Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-08


at does" Paul rose, 'I'm not 90
ing to take up any more of your valu
able time. Let me know if the movie
aspirant I'm after shows up and keep
her till you get me, will you?"
Sure I'll keep her." affirmed Mr..
Glaub. But you might give 'cm the
once over yourself as you go out"
Paul dartcd one swift comprehensive
glance about at the sea of eager faces
which confronted him and then beat n
hasty retreat to the hall. On n door
opposite he saw in imposing gilt letters
''Nallory's Jazz Orchestra" and in a
lower corner of the glass paneling
Max Vallory, Conductor"
He paused for moment in thought.
knocked lightly, and then without
awaiting a response he turned the knob
and entered.
A gawkv, frccklc- faced youth was
seated behind the desk a smiling younr
woman was tapping vigorously away
on typewriter and from behind Il
closed door marked private" came n
thin. melodious whistle repeating a bar
or two of popular refrain over and
over with Il slow. drawing syncopation
that was irresistible.
Before Paul could voice query the
door opened and Il slim prettilv dressed
hgure stood before him. The man ap-
peared young at first sight. but closer
inspection revealed mature lines about
his clean cut jaw and lips and the mel
ancholy expression of his dark ewes i'll
accorded with the careless merry whistle
of moment before.
As his glance rested upon Paul he
smiled pleasantly and came forward.
You are looking for me- he asked
with a slight, indctinable accent. 'I'm
Max Nallory."
I'm Harvey, special investigator
employed on the Hartshorne case, ," Paul
announced. "You know. of course. Mr..
| Nallory, that Mrs. Hartshornc was a
guest at the Red Cross dance given by
Mrs. Amasa Lcdyard last Thursday
night. at which you appeared with your
orchestra.
Nallory nodded
II read of it in the papers the next
day, he said gravcly. Bad business.
wasn't itF"
''As you must be aware also from
the newspapers. Mrs. Hartshorhc was
not seen by any one after leaving the
dance until her body was discovered in
her home the next day" Paul chose
his words with care at is part of
my necessary routine work. therefore.
TO trace her movements during the eve
ming at the Lcdyards. You did not
know her. but perhaps you may rccog
nize a description of her costume and
general appearance. She was of medium
height and pretty, with blush eyes and
brown hair, and she wore a peach
"olored satin dance frock trimmed with
silver and string of pearls"
NallOry laughed
Excuse me. Mr.. Harvey. but that's
too many for me There seemed 10 be a
thousand people there. and don t have
any time to rubber around at the guests
where we play
Il believe you Paul smiled and
drew from his pocket a folded sheet of
paper. Il have here a rough diagram
of the Ledyards' ballroom. Here is
where your orchestra was stationed in
this alcove, was it not?'
The jazz leader spread the paper out
on his desk
Did you observe any one at all who
went in or out of the conservatory dur
ing the earlier hOurs?"
No, / can't say that ] did" the
other responded candidly after n pause.
Il d like TO help you out, but honestly
didn't notice anybody. It's some job
to keep up the pace we hit -
Did you hear anything from that
direction|' Paul persisted. ANY noise
like cry or an explosion"
Nallory chuckled again.
Say, ] wouldn't hear fifty five
shell if it went off in front of ma when .
we're playing Then his face grew
grave once rmOre, You don't mean
that anything happened there The
lady wasn't shot,
II don't think it is likely" Paul
picked up his hat "Still. nobody knows
when she left, and as she wasn't seen
alive afterward. I've got TO look into
every possible contingency"
We'll, I'm sorry / can't help you
any Nallory said cordially. You're
up against tough proposition, all
right. I've seen more than one nasty
scrap in my time, but this is the nearest
ever came to a murder in swell So
ciety Say, | wish you'd come and
hear us play some time. We're going
TO give couple of open air concerts in
cambridge Park to boost the next gov ,
ernment loan, Why don't you drop
around?"
Paul promised and took his depart
urc, the plaintive, monotOnous whistle
following him down the hall to the ele- ''
vator. The impulse which had led him
to the one possible witness of that tragic
scene in the conservatory had been an
idle one. and he had not anticipated any
startling revelation, yet he felt an odd /,
sense of disappointment that the luck
which had favored him so far in his
investigation should fail him now.
In spite of all that he had accom-
plished he seemed to be back again at
the starting point; his discoveries, i'm
portant as they we're had led him no
nearer to the ultimate solution and the
mystery was as deep as at the moment
when he had first laid eyes upon the
slain woman. II