The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-10-02

work at Headquarters. probably
becsrs the Inspector didn't care
70 send him out on unimportant mat |
tors that the least Imaginative OF his
men could handle When he had 20
assign him 70 M unpromixIng task.
shhsr 20 spare him too prolonged idle
mesa or becauss no other detective WAS
available, the big man always assumed
an A~poioKetic air. II was 80 when he
started him on tho mystifying Taylor
case. ff
'Nothins doing these days" he srum-
bed. CITY must be turning pure.
Garth. Anyway. I got to give u some
thing for its money. Run up and take
a look at this suicide. Seems Taylor
was q recluse. Alone with his mother
in-isw the servants. wsfe's IN
California Suppose you had other
plans. but I don't SEQ why tho city
should pay o to talk moonshins 10
Mora l
lie srinned understandlngiy. sncour-
agingiY.
DO the detective nodded, stroiled up
tovn. and with a bored air stepped into
thar curious house.
Garth Tor 4 long time stared AZ the
pailid features OF the dead man.
Abruptly his interest ~quickened. Be
tween the thumb and sorennGer OF the
cienched lef, hand. which dropped from
the side Of the bed. a speck OF white
protruded. Tho detective stopped
swiftly. The hand. he saw. secreted a
rough sheet OF paper. lie drew Il free,
smoothcd tho crumbied surface. ana
with a vast increduiity read the hne
senwled across n IN pencil;
Don't think It's suicide. rye been
kflied-s
There IA no more. Until that mo-
ment Garth had conceived no doubt Of
the mans self destruction. The bullet
had entered the left side OF the breast.
1hs revolver lay on the counterpane
within an inch ~ the right hand whose
nngers remained crooked. The position
o. the body did not uegest the recep-
lion or tho resistance II an attack. In
this room no souvenir % struggle sur
yiyed
Here was this amazing message from
the dead man. Its wording indeed If
frred the irrational impression OF hav-
ing been written after death
Garth Thought rapidly. Granted its
accusation. the note must nave been
scrawled between the firing 81 the shot
and the moment OF Taylors death.
But a murderer. arranging this appear
sncs OF suicide. would have given Tay-
Tor no opportunity. on the other hand.
the theory that Taylor had written the
nots before killing himself. perhaps TO
direct suspicion TO some innocent per-
con. broke down before tire brief word
ms ~. patent Incompetence. one
possibility remained. Garth could i'm
Agins no motive, but another person
might have prepared tho strange mes
sage.
\ number OF books Uttered the read
ing table Mt the side Of the bed Garth
examined them eagerly. He found a
blank page torn from ons-tho sheet
which Taylor had clenchcd in his
nnEers. In another was Taylor's sigma
ture when Garth had compared II
with the message on the crdmblcd
paper no doubt remained. Taylor him
self had written those obscure an
provocative words.
Garth found the pencil on the foo
beneath the bed. as II II had rolled
there when Taylor had dropped a. Tn,
place az the ms had nothing els'
20 onor him beyond uh abuormaly
large array In tho bathroom OF bottles
containing for the most part slim
ulants aud sedatiyo-. They merely
strengthened. By Suggesting that Tny.
Tor was an invalid his appearance o
suicide,
The coroner and TayIor's doctor. VIII,
came together, only added to the pug.
ale. The coroner declared unreservedl,
for suicide. and. In reply TO Garth
anxious question. swore that no meas.
urabie time could have elapsed botweei
the airing OF tho shot, which ha'
pierced the heart. and TayloT's death
The physician was satisfied even aftc
Garth cOnndcutially had shown him "a.
note.
"Mr. Taylor he said then, under
stood he had an incurable trouble
Every one knows that his wife, WHOM
he w~orshippcd. had practically left hin
by going to California for so long. l
may have appealed 10 a grim sense o
humor. not unusual with chronic TN
yalids. to puzzle us viii that absurd
Wordcd note. I might tell you. too, tina
Mr.. Taylor for some time had had
fear that lac might go out OF his heaC
Prrpetuaily he questioned me about In
sanlty, n wanted to know VIVA
treatment ! would give him II his min
went"
Garth. however. when they had LET
went to the library IN the lower noo
and telephoncd headquarters. The IN
spector agreed that the case held
mystery which must be solved.
Garth walked TO the embrasure OF
high colonial window. The early win
ter night was already thick above IN
world. Tho huge room was too darl
The Taylor home was a large. coloni'
frame farmhouse which had eventual
been crowded by the modern n e,
travagant dwellings, OF a fashionab
uptown district, In spite OF It's genel
Gus furnishings II projected even
this successful and UateriRliStic d.
tective a heavy air nf the past, mela'
choly ana disturbing.
Garth sighed. lie had made up h
mind. The best way TO get at the tru'
was TO accept FOR he present the dcl
mans message at It's face value. 1
turned ON tho single Hight above u
desk IN the center OF the room. /
arranged a chair so that tho gla
would search It's occupant. He a
opposite In the shadow and pressed
button. Almost at once he heard dtni
einv footsteps Ia the han. then n tim