Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-05-25

Unless we want another tragedy"
the doctor said, this woman must
be put to bed and taken care Of. She
has been terribly exposed. You've
heard her. She's delirious."
mot so delirious that she hasn't
told the truth" Paredes said.
The doctor lifted her in his arms
and with Rawlins' help carried her
upstairs. Katherine went with them.
Almost Immediately the doctor and
Rawlins hurried down.
Il have told Katherine what to
do" Doctor Groom said. "The woman
may >be all right in the morning.
What's she been up to here?''
Then" Bobby cried. there was
connection between the dinner party
and the murders. But what about
my coming here unconscious? What
about my handkerchief
II can see no answer yet" Graham
said.
Paroles smiled.
mot when you've had the answer
to everything? l have shown you
that Silas Blackburn was the MUIR
derer The fact stared you In the
face. Everything that has happened
at the Cedars has pointed to his
guilt"
Except" the doctor said, ''his own
| apparent murder which made his
guilt seem impossible. And I'm not
sure you're right now. for there IL
no other Blackburn he could have
murdered. and Blackburns look alike.
You wouldn't mistake another man
for one of them"
This house." Paredes smiled, 'has
all along been full OF the presence of
the other Blackburn. There has been
| evidence enough for you all to have,
known he was here"
He stretched himself in an easy
chair He lighted a cigaret and blew
the smoke toward the ceiling.
4 shall tell you the simple facts.
il only to save my skin from this
blood thirsty district attorney"
| Rub it in" Robinson grinned. 'In
take my medicine"
They gathered closer about the
Panamanian. Jenkins sided to the
back OF his chair.
II don't see how you found Il out"
he inuttered.
II had only one advantage over
you or the police, Graham" Paroles
began, and you were in a position
to overcome that. Maria did tele-
phone me the afternoon of that
CHASTITY dinner. She asked me TO get
hold Of Bobby. She was plainly anx-
ious to keep him in New York that
| night, and, to be frank, I was glad
enough to help her when you turned
up. trying to impress US with your
puritan watchfulness. Even you
guessed that she had drugged Bobby.
suspected It when I saw him 60 to
pieces in the cafe. He gave me the
slip, ~ told you, In the coat room
when I was trying to get him home,
30 I went back and asked Maria
what her idea was. She laughed in
my face. denying everything. /. too.
suspected the stranger. but I've con-
WINGED myself that he simply hap
pened along by chance.
Nov here's the first significant
point: Maria. by drugsing Bobby,
defeated her own purpose. He had
been drinking more than tho Band
OF Hope would approve Of, and on
top Of that he rot an Overdose OF
powerful drug. The doctor can tell
you better than OF the likely effect
Of such q combination"
''What told you in the court,
Bobby" the doctor answered, much
the same symptoms az genuine
AphasiA. Your brain was unquestion-
ably dulled Ny an overdose on top Of
all that alcohol, while your mechan-
ical reflexes were stimulated. Au-
tomatically you followed your ruling
impulse. Automatically at the last
minute you revolted from exposing
yourself In such condition to your
cousin; ana your grandfather. Your
lucid period in the woods just before
you reached the deserted house and
went to sleep showed that your ex-
ercise was overcoming the effect Of
the drug. That moment, You'll re-
member, was colored by the fanciful
ideas such drug would induce"
so, Bobby" Paroles said, "altho
YOU were asleep when the body
moved and when Howells was MUIR
dered. you can be sure you weren't
anywhere near the old room"
"But I walked in my sleep last
night" Bobby reminded him.
The doctor slapped his knee.
II understand. 1t was only when
we thought that was your habit that
1t frightened us. It's plain. This
sleep-walking had been suggested to
you and you had brooded upon the
suggestion until you were bound to
| respond. Graham's presence in your
room, watching for Just that reac-
ton, was perpetual, an unacceptable
stimulation. It would have been
miracle In itself II your brain had
failed to carry it out"
Bobby made a swift gesture of
distaste.
IF you hadn't come, Carlos, where
would Iohave been?"
why did you Gomez" Graham
Bobby was my FRIEND" the Pana-
mantan answered. He had been very
good to me. When 1 read of his
grandfather's death | wondered why
Maria had drugged him to keep him
in New York. In the coincidence
lurked an element of trouble for him.
At first suspected some kind OF an
understanding between her and old
neutrality-suspicious. she had engaged
to keep Bobby away from the Cedars
until the new will had been made.
But here. was Blackburn murdered,
and it was manifest she hadn't tried
to throw suspicion on Bobby, and the
points that made Howells' case in
complete assured me Of his inno-
cence. Who, then, had killed his