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Show IaSTEPonthoSTAlRS I (Continued From Our Last Issue) "She asked If tho Griawold woman 'had displayed any particular talent In any direction such as amateur theatricals theatri-cals or that sort of thin:: but all I recalled the creature had done had been to sketch clever but rather cruel iricatures now and then for our amusement." Just one more question. Mrs. Tyrrell." Tyr-rell." begged Barry. "You said the 4cu"i'n hair looked as if It had been bleached out In the sun; do you remember re-member whether It was curly or straight?" 'Straight aa a string," Mrs. Tyrrell Tyr-rell responded ' June n hair had been soft and curling about her face, while her Sister's Was flat unJ dunk and un-plem-ant-looking as though she had been drowned! Now 1 really must hurry or you'll mlns your train. He took leave of Mr. Tyrrell at the station Just as the New York train was pulling in. but made no attempt to get aooard. Instead he waited for the Western express and as he en-lorcd en-lorcd the Pullman he chuckled to himself. him-self. I 'Gad, what luck!" he murmured What .i Li'in. ijrni Kate played right Into her hands'" CHAPTKK XII. The group which gathered in Pro-fessoi Pro-fessoi Semyonov'o ahabb, comfortable comfort-able living room a few days later til a strangely assorted one, but the ea of all held the Fame Intent expression ex-pression and their eyes were focused on the boyish figure which lounged, easily In the window seat All tho j tenants 01 the nouse wt-re present cept the keeper oi the antique shop, Hi Gordon Ladd, moody and silent; fM ilcnry Grl.swold With his little skull- mHJ cap. the professor himself, as imper- fM turbable as ever, and even the p:ile. K shrinking little Miss Shaw from her tM attic studio. KB in addition the chief had condc- Bcended to come over from headouar- EBJ ten and lend his august countenance to the proceedings, and Serjeant Craig Hfl stood near, looking us though he were not quite sun- What SVflJS &oing to drop on him. while, unsi fn. ouuiue the door two stalwart men lemalned on Hh guard. HB ' I've got a little story to tell you Hj all; It won't take long " The figure In the window straightened. HJ Deep silence rewarded him save for Wf- an audible f,ni from Craig and a .-liRht ruatlc ot Miss Shaw's gov HH she settled back resignedly in her BH chair. Barry went on: Hj ' Long ago out In a vlllase in Michi- EBl gan, two girls were left orphans un- i der tho rascally guardianship of a hypocrUlcaJ bank prtsldent. The old- BBv or girl was delicate, the younger EH crippled to the point of physical de ll formlty but with a strong, detei- K ! mined, alert mind. They were pos- t tested ot a little property and their H guardian niaoe . j i u mind to marr H J tho oldest girl off as early and as well I HI as possible but ho saw his chance H w with tho younger one because of hoi j If Infirmity. He put her in an Inatltu- tlon which was practically an idiot' Bf asylum and her Older sister was pow- i HT erless to help her H It Is a wonder that the Utile crip- i K .pies maid didn't give way with the I mm honors about her, but it didn't even1 H when a greater horror and grief came !lnto her lite Their guardian sent the i older alitor to u fashionable school in I another state wh' n i daughter of u I rich family grew fund of her and took F her to her own hoint.- in a distant city for a Bummer vacation. BB -' "There th- orphan no I and married BB a man of wealth v. ln.ni she lod cle- I votedly. but who fell Into the tolls of L a designing woman of undeniable ias- k cli atli ri , om i arho was shot to V death downstairs a few night ago the Km rrniK oiacKinuinng wire or .Mr una- BB v old, hi gasp that was like the stirring. BH of drj leavea ran around the little dr- j EQ cle. but no on spoke and after a mo- i menl Ba i , i ontin HI "There were two years of happy BgJ married life, however, before the other i Efl woman appeared upon the scene, and ; BB tlurlng those two years the bride was ! WfU enabled to provide lor her younger BB eister, remove her by law from the K9 hands of their guardian and have her B completely cured of the physical dls- BH ability which had crippled her In rc- M turn the younger aiater adored her HJH ,jiaslonatery with a single-hearted ie- M fcrjj Notion which l"rc fruit in later years. H "When the woman known to all of I Ej3 'ou but one as .Mrs Vane' eloped with ; EBj the husband of the older sister It i BjW broke her heart and destroyed her mind. She died within the year and ES .When her husband htard ot It he shot KB himself In remorse; tho cartridge shell KJH from that shot was found among the PtjjM ao-called Mrs. Vane'a effects a few days ago. BB , t In the meantime, however, she BB A lu'J !'"inpl her husband again mi. - BBJ ceeded by a ruse in making tlrcuin- WSt stances appear In the eyes of tho law Bsl as though he had condoned her un-i Bfl faithfulness, and has been blackmail- B9 ing him over since, playing with fire 1KJ but haver again permitting herself to I MS te burned, since It would mean the BJ9 loss of her Income. B "She may have almost forgotten BBJ that first mad escapade, but Bho reck- I " aed without that littlo slater of the! glrl-wlfe whoae life tho had brought j down to the grave. ' She was plentifully supplied w 1th BJrS money and fhe littlo sister was poor. With her own living to make while she HJB pursued hor search, but she con- El ilnued it for seven years, and then the hng arm of coincidence stepped in and placed her enemy within her BJfl reach. Only two things puzzle me; j when sho first knew that Mrs. Vano was Miriam Grlawold. and what became be-came of the small pistol with Which sho fired from the flro escape through 1 1 he buil's-eve which sne naa previo'ii-' previo'ii-' lv marked upon the canvas of the portrait, por-trait, otraight Into Mrs anea heart. Can vou tell us. Miss narrows?" Fte turned abruptly to the small figure of Miss Shaw, but this time she did not shrink, nor was there tho slightest surprise nor hesitation as she replied: ' "Yes. the pistol Is here I knew that Professor Bemyonov'a apartment was the only one In the building which would be exempt from -earch, so while he waa downstairs with you. Sergeant Barry before Bcrgssnt Craig came up i lipped In here the door hni been left "i"'n and dropped the pistol behind that pile of violin music I could see it hadn't been touched for months " "It Is nearly a month since." tho young woman went on. "going out lata one evenlnr I passed Mrs Vane'a door and heard her In a heated dlecusslon with Mr. tJrIswold. of cours I knew who he was from the day ho came here to live so I stopped and listened. She was making a demand for more n"tir;. and 1 soon heard enough to tell me that my search was finally ended I had a apeaklng acquaintance with her already and .: week after thai night I managed to hae hei inlte me Into her studio. "I watched her as she sat upon her "And Dropped the PJStOl Behind Thai Pile of Violin Music. stool, painting, saw that her breast was on a level with the third step of the stairs In the portrait, and. getting get-ting hehlnd It marked the spot on tho canvn-i with a bit of red paint You see. I'd planned during tTia't week just what I should do; 1 knew that sho often worked at night and I only awaited my opportunity." She nodded and ?en smiled slightly slight-ly at Craig, who stood awkwardly dangling in his huge hands tho tiny j pistol he had retrieved from beneath the dusty heap of musk Thai's what I did It with, I've carried car-ried It for s-cven years, but I'm finished fin-ished with It now." What made you go down again afterwards af-terwards Miss- Craig evidently felt that something was expected of him. T mean when the medical examiner was there and ordered you away from the corpse?" I wanted to smear the brown point which I knew was still wet on tho canvas, can-vas, over the bullet hole so that It would not be so readily discovered, and I did." She turned to Barry. "1 don't In the least care what happens lo 1 1 io now but I am curious to know "Tho caliber of the pistol used," he replied. It was distinctly a woman's weapon; .Mrs. Vane wax the ruthless, predatory type who If she turned sex outlaw would bo the natural enemy of all women; you were the only other oth-er feminine tenant In the house and you mado contradictory' statements W hen I found tho bullet hole In tho canvas I know the shot must have been fired from Just outside the window the fire escape was the only means of access and the choice lay between you and Mr. Urlswold. He would not have paid blackmail to hor all these years If ho had meant to run hl9 own neck Into a noose by eliminating hor. ao when I started west wc were protty sure of our grounds, Serjeant Craig and 1 " "But the stops we heard on tho stairs!" Professor Semyonov exclaimed. ex-claimed. "They were those of Mr Griswold ascending and a moment later Mr. Ladd descending," Barry remarked. "Chief, I think our case Is finished." "May I speak?" Profesor Semyonov rose before the official could reply. "If It can bo proven that this young lady was for yeara an Inmate of an Institute Insti-tute for tho crippled and feeble-minded I think thut I can assist In furthering further-ing the ends of r"al Justice providing you are willing, sir. to entrust her to j my care A nine-day s' sensation In I tho newspapers, a year or so for Miss Barrows in a quiet retrea'. of which I know and which tho district attorney himself will endorse and the world will j have forgotten alike the ovil woman whose execution took place beneath this roof and the manner of It " "I'll take a chance on you any time, professor'" The chief spoke In a relieved re-lieved t..ne "Sergeant Craig, seo that Miss Barrows la placed In the prison ward at Bellevue temporarily, under the charge of manslaughter." Aftor the young woman had been led away sobbing hysterically Professor Pro-fessor Semyonov turned onco more to Barry with a whimsical smile. "You were right, my friend. It had everything to do with the crime after all; that step on tho stairs." THE EN D (Copyright, 1922, NEA Service ) NFAV STORY MONDAY. |