The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-03-24
Continued from our last issue.

81 1 Wditcu Until ditci tAc urea
was over, when asked 8er I,
confer with Tom Whiting ant
myself. She agreed willingl!
enough and we went to the music
room.
Pm going to tell you frankl!
why we asked for this conference
with you, Miss Gardiner" | be
gan. 81 have learned that you
have just sent letter to Mr.
John Judson."
Have | not right to send let
ters to whom | choose?"
You certainly have. But wher
such a letter proves that you
know the address of the man we
are looking for, ! have right tc
ask you what you know of him
and why you conceal from us the
fact that you do know him. To
begin with" | continued, "Pn
positive that John Judson is the
man who shot Philip and Mil
dred."
And | am equally positive he
did not!' declared Irene, her eyes
blazing; land | can prove it,"
You cant" exclaimed Ton
Whiting. You know this. Jua'
son, then, Miss Gardiner"
Eyes, know him very WE'LL"
Then you know he was an en-.
envy of Philip"
Not exactly an enemy, though
! know they never liked each otn.
ler. But since Mr.. Judson is safe.
~ away, will tell you the whole
story. He has been a friend OF
mine for some years, and though
he has asked me several times tc
marry him, have always refused
him. Last week he went to see
me at my home in New York, and
they told him | was down here
He was making a motor trip with
Mr.. Mordaunt, and on their way
to Atlantic City, they stopped
here at Mr.. Judson's request. He
wrote me that he wanted to SEE
me once more before he went
West, but he did not care tC
meet Philip. So | wrote him that
! would be on the upper veranda
Monday night at 10 o'clock, and
that he might come up by the lit
tie outside staircase, and thus he
need not see Philip at all. He
did this, and it was Mr.. Nor.
daunt's car that the earl saw. that
night"
Then Judson did come up O.
the veranda. Monday night at 1(
o'clock said Tom Whiting; "ant
yet you say he had nothing to dc
with the shooting!" s..
Absolutely nothing sale
Irene. I'VE were on the Other
side of the house from the library
and he remained with me no,
more than two minutes" 1SsA
why such short stay?"y ask
ed Tom.
"Because-because l was cry.
ing when he came, and 1 didn't
want to see him anyway. and y
begged him to go away at onee."
What were you crying about'
asked Whiting gently.
II was upset and nervous, ant
| couldn't control myself"
You have heard from Mr.. Jud
son since?"
"Yes-and of course he ha!
heard of the murder, but he ha.
no idea he was suspected of 1t.
wanted him to get away, for t
detain him and make inquiries
would only mean trouble for ar
innocent man. So l wrote hin
and warned him to start West a
once"
1T is a strange story, Mis-.
Gardiner" said Tom, but O
course l do not doubt your word.
You need not" said Irene
haughtily. II have told only tn,
exact truth. II | have concealed
this episode, 1t is only because
didn't wish Mr.. Judson's nam,
brought into question at ALL"
We talked for some time aftel
this, and we agreed that as Juu
son was now out Of it, we mus
look in some other direction.
But l determined to do a littl'
more investigating by myself.
went up to the library, hoping
that from the scene of the Grim,
could get some hint Of which
direction to turn.
| AS / sat there, something
brought back to my mind thu
black spangles. The maid whit
had found the earl's seal mus
have overlooked the tiny spangle'
as | found them later. But sh'
might have found others of thu
same sort when she had dustet
the room, and l determined to ash
her.
| went in search of her and pu
the question. At first she coult
not remember, and then she rec
objected having picked up two o.
three near the window.
Have you any idea," I said
where they could have com,
from?"
"Oh, / know where they have
come from" she said quickly
they are from the fan of Mis-
Gardiner.
How do you know"
Because Miss Gardiner carriet
the black fan that evening. Sh,
left II on a seat on the veranda
and / found it and put it again II
her room" no Z
Here was something definite
For / remembered distinctly tina
Miss Gardiner went to her root
to get that fan just before sht
and / walked together on the up
per veranda. Then / left her, and
she remained up there, and Jud
son found her there, crying
Meantime, some spangles fron
that fan had been dropped by tht
library window! Tpp :
| / did not like to face her witl
these facts and ask an explan&