The Pulaskian., 1920-06-24


 of Claire's second visit to my apart ment. For Barbara's sake I made up my mind would keep my lips closed about that incident, even if I had to stay in prison indefinitely. At the po- lice station when the detectives had brought me in, had quietly but firmly refused to answer any questions. al- though they had badgered me for near ly two hours before they let me alone.
 "Where did you live before you came to the Granddeck? ?"
 Where did you work?'
 "Where is Rufus Gaston?"
 "Where do your people liver"
 "Why did you kill Daisy Lutan?" . "Where did you get the money you have?"
 We've got the goods on you. Why don't you confess?'
 These were the sort of questions that were flung at me, first by one and then the other Evidently at first they had had hopes of breaking me down.
 "T have nothing to say" had been my unvarying answer to all their ques- tions.
 Finally they gave it up and locked me in a cell for the night, leaving me thankful that the honor of being a sus- pected murderer relieved me from sharing a cell with some of the frowsy prisoners I saw brought past my barred door.
 Haven't you any friends you would like to have notified?" was the last question they asked as they left me.
 q have nothing to say,D repeated once more.
 Nor was this answer this time mere stubbornness. Who was there that 1 could notify of my plight? Birge and Roller. my two intimates, were some where on the high seas. The men whom I had known in the office where 1 had worked, for obvious reasons, were not to be called on. I had no idea of the whereabouts of my aged relatives beyond the fact that they were somewhere in Maine.
 had no intention whatever of com municating the fact of my arrest to my mother. Indeed, was hoping that she would not hear of it until after my innocence was established.
 I thought of German. I would have been glad of his counsel, but I remem- bered that I did not know where he lived. He had told me he was giving up his position at the hotel. It would be useless to try to find him until morning.
 Yet in spite of my apparent friend lessness, although to all appearances there was no one in New York to trouble, 1t was a wonderful comfort to feel that I was sure of one stanch friend-Barbara Bradford.
 Although We had been acquainted but few days, and although hardly a word of love had passed between us, I knew that her feeling for me already was something greater than friendship. I knew that she trusted me and that she would remain faithful in her af- lection for me, no matter what ac- cusations were brought against me. had been madly in love with her from almost the first time I saw her. What ever happened, I must keep her out of it. I must find some means of warning her to say nothing to any one. knew that her first impulse as soon as she heard of my arrest would be | to come to my rescue, regardless of | the fact that in establishing an alibi | for me she would be blasting her own reputation. Under no circumstances, ] even if l was convicted, must she be | permitted to speak. No explanation can account for the presence of young girl alone in a mans rooms at eleven o'clock at night, even | though she and l both knew how ut terly undeserving of censure her presence there was and how important l had been her motive in coming there. Mention of Barbara's name Tn any way in connection with murder case would be certain to wreck her sisters matrimonial Llans. It would mean the ruin of her mothers ambitions and the unmasking of the parlous condi- tion of their finances. It would mean that the reproaches of her mother and sister would be heape6 on my Bar l bara's poor head.
 was still unsatisfied in my own mind as to just what part Claire Brad ford was playing in the web of mys- tery about us. She was emotional and | flighty. given to doing rash things. I felt that there was a strong possibil- ity that relations with her ex-husband had been in some way re-established. I felt at times that she was being used as tool by the conspirators in the 1 Granddeck mysteries. If Claire was involved In any way, 1t behooved me to move carefully lest she should be betrayed in my efforts to clear my self. <.