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Show THE MAY DAY MYSTERY By OCTAVUS ROY COHEN Copyright y Oc-tavus Roy Cohan. WNU BerTlce. CHAPTER IX Continued 15 'He wouldn't tell me. There'! always al-ways been a lot of mean talk around the campus about Put. He was better than the rest of them and they all hated him for being more of a man. And Ijirry knew of 1L I never made any secret about It." "They why Old he suddenly come and speak to you day before yesterday?" yester-day?" Again her cheeks turned white. "Somebody had told him something." "Tea. . . T" Jim was Infinitely patient "Who?" "Antoinette Peyton." "I see. . . . And how did Miss Peyton Pey-ton happen to pick that particular day to tell him?" "Because well. It happened this way. Mr. Hanvey." She walked to the window and motioned him to Join her. "Ton see. all the college building build-ing are on a hill here. Way over yon- . .... kl Kill I. IV. dormitory. When you walk over there yon go down the hill beyond the Bowl and pass through a pretty little patch of woods. There's a place down there all kind of closed In everybody knows It. It's called the Bower and couples go there lots of times. It's a sort of college rule never to go In there when omeone else Is there. I mean not to go In when you hear somebody. "Tony Peyton was coming from the dormitory and Pat and I were In there. Tony Peyton eavesdropped and then busted right In on us. She she gave Pat the devIL" "I sea . . . But what business was it of hers?" The face which Ivy lifted to Danvey was a study In bewilderment. "I don know!" "Didn't she say?" "No. Of course I could tell that there was something between Tony and Pat; or, anyway, there had been. Tony was awful sore, and Pat was mad. He told Tony to mind her own business and that If she butted In on him she'd be starting something she couldn't stop. Tony said he ought to be ashamed of himself because I was such a kid, and he said he'd do what what he d n pleased." "And you?" "I just stood there. It seemed like I was an outsider. I hadn't ever seen Pat mad, and I never thought Tony could get so sore."- "It was a real fuss?" "Tes, sir. I think Tony must be crazy about him, and she was Jealous. Anyway, I mean she acted Just like that" "Ton didn't get any hint from either Pat or Miss Peyton what there was, or had been, between them?" "No, sir." "And you think Miss Peyton told your brother that he ought to do something some-thing about it?" "Tea ... Larry Is crazy about her. He didn't act nice. He said Td have to quit going with PaL I said I wouldn't, and he said he'd see that I did." Jim's eyes were half closed. His voice came In a slow, disinterested drawl. "And then he told you he was going over to see Thayer, didn't he?" "Tes. sir." "That was about half past one?" "I think so." "He was real sore when he left you, wasn't he?" She seemed startled. "Not sore enough to kill anybody, Mr. Hanvey. Don't you understand : Larry isn't that kind at alL Maybe he could have Quarreled with Pat and had a fight , . . although I never have knowD Larry even to do that. But anyway, be could have beat Pat up. He never would have used a knife." "Do yon know If he and Miss Peyton Pey-ton are engaged?" "I don't think so. I mean. I think Larry would like to be, but I'm sure Tony was crazy about Pat Thayer." "Mmm 1 Did you tell your brother that you and Pat were engaged?" "Sure I did." "Did you mention that Thayer was wearing your diamond ring?" "No. I Just didn't remember. I wasn't scared to tell him, though." "I don't believe yon were. . . . Tell me: Would Larry have been likely to recognize that ring? Did he know It pretty well?" "Tes, sir. It was my mother's." "Larry went to see him to make him tay away from you. He was mad when he went. Yet you think he didn't kill Thayer?" "I'm sure of It, Mr. Hanvey. Larry couldn't stab a man. Anyone would tell you that" "They have," admitted Jim. "And they've told me the same thing about Miss Peyton and Mai Vernon." He rose ponderously. "I'm much obliged, JIIss Welch. Tou've been a darn good sport and you've helped me a heap." She rose and faced him, and for a second a womanly dignity seemed to have settled upon her. "Will you tell me the truth about one thing, Mr. Hanvey? Have I helped my brother or hurt him?" Jim smiled a broad, lazy smile. "Tou've helped him. Ivy. I give you my word on that. You see. for the first time I got a little of the truth." He watched her as she opened the door. He saw her give a start, and her slim figure stiffened. "You !" she cried sharply. "Yeh, it's me," answered Rengan from the hallway. "You've been listening I" "No'm, I haven't. Honest, I've Just been waiting for Jim Hanvey." Ivy withered hlin with a glance and stalked off down the hall. Itcngan entered the room grinning. "Any luck, Jim?" "Plenty." "Got any hunches?" "Yeh." "Against who?" nanvey chuckled. "Everybody," he answered. Then: "Did you see Vernon?" Ver-non?" "I did." "Show him the knife?" "Yep." "What did he say?" "He said," answered Reagan, "that the knife Is his I" CHAPTER X They spoke briefly to the dean and left the building together. Below them was the Bowl: long concrete stand on either side, cinder path circling the diamond: men In track suits loping easily around the oval or practicing field sports; the regulars Indulging In a practice game against the freshman Hi In? "Mm-ml Did You Tell Your Broth- r That You and Pat Were En-8afled7" En-8afled7" baseball team. Under the trees were a half hundred cars; some empty, some occupied by youthful couples; the stands held perhaps a hundred students and through the woods one could glimpse couples usually of mixed gender walking slowly and talking earnestly. It was a quiet, peaceful scene: a scene which made a profound Impression Impres-sion on the Brobdlngnaglan Hanvey. He was fascinated by the Informality of It. His Idea of college had been so different: earnest, spectacled young men and women studying aggressively, aggressive-ly, a general air of stiffness and studi-ousness. studi-ousness. But this . . . why. they actually seemed to like 1L He gazed upon the young folk with real envy and there was a feeling that be bad missed something In life something which he would like to go back and take. He expressed all this haltingly to his companion and Reagan looked at him In amazement "What the h 1 would you do with a college education, Jim?" "I dunno. ... It ain't the education, educa-tion, John. But when I look at this sort of thing 1 get a hunch It ain't what's written In books that these kids take away with 'em. Maybe I'm wrong, but It seems I'd sort of like to look back on four years of this kind of stuff." "Yeh I and all they're thinking about Is finishing up." "P'raps. I aiD't saying they ain't. But, by golly! a few years from now they'll look back on this. . . . Oh. h 1 ! there I go getting mushy again. Fine big stiff I am to yearn for an education at this late date." "Yon said It I" muttered Reagan. "Me, I never have thought college amounted to much." "No I reckon maybe It wouldn't for you. Tm Just a softy." They slowly descended the hill toward the Psi Tau Theta fraternity house where Reagan's car was parked. Students eyed them curiously and buzzed wltb conjecture. Hanvey was relaxed. He was thinking and Reagan Rea-gan was bitterly disappointed because he didn't seem more excited about his disclosure regarding the ownership of the knife which had been used to kill Paterson Thayer. He was even a trifle hurt, though be wouldn't say so. He attempted to elicit a comment from Hanvey and went at his task cir-cultously. cir-cultously. "Tou and the kid seemed to get along fine, Jim." "Ivy Welch? Say, she's a regular, John." "Darn little cat If you ask me. Did everything but scratch my eyes out" "You don't say. I reckon she must have a weak spot for a poor old fat feller like me." "Ten to one she didn't tell you anything." any-thing." "Gimme the ten, John. She told me plenty." "What?" Doubtfully. "We-e-11, She said that she and Pat Thayer were engaged. Thayer and Max Vernon quarreled Just befire Thayer was killed. Thayer and Miss Peyton had a run-in because he was shinin' up to Ivy Welch. Then Ivy and her brother had a row. and he left her with the Intention of seeing Thayer and ordering him to lay off." "She knew we had all that dope already." al-ready." "Maybe she did, John and then, again, maybe she didn't Anyway, It hi refreshing to get It from somebody some-body who ain't accused of this kllllni. Allowing for the fact that she'd maybe try to shield her brother, I don't think she's gut a thought In the world except ex-cept to help us catch the person who really killed Thayer." Ills eyes closed slowly. "She sure was In love with the guy." "Kid stuff!" Hanvey turned slowly and regarded Reagan for a minute. "I think that's the same mistake everybody made when they thought of her In connection with Thayer. All they said was: Kid stuff." Reagan's eyes narrowed. "What you driving at, Jim?" "Nothln' special. Just ramblln' In my speech, as usual. Only remember this, John when a girl of seventeen falls In love. It ain't kid stuff to her, no matter what It seems like to other folks. I think maybe everybody would have done better to realize that Ivy Welch was a woman grown. Get me?" "No I" exploded Reagan, "I don't What do you mean?" Hanvey shrugged. "Durned If I know," he confessed. Then: "So Max Vernon admitted that was his knife, eh, John?" "Yes." "Did he see the blood on It before he made that admission?" "H 1. no. Chief. I ain't that dumb. I had the blade covered when I showed It to hlra. I asked him If he'd ever seen It before and he said. sure. It was his. I said: 'You couldn't be mistaken mis-taken about that, could you?' and he said he certainly could not. Then I told him he'd put his foot In right, because be-cause that was the knife that killed Pat Thayer and I showed him the bloody blade." "And what did he say?" Reagan shook his head, "ne said he didn't give a d n If It had killed Thayer or not, he didn't have anything to do with It He's a darn fresh kid. Jim and he hasn't told the truth about anything since I first stuck him In the hoosegow. Let's go over and have a talk with him. What say?" "Not yet John. Let's go to the undertaker who's got Thayer's body. I want to take a look at It" "Come ahead." Reagan stepped Into his car and Jim crawled In on the other side. "Any of Thayer's family down here?" asked Hanvey. "A sister. Seems to be a pretty nice sort, but she won't talk much. 1 got a hunch that he was always a sort of bad egg. Jim. And. of course, a feller can't press that kind of an Investigation Investiga-tion too strong wltb a man's sister when he's lying dead In the next room." "Gosh, no." They turned Into Mar-land Mar-land road and sped along under the sp'reading shade trees which lined the paving on both sides. "John," asked Hanvey suddenly, "when you searched Thayer's room did you find any Jewelry?" Jew-elry?" "Nothing but a watch and chain." "No diamond ring?" "Sure not What gave you the Idea? Just because I overlooked Max Vernon's Ver-non's knife you haven't got any right to think Td miss that sort of stuff everywhere." "Aw. now, John don't you go get-tin' get-tin' peeved at me. 1 Just asked yon a question friendly-like, and " "I ain't peeved, Jim. But dog-gone It! You seem to hare more Ideas and less words than anybody I ever saw." Jim chuckled. "Don't mind me. Kid. Tm just dumb, and the less I say the smaller chance there Is of anyone finding find-ing It out" John Reagan laughed. "Kid yourself.JIm If yon want to," he said. "But don't try to kid me." At their destination, the undertaker conducted them Into the cubicle where Thayer's body was being held under police orders. Hanvey was frankly frightened by the sight of death, and didn't even look at the body as Reagan Rea-gan gave a clinical dissertation on the killing. ". . . right Id the neck," he was saying and the voice came to Hanvey as though from a distance. "The doc says It severed the Jugular vein which Is why there was so much blood. I asked him would It need to have been struck by a person with any strength and he said no, In that spot the slightest slight-est shove of a keen knife would do the work. I asked him If a woman could have done It and be said, sure, a child could have. Then I asked the doc " "Tell me that later," suggested Hanvey Han-vey hastily. "I want to get out of this place quick." "Good Lord, Jim If you didn't want to look things over, what did you come here for?" "To find that diamond ring. You see, John at the time Pat Thayer was killed, he was wearing a diamond ring which Ivy Welch had given him. I want to see if he's still wearing It" Reagan bent over the body. When he straightened his erpression was one of complete bewilderment. "You sure you got your dope straight, Jim?" "Yeh." "Then there's something darn funny because Thayer ain't got anything on his fingers except a signet ring with some foreign letters on It" Hanveyturned reluctant eyes on the body. "It's gone all right, John." "I'll say It has." Reagan's forehead fore-head was creased with Intensive thought. Suddenly he smashed his right fist Into the palm of his other hand. "And you know what It means Jim that diamond ring being gone?' "What dops It mean. John?" (TO BE CONTINUED.) |