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CHAPTER XIV—Continued
—12—
“Well, she can’t get away,” said
Donahey comfortably, shifting his
cigar. “Better take a look round
and see If there’s anything miss
in'j.”
Harrlden’s grip fell reluctantly
from my arm.
He then walked with slow step to
the closet and looked within to see
.If the Jewel box was safe. I saw
^ hlm bring it out, try the clasp. It
was still locked. There are no
words for the agony I felt. The
sick mortification. Caught In my
own folly.
Then he came back and looked
* Into the open dressing case and
a sudden thought seemed to strike
him. I saw his fingers move over
the lining of the case as I had
seen them move before. Then his
face turned a dark, hideous red.
He whirled about and stood over
me, thrusting that swarthy, lower
ing face into my own.
“So that’s it, is it?" he said. His
voice was terrible. “You give them
back—do you hear?”
"Is the key gone?” Donahey was
asking, still thinking of the Jewel
case. "Lost anything?”
“Papers,” Harrlden ground out.
t She took them . . , Inspector,
she’s got a lot of papers on her.
Search her, I tell you. Get them
back at once.”
“I haven’t any papers,” I said,
with sincere thanksgiving that I
hadn’t. “Search me, if you like,”
and I made a wide gesture with
one arm. I let the cat go and heard
them putting It out.
Then the meaning of It all came
to me. The letters had been hid
den there, as I surmised—now they
were gone. The door had been ajar
—he said he had shut it, and I had
i'beard it slam as he and Mitchell
had walked off. Some one had come
in—Deck had come in and taken
the letters.
xmu was me explanation, i real
ized belatedly, of Deck’s scene
downstairs with Letty Van Alstyn
—be bad been urging her to get
Harrlden downstairs, knowing she
would be only too glad to do it
for the sake of her own desire to
be with him.
And I had never guessed, never
suspected . . . Why hadn’t he
rushed up to me and told me he
was safe? But there had not been
time; he had been pressed to dis
pose of them, of course. And then
I had blundered Into the room and
tried to save him.
In that moment I saw him, ap
pearing suddenly at the crowded
doorway, staring surprisedly at me
over the crowd. I was afraid he
would blurt out something Incrim
inating himself In order to clear
me. 1 didn't want him telling Har
rlden to go to the devil, that he
had taken him own letters and
■destroyed them—the scandal would
be ineffaceable.
I spoke out quickly, "I came In
the room after the cat, Mr. Harrl
den. I knew you did not want It
to run In. And I was just going out
when you came and found me—
I was Just passing the table where
this case happened to be.”
“You were looking through that
case! The cover was open, yon
little crook—you’d got those letters
out. . . I tell you. Inspector, I want
her searched.”
At mat moment a uauu ami
through my arm and Monty Mitch
ell was by my side. He was no
taller than I, but be seemed a very
tower of strength. I felt courage
flowing into me through that friend
ly touch.
“You've gone crazy again, Dan,”
be said curtly. “You’ve been hav
ing too many drinks with Letty.
You heard Miss Seton say she came
In after the cat. She Is not Inter
ested In your letters."
“You mind your business," Harrl
den retorted. “What’s Miss Seton
to you?”
“As It happens, we are engaged,"
said Monty Mitchell. “That’s what
she Is to me.”
An electric shock seemed to run
through that room, but no one there
was more completely astonished
than l was myself. Involuntarily I
looked about at him, and he gave
me back a funny twinkle, bis fingers
squeezing my arm. I thought what
a comfort It would be to put my
head down on his shoulder and sob
out all my rage and disgust, but
pride held my head high.
“That isn’t true." I heard myself
saying. “I don’t need to take ad
vantage of Mr. Mitchell’s protec
tion—of his wish ro establish a po
sition for me. I have one of my
own . I have taken nothing of
Mr. Harrlden’s."
“You’re a liar!” said Harrlden
violently “I>nmn yon! 1 don’t care
whether you’re Mitchell's fancy girl
or not" V
Mitchell struck him In the face.
He leaped at him like a bull terrier
at a mastiff. The blow caught Har
rlden unprepared, and he reeled, a
hand at his chin, then, with a chok
ing sound he lunged at his assail
ant
With official agility Donahey’s big
body intervened; Keller and young
Watkins sprang to hold Dan.
“Not here, Dan, not here—"
Keller's reminder had Its weight
Harrlden gave a queer look toward
the bed, to that still, sheeted figure
of his wife, and his arms fell. He
drew a deep, convulsive breath.
He addressed Donahey. "Who
ever this girl is, she took those pa
pers. She Is a thief and a black
mailer. If they aren’t on her she
has destroyed them. They were
here when I left this room.’’
Involuntarily our heads turned to
that fireplace but no flames danced
there.
The sight of the andirons explod
ed something in my brain. It was
as though some flash of lightning,
the flash I had been waiting for,
subconsciously, flung into Indelible
brilliance the way before by strain
ing vision. I spoke out, throwing
all caution to the winds.
“Ton’ll find blood on one of those
andirons, Mr. Inspector. On the
left hand one. It la Mrs. Harrl
den’s blood ... It has been washed
away, but It is still In tbe deep
places . . . Sbe was killed by fall
ing on it, by being thrown back
upon it’’
In the stillness that descended on
the room there was literally no
sound.
Then a voice came, Harriden’s
voice, hoarsened, hardly distin
guishable. “If you know—that—
you did It—you—”
“No, you,’’ I said. “When you
struck at her the second time.
When you followed her away from
the window. It was you who struck
at her at the window,” I went on.
“You had come up early, though you
denied this. Nobody remembered
clearly enough to contradict you.
Tou came to her room, you quar
reled and then struck out at her.
Sbe fled backwards and you struck
at her again. Perhaps you struck
her down, perhaps she fell trying
to escape you, but she fell across
the screen, knocking it over, and
her head crashed on that andiron.”
I wasn’t looking at him. I was
looking at that sharp-pointed and
iron, watching what I saw there.
“She came down with all her
weignt. i ou rusnea to araw the
curtains. You lifted her up, car
ried her into the closet Perhaps
you thought she was already dead.
She died very soon, her blood on
that closet door . . . You wiped off
the andiron with your handkerchief,
you wet the handkerchief and
washed over the andiron but more
blood than you knew had run into
the deep grooves of its decorations.
Then you washed the handkerchief
and left it drying on the radiator.”
I spoke as if I were seeing it. I
was seeing it; everything that had
been confused and strange was sud
denly crystallized and sure.
“You were aghast, but you con
centrated on your danger,” I said.
You locked the closet and went
in your room and dressed for din
ner. Then you came back and rang
for the maid. You stood at the
door watching for her; you had
darkened the room behind you. You
told her not to disturb Mrs. Har
riden."
uui ouc saw my wue uu me
bed. You’ve got her testimony to
that!" Harrlden’a voice had loud
ened; belligerence rang out of It.
"People see what they expect to
see,” I said. “The room was dark
ened; you let her have a glance
through the open door, then you
closed It and went down to dinner."
No one spoke them No one
moved.
“But you kept worrying about
that body In the closet. Perhaps
you hadn’t taken the diamonds then
—perhaps you had, but you realized
you hadn’t made It look enough like
a robbery, like an assault from
outside. You began seeing the situ
ation. You thought of opening the
window. So you went upstairs, half
way through dinner, and when you
were opening the window, you real
ized you could make It look like
suicide. So you took your wife out
of the closet and thrust her out,
down into the shrubbery. Perhaps
you had seen the blood on the
floor—”
I stopped. I had a queer feel
ing that I was wrong. 1 said, "I
think you hadn't seen It—but you
thought It wise to lock that closet
till you could look It over, later.
You locked It and came down again
to dinner.”
“You were thinking you could
make it seem either accident or
suicide and after dinner you asked
the prlnceu to go up—you talked
of a row between you, of her over
wrought state of mind, of her hys
terical threats. Ton created the
Impression of a neurotic, Irrespon
sible woman, ready for any rash
ness . . . You didn’t want that
closet opened. When Mrs. Keller
had the housekeeper unlock It, you
were quick to enter. You said
there was nothing there. Then they
found the blood. You realised you
bad to make It look like robbery.”
My voice grew slower, raggeder.
“I don’t know when you picked up
the dlhknonds—perhaps at the be
ginning when you meant to make
It seem the work of an outside
thief. After you decided upon sui
cide you didn’t speak of their dis
appearance. But when you saw It
bad to seem robbery, then you
thought of them again.”
It seemed to me that I had been
talking forever In that world of
shadows. Not a word now out of
Harrlden. Not a sign from him
except that Immobile attention.
“I don’t know now why you
pinned that chain In my dress that
night," I said, and my voice shook
over that “You were furious at me
because I had told of the scene
at the window . . . but you were
hating Alan Deck even more”
“Perhaps you saved out the big
pendant intentionally from the first
for him,” I said. “A man might
have hidden a single stone . . .
Your chance came when you found
his case lying about. You stuffed
the diamond under the cigarettes,
but you couldn’t get It back to him
at once. You couldn’t leave It out
for him to find till all the out
siders were gone. Then you saw
that he found It”
I stopped suddenly, utterly spent.
I was trembling from head to
foot; my blood felt like ice In my
veins.
“Are we crazy—to listen to this
pack of lies?” Harrlden demanded.
His brusque tone seemed to sweep
"Are We Crazy—to Listen to This
Pack of Lies?"
away my words like a house of
cards. “Donahey—I want this girl
arrested.”
I felt a terrible despair. No one
would believe. I had no shred of
proof. Nothing but that andiron
—and the blood on it could not
speak. Nor could the dead under
the sheet
Mitchell’s voice came suddenly.
“Not so fast Harrlden . . . Dona
hey, you’ve heard this story. I
can supply a few details. That
handkerchief was dried on the radi
ator in Mr. Harrlden’s own bath
room.”
Harrlden’s voice rumbled out,
“That’s another He I You were lis
tening to that fool Anson.”
The name fell like a bolt upon
me. I had literally forgotten An
son In my absorption In this first
tragedy. Now his words, and their
Implication, was a shock galvaniz
ing me to life again.
“No He,” Mitchell came back and
his voice was clear-cut, authorita
tive—his courtroom voice. “The
rust spots on that handkerchief
correspond exactly to the places
where the paint has been flecked
Dtf that particular radiator—and
on no other In the house. That evi
dence Is conclusive.”
jturcneu stepped iorwara, con
fronting Hdrriden.
"The first death was accidental.
Dan. Pity yon tried to camouflage
It—to incriminate others . . . Anson
was murder.”
“Anson?” he growled. “I never
saw Anson."
“Oh, yes you did,” I flung out.
‘When she brought the fresh towels
to your bathroom . . . You were
in your room or in this one all
that part of the morning. That
lour when Anson had been killed.”
I remembered his testimony. That
je had heard no noise In Rancinl’s
room. “And if I had, I wouldn’t
lave cared.” And I held fast to my
little thread of a clue—my clue
:hat I thought had gone astray, that
lad puzzled me so.
I rushed on. “When 1 saw her In
:he ball that morning she bad her
irms full of towels. Lavender for
:he prince’s room, pink for these
;wo. She carried them all into
Etancini’s room, and when she came
>ut she had forgotten the pink ones
—she told me she bad to go back
tor them. I saw her go in .
Afterwards I went to look for those
;owels. I thought—”
Apologetically my glance sought
he prince. He was standing a short
distance away with a stupefied air.
I murmured, “I thought that—
that If Anson had been killed there,
at that time, then the pink towels
would still be there. But they were
not, and the maid who had taken
over the room, on Anson’s disap
pearance, said she had found none.
So I knew that Anson bad taken
her towels and gone.” I raised my
eyes again to Harriden. “I knew
the pink towels were for these
rooms. So I asked the maid to look
In here—you were downstairs then
—and she did. She said the fresh
towels were distributed In both
bathrooms but that Anson hadn’t
taken away the soiled ones. I
thought that Anson might have
been so nervous In these rooms
that she had hurried away forget
fully, and gone, for some reason,
again Into the prince's room, where
she met her death . . . But that
wasn’t so.
“Anson never left the room alive.
She began to talk to you about
something she had to tell at the in
quest. There was something on her
mind, a handkerchief she had seen
drying on a radiator. The corner
was not torn off—you didn’t tear
that off till you came to pin the
diamonds In it She didn’t want to.
She told me that any one might
have washed out a handkerchief.
She tried to explain It to you.”
Harrlden’s dark eyes were blaz
ing like sheet lightning upon me.
“She told you about It She may
have said, too, that she couldn't
swear that Mrs. Harriden was on
her bed when she had looked In at
eight She was a very simple-mind
ed girl, anxious to be truthful. You
lost your head—you may have tried
to bribe her as you did me upstairs
—you gave your alarm away. And
then you jumped for her. You
choked the life out of her. You
looked up and down the hall. It
was empty. You had only a step
or two to take to Ranclnl’s door.
You saw his room was empty. It
was a desperate chance but you had
to take It You got her In the room,
you thrust her In the closet You
wiped your prints off the door. You
went back to your room, and no
one saw you coming out that—you
—knew—”
My voice trailed out the words
automatically. It was the look In
Keller’s eyes that prompted them,
that uneasy, worrying, disquietude.
Tom Keller knew something. Per
haps he had seen Harriden leaving
the room. Perhaps he had seen him
in toe nan.
I knew It with the strange
wrought-up divination that pos
sessed me; I knew it so surely that
I would have cried it aloud but
Mitchell Intervened.
“Ton remembered to wipe the
door knob, Dan, but you forgot
Deck’s taste In cigarettes. Luckies.
When yon found his case there
weren’t but two cigarettes in It, not
enough to bold a stone in place, so
you crammed it full of your own,
making sure to keep the diamond
at the bottom. That’s where you
slipped—nobody here smokes Mace
donia but you. Tbe case was full
of Macedonias.”
“And you call that evidence?’
Harrlden sneered. The man was
gathering his power again, full of
defiant challenge. "You’ve turned
against your friends, have you, for
the sake of—”
“For the sake of a girl you tried
to blacken and a man you tried to
hang your own guilt on,” Mitchell
flashed back, his eyes as full of war
as Harriden's.
“Evidence—you bet I’ll make It
stick as evidence. Yon waited till
they were all around Deck, you
prompted Letty to ask Clancy for
his case, and Deck banded it over.
Do you think a jury will believe a
man would do that If he had a dia
mond hidden In it—a stone that
would cost his neck . . . He'd
have taken out some cigarettes and
passed them back. But Deck just
handed it over. Just like that And
Clancy gave It to Letty, and you
whispered her to feel it, to tell
Clancy to feel It”
He swung away from Harrlden.
He spoke sharply to a white face.
“Why didn’t you ask Dan for a
smoke? You like his brand—you
were smoking them tonight. You'll
have to testify he prompted you.”
“Oh, Dan, Dan, it isn’t so!” Let
ty Van Alstyn’s voice, overwrought,
breaking with hysterical strain,
sobbed out at him. "You didn't ask
me to say anything.”
"You shut upl” said Harrlden
harshly. "Shut up and keep shut
up, d'you hear? Let them talk their
heads off. That’s all there Is to it—
talk.”
“No one will believe It, Dan,” she
cried half crying. “No one will
blame you for anything. We'll all
forget It—you’ll forget it. Nora
wasn’t worth It”
“Wasn’t worth It?” He gave a
dreadful glare at her, then strode
to the bed and with a single gesture
he tore tbe sheet away. Nora Har
riden's still face lay before us. We
saw the loveliness of her profile,
Uke chiseled marble, the rigid, tint
ed lips, the long, dark lashes, mo
tionless on her cold cheeks.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Frontier* Always Shifting
There is hardly a country in
South America that knows its own
frontiers, says Answers Magazine.
In Asia matters are not much bet
ter, for the frontier of China and
Russia are always shifting, while
between India and Afghanistan
there Is a wide stretch of No Man’s
Land. The only continents where
frontiers are definitely marked are
Europe and North America.
For Style-Conscious Little Girls
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
mmmvxsmrnx——
IT IS with ever increasing enthu
siasm that designers are yielding
to the urge of catering to the needs
and fancies of style-conscious little
girls.
The story of the modem child’s
wardrobe resolves itself into many
chapters dealing with all phases of
fashion. Beginning with simple,
novel and amusing beach, swim and
playtime togs and cunning sun suits,
the plot carries on through thrilling
adventures in the realm of smart
school and dressy daytime clothes
reaching a grand and glorious cli
max in a way of entrancing pretty
pretty party frocks that make every
little girl look like a fairy princess
of story book lore.
For practical daytime and play
time frocks the call is_ outstanding
for cotton reps, gabardines, cham
brays, crinkled seersuckers (no
ironing required is their big ap
peal), ginghams, novelty cottons soft
and spongy, piques and most im
portant, new lines both plain and
printed. Now that a sturdy non
crush type of linen is obtainable
mothers are jubilant, for in it they
have discovered the fabric ideal to
withstand the vigorous test of the
wear and tear of the thousand and
one antics which little folks enjoy
in a day’s sport
Perhaps the most exciting news is
gay printed linens in bold patterns
and colorings. Peasant designs in a
blaze of daring colors abound and
these rustic prints are especially
good-looking when made up into sep
arate little coats with hats to match.
Florals in effective spacing, cun
ning animal, vegetable and fruit
motifs on the new printed linens are
a special lure to children. Then
there are the exquisitely sheer print
ed handkerchief linens and the fine
dimities which are adorable for
dress-up wear.
Lace-trimmed organdie or geor
gette is a favorite theme this
season with the designers of little
girl party dresses. Georgette made
over taffeta is shown quite a little.
A significant trend is the use of pas
tel colors which seem to have al
most gained precedence over all
white.
In the matter of styling, the prin
cess silhouette is a great favorite
while most sleeves are just short
puffs. Note the dress worn by the
little girl with the gorgeous doll in
the picture. Her smart school and
playtime dress is of firm linen cut
on the new princess lines. Gay
striped printed linen is used as a
bordering. The style distinction of
this charming dress will make in
stant appeal to both mother and life,
tie daughter.
The other two children are look
ing their prettiest in dainty party
frocks or perhaps they took part in
“last day of school" exercises. At
any rate their little pleated sheer
frocKs are lovely and will be a joy
the wnole summer through. The
wee maiden to the left is wearing
an accordion pleated voile as
charming in pastel colors as it is in
white. A wide sash about her waist
ties at the back in a huge butterfly
bow.
Tiers of narrow pleatings animate
the frocK centered in the group.
The vogue tor pleating is as pro
nounced in children’s fashions as in
grown-up- styles. The pleatings
about the neckline extend over the
short puff sleeves so as to achieve
the new-vogue wide shoulder line.
C Western Newspaper Union.
IT’S EMBROIDERED
Bj CHERIB NICHOLAS
The latest call of the mode is for
frocks of monotone silk crepe with
complementary jackets made of the
identical silk crepe of the dress, the
same handsomely allover ‘embroid
ered in bright contrasting colors. In
the instance of the model pictured
the sport dress is of pink silk crepe
with a short-sleeved box jacket of
the same crepe embroidered with
green and blue wool. Blue buttons
are on the dress.
Short-Term Wigs
Wigs are proving popular among
fashionable women in London, who
use them to cover hair while it is
regaining its natural color after a
:<blond” period.
Black Is Smart
Much black is shown for summer
wear with tailored whits jackets
and white accessories.
DESIGNERS PRESENT
SKIRT INNOVATIONS
Unusual color combinations and
a strong Oriental influence charac
terize the new Alix collection. Some
skirts are so full and flaring that
they resemble parachutes or lamp
shades, while others, are caught
under at the hem like Turkish
trousers.
The feminine silhouette is stressed
at all times and clothes at Alix are
fashioned to display a slender waist
line and curving hip line. For day
wear, bodices are skin tight and are
usually made with a high neck
trimmed with bows or loops of ma
terial All clothes show a certain
amount of fullness at the hip, and
this is frequently stressed by the
use of a full and flaring peplum.
Glamorous Apparel Wins
Approval of Parisiennes
For the polo matches, the races
and late afternoon occasions of sum
mer in Paris, it is now the smart
est fashion to wear frocks and hats
of the glamorous variety. Sheer
fabrics like organdie are altogether
enchanting and feminine for frocks
with wide and sweeping skirts and
hats with wide and flattering brims.
These decorative full - skirted
frocks, with little capes or puffed
sleeves, have not by any means re
placed the tailored evening costume
with a jacket, an important fashion
for parties from five o’clock on.
Daylight dining will enhance this
tailored idea.
Culottes More Popular
The fashion for culottes (divided
skirts) is no longer confined to the
active sports field, say stylists. They
will be seen everywhere for all
daytime occasions this Summer.
Last season saw them first spring
into popularity tor sailing, bicy
cling and beach wear.
Cause Enough
Neighbor—I wonder why your
new baby brother cries so much.
Bobby—Oh, I guess you'd cry
too if all your teeth were out
and your hair all off and your
legs so weak you couldn’t stand
on them.
Self-Protection
“You mean to say Crimson
Gulch has an anti-gambling
law?”
“Yes,” replied Three-Finger
Sam. “We had to have some
way of breaking up the game
when a tenderfoot comes along
and gets to winning all the man*
TURRET TOP
Horse Fly (on top of auto):
“Gee whiz, this is the toughest
equine I ever tackled.
The Last Word
Mother and father were having
a few words when father said:
“I don’t believe in parading my.
virtues.”
“No?” answered mother. **I
don’t think you could, dear. It
takes a number, you know, to
make a parade.”
Answered at Last
“How far is up?”
“As far as down is from the
middle.”
Bounded Out
Teacher—What are the bound*
of Australia?
Mary—The kangaroo!
K: PE-KO EDGE
JAR RINGS KEEP
ALL THE FLA
VOR WHERE IT
BELONGS...
LOCKED UP
RIGHT IN THE
PRESERVES.
It: THEY’RE EASY!
TO APPLY. AND
EASY TO
REMOVE. THEIR
TWO BIG UPS
TAKE CARE OF
THAT.
S,—"—j
D JAr
rubbers
NEW YORK Bound?
WOODSTOCK
ally fan
■t a "good hotel" it jut a slog tm
Mm amuiomont contor of Now Yoik.M
TIMES SQUARE...jut wloottl
from all placet of liitcwt.
★ Write for booklet "W.” *
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