Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-18
$ live r:
Sandals
A Detective Story of Mys-
terry, Love and Adventure.
By Clinton H. Stagg
! Copyright, w. ]. Watt s. Co..
International News Service.
Continued From Yesterday
Copyright. w. ]. Watt s. Co..
International News Service.

/
Suddenly the problemist forgot the
crytogram and the lnotionless woman
at the table. His ears had caught q
sound in the empty house. His acute
hearing strained to the utmost, ne us
tened Some one was stealthily max
ing his way along the dark halls. NC
mann? Had the police picked up the
trail again? Were they going to spoil
it beore Cotton had gotten the thing
for which he had come? He knew
McMann would find the place, there
was too much bulldog in the police
officer ever to give up because he had
been lost by the big car and the DARING
Michael. But Cotton wanted to beat
him to just one thing. The listener
was outside the room door now.
| why did you murder your protn-
err" Cotton shot the question.
! The old woman did not even raise
her head. Because he deserved 1t!
The crash of the rlung-open door
shook the big house. A voice came
to the blind mans ears:
80 you did do it! You did! You
killed the father of that girl! You
Colton's smooth voice cut in: ''Sit
down, Bracken I've been waiting
for you'll"
The problemist heard the man
whirl to face him. who are you?
Cotton, eh? The blind man! You
got here first, did Sou?"
I've been waiting some time"
Thornley, Cotton spoke patiently.
where's Ruth?" Again Cotton
heard the man whirl as he turned to-
ward the woman. but the blind man
answered the question::
Your wife is at my house."
Your house?"
Yes. Sit down, as I told you
Silver Sandals is working on the
'cryptogram that means the girls for
tune"
The blind mans ears heard the
| sharp intake of breath.
Where did you get it?"
Again the question was addressed
to the silent woman. Again Cotton
answered.:
II gave it to her. She must have
time to solve it. The girls future is
on that papyrus."'
Her future" All the snarl. the
wrath was gone from the mans voice.
Cotton could picture him, staring at
the woman, who gave no sign of his
existence; whose whole mind was
fixed on the thing before her. Again
Silver Sandals was deaf and dumb to
the world. Cotton, who appeared to
be watching so intently, was blind.
The man who stood in the center of
the room in the big, empty house
was the one Cotton had accused of
murder.
'She said that she killed him." he
asked. she said that?" The second
repetition was hard-voiced demand.
"She has confessed" Cotton assur-
ed him.
almost shouted the words. "a lie,
that the very words seemed to strike
the blind man in the face. II killed
Neilton"
'I know it." Cotton nodded SOL
emnly.
Yes. I killed him!" The husband
Of the girl who was locked in the room
at Thornley, Colton's house was walk
ing back and forth before the blind
man like a Gagged tiger. "The girl
never had chance. She was his slave
She wouldn't leave him to his fool
books and theories. He gave me the
opportunity 1t was simple. Now
she's free!"
rs she?" Cotton demanded, his
voice curiously quiet Doesn't the
million dollars that the solving of the
cryptogram means go to her? I
found evidence that pointed to her
presence in the suite-a hair on the
floorl"
"she wasn't near the suite!"
Bracken's voice fairly trembled with
detected the shock of surprise. That
was a possibility Bracken had not
suspected. That's a lie, and you
know it," The blind mans knees
felt the touch of Bracken's knees, SO
close was he. The hot breath of
the man struck his face. you know
that am the only one who could have
killed him! l was with him. 1 knew
his plans"
Cotton did not answer. He leaned
far back in the chair. His face, with
the tortoise trimmed glasses pushed
high on his forehead, was raised, the
brown eyes appeared to be reading the
stood over him. He could feel the
tremble in Bracken's knees. He
cold hear the steady breathing of the
woman. He knew that she had not
betrayed, by move of a muscle, that
she had heard. He knew that her
head was still bent in study over the
papyrus figures.
manded Bracken hoarsely. Take me
away!"
I'm not a policeman" Cotton
answered smoothly. He had lowered
his head so that the man standing
over him could not see the new lines
that came around the brown eyes;
lines that the strain of listening to
some far-off sound had brought.
You're worse than a policeman"
The tone was bitter. you've spoiled
the whole game from the start with
your Internal -"
Spelling the games of murderers
is sort of hobby with me-" Cotton
interrupted. isn't 1t, Silver Sandals?"
Don't bother her!" Bracken fairly
snarled the command. Call your
police. The phones In the next
room!'
Unnecessary" Cotton waved his
hand. "In a moment you'll hear the
police at the front door. A Fairfield
sixty. with Captain McMann, is com
ing up the long driveway to the
house."
"I'll go out to meet them!" Bracken
turned to the silent woman, glanced
at her a minute. but did not speak
to interrupt her work. He took a step
toward the door.
Colton's hand shot out to grasp his