The Jasper news., 1920-10-07
b.
WILLIAM
JOHNSTON
cOpyrishs By Lttls. Brown = o.
mustrafions By
IRWIN MYERS
CHAPTER x-contInued.

reading the morning papers, ne mn
swered with a grin. "But 1 don't be-
lieve all read. They've made out a
strong case against you, though"
II didn't do itr' / cried passion
ately.
"1f you didn't, who did7"
ut must have been Mr.. Wick"
"There you go, jumping at conclus-
ions. Why not Claire Bradford"
"Why do you mention her? Do you
suspect herr"
IF she didn't do 1t, why did she
come down here to see your
"How did you know she was hereT
Il was watching you oil the time
you were talking to her."
but how did you know who she
wasT
II 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
Dara," he answered with another grin.
1t had not been my intention to re-
veal even to him Claire Bradfords
second visit to my apartment, but l
saw how foolish 1t would be Of me to
attempt to deceive or to withhold any
Information from such q shrewd OBJ
server.
Without reserve and with the ut
most detail proceeded to relate ev'
erything that had happened since
had seen him the afternoon before
told of my discovery of the secret
panel Ia my room and of the blind
passageway into which 1t apparently
led, of Barbara's having made the
perilous journey over the window ledge
to Inspect my find, Of the screams We
had heard, followed by the shot, oi
how Barbara had fed back by the wa,
she came, and / had run downstairs
and with Wick had discovered the
body. l told him every detail so fal
as l could remember IT, winding VI
with my catching Claire Bradford leav
ing my apartment, just before my ar
rest and the finding Of the revolver.
"You don't think the detectives
themselves planted the gun on your
he asked. 'Ive heard Of them doins
things like that"
He spoke with such an air Of limo
.cence that l had to smile. / doubt !
there were many tricks Of detectives
that German did not know all about.
'They had no opportunity whatever
Neither of them had been near tn,
dresser before. and l was watching
them every moment"
swell, who did hide the revolve
there, If they dldn't?"
81 don't know"
Couldn't Wick have done it?"
Twas with him every moment afte
we discovered the body"
maybe 1t was Claire Bradfordf"
shook my head.
81 thought at first 1t might hav
been she, but I'm convinced since talf
ling with her that 1t was not. She
leither entirely innocent or else tn
most wonderful actress In the world.
Il think we can leave her out Of 1t,
ventured German.
''That leaves only Wick"
German shook his head positively.
"NO, Wick didn't do 1t. He's a bG
one all right, and he has done tim
but he's only a tool"
"Wick has done time |" / exclaime
"How did you find that out7 VIII
have you learned about himf"
German grinned at my eager que
tioning.
II don't know much about him -
but I'm sure he's an ex-con. Will
you were in court this morning."
explained, II went up to the Gran
deck to take a look at things for m
self. Wick showed me through I
Lutan apartment, thinking was fro
the coroner's office. / spotted him
once. A crook that has done til
IS always sure to give himself away
"How7" asked.
"Well," said German judicial
"men's businesses leave their mar
on them. A clergyman don't have
be wearing high vest for you to 81
him.. and nobody ever took q danci
teacher for pugllist. A man that b
looked at as many crooks as l hs
knows them by instinct, and tn
there's little ways you can tell.
] was going up to the apartment W
WICK bs 3ast naturally fell Into q
with me. showing he had been used
marching with other prisoners