Show out of tile S by J D U I 1 I 1 ON by ua co ind SYNOPSIS CHAPTER ijohn I 1 john dartley bartley noted criminal investigator investing Invest ig a tor recently ro turned trum frum secret service e work during the war to la ask eked ed by tho the governor vernor Ko of now new york to investigate a mysterious attempted rob bery ot of the robert home at circle anko akee near saratoga peculiar Ile cullar circum da of the tha casa interest ijar JUart loy or and he accepts CHAPTER ir with hla his friend pelt hartley bartler g goes 0 on to circle falks the pair becom 11 g tho the guests of itch hob currle currie an old friend the three visit the homo home glyka apparently resents barthers Uart Bart leya lers coming he li is atla satta ned fled the two men man in prison for the attempted robbery were guilty Il hartley artley to 1 not next morning tyke la is found dead la bed bad apparent ly having shot himself lilma elf CHAPTER III elm potter the dead mans sister in law the tha village police chlof chief roche hoche hoc he and the th family phy lolAn 0 ian doctor king all agree k killed lied ham bolf olf but bartley insists he h was wai murdered bartley artley fi made evidence erld cinc that bayko alyk after a card party he h haj had riven given was shot allot on tho the tower of the lafuse bou undressed and placed in td bed durina him hi absence from the tha room someone the revolver front from hand IVA IV A boy working in the asserts he be heard a shot during the night apparently in the U air lr of course coure really on the tower CHAPTER V pelt starts out to t into view the members of the card party I 1 lie T v finds to his surprise that glyka apparently I 1 wealthy broker had offered to apparent sell jell it hla friends whisky lie ile avi evidence dence that the mn men in jail for attempted robbery of blyle were framed CHAPTER VI saturnina from a visit to saratoga hartley bartley felt and currle currie corno come upon a large motor truck without itch a and oft off the road they art are dis dl covered endeavoring endeavor lne inu to certain ascertain the Il alconsil consil number and fired on the th truck lots aft away tho the three come upon a long lon loused burial vault apparently the tha look lack to new and bartley it they find the vault stored with and also alio the revolver which had been found in hand A man seemingly we well acquainted with the th arrives lurl Tta aaa they detain him it la in blakeb m missing chauffeur A detective working tor for the revenue department arrives arrive and talf takes chare at 0 tho the vault CHAPTER VII after all the mysterious angles of tho the considering cage 00 oo dartley rt apparently reaches no conclusion as a to the murderer ile he li is satisfied that deals deala in whisk whisky had something to do with it man potters firm bell belief in the octja board and bif in alo tha seems ms to interest him CHAPTER vill VinDa bartley rUey continues continue hla his earch tor for evidence and apparently finds acme 0 m things ho he considers conil derx a 0 value the I 1 inquest n q ue eat opens doctor king who to Is the th coroner a war vo veteran teran and who had been a hol I attacked conducts conduct it it A heavy thunderstorm to la in progress pro gres doctor webster W called in consultation testifies te tin be b b believes oie a was murd murdered area CHAPTER inthe storm increase I 1 lo 10 intensity as aa uie tile inquest progresses lit ue of importance la Is elicited the chauffeur la Is culled called to the th stand before he commences his testimony the laetit in the room aro are extinguished a of light lightning nin having broken the circuit during the ensuing confusion condition the bartl pd arty li Is horrified by the utterance ut franc of ft a saidon horrifying shriek ahrlett cir ArTER the th restoration of 0 th the lights it la Is discovered that brodeur has ham been stabbed lie had been seated directly tn in front of doctor icing no on in tits hl vicinity had noticed anything un usual befaro tho the mant mans shriek fatally wounded manages to colv convey y ur the information that glyka was waa ruurd murdered erea ro re fra fora to the boys boya knowledge knowlt dge at 0 the tha robbery berybe and tries to point out the who had ad stabbed him but dle dies before he can do so BO tho the inquest to anjou adjourned arned liow how had been bean stabbed dabbed without any one be being ing aware of the movements of tho the murderer d er r deenis un ohp lai XI on the handle ot at the th knife bartley finds anda a design apparently drawn in absent which li is identical with one lie he had bound found on a magazine in house hour and seems eeme to attach much importance to it it alai potter admits knowledge of deals dhali in whisky saying ayling she aha had urged him to discontinue them and the two had had a alight quarrel over tho the matter hartley bartley tells tella pelt he knows who killed on our lit in saratoga we were lucky enough to fill land both roche and black together without any coin c latent on lily any pirt part I 1 had the boy repent his story to the two officers they listened with ith a good BOOI deal of interest roche of course lind had handled the tbt rob bery and knew more about it than black but block black I 1 knew believed bellei ed that was as the murderer of blake and the boys boit story confirmed hla his belief we debated the story for nn an hour roche taking the th ale view that the chauffeur ft ur might have been fooling the boy and black that the chauffeur had told the truth and was as too drunk to real ize what he had said 1 biloche zhe cline hed bed ills his arl armament ant b bj y dp de manding why under li heaven caven should owe Brif tour four a largo sum of money that was wo we nil all agreed the weak point in the story my aly lord roche exclaimed its aa a thought tho aught occurred to lafin do you realize that it was that found the torn pieces of cloth on oil tile roso rose bush tho the piece that fitted into tit the mant pants in astonishment I 1 aniced it was avns it suro was lie cattle into tile the police station a few feu days later with it and told us where lie ho had discovered it and asked if wo we knew what it was wo we found later that it fitted into it a holo hole in the pants one of tile the follows was w as wearing was lie ho ever in the cell with those men black asked it glanco nt lit me 1 1 yes es several times thaes askel that we lot win go in and talk to them black throw out ills his hands in ills dis gust sly aly G one think you kept it hotel you let tiny iny ono one go in and out that wanted to biloche flushed tin und replied angrily miri hy well had lots of pull lacre b why under heaven should owe a large sum of money and I 1 dont think it did any harm to lot hla his chaulT chauffeur eur BOO those men none abild black dryly it only gave him a chance cliance to snip a piece from ono one of the mens trousers foolish roche koche laughed oh I 1 dont know was ans blacks answer you bennt prove lie did not you never saw the piece 0 of f cloth until ullin lie ha brought it lit in to you lie ho was in the cell alone with them and had the chance to cut out the piece of cloth you cant prove that tho the chauffeurs story lg Is not true it its fits in better with facts than the evi evidence deric L that sent those mon men to jail hut but oh boy the easy way you run this jail V 1 roche scowled ut at us find and was about to retort when lie cyns called aroi from I 1 1 file room black ant anil I 1 lighted cigars and auto smoked k e d in silence mr pelt lie asked tit nt last what do you think of my lily theory that brif beur eur mur derco I 1 had given little thought to the matter and said as much black surprised me by adding you know that doctor king anil and the district attorney think that the only verdict that can ho be brought lit in lit in the cast Is suicide blacks remarks astonished tile mo true I 1 realized that hat it was almost impossible to present convincing legal proof that had been murdered but there was still the chauffeurs death to be explained if lie ho had been killed as hartley bartley thought because ho he know knew too much about death then it seemed to tile me that to ti bring in a verdict of suicide would by be impossible I 1 told of this objection ejection jec i tion anil and ho he agreed with tile mo then he reiterated ills belief lit in BrItT eurs guilt according to him the story the chauffeur told the hoy boy fitted in well with ills own theory true there was little to base it on so for far as evidence went hut but assuming that elyko and the chauffeur had quarreled about money ills strong strongest est bit of evidence was cot coming 11 ing to the vault where tile tho missing revolver wits was hidden no one else so far na as we know knew had quarreled with or had any reason for wanting to kill him film black explained the chauffeurs a death by baying miss potter and killed him I 1 told him bill this last disproved ills his farst theory that whoever had killed the 04 chauffeur dono done so because lie he know knew too much about death I 1 found that it was nearly four our and us its I 1 liml hail hall no luncheon I 1 decided to yet get sn to oat before hartless Hart leys train came lit in just na as I 1 reached the door black called after ino ine say pelt what does your chief want us all over for to to night tills this was the first time that lint I 1 had heard wo we were expected to KO go there tin and my lily astonishment lie ho added that bartley jill lind sent word for rocho and himself to ho be nt at promptly nt at eight I 1 was vas forced to admit that I 1 did not know its is iauch about it us as lie ho did I 1 wont to n little ten felt room on the inabin street and fill biad almost finished my illy ineal when callei my illy icline inline und and a rel reporter niort orter cr front from the alec ord choin I 1 know rose and 1 me 1110 iio mentioned the case arill and said ild that eVel Yono was mils for bartley to spring iio that lint there was na little canough information to bo be gotten about it all lie had been able to ID 10 lind had ichii 1 eon to interview tile eliell lidid it d I 1 anon con nt at Sly styls ls hoino tile night of ills death ono uc told litell lioi to ever that lint tin three co or 01 four duilia 1111 ing tho evening lial trici tiled to reach solli cono on oil the alio phola just who lio lie did not know kno I 1 had now nov barely time to reach the station before bartless Hart Bart leys train pulled in ili anil and I 1 hatic blin a hurried farewell As bartley ind and I 1 drove down doun tile the iraln in aln street of lip sall s ild ily hy tin the way idelt stop nt at it store stoic and get nio die flo five slates flu five what I 1 asked lie ile grinned rio five slates the kind used years krs ago in school I 1 want them till nil the saino ennio size lie iio threw back its ills head and laughed they tire usually usel used to write on oil pelt lint but you will find out tonight what I 1 willit thein for I 1 stopped nt lit it little stationery store ind and returned tit in a with etli alvo slates As AR I 1 wits getting back into the cor car I 1 remembered what the reporter lind told nio nic about trying to pot got some oric on tho telephone and I 1 repeated ills his story to bartley ile he said nothing for it moment then asked tile mo to drive to the lio exchange lie ile spent ten tea minutes in the building and when lie ho cattle out lio he ed well pleased with ills visit but did not mention its result As wo we drove along I 1 told him tile boys story whon when I 1 bifid finished lie smiled smile 1 I believe the chauffeur told tile boy the truth lie iio had been drinking but that Is when a man offer speaks the truth I 1 ceI rt at bilm till to see roe if lie ire wore were in earnest and nil lie nodded yes I 1 ini ant serious had broken into dollso aliouse lie ile never spoke of this crime but lie thought a good deal about it when lie rot got drunk ills subconscious mind told tile the secret that lie was trying to little I 1 bellevo believe that what Briffet ir said was the truth about the robbery 11 hut but why should lie try to rob I 1 naked asked 1 I lin am not sure my theories are beginning to make it a more or less con nece meted boio lut but there are arc still some gaps to bo be bridge currie heard the car ns as it stopped before the lie house tind dime came out to greet bartley As mis currie was ns in town ton we 0 o jill not change for dinner lannor during the hi meal the murder minder was ns not mentioned bartley went nt to its ills room afterward I 1 set sat with cur he for it while smoking sin hing then I 1 excused 0 iny ni self seir I 1 ans ns eazor to learn what bartley lind discovered in now no york I 1 found libin eflin lit in ills room stretched out in ili n hir big armchair one leg thrown over oci its arn ills plim pipe lit in ills his mouth As I 1 tt watched ditched lafin I 1 thought how little one would suppose that lint lie wits ns engaged lit in solving two mystifying lie ile looked up ns I 1 entered smiled tind went back bach to tits reading ilow allu did your trip como come oft I 1 11 well ell rolt pelt lie drawled ns lie he placed hl his long yellow coverer hook book on oil the loor floor arentino knew kne tile criminal life of ills da lay ills remark lind had of course to do with etli tile book that lie hail had been rending and nothing with my lily question seeing my disappointment lie lati glied tile the trip of much mp ortance the man did liis buy the alsky whisky ll sky from ile ho lind had hought nil that lint was aa in the ho vaults nult but lind had only removed one loid load when hin lir III was caught lie ile bald pt id VW for it that afternoon and left on the SOPI seven train for NOM new york ills ta Is perfect lie knows nothing about the murder the alibi of the men on oil the truck also li Is perfect tile they did not reach saratoga until noon on the tiny day after stakes they alicy dealt only with one man one man I 1 echoed who i lie he watched my illy rare nice tor lor u laum cos alien replied simply BrIf feurt I 1 had half liala expected that answer it mailo made tile the chauffeurs story that owed ailin money seem reasonable it oven hinted that the chauffeur had tried to blackmail and mado made blacks theory that had tilled killed elyko scent not unreasonable tile men inon on the truck hartley bartley continued did not know anine but their description of the man who unlocked tho the door of the alt ault for them fitted BrIf four hut but I 1 ventured hut but what he h countered that connects and ile iio was silent for a moment his face prove grave then ho said slowly yes ies pelt 1104 it does if uie tho had not boon been killed himself lie he would be suspected of causing death but there la Is one tiling thing and what Is that I 1 asked oa ea borly said some one else eleo wait jill il tented in that robbery what I 1 want to know Is who was that other ile he paused then added there Is no doubt pelt that lind find boon been selling whisky tor for somo some almo where lie he rot got it tind find who was in on it with him we ve dont know maybo toni tonight glit wo can ind find out Ct atiles Iles called from below clint tit alio car was waiting to take us ua to house and we rose As 1 I started for th door hartley bartley handed 1110 a package and gave me file a playful shove dont drop thorn them he laughed he was silent for a moment his face grave then he said slowly yes yea pelt it does I 1 gave him a disgusted look but these tire tile slates so they tire lire but they may talk for us its tonight and avith mi that absurd suggestion in my lily ears cars I 1 avent down the stairs to join currie TO BE CONTINUED |