Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-14

blood that they blotted You remember
| that Ned had scar on the right thumbs?
He made Il with knife I gave him,
assented Sheldon.
! That very scar was 30 clear 1t left no
room for doubt that he had been in john
Crostfcs room that night, in spite OF his
story of his trip to 'town. The row fur
nished a motive. You know Ned was en-
gagged. to Miss Crostic?
Sheldon nodded. He and Ned were to
to have had a double wedding in the fall
1T was argued that that was the reason
for the commission of the crime. 1 have an
appeal on the grounds that the Judge was
unfair In his charge. but we cannot over
come those thumb prints"
Perhaps" said Sheldon hopefully: Al
any rate, ] am going over to see Ned. lie
may be able to throw some light on the
matter.
'Tl go with YOU" offered Twining. but
Sheldon shook his head. He wanted to see
his chum alone.
1t was a sad welcome Ned could oner as
he thrust his hand through the grating, Out
Sheldon gave no sign of his hopelessness,
and he left the boy heartened by the
thought that Sheldon would handle the ap-
peal himself.
He had another call to make before he
could return to his home. Twining had told
him that Tom Lane had made study OF
finger-print Identification and had helped
the prosecution. Sheldon disliked Lane
but he wanted to have look at the slides.
Presently he found himself In DR.. Lane
office examining the prints that had jeop-
ardiZed a mans life.
That scar on the thumb was a bad thlng
for Ned" explained Lane as he held d
slide to the light and superimposed another
upon it. That seemed to carry more weight
with che jury that the fact that no Two
finger prints were ever found to be exactiy
alike.
Ned might as well have written his au-
tograph on the sheets as to have permit
ted these prints to be made.
ut looks pretty bad" assented Sheldon.
I'm much obliged to you, doctor
Not at all, was the ELUSIVE reply. 4 m
only too sorry that l contributed in part
to Ned's conviction.
May / take one of these?' he asked as
he fingered the Photographic slides MADE
from the stained bed linen. With gesture
of assent the physician handed him two
of the slides and with these N his pocket
Sheldon hurried down the steps.
He stopped in at the Melden home on MS
way to his rooms and left an assurance
of progress that cheered Elizabeth I'M
mensely. Then he made a few purchases
at the drug store and hurried to his rooms
Twning had sent over transcript OF the
testimony of the trial and late into the
night Sheldon worked.
1t was well after / when at last he took
the picture Of Elizabeth from his bureau
and laid it against his cheek as he muir
INJURED softly: It's all right, little woman:
We'll have that double wedding IN the IAN
Instead of funeral
He had an interview with Elizabeth IN
the morning, after which she dried her
tears, and shocked her friends by merely
smiling mysteriously when the subject OF
Ned's trouble was preached. 1t was said
that a retrial would be granted on The
grounds of new evidence discovered.
Ned, too, seemed to cheer up after his
visit, and presently the Crostic case was
lost TO popular interest through the rumor
of a burglary in which the finger prints
indicated that a prominent citizen of Fair
vile was implicated. He stoutly protested
that he had been at public dinner and
had gone straight home from there; but his
wife was out of town, he could prove his
statements by no one, and In the end he
was placed under arrest and held in heavy
bail.
The court calendar was not heavy one
and in due course the case of the people
VS.. Edward Melden was called. The dis
trict attorney, who was up for reelection
proclaimed the fact that he had several
new bits of evidence to place before the
court, and smiled triumphantly as he
thought of the prominence the trial would
gain for him. Sheldon said little, and ap-