Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-24

! llie we WAuJ 10 know VINO got III
her house last night--or came in with
her-and shot her dead !"
The younger man smiled patiently
lie knew Of his old colleagues intoler-
ancc of any but the most direct, bull
dog method Of investigation and for
bore to combat it openly, although pur
suing the tenor of his own way which,
ms in previous cases, had brought sue
cess from failure.
"Of COURSE" he asscnted. But ii
no one saw her come in----
How do you know they didn't?'
the other interrupted.
''I'vo made some preliminary inqur
les in the ncighborhood, explained
Paul mildly. "The house on the left
! of hers, number one thirty seven, Is oc
cupied by two deaf old maid sisters
named Larrabce, with butler and two
female servants. They all retired be-
fore II o'clock and heard nothing dur
ing the night. On the right, number
one forty one belongs to the Wallace
Davenports; large family; oldest child
/ at home--a girl of fourteen, two sons
StuuSlnR dNIutlou' '>ououS IhClN hSoi
anything, either. Across the street the
two houses directly opposite are oc-
cupied, but the two on either side OF
them are coscd number one thirty
six for sale and one forty two boarded
up.
"a family named Fraser lives in ono
thirty eight, but they are quarantined
their child has diphtheria. The Sar'
geants live in one forty; old couple
alone with rctinue Of elderly servants
Their four SONS are still in active scrv-
ice abroad. 1t was the same story. No
body saw or heard anything
"Then there's only one thing to dc
now" The chief thumpcd his desk iu
cxasppration. Find out what time
Mrs. TIartshorne left the dance at the
Ledyards' and who accompanied her
then put him through the third de-
gree 80
"NIrs. Lcdyard is one of the first
mean to interview tomorrow, respond
ed Paul II don't want to Sntagonize
her by rushing to her tonight. You've
got to handle these people with gloves
YOU huDN illtg lt SURF VI thtll IOSltipi
and cant be bullied into any admission
they don't want to make as less i'm
portant person could be. There is only
one thing in the world that all these fair
weather friends of Mrs. Hartshone are
thinking of now and that is how to kccr
out of the notoriety incidental to the
case. IL I'm to get any real informa =
tion from them I've got to go at it in a
diplomatic way"
Diplomacy be hanged" CALCULATED
the chief. They don't run this town
I'll subpoena the lot and haul them
down to the inquest !"
"And you'll get from them a bunch
of doctors certificates announcing the
outbreak Of some mysterious malady
among the upper classes which will bt
incurable until the inquest is over
Paul shook his head. "Those who dc
appear will give only the briefest re
plies to the questions put to them ant
they'll have convenient lapses of mem
ory at the most important points. Yot
said that the investigation w6s in IN,
Hands, chief. Let me go it alone fol
while"
| eve ell, +" the other temporized
How about this fellow Swarthmore ?"
I'm look him up, Of course" Pau
rose. Leave it to me. I've got
few more points to 60 into tonight, bu
as soon as there is anything to repor
you'll hear from me. BY the way, 70,
examined that revolver-or pistol, t,
give it its right name-didn't you?"
The chief stared up at him from be
meath his low drawn brows.
"What are you getting at, SOM" h
inquired.
1T is one of the new army types
you know, with an automatic ejector,
Paul explained blandly. 81 don't thinl
we are dealing with any ordinary mur
derer. A man who will fire shot il
household of sleeping women and thel
stop, not only to close his victims eye
and compose the body deccptly, but t
find and carry away the empty cartrdg
shell and so deliberately contradict tn
suicide evidence he had tried to Great
by placing the pistol itself in the dea
woman's hands well unless we are O.
the trail of msdman / think we wi
have our work cut out for u.s.
THE cartridge shell!' repeated tn
cl4f. "By Cad, that's one on me! I
must be in the room somewhere ~
''It isn't" Paul asserted as he pickle
up his hat and turned to the door
"I've gone over every inch of it an
the hall, too, thinking the shell Nigh
have rolled or been kicked out there
but nothing doing. You'll hear froI
me tomorrow, chief. Good night"
Leaving his colleague gaping aftr
him in wordless astonishment, Pat
made his way to the street and hailed
passing taxi.
Number twenty-nine Cardut
street" AS he flung the address at tn
chauffeur and shut the door upon him
self all weariness and fatigue seemed I
have fallen from him. He sat leanin
forward, alertly watching the string
lights dance past.
CONTINUED TOMORROW