The Meeker herald., 1920-12-18

u
j learned that at the height Of her me-
teoric career on Broadway Daisy Lutan
| had become the wife Of the young Sun
I Of very rich family. His parents ID
sisted TINT she had trapped him into
mutrimony and after long Legal wrnn-
/ Cling she hnd been divorced about
year ago She Ind received large
sum In settlement. and this with her
\ earnings ax I'M actress enabled her to
l live in luxury.
\ Hadn't she sweetheart nOwr /
asked.
/ Better make II plural" sneered the
doctor. women Of her type always
| hive q lot Of men friends.~
mo men ever came TO see her here.
I'm positive Of that" said Mr.. Wick.
''Of course not" said the rector sar-
castically. 1.-THE reputation Of the
Grnnddeck apartments must be pro-
tected at all costs"
As we talked two detectives 10 plaiE
clothes arrived. They Viewed the body
and proceeded to question the doctor.
| ''How was this woman kfiiedr
by q revolver ah0t right through
the heart"
"who II shef'
-Daisy Lutan. the actress"
"Who did IT."
1T must have been a burglar" In
terjected Mr. Wick. my theory IL
that she came IN Unexpectedly and
found him NJ work"
who found her?
''These gentlemen" said the doctor.
including both Mr.. Wick and me with
q wave Of bis hand.
The detectives turned to Mr.. Wick
first
Tell US shout IT. one of them d.
rected.
My name IL James Wick be beHan
ss II he Was recitiny familiar Lesson.
II am the superintendent Of the
Grsnddeck apartments. ] was 10 the
elevator about han an hour aeo when
] heard d woman screaming and then
the sound Of the shot took out my
revolver and got of at this floor to In
vestixste. At the door found Mr..
Nelson. He. too. had heard the
screams snd the shot and thought they
came from this apartment. took out
my pass key md we went In"
-Were there any signs Of the bur
giar?" asked the other man.
''No. we looked nil through the
apartment and found no one"
"Was anything missing"
waited with hated breath to hear
n Wick would tell Of having found the
wall safe open. n he did NOT felt II
would be conclusive evidence that
there was something he was trying to
conceal.
II didn't notice anything missing"
he snid giibiy. II wouldn't know. any
how. ] don't know what stun she had
here~
"WhO would known"
"Her mnid might. She's out now.
Gr-eraiiy she's home BY eleven
o'clock"
"DId she keep only the one servnnt?"
"Only the maid and q chauffeur"
"Then she was nil alone In the
apartmentf'
"Yes. Shed gone out all dressed mp
about seven In her own car. She came
home unexpectedly In q hired taxi not
more than bnif an hour ago"
"Did she come home alonef'
"Sure she was alone. Al least the
hail boys told me 10. did not zee her
come in. myself"
More and more I was convinced that
Wick WINS lying. was sure he knew
far more about affairs than he was nd-
uniting. Why did he keep harping
m the fact TINT Miss Lutan had come
In "unexpectediy" What means had
he Of knowing what time she was ex.
pe,>l,d home? Furthermore he said he
was In the elevator when he heard the
screams and the shot. did not he
IIcve II would hnve been possible for
tho sounds to hive cnrrted TINT far.
The wills were nil deadened. and the
room where the trngedy had taken
place was nj the hack Of the house
many feet distant from the elevators.
I wondered II the burglar had not been
in the place with Mr.. Wick's conniv-
nnce, while he stood guard outside. As
he heard me coming he might hive
taken refuge In the elevator. And
why did he hnve his revolver no con-
vcniently rcndy7
The detective who Ind been ques.
tioning Wick turned to me.
"Who are your
"Spalding Nelson"
"Whnt do you dot Where do you
work."
"I'm a clerk"
"A clerk living at the Grnnddeck
apartments" he sncered. "You must
have n goUi Job"