Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-02
s iIve e r
Sandals
A Detective Story of Mys-
terry, Love and Adventure.
By Clinton H. Stagg
Copyright. w. ]. Watt & Co..
International News Service.


Merely Silver Sandals spelled
backward" Cotton pointed out
"Dye mean to say this is the death
notice of the man that was murder
ed" the captain asked sarcastically.
YES"
"Bosh!" The expletive was fairly
sneezed. Its a fake? Who ever
heard of publishing a death notice?"
A new thought changed the trend of
the sentence. ITO get in this morn
ing's papers, the copy for the ad would
have to be sent before the man was
murdered
Before his death was discovered,
you mean" corrected the blind man
mildly.
who'd do it? Who'd do it?"
"The same person who wrote the
three papyrus notes"
Maybe you know who that was?"
The captain put the question bellig-
erently.
II do" Cotton was serious "It
was .he man you found dead at the
table; the man who was murdered!"
WHAT All the other verbal ex-
plosions had been mild beside this one.
That is true" Colton's tone car
ried conviction. Those notes and that
notice were written by the man we
found dead. Here's a picture of him
writing them!"
From his outside pocket the blind
man took a photograph. In the light
from the big window, the police cap
tain saw the picture of the bearded
man. The captain had had twenty
years experience comparing photo
graphs, and he could not be deceived.
1t was the same man. He was dress
Cd in, x.yift fiay
scarabs showing on the front and
sleeves. He was writing at q small
table on which a black crow perched
with outstretched wings on grinning
skull! Another, and smaller photo
graph pasted on the back showed the
mans hand with a curiousy shaped
pen resting over the unfinished note
that had been sent to the captain.
Writing with stylus explained
the blind man. "It makes a deeper
line on the papyrus tnan would an or
binary pen. My fingers had no diff
Guilty in reading the one at Carls
office"
Where did you set this?" The
captains voice was growing humble.
"On the table you see in the pic
ture, together with the clippings.
They had been left to find. The rest
of the house had been cleaned out
before Silver Sandals left it. They
were very careful; there wasn't much
left for eyes to see."
Can l have this for a while?"
Cotton resisted the temptation to
smile. He understood, now, the hu-
mility of the previous question. Ger
tainly," he agreed. "A photograph
isn't of much use to me-" he added
dryly.
Thanks. I'll do something for you
some time" The captain actually
sighed in relief as he showed the pic
ture into his pocket.
You might allow me to interview
your prisoner" was all the problemist
asked.
Sure! Sure! Any time!" The
police officer gave the permission hur-
riedly. He backed away a step.
"Good-bye!" He was on his way even
before he finished.
Cotton heard him 60 and a half
smile surved his lips as he took out
his cigarette case. He put his slim
stick under his arm as he lighted
the paper roll. For several minutes
he smoked in silence; then his ears
told him that the last of the hangers
on had left the coroner's suite. The
cane clattered to the floor as it fell
from under his arm.
Down the corridor came the pat-pat
of lisht-running feet. A red-haired
boy leaned over to pick up the stick. |
Did you get the district attorney,
Shrimp % queried the blind man.
Yes. sir" The boy handed the
cane to the problemist THE cops
didn't get the same one. The d. A. |
says his men amt located the waiter
that guided us to Silver Sandals
house. An say!" The boy assured
himself that there was no one within
hearing distance. when 1 got that
cane signal inside an called up what
yuh whispered when I put it in yer
hands, the d. A. was just gonna call
up"
Amy news of Sydney?" The ques-
tion came with a quick eagerness that |
seldom marked the blind mans tone. |
Nope. not yet" the boy answered |
solemnly. They're lookin fer him. But |
the d. A. says the two women left |
the house about three o'clock. A Hun |
s'loonkeeper that was just closin' up
saw 'em. They went down toward the |
river"
Three o'clock!" unused the blind |
man; and he went on, apparently to |
THAT waiter was the one
who waited or the morning papeprs so
that he could put the clippings where
we could find them. I wonder -'
"They on'y had a satchel," put in
the boy. THE d. A. remembered that
yuh wanted to know what they
carried"
"Sure?"
Certain The d said be didn't