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Show I eXBMaSHGBMaaBMftasBNaBMsaBMssHto ft BY MARVIN DANA 1 II 1 WITHIN THE LAW J II ft m J$ I I From the Play of Bayafd Veiller I if m 9 I fill! ,S " Tho Ctrl sprang up Joyously and S Wi . I Wartod ioward"tbo door will, . i -Onal S 7' ! ravishing smile for" tho pleased olllclnl a 1; i nt the desk. " ", fl jM' j t ,Tas nt this moment that Cassidy f ii I , entered from tho opposite side of the If office. ;Ah his eyes fell on the girl at , j ft) J tho door across from him IHh stolid !f ' face lighted .In n uriti. And. In that if if . game Instnnt of recognition between h I IV i the two the color went out or the girl's jji ' face.. Tho little red lips snapped to- , $ -ctb'ef Jn n Mifp of irapromoi dlhfttwt I 'I If '- against this vicissitude of fate ufter' 5j ', I j' j all tor maneuvering!) In the faco of the !A J enemy. .1 y "110110. Aggie, the detertlve remark m ed, with a smirk, while the Inspector r 1 j j Btarc,l from one to the other and his j m Jaw dropped from tho stark surprise.. M f IB Tho girl returned deliberately to the i I I W chair she had occupied through the In n I i tervlcw with the iuspector nnd drop-Si drop-Si ft j' if ped Into it weakly. It was lifter a " Jf u mluuto of silence. In which the two men sat staring, tlint nt last she spoke f j) K Jf with n savuge wrath ngnlnst the pit I j I juto which Bho bad fallen after her j I jl arduous efforts. I j 1$ "Ain't tlmt tho -est luck!" ) m "Cassidy. do you know this woman?" ' , ! asked Burke. I n "Sore I do!" enme the placid answer I "She's little Agglo Lynch-con worn 'III nn. from Buffalo two years for black- I ' I mall did her time nt Burnslng." ! '.' For a little time there was silence. , j the while nurke eat Rtnrlng at the 1 " averted face of the girl. Then he set I his features grltnly. roe from his chair nad wnlked to position directly In the front of the girl, who Btlll refused re-fused to look In his direction. "On tho level, now," tho inspector demanded,, "when did you see Mary Turner last?" "Early this morning-. We slept together to-gether last night becnuso I hud tho willies. She blew tho'Jolut about half past 10." "What's ttuei use of youn-'lylug to me?" " v "''So help me." Aggie continued "with" - tly,.jitmost solemnity, "Mnry never left the houso all night. I'd swear - that's,' the truth on a pile of IUIilesiii mile high!" v "Have to lie higher than that. Mary Turner was nrresteil,juht after mill- - fe! - , I fll ' S BBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSM!fc?r . - . HI HjHjHjHjHjHjHjHjHjkjAMflflttL)Hi JbjbjbjbjbjbjbjbjhBBBBh 1 "On the level, when did you Mary l ijn W Turner laitT" W W l3 night Young woman, you'd bettw tell D ii a" yo" l:now " I "1 don't know a thine!" Agglo ro-m ro-m Sj torted. U Burke drow the pistol from his pock- ) -'t and oxtended it toward tho girl. it "IIow long has blio owued this gun?" W 8! bo Raid threateningly. j "She didn't own it" W "Oh, then It's Oarson'sl" 1 ! "I don't know whose it is." Agglo ro-Bf ro-Bf 63 piled. "I never laid eyes on It till HI J) now." ll "English r.ddlo was killed with this H MJ gun last nlglit Now, who did It? j I! Cojjio on, now) Who did JU" "IIow should 1 know?" What do you think' I am u fortune teller?" "Now. Aggie Lynch, you listen to .mo. .Tell me wbnt you know, and I'll sco you make n clean getaway, and I'll slip y.ou.a nice little pleco of nion cy tooj iiqw. what do you say?" "1 nny you're a grcnt big stiff! What do you think I nm?" Aggie .wheeled on the detective. "Say. tako tno out of here. I'd rather be In the cooler than hero with him!" I CHAPTER .XVII. The Trap That Failed. AS tljo, scornful niajden went out of the door under the escort k of Cassidy. Buike bowed gal Inntl.v to her lithe back nnd blow n' kiss from his thick linger tips In mocking reverence for her ns tin artist in her way. Then when he learned that IMward Gilder had ar rived he ordered that the magnate nnd tho district attorney be admitted and that the son uNo be sent up from his cell. "It's n bad business, sir," Burke sntd with hearty sympathy to the shaken fother after the formal greetings that followed the entrance of tho two men "It'ii 11 nrv linil business." "What does he say?" Gilder ques ttoned. "Nothing!" Burke answered. "That Is why I sent for you. I suppose Mr Demarest has mudo the situation plain , to you." "Yes. he ban explained It to me. It's I u terrible position for my boy. But you'll release him 'at once, won't you?" "I enn't." Burke replied reluctantly. but bluntly "You ought not to expect It, Mr. Gilder." "Inspector" the ni.ncnate cried brokenly, bro-kenly, ",vpu don't, ini-un", "l" mean." Mr. 'Glider, that you've got to make him talk.' Tlkt's what I want, 'you to do for all our sakes. Will you?" "I'll do my best." the unhappy man j replied. ' I A minute later Dick. In charge of nn I ofllcer. was brought Into the room tll wuVriale. 'n little disheveled from his hours In a cell. The father went forward quickly and ntught Dick's, hands In a mighty, grlli- ' ' "My boy!" he murmured huskily Then he made 11 great eCTort and -con j tnilled li(s emotion to some extent. I 'The Inspector tells me." he went on, 1 "th-il 'you've refused to talk to answer an-swer IiIm questions. "That wasn't wine under the clrcum' tinn-es." the father remonstrated hur- ili-illy "IIoweer. now. Demarest and I I uie heie to protect your Interests, so t tiit t you can talk freely Now. Dick, 1 tell us. Who killed that man? Wt 1 miiot know.- Tell uie." Dcimirest wvni a step toward the young man. "Dick. 1 don't want tc frighten you. but your position is real ly dangerous Your only chance Is tc I sneak with perfect frankness I nledgi you my' word I'm telling the truth. Dick, my boy. I wnnt yon to forget that I'm the district attorney and remember re-member only thut I'm nu old friend of yours nnd of your father's who U trying very hard to help you. Surely you can trust uie. Now, Dick, tell me: Who tiot (irlggx?" "1 shot Griggs," said the young man. Demarest realized that bis pica bad failed, but lie made an effort to take the admission at Its face value " "Why?" be demanded. "Bccauso I thought be was a burglar." bur-glar." "Oh, I see!" he sold. In a tono of conviction. "Now, let'a go back a little. lit-tle. Burko says you told him last night that you had persuaded your wife to como over to the houso and Join you there. Is that right?" "Yes." "Now, tell me. Dick, Just what did happen, won't you?" Thero wob no reply, and. after a llttlo Interval, tho lawyer resumed his questioning. "Did this burglar como into tho room ?" Dick nodded nn nssent. "And ho nttacked you?" Thero come another nod of affirmation. affirma-tion. "And thero was n strugglo?" "Yes." "And you shot him?" "Yes." "Then, whero did you get tho rovol-ver?" rovol-ver?" I Dick started to answer without thought: "Why, I grabbed It" Then, tho significance sig-nificance of this crashed on his consciousness, con-sciousness, nnd ho checked tho words trembling on Ills lips. "So," ho suld wlthrswlft hostility lu his voice, "so, you're trying- to' trap me, too! You! And you' talk of friendship. 1 want nono of such friendship." Hut .Burko would bo no longer re strained. "You don't wnnt to tnke us for fools, young man." he said, nnd his big tones rumbled harshly through the room. "If you shot Griggs In mistake for n burglar bur-glar why did you try to hide the fact? Why did yon pretend to me that you and your wife were alone In the room when you hnd that there with you. eh? Why didn't you call for jhelp? Why didn't you call for the police as any honest man would nnturally under such circumstances?" "We're trying to save yon." Uie fn-ther fn-ther pleaded tremulous'x Burke persisted In his uuemont 'system 'sys-tem of attack Now. he ngaln brought out the weapon that had dono Eddie Griggs to death. "Whero'd you get this gun?" he shouted. "I won't talk any more." Dick answered an-swered Fimply. "I must see my wife flrst" Ills voice became more aggressive. aggres-sive. "1 wnnt to know what you've done to her." "Did she kill Griggs?" Burke questioned ques-tioned roughly. Dick was startled out of his calm. "No, no!" he cried, desperately. "Then, who did?" Burke demanded sharply. "Who did?" "I won't sny any more until I'vo talked with a lawyer whom I can trust." lie shot a vlndlctlvo glance townrd Demarest Tho father Intervened with n piteous eagerness. "Dick, If you know who killed this man you must speak to protect yourself." your-self." Tbo face of the young man softened .as he met bis father's beseeching eyes. "I'm sorry, dad." he said, very gently. gen-tly. "But I well. I can't!" Again. Burke Interposed. "I'm going to give him n little more time to think, tilings over. 1,'crhups he'll get to understand the Importance of what wcj'vo beeju saying pretty soon." '.-. Ho pressed tho button on his desk. f : tz i'i,i 1 t '- 1 ' 8 "" ' vj&t MBl -t ti 1 T M MbmTSkBB "Where'd you'nt this gunl" 1 and, as thordoormau appeared, addreia-ed addreia-ed that functionary. "Dan, have one of the men take mm back. You wait outBlde." Dick, however, did not move. Hie voice came with a note of determination. determina-tion. "I want to know about my wire. Where Is she?" Burke disregarded the question an completely as If It had not been uttered utter-ed and went on speaking to the door-Uian. door-Uian. with a suggestion lu his words that was effective. "lie's not to speak to any one. you understand." Then he condescended to givo his nttentlon to tho prisoner. "You'll know all about your wife. young num. when you mnko up your mind to tell me the truth." Dick turned und followed his custo dlan out of the ollk'o In silence. As tho doorman reappeared Burke gave his order, "Dan, have the Turner woman brought up." The Inspector next called his stcnog raplier and gave explicit directions. At the back of the room, behind the desk, were three large windows, willed opened on a corridor, and acior.s thU was n tier of ceils. The stenographer wn to takt Ms seat lu this corridor. Just outside sine of the windows. 0er the windows the shades were drtuvu. so that he would remain Invisible to nny one within the olllce while yet easily able to overhear every word spoken In the room. When he had completed his Instructions Instruc-tions to the stenographer Burke tinned to Glider and Deinaiest. "Now, this time." ho said energetically, energetic-ally, "I'll bo tho 0110 to do the talking. And get this, Whatever you hear me say don't you bo surprised Jtemem bcr. ive're- dealing win crooks, anil when you're dealing with .crooks you have to use crooked ways." Thin 'the door opened, and Mnry Turner entered. She paid absolutely no attention to the other two lu the room, but went straight to the desk and there halted, gazing with her softly soft-ly penetrant eyes of deepest violet into the face of the Inspector. Under that Intent scrutiny Burke felt ar challenge and set himself to RjmBbbbbbbbV i- VetIBetHiK IHH jbjbjbjbjbjbjbbjpBbp "You ought to know, since you have arretted him." match craft 'with craft Ills large voice was modulated to kindliness ns he'spoko In u casual manner. "I Just sent for you to tell you that you're free." "Then.-I can go?" . - "Sure, ypu can go." Without any delay, yet without nnv haste. Mary glanced toward fjllder nnd Demarest. who w'tW1" wufebmg the sceuo closely. Then." she went towurd the1 outer floor of the olllce. Burke wulted until she had nearly reached the door before bo shot his bolt ...'Garspn lias confessed!" J,,Mrfrv-liVrUW nnd confronted the In-c In-c specter? niiilljinswered without the least trncUlSf .fdar. b'ut tho tlnnness . oMiitovfltt)gv:t"j r ;3 ' ; "Obt, iiopbO'haKnjtrj. "What's .)-tue ifeupon he hasn't?" Burlse roarodout-wruUifully. "Becnuso lib dldil"t'do It" "Welf. TTiTsaylurdnnt!" " Mnry.' liiMir Turn. res6rted to n bit of Ilnense. In order to learn whether or iiot'Gnrsoti had been arrested. !. . -"But .hmv.,could ho have done it when ' wyit" she began. 1'VbereJjld he go?" ' "You"oug'ht to know, since you linve arrested him. and b has confessed." Burke was frantic over being worst ed thus. To gainu diversion, he reverted re-verted to his familiar' bullying tactics. "Who shot Griggs?" he shouted. "My husbapd shot a burglar," Mary aid languidly. "Was tils nn roe Griggs?" "Oh. yoil. know better than that," Burke declared, truculently. "You see. we've traced the Maxim silencer. Oar-son, Oar-son, himself bought It up In nartford." For the flrst time. Mary was caught off her guurd. "But he told me" she began, then checked herself. "What did he tell you?" Burke questioned. ques-tioned. "He told me that he hnd never seen nnt). Surely, If he bad had nnythlug ef the sort, he would have shown It to me." Burke pressed the button on the ilck. nnd. when the doorman appeared, onlered that the prisoner be returned to her cell. "1 suppose." Mnry said, "tljat It's useless for me to claim my constitutional constitu-tional rights, and demand to see a lawyer?" "Yes." Burke agreed, "you've guessed It right, the first time." Cassidy came hurrying In with n grin of satisfaction on his stolid face. "Pay. chief." the detective said with animation, "we've got Garsnii " Burke asked Glider and the district attorney to withdraw, while he slmulr, have a private conversation with the prisoner. "Now," he s.ild when tln'v were 11I11111 together. "I'm going to ln n.11 friend "Are you?" Mary's tone wns noncommittal. non-committal. "Yes," Burke declared, heartily "And I menu It! Give up the truth about jouug Glider. 1 know he shot Griggs, of course. But I'm not taking any stock In that burglar story not u little lilt! No coutt would either. What was ready back of the killing? Was he Jealous of Griggs? Well, that's what he might do then. He's ulwnys been a worthless young cub. A rotton ilea, like this .would bo about hlsjmjt, I guess. 'I-.-1 me. now, why did be shoot Eddie Griggs?"' There was coarse'nens a-plenty In the inspector's pretense, but It possessed a solitary fundamental virtue! It played play-ed on tbo heart of the woman whom h questioned, aroused It to wrath In defense de-fense of her mate. In a second, all polso fled from this girl whose wul was blossoming In the blest realization that n man loved her purely, unselfishly. unselfish-ly. Her words came stumbling In their haste. r r Ho-dldii't JUIMiliMjwJJ.b-. didn't kill him rf'sV :ralrjy-' l-ifl ft" Why. h6'a the ipos wiintlerfuHidiiiro the world. Aii shan't hiirf frfm! Nobody sHall hurt him! I'll tight to the end of my life for Dick Gilder!" Burke was beaming Joyously. 1 "Well, that Just whut 1 thought," he said, with smug content "And now, then, who did 'shoot Griggs? 'Wo'vo got .ejerj., Sm JoXlhe foii?.; Tfiey 'ro' all crooks. See here, be weTif On, with a sudden tbange to tlio.xcsctful In" bis mnnneT,"iirhytJ1o't'1'j'ou.itttt freSlft rib'Bive1 yotfVerJ" ance-ln tho worli,. i'm dcud on tho lovel with yqu. thut. time." .L , ' By ribw MaryliHd3 herself ..well v In hand again vastly ashamed of tho short period of self betrayal caused by tho official's nrtitlco against her heart a an lltitnnfwl tn tlin iii.snpetor'a as surances, tho mocking expression of her fnco wus not encouraging to that astute individual, but he persovcred manfully. t "Just you wait" ho went on cheerfully, cheer-fully, "nnd I'll .prove to you that I'm on tbo level about this, thai I'm really your friend. There was a letter came for you to your apartment My men brought It down to me. I've read It Ucre It Is. I'll read It to you!" He picked up nu envelope, which bad been lying on the desk, and drew out tho single sheet of paper It contained. Mary watched him, wondering much mora than her expression revealed over this new development Then, as she listened, quick Interest touched her features to u new life. This was the letter: . I can't go without telling you how sorry sor-ry I am. There" won't never be a time that I won't remember tt was mo sot yeu eent up; that you did time In my place. I nln't colntf to forgive myeelf even and I wear I'm colng atralgbt always.. Your true friend. HELEN MOIUIIS. For one?, .Burjee showed a certain delicacy. When TuTTriid' finished tho reading, ho said nfltnlriV'for V-lbng minute: 1 ' "' '!". Mary's eyes were luminous In tho Joy of the realization thut for her, after all. rehabilitation might bo In a measure' mea-sure' 'possible, 'though' nothing could over -repay the. degradation ofiyenrs Infinitely worse than lost. Burke's harsh voice, cadenced to a singular sympathy, broke lu 'on her reverie of pleasure and of pain. "You knew this?" hujuqulred. "Yes. two days ugo." "Did you tell old Gilder?" he asked. Mnt-tr ulmnl; .hnr liimd In necntioti. lnry shook -nor ucnu 111 iiuKiiiiuu. "What would be tho use?" she reminded re-minded him. "1 hnd no proof. No one would believe me." "They'd believe this. Why. this let-tee let-tee Bets.ran.ClCnr- Ifjol.d'PHderjilioiild seo .tills letter, .there's, nxttdng lie wouidu, t dij tu mnko amends Jo you. lie's 11 sqiinre" gn.v himself, if 'it comes to 'that,' even if he was unrd-'nn you. vAiy, tllls'lniVr wipes out everything."- 'Then, the Insistent question beating at Ills' brain forced blu to 1 speak roughly, building hope on the letter's inestimable worth to tho 'woman box fore' him. l "Who killed Griggs?" Thero was no reply; And. presently, bo wont on, half ' ashamed over bis own Intrigue against .her. ' 'Say," be said, and. for once, bis voice was curiously suppressed, "you tell me who shot 'Griggs, and I'll show this letter to old Oilder. Now; listen." ho cried eagerly, "I give you my word of honor that anything-you say In here Is Just betweon you and me," Unconsciously Uncon-sciously bis eyes darted to tbo window, behind which the- stenographer was busy with' .his note's. That single involuntary glance was enough for the keen Instinct of the woman to make a guess' as to the verity. ( "Just tip me off to tbe truth," Burke went on Ingratiatingly, "and I'll get tho 'necessary evidence In my own way. Now, there's nobody here but Just 'you and me. Como on, now put mo wise!" "Are you suro no ono will ever know?" "Nobody but you nnd me." Burke declared, nil agog with anticipation of victory ut lust. "I give you my word I" Mary met tho gaze of the Inspector fully, In the same Instant, she flashed on lilui a smile that was dazzling, the smile of a woman triumphant In her mastery of the situation Her fnce was radiant luminous with honest mirth. She spo'ie lu n most cnsunl voice, despite the dancing delight In her face. The tones were drawled lu the matter mat-ter of fact fashion of statement that leads n listener (o answer without heed to the exact Import of the question, ques-tion, unless very alert Indeed. This Iq what she said: "I'm not spei.klug loud enough, am I, stenographer?" And that Industrious writer of shorthand short-hand notes, nb-inrlieil In' tils task. ' answered Instantly from his hidden place lu the corridor "No, ituraiii. not quite." To Bo Continued |