The Washington times., 1911-03-14

- Burton nedNy npS came lO-
gether, and his half-bewil-
dered stare was directed at
the other.
"Any-anyone around?" he queried.
Come up to my room, Burton
He led the way briskly, carefully
smoothing away all traces of excite
ment from his expression as they
crossed the brilliantly lighted office.
In the apartment he turned almost
fercely upon Burton with:
Have I hit it this time. or notT'
Are you asking my personal opin-
ion?"
Yes"
No"
Have you any contrary view, before
I enlarge on this one and ind the thin
places"
Gray" Burton hunched up in his
chair and clasped his hands about one
thick knee. "AI in all, I'm afraid
that | am not going 10 be much more
helpful to your way of thinking than
young Barrows. You know, | still hold
frmly-and in spite of all evidence to
the cOntrary-that no mortal motive
could impel Norman Deston to the
act of suicide!
But"
Il understand. It's nonsense Very
we'll But I've talked a great deal with
Wilkes DestOn these last few days.
have asked a great many questions and
he has answered them readily enough.
Each has served only to strengthen my
previous view of the case. In a day
or so, tomorrow or next day, ! may
be prepared to put whole case before
youEand let my part go at that, one
way or the other. Just now l am
beginning to doubt that Forbes was
murdered"'
'Eh?"
Yes. l think he committed suicide"
Burton said calmly.
For an instant Barker stared at
him wide-eyed; then he broke into
frank laughter-and Burton himself
smiled a little.
Sounds nonsenSiCal. admit 1t.
"WelI, you've been hobno obbing with
Wilkes DestOn. What's your esti-
mate of him." Gray asked curiouslX::
Gray" said the other, solemnly, "I
give that man up! He is honest,
SO far as making statements goes
but I'm hanged If l can get behind
that mask of a facet
"NOr I. And I'm prepared now to
think that that mask is worn for
very good purpose. Burton. Even
you with your Internal specialized
knowledge on faces and heads and
so on, give him up for bad job, He
murdered his cousin!"
"Cm
Gray took to walking slowly up and
down the room.
That's what has been puzzling me
the absence OF sufficiently strong
motive" he said. Il could under
stand easily enough that Norman
might have discovered in some way
that there was love affair between
his cousin and this young woman
and If the dagger had been in the
other man. I'd have kept to that line
for q while If the impetuOus fellow
had dealt the blow, l mean. But it
was the stolid one. and that didn't
ftr
burton did not comment.
"ThaIs the secret of this absolutely
impenetrable. million-tOn gloom OF
The surviving Mr.. DestOnI' Gray said
With tf growing conviction. "That's the
secret of those huge finger-marks on
Eorhes' throat, He'd been
hroodng over the will that cut him
off with next to nothing"
- wonder if that is the TRUTH
ct certainly is! And you notice
that. whether he had planned 1t ahead
Of time or whether the event itself
brought his brooding to a head, the
tail OF the estate had been settled,
Il thought of that"
And see all the little things it ac-
counts fOr-OI COURSE ilC Sd" d ldCe dl
tISat window, a face Forbes fancied; it
gives color to the notion of plot. OF
Course, he heard no shot-he was there
AT the time! Norman Deston had
watched him kill his own cousin and
took his own life rather than live after
watching it! OF course, he identified
Forbes' pistol as Norman's-that height
ened the idea of premeditated battle
between the two! e..
Your idea is that he called them
5uipstairs and deliberately started
Yes. MY idea, frankly, is just this:
Eiret and foremost, no one could or
would suspect Wilkes Deston of such
. crime" Grays first excitement had
5ensrfed. he sat down close to Burton
orS laced him soberly. 1T is a very
great question whether short of a streak
Of hind luck, we are going to be able
70 fasten anything on him in the end.
But ,,-,- ,,-, -,
Irc tbe truth when he said that that
Eager had been on the table after the
oJri Ieft?" Burton put in.
.sIT-naEl Nor The detective scowled.
That's one of the devilish little things