The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-29

There is stin tie rear exit" said Girls
com;
the gallows. DO you mind II I light
cigar? There Is Is n difIicS't hour before
us, and smoke will clear my nerves.
GriscOm nodded his consent, and dropped
back into his chair; and Rodman drew
his first whin, the bell rang.
CHAPTER IV.-The police.
A t the sound Of the bell. GrIscom start
ed as If TO rise. Then he sank back
and motioned to Rodman:
Would you mind opening the doorY
You would Oblige me-
Rodman looked narrowly at the master
OF the house that possibly he might read
upon his face something more than
shrinking from the inevitable meeting with
the officers of the law, but all that he
discerncd was an expression of decOrOus
grief that had replaced the lines of sheer
Ing irony
the door an impatient club tapped the
panel and. as he turned the knob, two
men pushed their way In without cere-
mOny. one was I'm the uniform OF pO-
liceman; and the other in civilian
dress Both breathed heavily, as though
they had come In haste on the scent OF
blood, and they glanced about them with
quick suspicion.
I'm civilian dress.
lor, where the master Of the house sat
in the attitude of grief. In there he
~ am Detective Rafferty," said the
man In civilian clothes, walking into the
parlor. The brighter light revealed him
as man Of thirty-hye, or thereapouts
brown mustache, and certain air OF alert
bOnbomie that suggested the poluclah
rather than the detective. This Is ON
Ger Hynes,' he continued, looking every
where but at the policeman.
Griscom acknowledged the Introduction
with a grave bow, and rose 10 his feet
NUa fnlpDh
as quick as we could" said the detective.
The wagon out or we'd have been
here before. I didn't get your message
very plain Was IL murder did you say
Carter Griscom's voice appeared to
choke. for moment Then he replied;
cit is a murder. My son Arthur was
shot dead In the room above u.s.
Detective Rafierty's eyes snapped with
the FIRE of sudden interest He made
some perfunctory declaration OF sympatryp
but IL needed no gift OF reading hidden
thought to see that his mind was busy
with the swelling Importance OF the case
before him, and the opportunities IOV
credit and advancement 1t would aford
A murder in the heart OF the fashionable
district-the of prominent citizen
shot down In his own hOuse-it might
prove the chance OF a lifetime.
'Who shot him?" was the first ques-
tion. - c.,. 1t.
voice moduIated to the tone Of sorrow.
''Mr. Rodman here, came before Ola.
When 1 arrived, my son was ALREADY
"Is there anyone you suspectg'
''I know Of no one who could have an
interest In killing him"
defective Rafferty, turned to Rodman.
lyon were here first. Let us hear what
you know about the crime
~ was first to enter the ROOM, said
Rodman. THAT is almost the only ad-
vantage have over Mr. Griseom. To the
best OF my knowledge, these are the facts;
Arthur GriscOm was escOrting his cousin,
Miss Eldridge. home from the theater,
and had stopped for a moment TO get
some Of his belongings. Miss Eldridge
heard the shot. and IL was at her request
that / went upstairs TO find out what had
happened / had come along by chance
and Joined her here
Miss Eldridge-JOhn Eldridges daugh-
terri asked the detective, and, as Rod.
man nodded assent, he asked, Ibid you
hear the shot"
cit ala not attract my attention"
eco on" said Rafferty,. and Rodman
told OF his search and its results When
the detective with few questions had
the points clear In his mind, he turned
once more to GrscOm.
''NOw, let's have your story
Griscom repeated almost word for word,
the account he had given ROdman and
Alyssa Of his arrival, and Detective Raj
ferty checked of each statement as though
ne compared 1t with something he had
Did you search the hOuseY' he de-
manded
"No."
''Whyf'
II could not suppose that the murder
er had fingered on the scene OF his crime.
And / was fearful lest should destroy
some clue that would prove OF value to
you"