The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-03-25

ed, a. NO one else moved to do
30.
Yes" said DR.. Sheldon. "She
will be startled. but 1t will not be
entirely unexpected. l have
warned her for years that the end
would come like this"
In justice to the innocent,
Fleming Stone and ! went at once
to Inspector Davis to ask that Gil
bert Crane be released. The Or
der for release was sent immedi-
ately, and at last we were free to
ask Fleming Stone a few ques-
lions.
How did you do it," cried
Hunt, In his abrupt way.
ut was not difficult" said
Fleming Stone. "Mr. Kings
statement showed me that, al
though Mr.. Cranes alibi from 10
O'Clock till half-past 10 depended
entirely upon his own uncorrobo-
rated word, yet Mr.. Maxwell's all
bi was equally without vertical
ton.
MIR. King saw Mr.. Maxwell in
his study at 10 o'clock. He was
found there again some time after
1880. This proved nothing but
the opportunity. Then all the
evidence regarding the coat, the
clues found in the library, and
elsewhere, would apply to him as
we'll as to Crane. 1t remained,
however. to find what motive, II
any, could have impelled Alexan-
der Maxwell to the deed.
81 had not talked with him 10
minutes before / concluded that
he was a man with a secret. Miss
Maxwell supplied a clue when she
told me what she knew of Philips
early history.
Another clue was the crum-
pied letter found among the
waste paper. This was addressed
to Alexander Maxwell, and was
probably begun and discarded for
the one which Philip wrote and
sent to his uncle.
THE fact that the inkstand had
been refilled and replaced argued
some one familiar with the H.
brary; even Gilbert Crane would
not be apt to know where the
supply of red ink was kept. Every
thing pointed in one direction.
But perhaps the most con-
vincing clue was given to me last
evening by Mr.. Maxwell himself.
You remember, Mr.. King, that I
took each member of the house.
hold to the study separately.
When l interviewed Mr.. Maxwell
there, I took care not to alarm
him, but rather to put him at his
ease as much as possible.
Noticing a well-worn footrest,
felt that it was his habit to sit
with his foot upon it. In hopes
of his taking this position, I
asked him to show me just how
he was sitting when the news of
the crime was brought to him.
LAS | surmised, he sat down in
his big armchair and put his feet
upon the footrest.
This gave me an opportunity
to examine the soles of his shoes,
and | discovered on one of them
a large stain of a dull purplish
red The stain, made by red ink
was indellible and of a peculiar
tinge, so that | felt sure this was
| the man at whom the inkstand
had been thrown and who had
unknowingly stepped upon a wet
spot of red ink"
| lowing to the awkward Cog
| giles which he wore, and, too, the
! excitement of the moment, prob
ably did not notice the ink at all.
When he returned later the spot
had sunk into the crimson rug
and partly dried The shoes were
light house shoes and probably he
did not wear them out of doors,
for dampness or hard wear would
have tended to obliterate the
same. "As it was, the colors
! could plainly be seen, / am sure
that a chemical test would prove
it to be a stain of red ink"
Mr.. Maxwell died that night,
and DR.. Sheldon at once took Miss
Miranda to his own home and
kept her there safely out of the
reach of gossip, and so she went
out to Colorado to live with her
sister.
Her nerves were shattered, and
she begged so piteously that she
might not be obliged to enter
Maxwell's chimneys again, and
her wishes were willingly re-
spected
The house was closed and ulti-
mately sold, and though Irene and
| bought a summer home within
an hours motoring of the old
place neither of us have been
since to Maxwell's chimneys.
(THE END