Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-01-28

sion DeloW stairs. The coroner ana
his associates had arrived. DR.. Hib-
bert was with them.
The two young men went downstairs
and found them crowded around Lind
quist's body.
"Well?' asked HILBERT eagerly.
Rogers shook his head. We've only
just come" he explained.
Its a clear case" said the coroner.
''This man killed his employer and has
committed suicide"
"Shot himself in the back?'' asked
Rogers. "We found no p either"
Harley and Rogers met a battery of
unpleasant glances.
DR.. HILBERT fastened to explain their
presence on the scene, but the young
investigators were given to understand
that their presence was both untimely
and quite unofficial.
The coroner and his associates were
eager to have the investigation to
themselves and felt Jealous of the n
reference of the two young lawyers.
They scorned the theory of a third
person being involved. though Rogers
told them about the uncanny laugh
which had followed their first knock
upon the door.
"You find the laugh, young fellow
grinned the police detective. land I'll
get the chief to appoint you on the
detective bureau"
"Done!' exclaimed Rogers confident-
ly, and he withdrew with bis partner,
while the others vent on upstairs.
"How about the laughp queried
Harley as they stood in the kitchen.
1--WE must find the woman said
Rogers.
.'The woman?"
Eyes. There's a woman somewhere
around the place. Why? She has
been down and made some ten. Tho
pot is still warm. There are the dregs
In a cup. Armstrong is dead, and
Lindquist probably did not make the
tea. Men fly to strong liquors In
times of stress. This tea was being
made when we entered the house."
"Where Is she?' asked Harley. "A1l
the doors are bolted on the inside, even
the door leading to the cellar"
I'VE might try the attic. These back
stairs will take us up there
Rogers led the way up a narrow.
dusty flight of stairs. Once ne paused
and searched the treads with his fash
light.
Plainly visible in the dust were b
imprints of a small stockinged foot.
I'VE are on the right track" said
Harley.
The stairs ended in a small ball Oh
the second floor, and. opening another
door. they discovered a dusty flight
winding upward.
Now they walked cautiously. guns In
hand. Under the low roof the attic
divided into several! rooms.
Harley and his companions had Lot
taken ten steps before they heard once
more that wild laugh.
They peered through a half open
door.
The room was directly ovcr Arm
strong's sleeping apartment
In the middle of the floor q board
had been removed, and beside tho hole
knelt n woman. She was a small crea-
ture, bent with years and illness. Gray
hair hung in tangled locks about her
wrinkled face, and her large. dark
eyes were wild and glittering as she
lifted her head and regarded the two
men.
Then. without comment on their In
t%rusion, she benz over the hole and ap-
peared to look down.
Rogers silently placed himself where
he could lear over and look down also.
He saw the lath and plaster of the
bedroom ceiling and a white point of
light that streamed up through a ANAL
hole.
Below that hole was the bed where
the body of Armstrong was found
with a bullet in his heart, and the hole
In the ceiling was right above his
heartl
Suddenly the hole was obscured, and,
to Rogers horror. be say that the wo-
man had covered it with the muzzie
of a revolver.
With a signal to Harley, they both
leaped for her and tore her away from
the hole.
She fought like a tigress, and again
and again her wild. insane laughter
echoed through the house.
The men below came tearing upstairs
and secured he aving m 1t was
DIR. HILBERT who identified her.
1T is Armstrong; maniac wife," said
the physician. For years she has been
confined in the Leets asylum. I did
not know she had escaped, and I did
not connect her with the crime.
ut is plain to be seen now how she
accomplished her deed. She concealed
herself here and made a small hole IN
the ceiling close to the hook In the
middle of the plaster centerpiece. From
this hook the lamp was suspended.