The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-11-05

~ desk. 1t looks like murder"
Jimmy leaped to his feet and fairly
dashed to the door of the city room.
An assignment like that meant a big
story--a mans story.
- ne passed my desk I stopped
his whirlwind progress to ask him IL
ne wanted to read a letter which pi ON
fsed real insight into human life.
lie stopped and grined. "I've got n
story that demand look into human
death fork over your letter and
N give II the once over quick enough
to satisfy Tad himself
Jimmy read the letter. by love,
mat sounds like a whale of a story. Go
see her."
30 both of us started of in great ex-
element.
let me teel you the story of Jimmy's
thhorning. Mine follows, as the night
When he arrived at the office of Wells
Hargrace. brokers. Jimmy got his
, Usual cordial welcome from the police.
well. One OF them said: Barton.
you're Just In time to hear Collins here
I rsi MS story. Mr.. Barton. meet Mr.
collins. Wells head cIerK.''
Inc man seemed to feel the finger Of
suspicion pointing Mt him and to COVER
away from 1t timidly. as one pleading
fcr belief e1ou. .
about the Masters estate. Two other
men preceded him. but we had to tell
them that Mr.. Wells was too busy to
see anybody. It was eleven o'clock-I
noticed because one OF the men pointed
g the clock and asked n he could SEQ
Mr.. Wells Mt noon. had to turn him
down and he went away: so did the
into ask Mr. Wells il he'd see Harvey
and he said yes"
He stopped with the air Of one who
wishes to consider his story concluded.
It's that all? Is there nothing else
in connection with Harvey's visit which
you wish to relate?" asked the notice
captain severely. How was i that you
finally discovered Mr.. Wells?"
WELL sir. II was like this. An hour
later servant came hack for n bag
which he said Mr.. Harvey had for
ROTTEN. ] remembered then that Mr..
Harvey had carried block bag when
NE went in TO see. and didn't recollect
his having 1t when he wont out"
With Him Is Minutes.
SLOW long was Harvey closeted with
Mr.. Wells?"
''About fifteen minutes. remember
because when he came out he asked me
if the clock was right and set his watci,
by It. 1t was just quarter past eleven. y
what time did the servant come for
the black bag?" asked the captain.
"It was just half-past twelve. He
spoke OF the time himself He grumpled
q httle saying he wished that Mr.. Har-
vey would remember things like that
and not journey half an hour into the
country before he noticed the loss of his
property so that hardworking servant
had to take that same trip back to town
to get the bag"
"Then what happened. Mr.. Collins?
Just what did you do after the servant
called for the bag-and just. what did
the bag look like?"
"As we were speaking we heard q
queer noise--it sounded like some one
falling. We went In. and there was
Mr.. Wells lying on the floor, at the
foot of his desk. He was tossing around
like he was struggling.
"There was n queer odor in the air
like nothing I ever smelled before.
thought | saw a little yellow haze In
the air-but was so frightened didn'l
servant rushed over and threw open the
windows-but it was too late. Mr.
Wells struggled for a minute as II he
SnHSed..S e. > speak and then he Eel
"That's a, very remarkable story. my
boy" said the police captain. Il think
we'll have 90 ask you to come along
with US and tell 1t again at prehmi
nary hearing
"Don't arrest me. Please don't ar
rest me, sir It'll mean an awful dis
grace. I haven't done anything;
have no reason for wishing MT. WEN
out of the way"
await minute. You say you hat
no reason for wishing Mr.. Wells out OF
the way DO you know Mo, of any niac one wn'
mo, sir: but that servant actet
strange about the black bag. H.
didn't seem able to get away with
fast enough He e, s sSe office t@'r'y pos
"And you made no effort to detair
himY Come, my boy; that's prett!
thin story. I think I'll have to asi
YOU to come along with me-
And Collins was led away. protest
ing that he had done nothing. Ever!
one smiled at his patent effort to cove
over his own queer actions But late
Jimmy was to remember his story
After Young Collins was arrested a
n possibie accomplish In the murder o
Clifton Wells or as very importan
witness at the least, Jimmy was ad
mitted to the room where the dea
man had been found. He remembere
Collins story OF strange. aero ouo
which had pervaded the office ana o
Pickering yellow fumes In the air. N
n odor fingered. and all was in order
Even the desk at which the dead ma
mad sat was tidy and to rights
The murderer Of Clifton Wells couI
never have passed out of the office un
seen by Collins. whose desk was jus
outside the door. That much was evI
dent. And vet Jimmy did not thin
the boy guilty-nor yet an accomplic
before the fact.
He looked all about the office |
search for something-some clue o
which to work. In the whole well-oI
dered place he saw nothing-nothin
tangible, nothing he could hope to us,
And then suddenly on the floor at hi
feet he noticed a tiny brass key, somt
thing like that with which proud chi
dren lock their pencil boxes.
Jimmy stood looking at the key wit
interest 1t might have belonged
Wells, to Harvey, to Collins-or
some unknown and unnamed person
This much was evident: In that WAC
orderly. neat office It was the onl
thing out OF place. 1t could not hay
lain there long or the tidy caretakt
would surely have picked 1t IN an
disposed OF 1t. 1t seemed to Jmm
that this was n clue. He picked
up and nut II in his pocket.
And then suddenly Jimmy remen
bere6 tho letter ] had given him :
read, This is the letter as he remen
bered it,
Dear Miss Fnirfax-T am living wit
a guardian, Mr. Harvey. who strongl
nbiactcd q my when I pScJ