Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-31
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Manufacturing the Alibi.

"As you found out for yourself
Mr.. Trent, | have a natural gift O
mimicry. l had initiated Mander
sons voice many times so success
fully as to deceive even Bunner
who had been much more in his
company than his own wife. 1t was
you remember" -Marlowe turned
to Mr.. Cupples-"a strong, metallic
voice, of great carrying power, SC
unusual as to make it very fas.
cinating voice to initiate, and at the
same time very easy. | said the
words carefully to myself again
like this" he uttered them, and
Mr.. Cupples opened his eyes in
amazement-"and then | struck my
hand upon the low wall beside me.
Henderson never returned alive?' |
said aloud. But Henderson shall
return alive!
in thirty seconds the bare out
line of the plan was complete in
my mind. did not wait to think
over details. Every instant was
precious now; | lifted the body and
laid it on the floor of the car, coy
cred with rug. | took the hat and
the revolver. Not one trace re-
NAMED on the green, believe, of
that nights work. AS | drove back
to White Gables my design took
shape before me with a rapldity and
ease that filled me with a wild eX
element. | should escape yet! 1t
was all so easy if | kept my pluck
Putting aside the unusual and I'M
likely, | should not fail l wanted
to shout, to scream! Nearing the
house | slackened speed, and care
fully reconnoitered the road. Moth
ing was moving. l turned the car
into the open field on the other side
of the road, about 20 PAGES short
of the little door at the extreme
corner of the grounds. l brought
it to rest behind a sack. When,
with Manderson's hat on my head
and the pistol in my pocket, l had
staggered with the body across the
road and through that door,
left much of my apprehension be-
hind me. With swift action and an
nerve, l thought l ought
to succeed
With a long sigh Marlowe threw
himself into one, of the deep chairs
at the fireside. and passed his hand
kerchief over his damp forehead.
Each of his hearers. too, drew a deep
breath, but not audibly.
Everything else you know" he
said. He took a cigarette from
box beside him and lighted it. Trent
watched the very slight culver Of
the hand that held the match, and
noted that his own at the
moment was not SO steady.
"The shoes that betrayed me to
you," pursued Marlowe after a short
silence, were painful all the time
[ wore them. but | never dreamed
hat they had given anywhere. l
lnew that no footstep of mine must
appear by any accident in the soft
81 OuHu dDoul luC nut WuClC l ldlu
the body, or between the hut and
the house, so | took the shoes off
and crammed my feet into them as
soon as l was inside the little door.
left my own shoes, with my own
Jacket and overcoat. near the body,
ready to be resumed later. I made
A clear footmark on the soft gravel
outside the French window, and sew
eral on the drugget round the car
pet. The stripping off of the outer
of the body and the dress
ng of it afterwards in the brown
suit and shoes, and putting the
Kings into the pockets, was a hor-
ible business; and getting the teeth
'ut of the mouth was worse. The
7ead but you don't want
o hear about it. l didn't feel it
much at the time. I was wriggling
ny own head out of a moose, you