Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-07-15

you were talking to her"
But how did you know who shs
wasy"
II saw the other one this morning
They look alike"
But how did you know which sister
II wasi"
You didn't To get along vel
enough in your talk for 1t To be Bar
bara," he answered with another grin
1t had not been my intention to re-
veal even TO him Claire Bradford's
second visit TO my apartment, but ]
saw how foolish IL would be of me to
attempt to deceive OF to withhold any
information from such 4 shrewd oh
server.
Without reserve and with the ut.
mos detail | proceeded e relate ev'
e%rything that had happened since
had Seen him the afternoon before.
| told of my discovery of the secret
panel in my Room and of the blind
p~assageway into which ii apparently
led, OF Barhara'S having made the
perilous Journey over the window ledge
TO inspect my tind. of the screams we
had heard, followed by the shot, Of
how Barbara had fled back by the way
she came, and ! had run downstairs
and with Wick had discovered the
body. ! told him every detail So far
as l could remember 1t, winding up
with my catching Claire Bradford leav-
Ing my apartment, just before my ar
rest and the finding of the revolver.
"You don't think the detectives
themselves planted the gun on you?"
he asked. 1--WE heard Of them doing
things like that"
He spoke with such an air of inno-
cence that | had to smile. l doubt If
there were many tricks of detectives
that German did not know all about.
"They had no opportunity whatever.
Neither of them had been near the
dresser before. and l was watching
their every moment"
"Well, who did hide the revolver
there, If they didn't:"
Il don't know"
Couldn't Wick have done it?"
81 was with him every moment after
we discovered the body"
MAYBE 1t was Claire Bradford?'
l shook my head.
81 thought at first 1t might have
been she. but I'm convinced since taIk-
ing with her that II was not. She's
either entirely innocent or else the
most wonderful actress in the world"
Il think we can leave her out Of it,"
ventIred German.
THAT leaves only Wick"
German shook his head positively.
mo. Wick didn't do il. He's a bad
one all right, and he has done time,
but he's only u tool"
Wick has done time" | exclaimed.
Flow did you find that OUT? What
have you learned about him?"
German grinned at my eager ques-
tioning.
II don't know much about him vet,
but I'm sure he's an ex-con. While
you We're in our this morning" he
explained, Il went up to the Grand
deck TO take a look at things for my
self. Wick showed me through the
Lutan apartment, thinking | was from
the coloner's office. | spotted him at
once. A crook hat has done time
is always sure to give himself away"
How" | asked.
Well" said German judicially,
mems businesses leave their marks
On them. A clergyman don't have to
be wearing a high vest for you to spot
him, and nobody ever tool u dancing
teacher for a pugilist. A man that has
looked at as many crooks as | have
knows them by instinct, and then
there's little ways you can tell. As
| was going up to the apartment with
Wick he just naturally fell into step
with me, showing he had been used to
marching with other prisoners. He
talks, too, without moving his lips.
That's a sure sign. They learn that
In prison so they can talk without
the guards knowing it,"
That's So" | cried. 1T struck me
that there was something funny about
the way Wick talked, but | couldn't
have told just what 1t was."
"Wick's d crook, all right, but /
think he comes from somewhere up
state or maybe out West, but he
hasn't Intelligence enough to be any
thing more than a runner for the
gang"
well, what's your theOry?" l asked.
IF Wick didn't murder Miss Lutan,
who didy'
81 don't know yet. Wick amt big
enough. Big jobs take big men to
plan them. This whole thing is a
big affair, carefully planned out. 1t
takes more brains than Wick ever
dreamed Of having to plant anony-
nous notes and terrify people nearly
out of their sense with mysterious
whispers and then to steal the Brad
ford papers and the CASTOR pearls and
then when things get hot to have you
already framed al the goat to blame
things on"
''Then you think my discharge from
the Office was part Of the ploty
"Sure II was. You butted. In on
their blackmail plans. and they want
ed to get square with you, and a young
fellow out Of work and discharged in
disgrace Is always an easy mark Tor
suspicion"
And was 1t part Of the plot to
blame Miss Lutan's murder on met"
Il don't think so. The Lutan muir !
der was an accident. Even the big |
gest crooks seldom deliberately plan
murder. They're all afraid Of the
chair. She came in and surprised