The Little River news., 1920-03-27
ulusirations
 ty Irwinfyers

"Did she keep only the one sefvantT
 "Only the maid and q chauffeur"
 "Thcn she was all alone in the Rpartment?"
 | "YeS. She'd gone out all dressed TIT ahout seven in her own car. She came home unexpectedly in T hired faxi not more than half an hour ago" Did she come home alonc?''
 Sure sls was alone Al leaSt the hall boys told me so. did not sre her come in, myself"
 ] Moro and more WIS convinced that i Wick was lying. I WIS sure he knew far more ahout atr1irs thnn he was oi- I mtting Why did he keep tarring on the fact that Miss Euta' had eane in "unexneetedly? What means he'd he of knowing whnt time she WaS eV- pected home? Furthermore he said he was in the elevator when h. heard inc screams and the shot I did nat he lieva if would have heen possible for the sounds to have carried that far. The walls were all deadened and tho room where tho tragedy had taken nlare was at the hack of he house many feet distant from the elevators. ! wondered if tho burglar had hot been in the place with Mr WicE'S eanniv- anee. while he stood guard outside As he heard me coming he might have taken refuge in the elevator. And why did be have his revolver se con yeniently ready?
 The detective who had baeE lues- tioning Wick turned to me.
 "Who are you?"
 "Spalding Nelson"
 "What do you do? Where do you work?"
 "T'm q clerk"
 "A clerk living at the Granddeck apartments" he sneered. "Yeu must 31a,e good job"
 haven't any at present." I re- piled I'm living here in Mr. Gas tons apartment, taking care of it while he and his wife arc away"
 could see that my statement that was only clerk and was not al pres ent employed had not made a favor able impression on the detective.
 twill you explain what you were do- ing at the door of this apartment when the superintendent arrived?" he demanded with a growing suspicion in I his tones.
 "That's easy to explain" retorted. T was in my apartment directly over this one. heard her scream and then fhe shot. It seemed to come from the floor right below me. so l ran down to investigate"
 ''Is that rsht?" he asked turning to Mir Wick.
 q guess SO" said Wick. "That's where his room is. He's only been here in the Grarddeck few days. I dout know much about him."
 "And that's all yon know about it?'' said 1 le detective turning to me again.
 fastated Should l or should I ne' t.ll them of the wall safe th2t I nad ee en AIr. Wick closing? There was no WY conld prove if Undoubtedly Wick would deny having done so. It zsarl9 be his word agaipS' nline. As superintendent his word would un- doub edly carry. l decided if would be best to withhold my information to more propitious time.
 That's all I know, except what Mir Wick has told you" I said
 Every we'll" said the detective in charge "You can go now, and you, too. Doctor"
 MT. Wick was escorting the doctor to the door. The detectives had with xxrh tho hnGV Ia V and were holding whispered confer ence I stepped quickly to the wall safe. and making sure that I was un- observed. tested the knob. It was SC curely fastened. I congratulated my self on having said nothing about it. Wick, I felt certain, would deny hay. ing shut it, and there was no proof that it had been opened when we haC entered.
 As I returned to my own apartmen upstairs, nearing the top of the shor flight of steps between the floors was astounded to see a female figure Hitting across the hall and entern: the Bradford apartment. Though l hat . opportunity for only brief glimpse . I recognized her at once. It was Clair' ! Bradford.
 The door of my apartment wa ' standing wide open. I remembered tha as I had run downstairs a few mo ments ago, I had neglected to clos 1t after me. From the direction Il which she had come, it was plain tha Claire Bradford had been paying ar other snrreptitious visit to my quai ' ters. What could have been her pun pose? Therc must have been som strong impelling motive to make he dare the perilous journey along tn
 window ledge. and now, at the in ' minent risk of discovery. to pay m second visit. I began seriously doubt whether the explanation sh ' had offered me was the true one. I wa beginning to feel that there was nor
 than possibility that she was agai
 In the clutches of the unscrupulOu b rascal who had once been her hu: