New Britain herald., 1921-07-25

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 Undoubtedly made by feet" he commented half to himself. " should say that the murderer hdget- ed around, stepped in the blood and then ran."
 Carroll put out his hand and showed the screen door. The two men stepped gtngerly on the dog trot. They found themselves gazing straight through the house, across the front veranda and out upon the river beyond. To the right they could see through the partly opened door of a bedroom which had apparently not been used. Everything in front and to the right was orderly.
 But the same was not true of the veranda to the left of where they stood. Backed up against the wall, with its outer edge perhaps three feet from the left of the screen door, was an ice chest, closed. It was a plain affair of golden oak. To the right of the ice chest. and also against the wall, was rude kitchen table. On the floor, between table and ice chest was ar ice-pick.
 On the floor in front of the ice-box, the yard of distance between the box and the screen door was confusion. The floor boarding was stained a dark, ugly red; the brownish color of clotted blood. And through the stains something glistened. The two de- tectives bent over intently.
 Scattered about on the floor were bits of broken glass: some tiny, some of considerable proportions Carroll lifted his head. There was no win- dow near. Then Sullivan's fingers closed about something and he ex- tended it to the other.
 There's the answer chief"
 Carroll took it from him. It was long slender bottle neck and a bit of the bottle itself. Still sticking to 1t was scrap of green-gold label. A careful search resulted in the ind ing of enough to see what 1t had orig inally been
 "A bottle of imported olive oil," commented Carroll. Probably fell." He spoke softly, as though to him. self
 She was evidently standing at the ice chest with her back to that door," he said, when the assassin entered. should guess that she had laid the ice-pick either on the Ice-box or else on that table wonder. She was prob ably making ready to prepare a mayonnaise or French dressing and had taken the olive oil from the ice compartment and stood 1t on the ledge.
 Then, if I'm right, tho murderer struck from behind with the ice-pick and the top to the ice- e-box-" He raised it and released his grasp. It fell with a bang. fell. It won't stay up by itself. The oil bottle was smashed to bits and the oil trickled inside and outside and splaahed for considerable distance. See ;" He designated several spotches sev- eral feet away from the ice-box. How does that strike you, Jim?''
 Sound as dollar
 Carroll stepped outside. He walked toward the veranda, pushed open the door softly. stood motionless for second, tiptoed to the table, seized the ice-pick and made a terrific stab 1t Sullivan
 Now he said, softly, let the cov- CT fall" The thing crashed down. 'I must have been very close to you :. 50 your body falls, we'll say, across my feet. I drop the ice-pick and lift you. Then I realize what I've done, become panic-stricken and turn to run .. He rose suddenly to his feet, whirled, seized the screen door with his right hand and jerked 1t open. As he did so and started through he narrowly missed hitting his head against the edge of the screen door. He went down the two steps and ran off for a few feet in the general direction of the shrub bery to the eastward of the lodge. Then he returned, forehead creased in thought. Strike you all right, Jim?"
 Just about You think there was floor, that he walked in it, left stains showed on the steps?'
 That is undoubtedly what occurred in SC far as the stains are concerned. At any rate, that's about as close as we can come to acting out the crime at this stage of the game. Now let's look around the rest of the house.
 They went over every square inch of the two bedrooms: of the dog-trot
 
 They returned to the dining-room once more. Sullivan started in one corner and Carroll in the other. They went on hands and knees.
 A cry broke from Carroll He leaped to his feet and crossed to his assistant.
 Look" he exclaimed, his eyes blazing with excitement Look at It there, hidden under the rug"
 He placed in Sullivan's hand a handsome two-karat solitaire dia- mond ring. The Tiffany setting was of platinum. Sullivan stared at 1t curiously and then raised his eyes to Carroll.
 "Well?' he asked.
 Tt is an engagement ring breathed Carroll. And inside you will