PAGE SIX BjfeK JSI Mi By S. S. Vi CHAPTER XII | v When Liang1 had gone out, Vance 1sent Gamble for Hilda Lake. A> soonj! as she entered the library, Vance in- j p formed her that Wrede was dead. j c She looke<l at him a moment, lifted f her eyebrows, shrugged slightly, and. t said: It is no great loss to the e world." ; a 'Furthermore,' Vance went on, "1,1 believe that Mr. Wrede murdered! your uncles and attempted the lifejc of Mr. Grassi." j V "1 would not be in. the least sur- t; prised," Die young woman commented f ii coldly. I have suspected all along' that he murdered Uncle Archer but tT could not quite see how he accom- t h plished it. Have you learned his mo-; b dus operandi"."' j ii Vance shook his head. S tl "No, Miss Lake." he admitted.! si That s a parr of me problem still to j be solved." j i\ But why," she asked, "should he kill Uncle Brisbane" Uncle Brisbane! was his ally." j $ "Thats' another phase of the problem that must "be worked out. There; was an error a miscalculation- p soi a viier1-." ,] "T can understand," Hilda Lake re marked, "why he should attempt Mr. r Giassi's life. Mr. Wrede was intense lv jealous of Mr Grassi." ; e "All clever, scheming: men with av r sense of their own inferiority." said cl Vance, "are inclined toward intense: jealousy. . . But there's a partial- p iar thought that has entered my mind this evening:, and I shall ask you about it. Tell me. Miss Lake, what reason u would Brisbane have had for killing: ,, Archer?" Vance's question amazed me, and ; h when I glanced at Markham and;" Heath, T saw that they, too, were j n startled. But Hilda Lake accepted it r. as if it had been the most casual and e "Oh. various reasons." she answered calmly. There was a deep antago- a nism between the two. UncJe Brisbane 1< had many ideas and many ambitions, 1 but'he was always handicapped by the u fact that Uncle Archer controlled all t the money. There was, therefore, the v money motive. Again. Uncle Bris- <! lid not fee! that Uncle Archer ha.I treated me fairiv. and he was i. quite anxious for nic- to marry Mr. v VViede. Uncle Archer, as you know, j was violently opposed to the mar- ) riage " ! c "And you, Miss Lake?" I "Ohs" she returned offhandedly, "1 v thought the ir.arriage might be ra- 1 ther a good thing. Mr. Wrede was a t comforting kind of sou! who wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest s and T was tremendously riV-sirous of f escaping from this queer household. 1 ? iviicw <ii. rug iauiu), mil, ag lung iw ; they didn't interfere with me? " t Perhaps," suggested Vance, "the 1 arrival of Mr. Grassi changed your mind a bit?" [1 For the first time during my ac- i qu&intance with Hilda hake, I noticed \ a soft, feminine expression, come into j her eyes. She glanced down as it em- ; barrassed. \ Perhaps, as you say," she replied j in a low voice, "the arrival of Mi*. ! Grassi changed my mind." s Vance stood up. ; "I hope, Miss I_ake," lie ??5u. ; lnat ] you will both be very happy," i We dined at Vance's apartment that i night. Both Vance and Markham; j ? WKBBBasaEaa mm . Tc\ /? jru&uuae&AL SPECIAL!' LIMIT: 2 TO JL A ,Jztm enema*eo | Farmers Hai Supply ( w IZ=? "Til Icr 1 \v if xraer ! \N DINE J k rerc troubled, for the case had not vv ou a, satisfactory ending - there were iiany things that had been left unex- ai dained: there were many links in the hain of evidence which had not been s< ound. But before the night was over p here were no longer any mysteries: ju ach step in this monstrous crime,ju nd each pei*plexing and contradic-1 orv factor, had been clar ified. : r< The final elucidation of the mystery' ji ante in a most unexpected manner. ja Ve were sitting in Vance's library. ja alking. after dinner. Vance smoked! rt doleful silence for a while. 1 ? "It's dashed mystifvin'," he mut-|cj ered. "What I can't understand is ^ ow Archer got upstairs after he had con stabbed in the library- There's ttlc doubt, after Liang's story, that m tie bloody work was done downtairs." Tin not so sure you're right aboutij :iat, Vance," submitted Markham If your theory is correct, you must ^ jgicaily admit the proposition that a p| ead man walked upstairs." Vance inclined his head. I realize that. ' he said thoughtful-j ^ i- Then he leapt to his feet and stood of ore Markham. tense and animated. (? A dead man waiked upstairs," he: -r epeated in a strained, hushed voice. I That's it: That's the answer to ev-1^ rythtng. . . . Yes. Markham."? -he i.j odded with curious significance?"a K,, cad man waiked unstairs:" Markham looked up at lun? with y enovolent concern. ^ "Come, come, Vance." he said, in a indly, paternal tone. "This cose has gj psc-t you. Take a good nightcap and * o to bed?' "No. no, Markham. Vance cut in, is eyes staring straight ahead. st Thats* just what happened the other D( ight. Archer Coe already a dead q lan? walked upstairs. And?what's ven more terrible. Markham?he tc luiV"L know ne was cieaur ^ Vance turned quickly and went to t-t . set of thick quarto volumes on the iwer r.heif of one of his bookcases. (j1 1c van his finger along the i>o'?ks nti) he came to volume "E." He tj urned the pages and found what he n. ens looking for. Then he glaficcd (i; !own the column of fine type. n! "Listen, Markhan he said. "Here A s a historical case of a dead person '.diking." He read from the oncyelo- f( edia: ' 'Elizabeth < AnVolIe Eugenie). ,j .837-1898, consort of Francis Joseph, miperor of Austria, a daughter of luke Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, vas born on the 2-lth of December, L937, at Lake Standing. ..." He urned the page. "Hut here's the passage regarding her death: Elizabeth ipent much of her time traveling hrough Europe and at the palace she lad built, in Corfu. On the 10th of September, IS9S, she was walking hrough the streets of Geneva with ler entourage, from her hotel to the itearner, when on anarchist, named jUigi Luccher.i. ran suddenly into the oadway and stabbed her in the back, yith a shoemaker's awl. The police minediatcly pounced upon the man ujcl were about to drag him away, vhen tne empress stayed them and ?ave the order that they should recase him. "He has not injured me," me ??in, arm i wisn. on tnis occasion, to forgive him." She continued icr walk to the steamer", which was nore than half a mile distant, and nade a farewell speech to her subjects from the deck. She then reCE OORD j pifitf Jl 6-Ft. Length /ON COVERED 3AKEUTE PLUG *dware and ]ompany ATAUGA DEMOCRAT?EVER^ red to her cabin and !av down. Sev- 1 til hours later she was found dead. I uccliem had actually stabbed her c ithout her being aware of it. and \ ic had died hours later of an inter- l il hemorrhage. This crime was the \ rial misfortune which came to the |: ustrian emperor, and all Europe _ as aroused to a state of intense in- i c gnation.V* | d Vance closed the book and threw, to one side. t "Now do you see what I mean, i arkham ?" he asked. A dead per >n often does strange things with- \ it knowing he is dead. Do you recall j c hat Doctor Doremus said: 'An in-'j 'rnal hemorrhage' That's the whole it orv?that's the kev to everything:., - hat's how Archer could have been j > tiled in the library and still have! j alked upstairs." jl Markhum stood up and walked back : \ ml forth across the room. :< "Good C d!" His words were i jarcely audible. "So that's the ex-1, la nation! No wonder we couldn't j j uderstand the things that happened j \ tere that night. Unbelievable!" Vance had sunk bock into his chair, i ?laxed. He took a deep inspiration, j ke a man who had suddenly found r friendly settlement in the midst of ] hostile jungle. i "Really, Markham." he said with a i ight upward glance, taking out his c garette case. "I'll never forgive you >r this never! It was you who ; lessed the solution. And I knew It i 1 the time, but I couldn't correlate ] y knowledge." Markham came to a sudden halt. * "What do you mean bv saying that; * guessed the solution?" "Didn't you say." asked Vance mild- j1 '. "that the only way one could-ex-p lain the circumstances was by the ssumption that a dead man walked pslahii? . . No. Markham. I am ire 1 shall never forgive you." ; Markham sat down and muttered i disgusted oath, lie smoked a while l silence. "The internal hemorrhage explains : lany things." he admitted finally. ! But I still don't understand Rrisme*s death, and the bolted door." ] "And yet. d* ye see." returned ;< ance, "it ail fits in perfectly, now tal we have the key." He lay back in his chair and | < retched his legs. He took several l jffs on his cigarette and half closed s eyes. i? "I think, Markham, T tan reconruct the amazin' and oontradict'ry I i jcurrences that took place in the j: oe domicile last Wednesday nigra, i . 1 doubt if Wredc actually planned > murder Archer Goe that nieht. The: lea, had no doubt been in his mind J >r a long time, for he had obviously iken the precaution of securing a uplicate key to the spring lock on ic rear door But I have a feelin' int. he wished only to argue various latters out with Archer last Werinesay night before actually resorting to nirder. It's obvious that he called or i i cher that night and tried to con ince him that he would be the per- \ ?ct mate for Hilda Lake. Archer! Lsagreed - ar.d disagreed violently. ( 1 1 wb Ro tin an^ foi wi al\ let ^it F. 1. "* { THURSDAY?BOONE, N. C. riiat was no doubt the argument thai Jang overheard. I imagine that tht iebace reached the point where blows vere struck. The poker was quitt tandy. don't v* know, and Wrede vith his tremendous sense of person il inferiority, would naturally react or some outsidet agent to help him >ve?* the top. He snatched the pokei in.i shi'ipk Archer over the head. "Archer fell forward against the able, upsetting it and fracturing his ib. VVrede was in a quandary. Bui igain his sense of inferiority invades lim. He looked round the root* juickly. saw the dagger in the cabi jet, took it out and, as Archer lay 01 he floor, drove it into his back. . . The deed was done. He had vindicates limself in a physical way, and ha< -t-moved all obstacles from his path fie believed he was alone in the tious* ,vith Archer; but stiii there was ih< juestiqn of a suspect. Into his shrewi jraiu flashed the thought of Liang vhom he had always suspected of be ir.g more than a servant. He figure* :nat if he left the Chinese dagge .vhere it would be found in the li brary, Liang would be the logical sus pect He threw the dagger into th Ttr.g yao vase. But he threw it in to* bard. It broke the vase arid agaii VVrede was in a quand'ry. He picket ip the dagger and placed it in th" jther vase on the table. Then he gath ?red up the fragments of the Tin} van, carried them through the kit ihc-n and placed them in the garbagi pail on the rear porch. The poker h lad thrown back or. the hearth. Am le left the house through the rea mtranee, passed behind the hedge i; Lhe vacant lot, unlatched the gate a :hc rear of his apartment house, am .vent to his rooms. "So far, so good." said Markhan 'But what of Brisbane?" "Brisbane? Ah, yes. He was a unexpected element. But Wrede kne> nothing about it. ... As I see H \farkham, Brisbane naa planned t sot rid of Archer that same nigh' His trip to Crioago was merely blind. With his knowledge of crim tiokgy and his shrewd technical brai he had worked out a perfectly log ?al means of doing away with hi brother and having the crime appea ft suicide. Naturally he chose Wednc; lay night when he knew Archer woul be alone in the house. He e3tablishe bis alibi by having Gamble make re: prvatiojns on the 5:15 train to CSiica go His plan was to go back to th house and take a later train. It \va an excellent idea, and it was alnsog detection proof. And he did come bac to the house. Markhani; with the def nite intention of killing Archerv ; ; j "Still, I don't see Oh, it's all quite simple,' Vane went on. "But before Brisbane n turned that night, strange and ut canny things happened. The plot b< came, cluttered with complication and Brisbane, instead of creating perfect crime, walked into a plot inor diabolical than the one he himself ha conceived. . . ." Vance moved in his chair. "This is what had happened in th meantime: Archer, recovering froj AahiaN; V v "^HE way to choose a fertili first find out what its reput; at results it has given in th iyster Fertilizers have stood t le?which, after all, is the be ything. They have a 50-year producing crops, a reputati 11 be maintained. Royster Fert vays be depended on for RES him know how many tons c Royster Field Tested Fertilize Hoys FIELD TESTED FE S. ROYSTER GUANO COM ; tHo blow of the poker, and not realiz- ; e< k ins that he had also been stabbed, i tl ? went upstairs to his bedroom. The! a > shades were up, and Wrede. from his; e< . own apartment, could see him across\ t] the vacant lot. . . . No one will everj ii i know what thoughts went on in Coe's j t] t mind at this time. But obviously he h was Incensed at Wrede. and he prob- d ably sat down to write him a letter j g ' forbidding him ever to put foot in the h t hniisp strain. He beean to feel tired? i ii : perhaps the blood had commenced to j _ 1 choke his lungs. The pen fell from j i his fingers. He made an effort to pre-! - pare himself for bed. He took off his h 1 coat and waistcoat and hung them! f. . carefully in the closet. Then he put w 1 on his dressing gown, buttoned it,' 1 and tied the belt about him. He walk-; 1 e ~ " l- ?swmr*w NORTH Ci FARM e o n have alway SATISFACTION AT by tisi || Interne : Lime ] t.1 t Fertil :S r "i win .- ? ???hi 5- ? III .HIIU THEY HAVE PF ? SUPERN it k i seed oats, genuine ei mvu all kinds of f for sai I Edminsti boone, mm pn MtiBS izer Is to e field. L st test for reputation ion which I * ilizers can y* -&y3 ULTS. C. See your Royster agent an if Royster's you will need. Of conrsi :rs are non-acid-forming, i j 3 r U* V- . V"** #<071 J? UTILIZERS \ IP AN Y, NORFOLK, VIROINI I MARCH 28, 1935 tl to the windows and pulled down be shades That act took practically 11 of his remaining vitality. He start- . 1 to get his bedroom slippers, but re black mist of death was drifting i upon him. He thought it fatiguebe result, perhaps, of the blow Wrede ad struck him over the head. He sat own in iiis easy chair. But he never ot up. Markham. He never changed i3 shoes. As he sat there the final levitable fog stifled him! . . KOTICE This la to notify all persons that enceforward T will not be responsible or anv indebtedness incurred by my rife, Levie Hartley. T. W. HARTLEY. Joono Route 1. ltp \ROLINA IERS s found HARVEST TIME "g itional I n#ii r iiler I izers IOVEN THEIR )RITY JENEZER ONION SETS, LANT3 IN 3EA3GN. 'JE BY <:n Bros. N. C. n "i.iM~iiT"iii r. r? = j i I I ? d 8, J 11 II A

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