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Show Continued From Our Saturday Issue. "Certainly, You know the bluish smoke nnd flame which Is somciimf", observed escaping from the exhaust pipe beneath the rear of the car?" the professor asked 'Thai La carbon nion oxide." "Would it he possible to convey this carbon monoxide in some way from 'he exhaust pip of an automobile to a closed room?" Barry's voice trembler trem-bler with excitement. "Certain)'., the professor exclaim ed, and the sheriff took a step forward. for-ward. "A rubber tubing would con fey " directly from the exhSUSl pipe into any sort of container, metal or Otherwise. 1 understand what vou mean, Sergeant Barry, and it is a most ingenious nnd practical theory. The container could bo opened in a closed room and the carboy monoxide al lowed to escape, or It could be di rectly forced into the lungs by mean of lhe rubber tubing by which it had been introduced from the exhaust pipe. There have been more than one case of accidental death reported In the medical journals, in which chauf feurSi working In closed garages, havo been overcome by the fumes and died before help could reach them. The theory of the use of the gas by burg lars in the effort to render their victims vic-tims insensible, has often occurred to me In fact " He broke off. and both hands clutch ed at his bushy white hair in sudden consternation. "My God. And I unwittingly do scribed the very means by which the murder was committed bore in the house, in the possible hearing of anv of a score of people who might havo Utilized it for their purpose." "You?" The cry came slmultane ously from the coroner and the sher Iff. while Lieutenant Cadmus started forward. Yes. I mentioned this matter at the dance " "Where did you hold this conversation"" conversa-tion"" the sheriff demanded. In wh.v part of the house or grounds?" ' In a corner of the library, and to my hostess We were closely screen ed by tall, flowering shrubs that we' could not see who else might enrer! but people were constantly passing, j This it; horrible," the professor ex-1 claimed. "Did you mention also the way in which the carbon monoxide might be transferred from the exhaust pipe of I a car to a container, and how it might be used to asphyxiate people?" asked Barry'- "That would, of course, b the most important part to us." "Yes. I did." Professor Semyonov groaned. 'I sm an enthusiastic idiot ' Barry strolled around the house to the garage. Barry found Frank, the chauffeur, busily engorged In cleaning the large touring car. which, toge'her with Mrs. Tudor'p own fast little racer and the station bus. occupied the space within with-in the garage. "Axe these all the cars owned by the fumllv. Frank''" Barry began wlthojit preamble. The chauffeur looked up In surprise at the Hidden query "Yes. sir. except for the limousine which is being overhauled In town" "Would you hear If any one started one of the cars running down hero during the night ," "I should say I would." he respond ed "Did somebody take one of these machines out last night for a joy ride during the dance0' 'Wouldn't you have known if the) had" Barry retorted The chauffeur shook his head ".'o last night. I wasn't here. Mrs Tudor gave me a night off on account of the dance, and I went to a movie In the village and staved over with Pete Whaley, who runs the public, garage I got home here about nine o'clock and went straight to the ga-1 ' e" juni lur vt u v 1 iirfw mi' iu tunc was one queer thing, though " "What was it" the detective de manded as Frank hesitated "Well, it don't hardly seem worth mentioning, but, It struck me just now as I was cleaning the touring car that there ought to be more gasoline In the tank, according to my calcala tions, than there is" He shook his head. "I usually figure it out pretty closo, hut I must have made a mis take Just now " Who has the keys to the garage besides yourself?" Barry changed the subject abruptly Only Mi's. Tudor and poor Mis? Laurel. The locks aln t been changed In 1 hree. j ears." 'It rained hard last night." the detective de-tective remarked "Vou didn't find any muddy tracks in heie this morning morn-ing Frank, did you J" "Only my own," he. said Then a strange, rather confused look rame over his face ' I usually keep my floor like wax. sir, but I was kind of hurried last night and didn't hose it l down. 1 didn't find any muddy footprints foot-prints this morning, but 1 did see some queer dried smears here and there, as though someone might hae washed I up the marks of tbelr trend Jxok 1 here, sir and herf Ho pointed and Barry looked There were clean places on the oily floor, as though indeed someone had tried to obliterate their footprints Barrv went carefully over every yard of space Then he straightened and inquired casually "How did you first learn of the Irnnhla nn at IVia t-.Mert'' I1M Martha or another of the maids come out here to send you for the doctor?" ' No. sir i d gone up io the servants' serv-ants' dining room to have a cup of coffee, cof-fee, and was Just sitting down to It when Martha came flying from the young ladles' room with her face as while as a sheet and told me to go as fast a I could that Miss Laurel was dead " Barry' turned as If to depart, but at the threshold he dropped his hand kerchief and, stopping to recover it, turned once more. "By the way, 1 was having a little discussion with Lieutenant Cadmus a while ago about the exhaust of mo tors in general, and I asked if a rub- 1 her tube could be attached in some way to the exhaust pipe on a car and 1 led out of doors, so that, when the ' engine ,im running the fumes would , escape into the outer air. He says it could not be done; that the pressure of the exhaust would force off the . rubber tubing What do you think0" "Me? I think he's a lmp " The re I tort came promptly. "Why, I've seen 1 it done myself, it was done as an experiment, just as you said, sergeant, to see if ihe fumes could be driven directly out of the garage It waa extra ex-tra heavy tubing, of course, and had been fastened on pretty tight, but it held all right." Is there any extra heavy tubing of that sort lying about the garage here"" deinnnded Barry. His voice had suddenly sharpened. Why, there was some." The chauf feur looked his wonderment. "We never used it, though .and I don't know what has become of it. I'll look 1 for It. sir. If you like." I "1 wish you would." I He left and proceeded slowly to the housr When Frank had drawn his 1 attention to the cleaned spaces, he had observed something which had escaped the other's eye a tiny, . MY GOD. AND I UNWITTINGLY DESCRIBED THE VERY MEANS BY WHICH THE MURDER WAS COMMITTED." COM-MITTED." rounded spot of mud with an elong ated triangle in front of it. Barry recognized the print of a small high-heeled slipper, and he knew that when ho bad found it and its owner the search for this sinister Cinderella would bo al an end. He- found Anna the cook, Loul6e and Martha all congregated In the kitchen, and a single glance at their feet assured him that nono of them could have worn that fairylike slipper slip-per "Do you know If Mrs. Tudor has been out to the garage today?" "Why, no, sir," Martha stammered "The poor lady hasn't been out of doors except for a minute on the front porch when ihe coroner came." Barry dismissed the subject, and, asking where the telephone was. ho called up Whaley's garage. Yes, Frank had slept the night in Pete's owu room, and who the devil's bust ness was It, anyway? Frank's alibi was established beyond be-yond further question. He walked silently to the front of the house, nnd, hearing the voices of Mrs Tudor, the sheriff, and Pro fessor Semyonov in the library, he vaulted quickly up the stairs The locked door of the room In which Laurel had met her death presented no difficulties to him, and in a mo ment he had opened It with a skele ton kev. The two narrow, empty, tumbled beds, with clothing scattered about and the breakfast tray with only one chocolate cup used were the first ob jects which met his gaze. He examined carefully the tiny pair of low heeled lounging slippers which stood on the floor by the bed nearest the window, then turned his attention to the pink satin mules beside be-side the other bed. Shaking his head, he was replacing them when, kicked or thrown fai under the valance, he discovered a pair of incredibly small dull-black satin sllpp r.-i with exagger atedlj pointed toes and high stilted heels. They had been curled all out I of shape. As he drew them forth he felt the grating of the mud which still caked them, and realized that they were sopping wet He had risen and was examining them with minute care when an ex clamation from behind him made him turn swifdy Pay Tudor stood in the doorway watching him As her eyes fell upon the objects in his hands she opened her lips, but no words came. "Can you tell me. Miss Tudor, to whom these belong?" "Thev are mine, Sergeant Barry." CHAPTER VIII The look in her clear, limpid eyes was that of a child who does not understand, un-derstand, but senses no danger De spite the damning revelation Barry j fell an odd Impulse ol compunction. She appeared so small and frail, yet he, as well as everybody else in Sandy Cove, had heard of the fortitude and courage she had displayed during her two years of unceasing service. Could that courage and fortitude turn into Implacable relentlessness under the urge of reckless passion and a de-Bire de-Bire for revenge against the girl who. Bhe learned only the previous night, had supplanted her in her absence'' Could It be that she was still in love with the young lieutenant? Continued in Our Next Issue (Copyright. 1922, NEA Service) |
