The Washington times., 1913-04-24

killed ner with IL, lnstedu oi WIN hi'
own"
How do you know he didn't kill her
with it? 1 asked. Assuming that you
are right about everything else, how
can you be sure of that?'
| why" said jeffrey. Il have taken
| the trouble TO read the full report OF
| the inquest-a thing that even Barton
apparently has neglected to do. The
bullet was found in the body, ana IL
was a thirty-two.'
pose you'd had enough of the crime
without reading about it, he said. l
dare say I'd have felt that way myself.
But. if anything is true in the world,
Barton. it's that the man who killed
Irene Fournier was the man who fol-
| TO kill you, and If that man was Crow,
then Crow was the murderer"
There was a silence after that. Gwen
dolyn broke it. He must have killed
dressing, because the bodice itself
wasn't penetrated by the bullet. He
must have dressed her himself after
ward. Why do you suppose he did
that?'
II imagine" said Jeffrey, that for
some reason a good deal hung on that
last appearance Irene meant to make
She told Barton here. you remember,
that the game would be played that
night-finished- She probably meant 70
play it her way-refused to play II
Crows Somehow or other 1 imagine
that her body, dead and cold and white,
clad in its satin gown, was used once
more to terrorize Crows victim And
then-this is pure guesswork, you know
after he had carried her back and
laid her on the bed In the hidden room,
waiting for the dark of another night
to finish his work and hide the traces
of IL, he started out for a walk-per-
haps just at dawn. And he found Bar
ton there unconscious. :
How he got him into the house, l
don't know. He's strong enough: 1
think, to have carried him in bodily.
Or whether he reused him and walked
in and then drugged him into deeper
unconsciousnesss afteIFard don't
know. However he did ii, that one dis
covery gave him his chance
Whatever happened. he would be for
tilted by the irresistible presumption In
Barton's mind That Barton himself was
the murderer.
It can hardly believe 1t yet" said
Barton. Il can see her still just as
she looked there on the floor. She look
ed like death. And why He stopped
there and seemed to be wrestling with
a question he found it hard to ask.
her, rhen what has she got against me
now? Why did she appear to me to-
night in the house?"
There was something in the simple,
almost childlike way in which he asked
the question that embarrassed US a lit
tie. Me, anyway. and / think Jeffrey.
too. for he changed the subject rather
abruptly.
why did you go back there Bar
ton? You said you wanted to get the
goods on Crow"
Il don't know just what I wanted"
he said. II knew he had some papers
that he kept locked up pretty carefully
in a steel uniform case. took a wax
impression of the lock the last day i
was there. i didn't know what he had,
but felt pretty sure there was some
thing. i made the key at home when /
hadn't anything better TO do. i made
sure there was no one in the house to-
night. Miss Meredith and her com
panion had gone back l found that
out at Oldborough. And they said
Crow hadn't been down for some time.
/ knew the caretaker slept in the gard
ener's cottage, so l thought II a good
chance TO go and see what my key
would unlock
lar, think" said Jeffrey, lighting up
Crows wing Of the house under those
conditions.
Il didn't" said Barton. "I used a
pocket-torch."
Weren't you rather startled?'' asked
bile driving in?"
Il didn't" said Barton. IAN auto
mobile passed me on the way out to
Beech Hill. None came into the grounds
while / was there"
1 could see from Jeffrey's face that
he was puzzled. and the quality of his
voice showed il, too. when he asked
the next question.
What did you do? Tell US exactly
what YOU did"
Forced a window on the first floor
and got in," said Barton. Went down
lar col into 1nl
east wing of the house. That was
Crows. and he alway kept II locked.
] found his box and went to work. Ny
key needed bit of retouching before
could get II open.
.'On top of the things in the box Was
a Photographic plate wrapped up in
paper. ] shone my torch through il
and II looked like photograph Of Irene
I didn't want that, so 1 put it aside
Not a Photograph
through it. She was dressed in white
satin. like in the portrait"
What Gid you do with it?" Jeffrey
asked
II don't know" &c said. II don't
know much that happened after that
because just then I heard the craak
of door and saw light and jumped
up. | thought some one was coming. |
] tell you ! was ready for that. /
shouldn't have made a fool of myself i
for Crow or anyone else. ! knew just |
whore I meant to C"-how / meant tc |
get away. But then i looked up and !
saw her"
His face was Whit now-white AS it |
had been when he came bursting in |
upon us in the long room when the |
lightning showed hisr TO us. His voice |
had fallen TO a whisner.
1T was Irene. herself come back. She |
stood there holding n candle, shading |
Il from her eyes with her hand. But |
saw her face staring at me-wide-eyed-l
frightened like, out of the dark |
Dressed I'm white?" said Jeffrey |
steadily. He was the only one oil us |
who could manage his voice Ike thar. |
Dressed in white ds you had always |
seen her-and with her hair done the |
same way?"
Barton shook his head. II don't |
know. ] don't think 50. didn't sssi