The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-16

lie can't escape. He's down in Hawkins undertaking place"
 Marshal Crows long stride soon carried him to the corner Of Maple Street, where he made sharp turn to the right, shooting a swift look over his shoulder as ne did 80. His late companion was leaning against q tree. Satisfied that he had com pletely thrown Mir. Spratt off the trail, Anderson took & short cut through Justice of the Peace Robb's front and back yards and eventually emerged into Main Street, where he slackened his pace to a dignified saunter.
 He caught sight of Ali Reesling, the reformed town drunkard.
 "Helloi" shouted Ali. discovering the marshal. Here he comes now. Where you been all morning, Andy? been huntin' everywhere for you. Something horrible has happened. just stopped to tell Judy about It."
 The marshal stopped, and gazed upon Ali with mild interest.
 "T guess I've got Jake's motive purty well established, Ali. You needn't ask me what I've unearthed, because I won't tell you.
 You don't mean to say you know about it?" Ali cried out. ''I was up and your wife said you'd gone out in the country to practice your new Decoration Day speech, Anderson. How in thunder did you find out about Jake?"
 Marshal Crow turned upon the speaker with some severity. See here, Ali, are you tryin' to act like Newt Spratt?"
 What do you mean?" he de- manded hotly.
 "N6thin'--except that Newt had the same kind of an idee in his head that you seem to have got into yours. Next time you see Newt you tell him been laughin' myself almost sick over the way I fooled him-the blamed iggoramus." Having planted a seed that was intended to bear the fruit of justification, the vener- able marshal decided that now was the time to prepare himself against anything further in the shape of sur prise. So he linked arms with Ali
 
 Now, see here, Ali" he began, somewhat sternly "I won't stand for any beatin' about the bush from you. You got to tell me the whole truth an nothin but the truth, and if your story hangs together and agrees with what I've already worked out-I'll see that you get fair treatment and
 Ali stopped short. What In sas- safras are wou talkin' about? What story?"
 Begin at the beglnnin' and tell me where you was last night, and early this mornin, and where and when you last saw Jake Miller"
 "I don't know what you're drivin' at, but if it gives you any satisfaction l c'n say that the last time l saw him alive was yesterday afternoon about four o'clock. He was unloadin' some baled hay over at Eds feed-yard and that's all"
 Where did you next see him?"
 "Oh, there was lot of people saw shim after I did. Why don't you ask them?"
 Answer my question.
 T didn't see him again until about half past seven this morning. He was hangin' from rafter in Eds stable. My God. it was awful I know I'll dream about Jake for the next hundred years"
 Did he have rope around his neck?'
 ''No, he didn't"
 Anderson started. This was an un- expected reply.
 "wellAer, what did he have around his neck?"
 "A halter strap"
 "You-you're sure about that?"
 Positive"
 ''I see. So far your story jibes with the facts. Now, answer me this question; When and where did you help Jake Miller write that note of farewell?"
 "What?" gasped Ali.
 You hear me-"
 ''You didn't"
 Nobody helped him write It."
 How do you know that, sir?"
 Do you mean to tell me that Jake left farewell note?"
 I'm not saying whether he did or not. You don't mean to claim that he didn't leave one, do you?"
 ''If he did, nobody that I know of has laid eyes on It."
 What reason did he ever give you for wantin' to take his own life? Think carefully, now--and nothing but the truth. mind you?'
 The only thing l ever heard him say that sounded suspicious was when he told a crowd of us at Lam son's one night that if this here pro- hibition went into effect he'd like to have some one telegraph his sister in Buffalo so's she could come on and claim his remains"
 But he wasn't drinkln man. Ali. and you know it."
 T know, but he always said he was lookin' forward to the day when he sometimes thought he'd like to be, He was droll sort of cuss. Jake was. He claimed he'd been savin' up his appetite and his. money for nearly three years so's he could see which would last the longest in finish fight"
 Marshal Crow cleared his throat, and was ominously silent for fifteen or twenty paces. When he next spoke it was with <the deepest gravity. There was 8 dark significance in the look he fixed upon Ali. &SlN s.AM\ SII,