The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-08-23
The Window at
the White Cat
Continued from Page 3

said aS he got n4> l4t =! haven't has
amy sunday dinner yet. and lis :"
O'Clock Gh-thp cynnile: Clarks"u
the cashier of the bank Fleming rnin
there this morning"
"ClarkSon" | exclaimed How j.
he:"
cod only knows. said H,irtn"
gravely. from which | took Ii CiarkSs';'
was dead
Burton listened while he ate. aud his
cheerful comments We're WeitOiii,'
enough after the depression of the ta>'
few days told him. after some nrS
itation. the whole thing. Degnnin" With
the Maitland pearls and ending Win
my drop down the dumnwaiter /
knew | was absolutely safe III doing
so. There il no person to whom
would rather tell ii secret than Il news
paper man He will go out of his way
to keep it. He will lock it in the
depths of his bosom and keep it until
seventy times seven. Also. you may
threaten the rack or offer larger sal
airy. the seal does not come off his lips
until the word is given. If then he
makes a scarehead of it. and gets III
three columns of space and Us many
photographs. it is his just reward.
Burton ate enough beefSteak for two
inen and missed not a word.
THE money Wardrop had in the grip
that's easy enough explained" be
said 'Fleming used the Borough
bank to deposit state funds in. He
must have known it was rotten: he
and Clarkson were as thick as thieves.
According to a time honored custom
in our land of the brave and home OF
the free state treasurer who is crook
ed can, in such q case. draw on such
bank without security on his personal
note. which usually is worth its value
by the pound as old paper"
And Fleming did that?"
HE did Then things got bad at
the Borough bank. Fleming had had
to divide with Schwartz and the Lord
only Knows VINO ALL but 1t was Flem-
ing who had to put in the money to
avert a crash. the word crash being
synonymous with scandal in this case.
he scrapes together a paltry hundred
thousand, which Wardrop gets at the
capital and brings on. Wardrop is
robbed, or says he is; the bank col
iapses and Clarkson, driven to the wall.
kills himself just after Fleming is MUIR
dered. What does that sound like?'
Like Clarksonr' l exclaimed. And
Clarkson knew Fleming was hiding at
the White Cat!"
"Now, then, take the other theory"
he said. pushing aside his cup. War
drop goes in to Fleming with a story
that he has been robbed; Fleming gets
crazy and attacks him. All that is in
the morning-Friday. Now, then. War
drop gets back there that night. With
in twenty minutes after he enters the
! club he PUSHES out, and when Hunter
follows him he says he is looking for
doctor to get cocaine for gentleman
upstairs. He is white and trembling.
They go back together and find you
there and Fleming dead. Wardrop tells
two stories. First he says Fleming
committed suicide just before he left.
Then he changes it and says he was
dead when he arrived there. He pro-
duces the weapon with which Fleming
is supposed to have killed himself and
which. by the way. Miss Fleming
identified yesterday as her fathers
But there are two discrepancies. War
drop practically admitted that he had
taken that revolver from Fleming. not
that night, but the morning before dur
ing the quarrel"
"And the other discrepancy"
THE bullet. Nobody ever fired 80
! bullet out Of 38 caliber revolver un-
less he was trying to shoot double
compound curve. Now, then. who does
it look like?"
Like Wardrop," l confessed. "By
Jove, they didn't both do it,
and he didn't do it himself for two
good reasons: He had no revolver that
night and there were no powder
Marks
"And the eleven twenty-five and
Miss Maitlands disappearance"
He looked at me with his quizzical
smile.
IN have to have another steak if
I'm to settle that" he said 81 can only
solve one murder On one steak. But
disappearances are my speciality, per
haps, If l have piece Of pie and some
cheese
But l got him away at last, and we
walked together down the street.
Il can't quite see the old lady in it,
he confessed.
Burton, who do you think was in
the Fleming house last night?' said
"Lightfoot." he said succinctly.
He stopped under a street lamp and
looked at his watch.
Il believe III run over to the capital
tonight. While I'm gone-I'll be back
tomorrow night or the next morning
l wish you would find Rosie O'Grady
or whatever her name is, and locate
Carter That's probably not his name.
but it will answer for awhile. Then
| g.: &,