hands bands with rankin nankin and led him into hla his room closing the door he motioned him to a chair beside his desk scattered on top lay the records of randalls nan dalls trans fer to philadelphia his filled out matriculation blanks and the doc tors certificates the supervisor gathered these up and as be seated himself offered rankin a cigarette ive followed your instructions he lighted a cigarette himself and mr buckley will be here short ly ties iles from jordans home town vandalla he be I 1 suppose r t appose you think he might know jor about him that mr merrick tell you tile the detective spoke gravely no air warwick my business with buckley Is more unpleasant than that thal I 1 am here to make an arrest for young jordans murder and I 1 regret to inform you I 1 have a war rant to toko take him into custody sudden anxiety clouded the supervisors per visors tea features tures rind and his gaze re flecked ills his surprise and concern arrest Buck Buckl leyl eyll he exclaimed 4 1 why he a member mamber of mir mil beta sigma at all surely you dont con sider him guilty of the crime mr air nankin 11 some student did it rankin nankin re turned bluntly and ive ascer tallied how lie he entered the chapter room during the initiation I 1 hall had buckley in mind when I 1 asked you whether a student expelled from one college could get admitted to on fin other by a false high school schol ree rec ord ile ie also went to Ab erileen insi year and because of jordan h lit was wa disgracefully dismissed distills sl d for foi gambling besides he had ba d other reasons for him increasingly perturbed air war wick pursed purse d ills his lips where dit din you hear about this in ili the first place from they the young man who just left your uslice 1111 ce wa 1 ter randall tie ile too attended aber deen where he heard of the inel dent though he know elthea boy well it if that Is true I 1 must take imme steps to have buckless buckleys Buck leyB leys ran mn 1 stricken from tile the rolls rankin was emphatic you cut cat be sure I 1 verl verified fled all my discover les about buckley Buc hley air warwick in fact I 1 promised It ram andall I 1 all to get gei the proofs from aberdeen to savi sav him from being involved in tile the |