The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-06-02

ent. They'll be here any minute and
probably they'll want statement from
yOu.'
Very well" said The doctor, "IIl
watt"
AS VIC waited the three OF us chat,
ted about the crime and about the
dcad actress. From the conversation
learned that ut the height Of her me-
tcoric career on Broadway Daisy Lutan
had become the wife Of the young son
OF very rich family His parents in
slstcd that she had trapped him into
hlatr'mony and after long legal wran-
glhg she had been divorced about n
year ago. She had received large
sum In settlement. and this with her
earnings rs an actress enabled her to
live In luxury.
Hadn't she sweetheart now?" I
asked
"Bctter make 1t plural" snecrcd the
DOCTOR Women Of her type always
nave lot of men friends"
NO men ever came to see her here
I'm positive Of that" said Mr.. Wick.
"Of course not" said the rector sar-
castically. "The reputation OF the
Grnnddcck apartments must be pro-
tected ut all COSTS"
AS we talked two detectives In plain
clothes arrived. They viewed the body
ana proceeded to question the doctor
"li0w was this woman killed?"
by revolver shot right through
the heart"
"NShO Jc clio o.,
daisy Lutnn. the actress"
"WhO did IT."
1T must have bccn burglar" in
tcrJcctcd Mr.. Wick. "NIy theory IS
that she came in unexpectedly and
found him at work"
WHO found hcr?"
"These gentlemen" said the doctor
including both Mr.. Wick and me with
wave Of his hand.
The detectives turned to Mr.. wicl.
first.
"Tcll us about It," one of them d.
rcctcd.
MY name Is James Wick" he began
rs If he was rcciting familiar lesson
II am the superintendent Of tbe
Grnnddcck apartments. I was in tho
elevator about half an hour ago when
hcnrd woman screaming and then
the sound OF the shot took out my
revolver and got Off ut this floor TO in
Vcstigatc. At the door found Mr.
Nelson. He. too, had heard tho
screams and the shot and thought thcy
came from this apartment. 7 took out
my pass key and we went In."
Were there any signs Of the bur-
glnr?' asked the other man.
No. we looked ali through the
apartment and found no one"
"Was anything missing?"
waited with batcd breath TO hcor
II wick would tell Of having found tho
wall safe open. IF he did not I fclt 1t
would be conclusive evidence that
there was something he was trying to
conceal.
II didn't notice anything missing"
he said glibly. "T wOuldn't know, any
how. I don't know what stun she had
here"
"Who would know?"
"IIcr maid might. She's out now.
Generally she's home by eleven
o'clock"
"Did she keep only the one scrvant?"
only the maid and q chauffeur"
"rhcn she was all alone in the
apartments"
"Ycs. She'd gone out all dressed up
about seven in her own car. She came
home unexpectedly in hired taxi not
moro than half an hour ago"
"Did she come home alOncT
sure 81" was alone. kt lcast the
hall boys told mo so. dG rot sec her
come In myself"
More and more waS convinced that
Wick was lying. was sure he knew
far more about affairs than he was adj
hitting. Why did he keep hnrping
on the fact that Miss Lutan had come
In unexpectedly" What means had
he Of knowing what time she was ex-
Dcctcd home? Furthermore he said he
was In the elevator when he heard the
screams and the shot. did not he
licvc 1t would have been possible for
the sounds to have carried that far
Tho walls were all dcadened. and the
room where the tragedy hnd taken
place was nt the hack OF the house
many feet distant from the elevators
I wondered IL the burglar had not been
In the place with Mr.. Wici's conniv-
nnce, while he stood guaro outside. As
he heard me coming ne might have
taken refuge In the elevator. And
why did he have MS revolver 30 CON
vcniently readyf
The detective who had been ques-
tioning Wick turned to me.
"Who are yOu?"