OCR Text |
Show ISABEL jj ilillillllggW Q3T R AN DERlMjISMipjy i Bl .IN HERE TOPAY The rvport of a revolver, followed by hurrying footsteps on the stairs, causes caus-es Detective Barry and his friend, Professor Pro-fessor Bemyonov, to rush from the lut-ut's lut-ut's rooms on the fitth floor of a New York apartment house They dlscov-' or the hoy of beautiful Miriam Vane, society portrait painter, in her etudJo apartment, on th third lloor. Ijttdd. a young artist on the second floor. Grlswold. ah Irascible bachelor on the fourth floor and Patricia Shaw, a magazine mag-azine writer, on tho sixth, deny having heard tho shot Miss Bnaw, the first interviewed, says that she knew Mr.-. Vane very slightly and hail not been i in h-r studio for threo wi-eko. on WWII THE STORY "Let's have a talk, then, with tho affable af-fable genueman on th- floor below," Parry suggested. "I'll wa;er he won't take no long this time 10 answer a i summons." Ine unmusical snores .still sounded from the rear of Henry Grlawold's apartment as they reached his floor, but with a word to the, utiicer on guard. Parry knocked peremptorily on the door and announced In loud tones: "Police heudquartvrs! Sergeant, If he doean t open (he door ln three mln- j uu-s, break It down!" Tho snurlng CfmiHifl instantly in a' sound between a squeal und a grunt. The next Instant there came a rattle of bolta and the door was flung open to disclose Grlswold's lanky frame clad in a scant nightshirt, with a skullcap up- I on his grizzled he. id. "What the devil do u mean?" he began furiously, but Cralgj -l gca- t ture from Parry, stepped forward. 'I'm the detective assigned irom headquarters to Investigate tne murder on the floor Just below you here to- i night, sor. and I'd like a word with you." ho said gruffly. If you don't want to answer my questions I'll call 1 the- wagon and yuii .,n emnc down-j town and talk t" the chief!" ' Well, shut the door behind you. I both of you. and sit down unless you want CO call In the whole police de- I pertinent!" exclaimed Grisvoid. "I suppose 1 can put on a dressing gown " Ho turned and paddled oif toward; his bedroom lth Craig doggedly ln his wake, while liarry seated hlmsel! and glanced about him. ln a shadowy corner an old hound stood with drooping ears and ono paw lifted as though to advance und the sergeant looked twice before ho discovered dis-covered that It was an ancient and adly moth-eaten specimen of the taxidermist's tax-idermist's art. Qriewold returned presently In tho tattered dressing gown and flapping slippers. " LAiX. us got this farce over as quickly quick-ly as possible, If you please." "Do you know any ot tho occupant of t his house ?" "Personally, no, and I do not want to'" retorted Grlswold. "I have no use. for any of them!" "You did not. then, know Mrs. Vane?" "Most assuredly not' I never spoke to the woman ln my life!" There was outraged dignity in the disclaimer "Not thut 1 urn aware of anything to her discredit, but 1 knotv nothing about her at all " "What can you toll me of the other tenants here'.'" Craig asked. Grlswold licked bis thtn lips avidly as though over a choice morsel of gosKlp "The young man Ladd ban frequently called upon Mrs. Vane, nnd at least onco 1 have seen Miss Shaw liunilng from her apartments." "From Mrs. Vane's, you mean'.'" Barry Interposed quickly. "When was that'' About three weeks ago?" "Three days ugo'" corrected Grls-' Grls-' wold with emphasis. "I am positive it was Tue8diy, because I am rarely late at getting to my office, but on the previous night I had suffered an attack at-tack of indigestion, which kept me j awake and It was quite 10 o'clock in I the morning when I came downstairs l and saw the Shaw girl coming out of the apartment on tho floor below. I ' did not see Mrs. Vano." CHAPTER IV. Craig was so visibly dumfounded at the unexpected contradiction ot .Miss I Shaw'a testimony that his fellow ser-gcant ser-gcant continued in command of tho situation. "ou mean, Mr. Grlswold, that fcflBS Shaw had been alone in Mrs. ane'S studio Tuesday morning""' he asked In the diffident tone, which to those who know him portended an Important point ln the examination of a witness. "By no means!" Grlswold stirred Irritably Ir-ritably In his chair. "That scrub-woman was there. Mrs. McUrath, who looks after some of the .'iparlments in the house. "You're a widower. 1 understand. Mr. Grlswold?" asked Craijr. "My wife s been dead for fourteen years, if It's any of your business!" snapped tho other. "I understand that you deny having heard the shut " began Craig, but Grlswold interrupted. "I have stated that I did not I was asleep until that Id Pro) feasor Bemyonov clamored at my door." "You did not come down Immediately. Immediate-ly. Mr. Grlswold." Parry made his second sec-ond point quietly ' What finally decided de-cided you to appear upon the scene of the murder at all?" "I did not reply to that bringing upon up-on my door, because I fancied it might be some practical Joke of that young niun on the second floor Gordan Ladd, although I have never exchanged a ,rd w 1th him." It was self-evident that nothing further fur-ther could be gotten from him. In lh- hall outside the officer approached. approach-ed. "The lady on tho top floor, she's been down twice asking for you," he Observed Impartially to the two. "I didn't think you'd wunt to be disturbed disturb-ed In thore, but It seems there's sOnv thing she forgot to tll you awhile back." ' At that moment the pale, bobbed head of Miss Shaw appeared over the banisters two flights above and, seeing them, she came hastily and silently , down. "1 don't want to waste your time," he began a trifle breathlessly, "but something escap6d my memory nnd I told you an unintentional falsehood. ! The matter Is quite trivial and lrrel- i evant, but I do not care to have the least misunderstanding about this. When I told you that I had not ontered I Mrs. Vano's studl slnco my call upon I I her until tonight. It was not strictly true, although 1 held no communication communica-tion with her. A few days ago I was passing her door, she was out, but frs. McGrnth was cleaning In there nnd I asked If I might take a peep at tho portrait. "That's all right. Miss shaw. " Honest Hon-est relief shown In Craig's eyes, ' it's as well that you did toll us and If anything else comes to your mind, no m tier how unimportant It may seem to you. just call up police headquart-ers headquart-ers and ask for me. Sergeant Craig. r for Sergeant Harry here. We'll see lhat you're kept out of It as much ns we can." "Thank you. I'm sure that you will. s' i f-'1 1 .' 'he r spondod with n nod that although Still dignified, was almost al-most cordial. "Goodnight." I She vanished up the stairs and as I the two sergeants continued downward Craig remarked confidentially to his companion: "Ain't women funny" Did you sec how her manner changed ail of a i sudden when ho thought sho had got . nersoll in wrong? "Twas nothinc. that visit of hers to the Vane woman's stu-idlo, stu-idlo, after all, but If - a good thing she W 1 1 at tii k i m ... you I MEAN?" HE BEGAN FURIOUBLT. told us after Grlswold mentioned it. j for we might have gone off on some wrong track entirely. Do we get after ; young Mr Uadd now?" "Yes," Parry replied as they passed 'the ttaglcally vacant rooms of tho dead woman. "It ho knew Mrs Vane as Grlswold says, we ought to get -oni.-t hlng worth while at last." Gordon Ivxdd was anticipating their coming with an eagerness which he i made no attempt to conceal. I "You're headquarters men, aren't you?" de demanded. "For heaven's , sake, como in and tell mo It you've found out anything! Those chaps from I tho local precinct are aubs, and I'm . almost mad over this thing! night this way. you'll find cigars and things ; on that stand." "You know Mrs. Vane Mr. Ladd?" It was more a statement than a question ques-tion .is Marry seated himself. I "Knew her?" Good Ixrd. I !" The young man Controlled himself by a I Visible effort and added lamely; "Yes. ! 1 have known her for some time, several sev-eral years, In fact, and although she ii id a host of friends, I think I can umirn io oe ono oi ino closest ot tnem to her. It's the sheor Impossibility of this thing, gentlemen, which has driven driv-en me nearly mud. I know that that she was shot, I saw her body, and yet I would be more ready to believe that a bolt from heaven struck her down than a bullet sped from a human hund!" "Why?" This time the question cam as sharply as the report ot a p:stul Itself upon the outburst of nei-vos Btretchced beyond the breaking point, nnd Gordon Lkdd cast discretion to the winds. "Pecause she was alive and well an Instant almost before that shot must have boon fired! I saw her, I spoke to to her. I " Too late the young man reallseepthS slip be had made, and his r.iee turned livid, but hastily he mudc an effort to retrieve his error. "It must havo beon the closing of my own iloor here w-hen I returned that muffled muf-fled the shot so that I d"!tf not hear It." "When you returned from where?" Craig leaned forward suddenly. That ho had made such an error was Instantly apparent, for the length Of his accusatory speech had given the ordinarily well-polsed younp man an opportunity to place himself in. a mea-BUIe mea-BUIe upon his guard, and his reply came In u coldly collected tone, "You are mistaken, sergeant or whatever your rank may bo termed. I When I said that 1 "returned l meant that I bad only then returned from; tho Montaines", on East Ninth street, where I had dined and spent the earlier earl-ier pari of the evening." Craig turned In fr.mk appeal to tho larger experience of his colleague and Barry resumed the interrogation. "Will you tell us, Mr. Uidd, Just exactly ex-actly what did happen laHt evening from tin- time you left the house where you dined until from your upurtment hero, you heard Officer Poyle hammering ham-mering upon tho entrance below?" he asked in a courteously persuasive tone. (Continued in our next Issue) (Copyright. 1'j2'2, NEA Service) |