The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-18
The Window By MARY ROBERTS
 RINEHART
Ccontinued.)


 :. >.ngy bathroom. The next, however, through the -transom as in the other rooms. but there was no noise from within. With my hand on the door, I hesitated, then I opened it and looked in.
 A breath of cool night air from an open window met me- There was no noise, no smoke. no sour odor of stale beer. A table had been drawn to the center of the small room and was lit tered with papers, pen and ink. At one corner was a tray containing the remnants of meal pillow and pair of blankets on a couch at one side showed the room had been serving as bedchamber.
 At the table, leaning forward, his head on his arms. was man. cough ed and, receiving no answer, stepped into the room.
 T beg your pardon I said, "but am looking for''-
 {, Then the. truth, burst on me, over %heimed me. A thin stream was spreading over the papers on the table, moving slowly, sluggishly, as is the way with blood when the heart pump is stopped. hurried over and raised the heavy, wobbling, gray head. It was Allan Fleming, and he had been shot through the forehead. ,3
 My first impulse was to rouse the house. my secoqd to wait for Hunter. To turn loose that mob of half drunken men in such place seemed profana- ton. Fleming had been our key to the Bellwood affair, and he had put him self beyond helping to solve any mys- tery. locked the door and stood won dering what to do next. had seen enough of death to know that the man was beyond aid of any kind #
 It was not until I had belted the door that I discovered the absence of any weapon. Everything that had gone before had pointed to position so untenable that suicide seemed it's natural and inevitable result With the discovery that there was no revolv- CT on the table or floor the thing was more ominous. I decided at once to call the young city physician in the room across the hall and, with some thing approximating panic, I threw open the door-to face Harry Wardrop and, behind him, Hunter.
 do not remember that any one spoke. Hunter jumped past me into the. room and took in in a single glance what had labored to acquire ew. UO o in Hunter locked the door behind him and we three S,od staring at the prostrate figure over the table Il. watched Wardrop I have never seen so suddenly abject "a picture, Every particle of color left his face and he was limp, unnerved Did you hear the shot?' Hunter asked me. at has been a matter of minutes since it happened"
 'T don't know" said, bewildered. sT heard a lot of explosions, but I thought it was an automobile out in the street"
 Hunter was listening while he ex- amined the room. peering under the table, lifting the blankets that had lldltC0 OA IuC COuCu OA u IuC4 uOOIs Some one outside tried the .doorknob and. finding the door locked, shook it slightly.
 s'Fleming!" he called under his breath. ''FIemingr' N
 We were silent in response to sig nal from Hunter, and the steps re treated heavily down the hall. The detective spread the blankets decently over the couch. and the, three of us moved the body there. Wardrop was almost cellapsing.
 Now" Hunter said quietly. what de you know about this thing, MT. Wardrop ?"
 z Wardrop looked dazed
 He was in bad way when left this morning" he said huskily "There isn't much use now trying to hide anything. God knows I've done all l could But he has been using cocaine for years, and today he ran out of the stuff. When got here about half an hour ago he was on the verge of kill ing himself. 1 got the revolver from him. He was like crazy man, and sle SOOu eAS ! Qdlcu tO leave ullQ l went out to try to find doctor''-
 ''To get some cocaineY'
 "Yes."
 'sNot because he was already wound ed and you were afraid it was fatal?'
 Whats the use of lying about it% said Wardrop wearily. You won't believe me if I tell the truth, either, but he was dead when I got here. heard something like the bang of a door as I went upstairs, but the noise was terrific down below, and couldn't tell When I went in he was just dropping forward, and"- He .hesitated
 .sThe revolver?' Hunter queried. lynx eyed.
 Was in his hand. He was dead then
 Where is the revolver?'
 7.a.I will turn it over to the coroner"
 "You will give it to me-" Hunter replied sharply. And after a little fumbling Wardrop produced it from his hip pocket It was an ordinary fhirty-eight. The detective opened it. Two chambers were empty.
 And you waited. say, ten minutes before you called for help, and even then you went outside hunting Q. doc tor What were you doing in those ten minutes?"
 wardrop shut his lips and refused