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Show TheWEDDING MARCH MURDER by MONTE BARRETT CVpsrlkM. 193). b tha Hol t Merrill Co. SYNOPSIS W.iUlns In tha minister's jtvuly while tta Wi-iUliuK rriH-ossloir la bams nuir-nhiiU-a. Jim t-'ijinklin, nbovit lo be mnr. rleil lo Pons I'.irmooy. la l:i!.b,',l to d.-.-ilh. Callis Shipley, one of the hrUlo.i-rminls. hrUlo.i-rminls. Is obviously In a atMe of anxiety. Tatar I'arJiKSn. novelist, anil amateur ilatootlve of some note, with Sarnennt KIMay, of the New York polk"?, po-lk"?, bairin the orilolul InvestlKatlun. The diiKKer "sail by the murilarer Is found, franklin, while wilting, had m:iny visitors, among them hla mis-trass, mis-trass, an actress, 'Vhoo Choo" Train; his Intended wife's father. Ambrose Carmody: her brother. Rylie; Panlel Hvillls. well-known polltli'ian. and an unknown woman. In a blue frock, who bad quarreled openly with Franklin. CHAPTER II Continued "Where h:ij you boon, Koyce?" Ktl-d.iy Ktl-d.iy wheeled quickly to the newspaper newspa-per num. "Out In the vestibule of the church, looking for Mllo Dunbar," replied Koyce. "For me?" Dunbar looked at the editor Inquisitively. "Jim wanted you to do him a favor," fa-vor," Nick explained. "We'll come to that later," Kllilay Interrupted Impatiently. "When you got back here to the sacristy, did you so Bnllls, or hear anything of his quarrel quar-rel with Franklin?" "No." "How about the woman In blue? Did you see her? Was that Choo Choo Train?" , - "No, I didn't see her. But It couldu't have been Choo Choo," Itoyce was quite positive. Choo Choo entered en-tered later, from the outside door. I'm sure she hadn't been here before, because Jim was surprised to see her." "And you never saw the woman In blue?" Nick shook his head. "Both she and Bullis must have left by the back door. This Is the first I had heard of either of them." "Didn't Doctor Abernathy say anything any-thing about them?" Kllday persisted. Royce meditated, frowning. "No, he never mentioned them. I remember he did say. This Is the strange5t wedding wed-ding I ever saw.' I didn't know he was referring to these visitors, however." how-ever." Doctor Abernathy leaned forward quickly. "Tell them what you said, in reply to that, Mr. Royce," he urged. "I don't remember what did I say?" Inquired Royce. "Tou said." the rector's face flushed with sincerity, " 'It may be stranger, before it's over.' " "Yes," Nick smiled. "I remember saying that now." "Just what did yon think was going to be so strange. Royce?" Sergeant Kllday was quick to follow up the new lead. Royce hesitated. "That gets back to the reason Jim asked me to co out In front and find Mi'.o Dunbar," he hesran slowly. "And to Rylie Cnrmody's quarrel with him, ju6t after we arrived ar-rived here." "Did you hear that quarrel?" "No. Jim told me about It. Doctor Abernathy was here when Rylie came, though. He can verify that part of it." The rector nodded, reluctantly. It seemed to Peter. "It was about twenty minutes to four," Royce continued. "Rylie drove up to the side of the church In a roadster, and came in here demanding to see Franklin alone. He was beside himself with anger. "Doctor Abernathy invited him to use his study. He and Jim were in there about two minutes. Then Rylie rushed out. He didn't stop to speak to either the doctor or me. He left the church very hurriedly and drove off in his car. I watched him from the door, there." "But you say Franklin told you about this quarrel?" "Tes. Immediately afterward, he called me into the study and explained ex-plained that some one had told Rylie about his affair with Choo Choo Train. The boy had come to demand an explanation. Jim had told him the truth. There was nothing else to do." Royce left his chair and walked restlessly about the room as he continued con-tinued his story. "It seems that Rylie demanded to know if the affair had ended. Jim made the mistake of trying try-ing to talk to the boy as one man of the world to another. It didn't work. Rylie declared he was going to stop the wedding. Before Jim could stop him, he rushed out of the room, and i was gone. "Jim was worried. He was afraid 1 the boy might cause some sort of dis- j turbance during the ceremony. He I was just wrought up enough to do I such a thing. So he asked me to hurry out In front and find Milo Dunbar. Mr. i Dunbar is or was Jim's law part- 1 ner. 1 was to explain what had hap- j pened and ask him to keep an eye out for Rylie, when he entered the church. Jim was certain that Mr. Dunbar could handle it. "But I couldn't locate Dunbar. That was why I was gone so long. But Rylie wasn't there, either, and I finally decided that the hoy would be all right, after he had had time to think things over. At any rate, I couldn't re-i re-i main away any lonirer. as it was about time for the service to start So I came on back here." "I was right thr-re in the church, all the time." declared Milo Dunbar. His alert gray glance was fastened on 1 the nev.'s;:ipor inah. "I'd like to know whore? I couldn't locate you." "Lot's got all this straight." Kllday, Kll-day, hands behind him, Htudlod Royce shrewdly. "Shortly after you unil Franklin arrived, llylle Carmody came, lie was evidently very angry. Both you and Doctor Abernalhy saw him. Ho talked with Franklin In the rector's study, and then loft hurriedly. Later Franklin confided tho nature of this quarrel to you, and you went out In front In search of Mr. Dunbar, but wore unsuccessful In finding him. "While you wore away. Doctor Abernathy Ab-ernathy was called to the telephone, and w hen he came out he found Franklin Frank-lin quarreling with a mysterious woman wom-an In blue a blond. Franklin declared the woman was hysterical over a trust fund and hurried her Into the study, where they quarreled. This woman was not Choo Choo Train, hecauso Choo Choo was wearing green. At any rate, while the woman was still In the study, Daniel Bullis came hero demanding de-manding to sec Franklin. lie refused to wait, and pushed on Into the study In spite of Doctor Ahernathy's warning warn-ing that Franklin was busy. Then you came back, Royce. "And when the doctor told you he had never seen such a strange wedding, wed-ding, you told him It might be stranger, before It was over. You say you were referring to Rylie Carmody." "I was," declared Royce emphatically. emphat-ically. "Never mind that now." Kllday brushed aside the Interruption. "Neither of you saw the woman In blue or Daniel Bullis leave the study. But Just a. few minutes before the ceremony was to start, you say that Mr. Ambrose Carmody came back to see Franklin. I believe your Inference was that they quarreled." "I can explain that." Ambrose Carmody Car-mody broke In. "I did have an argument argu-ment with Franklin. Just before we left the house for the church, some one telephoned. It was an anonymous message. Normally I would have paid no attention to It. But It so vitally concerned the welfare of my family, I thought It deserved recognition. After reaching the church, I asked Franklin for an explanation." "What was that message, Mr. Carmody?" Car-mody?" "It concerned this actress, Choo Choo Train. I was Informed of her affair with Franklin." "Wts It a man's voice, or a woman's?" wom-an's?" demanded Teter Cardigan. "A man's." "And you asked Franklin about it?" "Tes. When I reached this room, both Royce and Doctor Abernathy were present. I inquired for Franklin, and they Informed me he was In the study. I knocked. Franklin opened the door almost Immediately. I don't know what had become of all these people they say had been In the study. There wa9 no one else there at the time. I told Franklin what I had heard, and demanded an explanation. I made It clear that I had to know the truth before the wedding. Franklin denied there was any truth In the message. mes-sage. He gave me his word as a gentleman gen-tleman on it and I believed him." "That was all then?" Kilday prompted prompt-ed him. "Yes." Except for the heightened color in his face. Carmody gave no outward out-ward sign of emotion. "I can substantiate a part of that," volunteered Doctor Abernathy. "When Mr. Carmody left the study, I heard him say, 'I have your word for It?' and I heard Mr. Franklin say, Tou have.' " Peter Cardigan interrupted with a question. "Did you take advantage of Mr. Carmody's presence to Inform him of this quarrel which had so disturbed dis-turbed you?" he asked the rector. "No." Doctor Abernathy again moistened moist-ened his lips. "I decided against it." "But earlier you had made up your mind to tell him," the novelist persisted. per-sisted. "What caused you to change your decision?" "I only Intended to Interfere if, in my opinion, there were cause to question ques-tion the advisability of proceeding with the ceremony," replied the rector slowly. "After consideration, I decided de-cided this was not true. The woman in blue had confirmed Franklin's statement state-ment that her quarrel was of a business busi-ness rather than a personal nature. Of course," he added, "it would have been different had I been present when Miss Train, the actress, arrived. This Is the first I had heard of that." "H'm !" Sergeant Kilday digested this in silence for a moment. Then he turned to Royce. "When was It Choo Choo arrived on the scene?" "After Doctor Abernathy had entered the church." said Royce. "When Mr. Carmody left the study. Doctor Abernathy Aber-nathy walked to the door with him. Mr. Carmody walked around the outside out-side of the church. The last thing I heard him say was, 'Let's start on time.' It was then only about one minute of four. Doctor Abernathy turned to us and asked if we were ready. Jim said we were. Doctor Abernathy Aber-nathy then entered the church, through this door. I was standing here, by the door, leaving it open a crack so that I could see what happened Inside, so, naturally, my back was to Jim. "I never saw Choo Choo enter. The first I knew that she was here, was when I heard Jim say. 'What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away?' "She said, T intended to, Jim, until Fletcher phoned me that you said to come, after all,' she said. "Jim denied that he had told Fletcher to phone, and they started to quarrel. I was afraid they could be heard In the church. " 'Pipe down.' I warned them. Do you want to hroiik up the woddlnitT "That's exactly what nliu'il llko to do,' Jim Kit lil. Voino on In here whori-we whori-we can talk.' And he pulled her toward tho door of tho study, That's the last I Haw of Choo Choo." "Who Is Fletcher?" Kllday wanted to know. "That's Jlm'i man servant," Royce explained. "And that was thn last you saw of Franklin, too?" Inquired Peter. "Yes. But I Bpoko to him after thai." "When?" Itoyce laced Fetor squarely. "When Callls Shipley came." ho said. "CalllH Shipley? Who Is that?" "See here, this Is preposterous," Ambrose Am-brose Carmody Interrupted angrily. "Callls was ono of the bridesmaids. Sho was out In front all of the time." "Oh, no, sho wasn't." Nick denied. "She was hack here Just before the wedding. She came running In the side door, very excited and out of breath. "'Where's Rylie? Is he back here?" she wanted to know. "I told her I didn't think so. "'Then where Is Jim Franklin? she asked me breathlessly. Sho was 10 agitated. I was afraid something was wrong, particularly In vlovr of what had hapiiened between Rylie and Jim, Just a short time before. So I knocked on the study door. "Jim asked mo what was wanted. "'Have you seen Rylie Carmody?" she asked him. 'IIo Isn't In there, Is he?' "When Jim said he wasn't, the girl sort of caught at her throat, and said, 'Oh.' "I could see she was very much excited. ex-cited. 'You'd better let me take you around front,' I urged her, but she said, 'Oh, I'll be all right," and left the way she had come." "Mr. Royce," demanded Kllday eagerly, "did Callls Shipley have on a blue dress?" The newspaper man hesitated "Why. yes, I think she did," he said finally. Doctor Abernathy sprang to his feet "You're making a terrible mistake," he cried. "Cnllis Shipley wasn't the woman wom-an In blue not the woman In blue I saw. That why, that's absurd." Fill fingers fumbled with hli handkerchief as he mopped his brow. "I'm sure she was out In the vestibule. vesti-bule. In fmnt." added Ambrose Carmody. Car-mody. "You're getting nowhere. Jumping about this way. trying to connect con-nect Innocent people with the crime." Sergeant Kllday frowned slowly, from one man to the other. Then he turned hack to Nick Royce. "You say I Callls Shipley came back here after Doctor Abernathy left the room? She was the last visitor?" Royce nodded. "There couldn't be any mistake?" "Not a chance. You see, I've met Miss Shipley a dozen times, recently, at parties given for the bridal party." "But you never saw the woman In blue that Doctor Abernathy told us about, did you?" "We've been over that," Royce declared de-clared Impatiently. "I was out In front, looking for Milo Dunbar." The sergeant turned to the rector. "How well do you know Callis Shipley. Ship-ley. Doctor?" "I've known her all her life. I christened the child." "There Isn't any chance that yon could be mistaken, then?" Kllday worried the question, like a dog with a bone. "You're positive that the woman In blue you told us about, earlier, could not have been Callls Shipley?" "I am positive of that," declared Doctor Abernathy, and his manner was convincing. Kilday was baffled. "What do you make of this. Peter?" The detective turned to his friend for suggestion. "Jim Franklin was murdered at or about the stroke of four. He arrived here at twenty minutes of fonr. In that twenty-minute Interval, eight people peo-ple visited this room, that we know of." Here he ticked them off on his fingers. "Doctor Abernathy, who was In the church when Franklin was killed; Nick Royce, who was his best man, and claims he was standing right at this door at the time of the murder; Rylie Carmody, who was to have been his brother-in-law, and who quarreled with him in the study, according ac-cording to two witnesses; Mr. Carmody," Car-mody," Kilday glanced respectfully toward the hanker, "who explains that he came to demand the truth from Franklin regarding Choo Choo Train; Callis Shipley, one of the bridesmaids, who did not see Franklin while she was here, but did see Nick Royce; another an-other woman, dressed In blue, like Miss Shipley, who has not been Identified Identi-fied ; Choo Choo Train, the actress, who Is supposed to have been in love with the dead man; and Daniel Bullis, who evidently was very angry when he entered the study without knocking. "All this," he threw out his hands In a gesture of despair, "in twenty minutes, min-utes, and we can't find anybody that seems to know anything." "And yet we have enough to go on," Peter expressed a confidence he did not entirely feel. "We can talk to Choo Choo Train. We'll want to ask Daniel Bullis some questions. We can discover something of Franklin's private pri-vate life from his man-servant, Fletcher, Fletch-er, whom Mr. Royce mentioned, which may put us on the trail of the mysterious mys-terious woman in blue; we can locate and identify that woman ; we can question ques-tion Callis Shipley and discover why she was so eager to find Rylie Carmody, Car-mody, and what she was doing back here in the sacristy, when, as a bridesmaid, brides-maid, she was supposed to be with the bridal party, in the front vestibule, and we can look up Rylie Carmody, who quarreled with Jim FrankliD so shortly before " (TO BE COXTINTJED.) |
