The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-01-01
XIII. SYNOPSIS.

MrS. 'Richard LOrne and her
 Son, Julian Chalmers, die under mysterious circumstances; the life of another son, Eugene, and
 that of Lornc himself is attempt cd and Barry OdeII, sergeant of detectives, is summoned to fn- ycStigate--- Gerda, the maid, tells him to watch for an insane per- son, and he then interviews Mar ce1e, the cook, who can throw no light on the situation, and who confines herself to saying
 that even if deaths shadow is over the household its members
 must eat
 There's philosophy in that" Ode1l let it come to you all again, you know I am here to find out if can who this fiend of yours is. and I must have help. As you say. if it were deed upside down. and I came to you Tell me, Marcelle, what do you think of it all?"
 Me? I think ~much better of it since this morning. monsieur His crass fattery had had it's effect, and Marcelle, the orne1et forgotten. faced him with d good-natured smile and her fat arms akimbo. Before, = soon after his mother, I say to n.y. Sself: Tt is not good It is not the Mil of the good God as Mademofselle Meede try to tell me. nor is it acci-
 
 family if. so quick time. It is evil, and do not know whether that evil be human oA of the internal spirits Now that I <'ow it is human I s1, am hiIn at his work,'
 She made an eloquent gesture and was turning again to the table when OdeIl asked a hurried question. This is the tradesmen's door, is it not? ?. The only back door?"
 Yes, monsieur"
 You can see any one who goes out t?"
 NO one comes or goes that way that 1 do not know it, monsieur"
 Did. you. see Peters when he left this ,mornins?''
 NO, monsieur. That poltroon! Never did I like his eyes"
 Odell started Could that be what Gerda had meant? But why should Ghe warn him when Peters had all ready disappeared
 That he should run when women stay % Marcelle continued in fine scorn. "He knew better than to go this way, for I should have stopped him. It must be that he used the front entrance. Betei"
 Jane tells me that you helped her clean the rooms Of young Mir. Chalm- CTS after he died. Did you hotice any marks upon the tub?"
 "-But yes. monsieur The marks of both the poor child's hands. It was terrible. that sight It is not well 10 think of. Me. I am most sorry for poor Monsieur Gene."
 For Monsieur Gene.' repeated the detective in astonishment. Were he and his brother so inseparable then ."
 ''It is not that monsieur; but the very night before Monsieur Julian died they have so wicked a quarrel. Me- l am d light sleeper and my room is just at the head of the stairs above them. On Tuesday evening l make 2 soun1e for dessert-and figure to yourself it is a failure. it fallsl" She paused dramatically. ''I am discon- foiatc: for only artist can make a souffic: and I think that am losing my skill. I have the headache and sick in my heart! I go to bed and at last I sleep. but I wake very late and I hear loud voices.
 ''I listen. for my door is open be- cause of the heat. It is Monsieur Ju- Han and Monsieur Gene and they are both so angry, I rise to close my door, but I hear one word that make me stand still like statue. It is thief and it is Monsieur Julian who says it. Then there is the sound of a blow; and me, I go out in the hall and look over the banisters. Mon sieur Julian's door is also open, and trere is the sound of Scuffing and the mcssieurs breathing hoarsely and cursing.
 At last there comes q jar and squeak of the bedsprings .as if one had thrown the other across the bed;
 
 pear at the door of his room drag ging Monsieur Gene by the collar.
 "Hn threw him out into the hall and close the door: and me, I go back into my room without waiting to see Monsieur Gene pick himself up. But tcvcry time l look at his so sad face hnow I think he grieves him because bis brother died without the recon Nciliation." k
 You do not recall any more of inc conversation than just the one word thief do you. Marcelle?'
 NO. monsieur; and that was only the talk of bad little boys calling the names to each other that they did not mean. But this will not help in your search nor put my ome.et in tfe pan"
 to the table and the detective went slowly upstairs. So Julian and Gene had quarreled on the last night of the formers life, and Gene had been afraid or unwilling to admit 1t to him that morning.
 Jane met him at the head of the stairs.
 ''The men are here now to put up the picture, sir
 ''Very well. I'll see them He went to the library, where ne found two workmen standing in dubious silence before the portrait which they had raised from the desk. At his fapproach they turned and the husk- fer of the two remarked: N "We can't handle this. We ain't 2 used to this sort of work. boss
 "I thought not" Odell smiled. Are you the same men who were here this Emorning?"
 We are.' The spokesman advanc. tSed truculently. "If you think 1t 1: !eany joke comin' twice and we paid by -Four time"
 a How long would it have taker Syou to hang that portrait. supposine Fyou had done that sort of work be Efore?" Odell interrupted. E "The good part of an hour the Bother responded sull<ily.
 E Well. I'll pay you for that hou Gand you can loaf away the rest of i Batter the next two minutes if you'll Fptve me your expert opinion on some Fthing you do know about" E The two men looked at each othe Eapd then the smaller one remarked N ,"Sounds fair enough; but I knev 8 there was somethin' phony- about thi $whole business after what happen t cd this morning. What do you say T Bill 2"
 3 All right" The other hitcheC