The Pulaskian., 1920-07-08
CHAPTER x-continued.


 iieve ali read They've made out a strong case against you, though"
 T didn't do itl" I cried passion ately
 If you didn't. who did?"
 Tt must have been Mir. Wick"
 There you go, jumping at eonclus- Ions. Why not Claire BradfordY
 ''Why do you mention her? Do you suspect her?"
 If she didn't do it, why did she come down here to see yeu?"
 "IIow did you know she was hereY
 "l was watching you all the time you were talking to her"
 "Dut how did you know who she was?"
 T saw the other one this morning They look alike"
 But how did you know which sister 1t was?'
 "You didn't seem to get along well enough In your talk for it to be Bar barn." he answered with another grin.
 It had not been my intention to re- veal even to him Claire Bradford's second visit to my apartment, but saw how foolish it would be of me to attempt to deceive or to withhold any dnformation from such shrewd ob- server.
 Without reserve and with the ut most detail l proceeded to relate ev- erything that had happened since had seen him the afternoon before. l told of my discovery of the secret panel in my room and of the blind passageway into which it apparently led, of Barbara's having made the 9perilous journey over the window ledge to Inspect my find, of the screams we had heard, followed by the shot, of how Barbara had fled back by the way she came, and I had run downstairs and with Wick had discovered the body. I told him every detail so far as l could remember it, winding up with my catching Claire Bradford leav- ling my apartment, just before my ar vest and the finding of the revolver.
 You don't think the detectives themselves planted the gun on you?" he asked. i've heard of them doing things like that"
 He spoke with such an air of inno- cence that I had to smile. I doubt if there were many tricks of detectives that German did not know all about.
 saThey had no opportunity whatever. Neither of them had been near the dresser before. and was watching them every moment"
 "Well, who did hide the revolver there, if they didn't?"
 q don't know"
 "Couldn't Wick have done it?"
 "I was with him every moment after we discovered the body
 sMaybe it was Claire Bradford?"
 I shook my head.
 q thought at first it might have been she, but I'm convinced since talk ing with her that it was not. She's either entirely innocent or else the most wonderful actress in the world"
 T think we can leave her out of it, -entured German.
 'sThat leaves only Wick"
 German shook his head positively.
 "No. Wick didn't do it. He's bad one all right, and he has done time. but he's only tool"
 "Wick has done time!" l exclaimed How did you find that out? What have you learned about him?'
 German grinned at my eager ques- tioning.
 T don't know much about him yet but I'm sure he's an ex-con. While you were in court this morning" he explained. q went up to the Grand- deck to take q look at things for my self. Wick showed me through the Lutan apartment, thinking I was from the coroner's office. I spotted him at once. A crook that has done time Is always sure to give himself away"
 'How?" I asked
 tWell," said German judicially, s'mens businesses leave their marks on them. A clergyman don't have to be wearing high vest for you to spot him, and nobody ever took dancing teacher for pugilist. man that has looked at as many crooks as 1 have knows them by instinct. and then there's little ways you can tell. As was going up to the apartment with Wick he just naturally fell into step with me, showing he had been used to marching with other prisoners. He talks. too without moving his lips. That's sure sign. They learn that In prison so they can talk without the guards knowing it."
 That's so" cried. Tt struck me that there was something funny about the way Wick talked. but I couldn't have told just what 1t was"
 "Wick's crook. all right. but I think he comes from somewhere up- state or nayhe out West but he hasn't intelligence enough to be any thing more than a runner for the