Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-03-09
SYNOPSIS


awakened by telephone summons to
visit the residence of Anthony Conrad,
q retired broker, who has been found
dead on his couch
Suspicion points to Gustav Conrad,
his nephew, with whom he had quar-
relied the night before and who to all
appearances tried to commit suicide
after killing his uncle.
Instantly the door he had left filled
with another figure-that of a tall
man, little under six feet, brown
haired, and wearing a brown mus
tache, extensively if somewhat flash
fly dressed. Johnson turned as he
entered and nodded.
"Hello, Mallet," he remarked.
George Mallet returned the saluta-
tion curtly, entered the room, and
came directly across to the bed, where
he paused and stood looking down at
the silent figure of his cousin.
He was slightly pale, but beyond
that completely controlled. Present
ly, with a shake of the head he turn
ed away.
"Poor old Gus" he said. "Who'd
have thought he'd have ended up
like this?"
'..When did you see your cousin
last?" inquired Bryce.
"Day before yesterday" said NAL
let. "Say, officer, if you don't mind,
let's go into another room. Pm not
very steady this morning after my
supper last night"
The lot of us returned to the front
room of the suite and found chairs.
Sommers was just rising from the
telephone, and as we seated ourselves
he went back to his patients side.
"Were you and young Conrad
friendly?" asked the inspector as we
settled ourselves.
"Quite," returned Mallet. "We
were very good friends, indeed. Gus
often came to my rooms or my place
of business. l seldom came here,
however, for the simple reason that
our uncle did not approve of me-"
"When did you see your uncle
last?" Johnson put in suddenly.
Mallet frowned, leaned and busted
a shoe with one of his gray suede
gloves and viewed the result before
he replied.
"Oh, about month ago." he said.
"Not last night"
Mallets habitually almost sleepy
looking eyes widened.
SIS this an examination, Johnson?"
he asked in turn. "If it is, am sor-
ry to inform you that in your own
parlance you have nothing on me-.
When Bryce called up and told me
the news after trying to pump my
servant, told him the straight of
my story. was engaged with friends
most of the night, and sound asleep
when he called. | have not seen my
uncle for at least a MONTH"
"Did you know that your uncle had
threatened to cut your cousin out of
his will '''
"Lord, no."
There was no installing the gen
uineness of Mallet's surprise.
Johnson nodded
eyes. Some trouble about girl
he was going with"
"Not Marian Burton?" cried NAL
let.
Don't know her name," said John
son. "They had run-in about it
last night But l guess you weren't
in on the know, all right. ! just
wanted to find out What about the
,girl?"
"Pd rather not say much, Johnson,
consideration. "She's nice girl.
Gus was very fond of her. So was |
once, till she turned cold shoulder
my way. She was going to marry
Gus. She's old John Burton's daugh-
ter, you know"
Burton of the Fourth National
Bank"
"Yes."
"What did your uncle have against
her? Burton's all right"
at was against Burton that he held
his grudge," said Mallet. "In the old
days they were business enemies.
Uncle Anthony never forgave a
grudge, as | ought to know He dis
liked the girl because Burton was
her father. ! know that, but l didn't
know that he and Gus had come to
a showdown about it. Does Marian
know what has happened
"Mrs. Porter telephoned to her,
believe" / informed.
"It'll break her all up. She thought
an awful lot of Gus" said Mallet.
"Do you want to see your uncle's