East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-11-06
NoVeI1ze d b1-ALBER1 PAYSON TERHUNE
from the Consolidated Motion Picture Triumph

alionG6Q MS huDOENAAU2AL1B aAdA5AA4u
queriSa With q gesture and said lms
perativeiy:
Come and help me search tn
fat"
With the dumfounded Award fOls
lowing, Parrish led the way down tha
hall toward the dining-room at TIE
rear. At the dining-room threshold
he halted.
There at full length lay Vazy9
Tosca. Around her white thFeaA
showed faint marks OF the "fnge9
necklace" so familiar to the police
At Awards cry Of amazemana
Stanley and the policeman came rUna
ming down the hall
''The Crimson Stain!" exclaimed
Stanley in horror as he saw the tall@i
tale bruises; but the marks aEg
much fainter than ever I've ssaA'
them"
Award was chahng the uncons
scious woman's hands Parrish flung
glassful Of ice water into her face.
Slowly Vanya began to revive. Stan
ley lifted glass Of spirits to her npa
She slipped the fiery liquid, then shiv-
cred and sat upright.
''What's-what's happaned7" ahs
murmured.
That's what we're here to aa11
you" answered Parrish rUugh1yy
"What do you know about an thisx
Come. now, speak upl"
IL came in here TOTO set some
cigarets for Mr.. Clayton and Mr..
Lambert" she murmured incoher-
entity. "They were calling ON me- /
came In here. And-and somebody
crept up behind me and caught me by
the throat. Lob, / don't remember
anything after that-except that J
could not breathe"
The Crimson StainI" cried AIwaRA
in triumph, that's Il. he tRsna -
strangle her. Then Clayton ana
Lambert get TO quaTreling In the hy-
ing room, and the shot scared this
Crimson Stain murderer away before
he could finish his work. That's it.p
Come back to the living room, all
Of youl" ordered Parrish. Help th0
lady along with us. Wen go over tho
ground there once more"
Back they trooped to the scene OF
the shooting, the rear Of the fiat he
ing thus left vacant. And along the
vacated hallway ran Tanner. He
halted at a closet door, stopped, gath
cred the half-suffocated Florence up
in his arms and sped hack to the
kitchen with her.
Quick" whispered La Rue. who
awaited him there. Get her out o9
this. Take her to your own place and
finish the business there It isnfs
safe to do it here / didn't count On
the front window being open and the
shot being located 50 quickly. VaA-
ya's explained the rest. But she
couldn't explain Florence Montroe8s
body being found here"
Tanner, shifting his limp burden b
his arms, bounded down the stalrsa
AS he reached the side entrance he
tore away the enveloping coat Flora
ence lay very still, ner eyes shut -
he half carried, half-suppOrted her to
the waiting cab. Tanner could have
sworn she was unconscious.
on started the taxi at Tanners
word of command. Eastward it sped
until, at an avenue, 1t was mOmen-
tarily checked by crowd of traffio-
And in that moment the cab door
few open. Tanner turned, an instant
too late to catch Florence as she
sprang to the ground.
He leaped out in pursuit, then drew
back. For the girl was hurrying to-
ward a traffic policeman. Tanner
shouted TO the chauffeur; and the
taxi wheeled about and set of at ton
speed down side street
When Robert Clayton was finally
reused he seemed like a man in q
dream. He could give no clear aoS
count Of himself; nor did he realiz0
at all what had happened. Stanley
took him nome, again promising that
the artist should appear in court
when he was wen enough.
Then Harold, leaving Award on
guard at Clayton's studio. went to
his office. On his return. early in the
evening, Award was still waiting In
front Of the building
Stanley glanced upward to see if
there were a light IN Clayt0n's win
dow. As he did 50. he saw human
figure silhouetted against tlr night
sky-the figure Of a man wiz stood
swaying on the nigh parape Lf the
building, as if about to dive into the
street below.
Without a word. Stanley n shed Up1
stairs toward the roof Award fol.
lowed; but, not divining Har0ld's pur4
pose, ran into Clayton's top fioH
studio. Then, presently, finding Stan
ley had gone to the room, he too
clambered up through the open scut-
tie at the end Of the topmOst hallway,
Stanley, gaining the roof, beheld
Clayton, still swaying perilously on
the parapet edge as if trying 10
nerve himself for the leap. He hurled
himself forward and seized the artist
just as the latter launched himself
into space.
dragged Clayton back to safety. Clay
ton, like a man newly aroused from
sleep, stood blinking upCertainiy at
him. Before either Of them could
speak, Award Joined them. Clutch
ing the artist by the shoulder, the
plain clothes man said:
You are under arrest for the muf. .
der of Truxton Lambert"
Under arrest?" stammered clay !
ION DULY. Up
What does this mean?' eSkee
Harold in the same breath.
What does this mean ?" echoed Al 7
ward. "It means he's the man We
want Take q look at this note
Just found on his studio table" 4
Stanley glanced at the half she0l
Of paper. By the uncertain light no
read:
Il am about TO end my life l am J
guilty Of the murder Of Tru1ton Lam
bert. ROBERT C1.AYToH."