The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-12-29

| | of yours to burn things here; surely you can recall approximately the last | time you made use of the grate. Was
 it few days ago. week a month"; "It was a week ago" The reply | 1 came sulleniy in a lowered tone. What did you burn then" Merely some old letters and snap l shots IT was cleaning out a trunk | l meant to go camping next week. The explanation was offered glibly, | yet Gene could not meet OdelPs eyes; | and he flushed if conscious that | his faIsehood had been recognized for | what it was, although the detective l gave no outward sign. Instead he rose, brushed off his knees and re- marked in a brisk, changed tone: | 'f your memory should improve | brothers room. Will you come and
 show me where the body was when you discovered it?"
 'I didn't discover it." Gene denied
 sulkily. Nevertheless he turned to
 the door. Peters did that when my | stepfather sent him up here to call | Julian. When he gave the alarm dad
 was the first to reach the room;
 tried to pass him. but he blocked the
 stairway. Julian's room was empty l and dad called once. then went to the | bathroom door ana collapsed against | it at-at what he saw. I followed and | looked over h,s shoulder, and then | I don't Know; I went to pieces, l | guess"
 As he talked they had passed along l the hall to the front room and Odeu
 unlocked the door. The windows were open. but the old-fa shioned Ve-
 netian blinds were drawn close to keep out any possible rain. and in | the gloom the furniture loomed in
 distinctly
 Gradually, however, as his eyes | grew accustomed to the semi-dark- | ness Odell made out the outlines of
 a bed, a dresser. a desk. table, an
 old chest of drawers, and in the wall | at right angles to the hall the casing | of another door.
 | He went to the nearest window, | folded one of the blinds halfway | back, and then turned inquiringly to l Gene, who had visibily hung back. 'Is that the bathroom?" He mo- tioned toward the door in the opposite
 wall, and at the younger mans nod he
 strode over to it. After moment | Gene followed. Julian had on "a thin bathrobe | over his paiamas and he had not | taken his bath, although the tub was | drawn" he volunteered 'I seemed to take the whole thing | though it had been photographed or 1 my mind; I wish to heaven I could | forget it! His shaving mug stood | just here on the edge of the wash | basin, with the brush and stick of soap beside it; and he was lying or his back on the floor with the razor under one of his hands. He looked as if he had just sunk down, excep for the wound in his throat, and tht blood everywhere. There wer' bloody handprints, too, along tn | outer rim of the tub nearest him. 2: if he had tried to save himself fror falIing-Oh, 1 can't" | "You are sure of that?" Odell, wh had been flowing with his eyes tn ocation of each object as Gene q" scribed the scene, now turned and 1 oolted at him sharply. You are sure there were prints. of hands ir blood upon the rim of the tub?'' Positive of it." Gene returned. 'l told you I could not forget singl detail. I don't see why he didn't e | for help or something when he four he could not stop the bleeding
 never heard a thing and I was almo | :n the next room."
 'fWhy do you say 'almost?' Tn cetecti--e had grapsed the point. bu | it was as if subcOnsciously. The wits | fact which had been revealed to hi''
 in advertently enough by his com
 panion filled all his thoughts. | "Because the dressing room is be yond that door, and I've got som"
 gymnasiu stuff stacked against it. 1 Why wasn't the door left open" | Gene hesitated.
 ] "It used to be and we shared this | bath together" he admitted finally i "Rut lately Julian wanted this to him.
 self. so I used the bathroom across
 the han'
 ''Dtd you examine the marks on l the that morning. MT. Chalm CTS %
 s'No.'' Gene shuddered. "1 don,
 know what I did after I saw him ly- ing there and realized what must
 have happened: I guess I went crazy for a little while. The first knew l | was lying across Julian's bed, and
 dad was shaking me and telling me | to go downstairs. I didn't see Julian
 again not even in the casket; l | couldn't
 The detective turned from the
 doorway and began opening the
 drawers of the dresser, but they as
 well the desk and closet had been
 Ctripped bare.
 "Dad and old Titheredge carted off everything but the clQthes' explained Gene. Aunt Fife packed those
 away in th~ attic, I think. I know she didn't give them away"
 He laughed shortly in rueful na,ne- and Odeli demanded:
 "Why? How do you know?"
 "Because she never gave a thing
 rwav in her life. She hoards every
 thing she oan lay her hands on. OGell allowed the comment to pass
 without remark, but he stored it away for further reference. If true,
 it threw an interesting sidelight on thec harac.er of the mouselike spin
 like niser and her apparent attitude
 toward the rest of the family was
 that of typical poor relation; yet
 shem ust possess money. She owned
 at least a half interest in the house fn which she lived like a veritable shadow,
 After a further cursOry examina-
 ton of the room he motioned Gene to precede him to the hall, and, lock1ns the door. he placed the key in his
 pocket.
 "Where A-es Farley Drew liver" he asked.
 Tn the BeIlemonde Annex" Gene responded unguardedly. then added:
 For Gods sake. don't go to him with
 anything of this. serge ant. He - he hates anything like notoriety, and he can make a lot of trouble. , For whon?" Odell demanded as : the other paused.
 (To Be Continued.) ! A Berlin newspa per announces that 3 preparations have been made by the German aniline syndicate to erect nj