Charlevoix county herald., 1920-04-02

"Will you explain what you were do
ing at the door Of this apartment
when the superintendent arrived?" he
demanded with growing suspicion in
his tones.
"That's easy to explain" retorted.
"I was in my apartment directly over
this one. heard her scream and then
the shot. 1t seemed to come from the
floor right below me, so ran down to
investigate"
.Ts that rightr' he asked, turning to
Mr.. Wick.
.T guess So" said Wick. That's
where his room Is. He's only been
here In the Granddeck a few days.
don't know much about him."
sand that's all you know about itT'
said the detective. turning to me again
I hesitated. Should or should
not tell them Of the wall safe that
had seen Mr.. Wick closing? There was
no way / could prove It, Undoubtedly
Wick would deny having done so. II
would be his word against mine. Az
superintendent his word would un-
doubtedly carry. decided 1t would
be best to withhold my information to
q more propitious time.
"Thats all l know, except what Mr..
Wick has told you," I said.
"Very WE'LL" said the detective In
charge. "You can go now. and you,
too, Doctor"
Mr.. Wick was escorting the doctor
to the door. The detectives had with
drawn to the room where the body lay
and were holding a whispered confer
ence. stepped quickly to the wall
safe, and making sure that | was I'M
observed, tested the knob. 1t was Sc
curely fastened. congratulated my
self on having said nothing about 1t.
Wick, felt certain, would deny hav-
ing shut it, and there was no proof
that II had been opened when we had
entered.
AS l returned to my own apartment
upstairs, nearing the top OF the short
flight of steps between the floors ]
was astounded to see a female figure
fitting across the hall and entering
the Bradford apartment. Though | had
opportunity for only brief glimpse.
| recognized her at once 1t was Claire
Bradford.
The door Of my apartment was
standing wide open. I remembered that
as / had run downstairs few mo-
ments ago, had neglected to close
II after me. From the direction In
which she had come. II was plain that
Claire Bradford had been paying an
other surreptitious visit to my quar-
ters. What could have been her pur-
pose? There must have been some
strong impelling motive to make her
dare the perilous journe. along the
window ledge, and now, at the i'm
| minent risk Of discovery, to pay me
a second visit. l began seriously to
| doubt whether the explanation she
had offered me was the true one. l was
| beginning to feel that there was more
| than a possibility that she was again
| In the clutches Of the INSCRIPTIONS
rascal who had once been her hus-
band.
Greatly puzzled, made hasty sur
vey of the apartment, but could find
nothing that appeared to have been
disturbed. Going back to my own room
I FASTENED to place handkerchief out
of my window as q signal to Barbara.
for / knew she would be anxious to
know the meaning Of the sounds we
had heard below. In very few mo-
ments l heard the tap Of her riding
crop on my sill and hurried to answer.
"What was it?' she asked In an
excited whisper.
"Daisy Lutan, an actress, who lived
on the floor below, has been murdered
| shot"
"Who did itY'
81 don't know. Mr.. Wick and went
into the apartment together There was
no one there"
| slow terrible r. she exclaimed.
'Tt is, indeed" answered, "but II
may help u.s."
"What do you meant"
with the police in the house max.
ing investigations, there'll be no more
threats from the blackmailers for a
while. They won't dare bother you
for the present"
"Do you really think so?" she ques-
toned with little sigh of relief.
"Tm sure Of It."
| "Have the police been called I'M"
Eyes; two detectives are downstairs
now"
| I'm glad" she said. with the de-
tectives here, they won't dare modest
US. will they"
! "Of course not" I answered. ISIS
| your sister at homer"
| Eyes," she answered. sour guests
have just gone. Mother has retired
and Claire Is in the living room writ
ing a note. They heard nothing, so
did not tell them anything about It.
"That was wise. They'll hear It soon
enough. Has your sister been In the
apartment all EVENING""
"She hasn't been out all day unless
she went out just to drop the letter
she was writing down the mail chute
in the hall. Why do you askT