The progress-itemizer., 1920-05-07

be recalled, opening of the sitting
room. Here. too, was darkness. and
as I turned on the lights, l stood
aghast with horror.
On the floor. close up to the inner
wall, lay the contorted body of beau
I tlful young woman. Her eyes were
wide open and staring. One arm was
/ twisted under her and the other hand
was clutehlng Mt the front of her
/ bodice. where bIotch of CHASTITY red
/ indicated the path of the shot that l
had heard.
ITS Miss Lutan," said Mr.. Wick's
voice behind me.
"She's been murdered I cried "get
the police at once"
rs bent over her TO see If there
was any evidence of life, | saw inn
4 printed I'm her tender white throat the
marks Of her assallants brutal fingers.
"Come," | said. help me lift her on
to this couch. and then telephone at
once for Il doctor"
Mr.. Wick had been all the while
Standing there. staring mt the body as
/ If stupefied by the tragedy. but he
| obeyed my directions, and with him at
/ her feet and / AT her head we laid her
down on the couch, where proceeded
I TO loosen her gown and to try by arti-
/ fetal respiration TO restore her blood
\ to circulation.
Get the doctor at once" | COM
manded again. land phone for the po-
lice"
John" called out Mr.. Wick. go
to the phone and tell Miss Kelly to
send for Doctor Hunt to come ut once"
Tell her to get the police, too" l
insisted.
"And let the burglar escape while
we're doing it," objected Mr.. Wick.
"Come ON, let's look through the apart
ment lie may be hiding somewhere
still"
Together. while the boy was 'phon-
| ing. we went from room 10 room, peer
| ing into closets and under beds. There
was no one there and no traces of the
murdere-'s presence. Even the sery-
ants quarters were untenanted. only
one thing happened that struck me as
peculiar As | started up the hall TO
search the bedrooms, / looked back
and caught Mr.. Wick furtively closing
| the wall safe. His action In surrepti-
tiously closing this without saying
anything to me made me suddenly sus-
pfcious Of him. I recalled tbat Detet
tive German had put Mr.. Wick into his
circle of suspects along with the bur-
glars wife. Could II be possible that
the SUPERINTENDENT of the building HIM
self was In connivance with the band
of criminals who had been harasslng
the Bradfords and me? / determined
to watch his every move.
There's no one here" l said. as we
completed our round OF the various
rooms. The murderer has made his
escape. Hasn't that boy 'phoned for
the police yetT'
Mr.. Wick seemed so averse To carry
ing out my suggestion about the police
that think he must have sensed the
suspicion in my voice.
al think had better ask Mr.. Kent
about it first" he said nervously.
who's Mr. KentT" | demanded.
NY thoughts were so taken up with
the unexpected tragedy that the name
at first meant nothing TO me. Sud-
denly | remembered. II was to the
anartment of Mr.. Henry Kent that
Miss Kelly had 'phoned last night
when she was dining with me. re-
called. too, that German had charged
me to find ont all could about him.
"Whos Mr.. KentY repeated
sharply. whats he got to do with it?"
Hes the owner Of the building" ex-
plained Mr.. Wick. "IIe doesn't like
the Granddeck to be mentioned In the
papers. He says any notoriety IL bad
for its eXclusiveness. | don't believe
he'd want the police called 10. In
fact, sir. I'm sure he wouldn't"
whether he wants II or not" | said
firmly. ITS got TO be done. You can't
keep murders out of the pansr. Either
you call the police right away or else
| WILL"
My threat forced him to telephone
against his WILL | could quite under
stand his employers aversion TO hav-
ing Il crime in the Granddeck made
public. But there was no help for Il.
There had been daStardly crime com
mitted. and the police must be I'm
formed. Yet ii was not 10 the police
that Mr.. Wick was telephoning II
evidently was TO Mr.. Kent's apartment
in the building.
Miss Lutan's been shot by burglar
in her apartment" heard him say.
"Mr. Nelson and me Just discovered
her body What's that. sir?"
Just what Mr. Kent'S reply on hear
ing the shocking news had been l had,
of course, no means of knowing. but
whatever II was, over the superintend-
ent'S face came an expression OF in
credulity and amazement.
"What do you think" said Mr.. Wick.
turning to me; "he says for me TO all
up Headquarters at once"
"Of course" | said ''it is the only
thing TO do"
Nevertheless, as Mr.. Wick waited
for the number. he kept shaking his
head and muttering under his breath
something that sounded like:
ITO think of his telling me to call
in the pollcer ~
With the doctor summoned and the
police sent for. there seemed TO be
little else for us to do but wait. so
Wick and l sat down together in the
rear sitting room with the elevator boy
still on guard at the door.
AIVbn u-oc Mice nton Y