Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-06

conservatory at the Ledyards, durin
the dance"
"You cant mean IT, She caught hi
arm as if to steady herself. ooh. Mr.
Harvey, that's not the truth, is itY'
eyes. Miss Adarc Please say tha
was why the conservatory door wa
locked at midnight; don't forget, be
cause it was Mrs. Cowles who dis
covered and remarked upon that closet
door. Tell her, too, that the body wa
removed secretly to Mrs. Hartshorne'
home after the dance, that have abso
lutte proof of all this, and ask her i
she noticed anything strange in Mis-
| Ledyard's s appearance or Manner
Miss Ledyard :" Rose gasped. "Mr
! Harvey, don't tell me she knew any
thing about it! l cant believe it.
won't It's too horrible.
at was Miss Ledyard, her butler
and the chauffeur who took the body
home, he explained quietly. but what
| want you to impress on Mrs. Cowles 's
mind is that 1 am on the point Of ar
resting Beatrice Lcdyard for the murder
of Mrs. Hartshorne. She must believe
that absolutely; that is my whole OBJ
ject in asking your CO. operation in this.
Mrs. Cowles must be sure that 1 am
convinced of her friends guilt"
But you're not" Rose eyed him
shrewdly. 81 can scarcely believe 1t
yet. that she was the woman Miss
Bayne saw from the window, but even
if she is, there can't be murder on her
soul! You are not going to arrest
her :"
That may be necessary. if your little
talk with Mrs. Cowles does not have
the result l hope for" he responded
You can realize now how important
the task is, which I am giving you"
ooh, I'll do my very best - She
hesitated and then asked: 1T won't
be bringing trouble on Mrs. Cowles,
too, will it?"
"By no means. Mrs. Cowles has
nothing whatever to do with the murder
herself; can assure you of that. The
next corner is yours and l will leave you
now, Miss Adare. l hope you don't
mind-T"
''I don't mind anything" she cried
recklessly, as she gave him her hand.
This affair is too terrible And / feel
as if | had gone too far in it to stop
now. I would do anything in the world
to help you find out who killed Mrs.
Hartshorne!"
After her trim figure had disappeared
around the corner Paul paid call on
a theatrical agent of his acquaintance,
stopped at one of the larger newspaper
offices and then returned to his rooms.
He had succeeded in the purpose of his
interview with Miss Ledyard, but this
achievement left him with no sense of
victory. Instead he felt oddly baffled.
Had she. indeed, killed Mrs. Harts.
horne? Had Swarthmore or was
there still third as yet unknown per-
son to be reckoned with?
The telephone all at once invaded his
meditation. At the sound of the agi-
tated feminine voice which came to him
over the wire he smiled in quiet ex-
ultation.
lis this Mr.. Harvey? This is Mrs.
Cowles speaking. Mr.. Harvey, would
you find it convenient to call on me this
evening? l have some-some informa-
ton. which think would be of value
to you."
Yes, Mrs. Cowles. I shall be glad
to hear what you have to tell me, but
l think that am already in possession
of the main facts of the case"
"Oh, no, you are not! she broke In
upon him. you couldn't be What I
want to tell you is known TO no one in
the world but myself and one other
person. You couldn't possibly have
learned it and / am sure it will totally
change your-whatever opinion you
may have formed. Can you come
soon?"
In half an hour, Mrs. Cowles."
On his arrival, he found the lady
pacing the floor in unconcealed per-
There was no attempt at
pose as she offered her cold little hand.
"Mr. Harvey, don't want you to
scold me for Withholding information
from you when you came to see me last
she began. "I did not
tell you then only because 1t did not
seem to have any bearing on the case
you were investigating. Then, too, l
could not endure the thought of being
dragged into the affair myself, even as
n witness -
"You have changed your mind now?"
he asked significantly.
Yes" She flushed. 1--WE been
thinking, and 1t really seems to be my
duty to tell you. Besides so many
wild rumors are flying about. Some
people question the fact that Mrs. Hart
shorne was killed in her own home
where she was found, and I have even
heard it whispered that the crime might
in some way have been committed at the
Ledyards' during the dance. OF course
that is absurd, but it convinced me that
l ought to tell you everything and save
you, perhaps, from-from making a ter
ribe mistake"
THANK yOu," he responded quite
grayely. 81 shall be grateful if you
will tell me now."
'Do you remember asking me the
last time you were here if / saw or
heard anything at the dance which might
have suggested a motive for the crime,
and | said that as far as / knew Mrs.
Hartshorne hadn't an enemy in the
world? Well, | fibbed, Mr.. Harvey
| daren't suggest that sufficient motive
for such a crime was established. but
Mrs. Hartshorne made n very bitter
and vindictive enemy that night II