The Pulaskian., 1920-07-22

smoother sailing. provided of course that 1 was acquitted. Tn the few chats I had had with her, I had real ized that wealth and luxury and social position meant nothing to Barbara's happiness. She was the sort of girl who for man she loved gladly would brave poverty. hardship, everything sincere. true-hearted woman with clear vision of the real values of ex- istence
 My messenger returned with the newspapers, and as I picked them up, everything went black. Millionaire Gaston Found Murdered" was the startling headline that flashed before me, right there in the column next to the account of the Bradford wedding.
 The sinister effect of this terrible news dawned on me instantly. With my great-uncle Rufus dead, without the possibility of his corroborating any part of my story, my case was hopeless, desperate. Unquestionably it would mean that I would be found guilty of murder and sentenced to death in the electric chair. As soon as could sufficiently compose myself I read every word there was in the newspapers about this new tragedy, smiling grimly at the thought that at least they could not blame this mur- der on me.
 MT. Gaston, 1t appeared, had come to the Granddeck about ten o'clock in the morning and had gone at once to his apartment. On his arrival he had been greeted by the telephone girl and had informed her that he was only in the city for few days and was stay ing at hotel. He had added that he would not be occupying the apartment for several weeks until his wife's re- turn to the city. About half-past twelve there had come a telephone call for him. The girl had been un- able to get any response from the apartment. Knowing that he had not gone out, and fearing that he might have had a sudden attack of illness, she had become alarmed and notified Mir. Wick the superintendent.
 
 The superintendent, the account continued, had summoned Mir. Henry Kent, the owner of the Granddeck apartments. Together they had gone to Mir. Gaston's rooms. Being unable to get any reply to repeated rings and knocks they had finally let themselves in with pass key in possession of the owner of the building.
 In his study in the rear os the apartment they were mortified to find old Rufus Gaston, fully clad, lying on the floor, face down, stone dead. A great wound on the back of his head showed that he had been killed, prob ably instantly, by terrific blow from some sort of blunt instrument. A search of the rooms failed to show any sort of weapon.
 The police theory was that the crime was undoubtedly the work of a bur glar who had been trapped by the re- turn of Mir. Gaston so unexpectedly to his apartment. How the murderer escaped after attacking Mir. Gaston was a puzzle to the detectives at work on the case. The superintendent of the building expressed the opinion that the murderer had gained access in the guise of a meter inspector. Attend ants in the hall recalled that there had been such man in the building that morning. As he wore the usual uniform and presented the customary credentials. he had been permitted to enter and leave the building unmo- tested.
 There followed long review of Ru- fus Gaston's business career and an estimate of some of his extensive hold tngs in stocks bonds and real eState