Evening star., 1921-11-27
the DEATH" He chuckled deeply in his

the death" He chuckled deeply in his
throat.
"You are perfectly right" returned
Ramsey; II was wondering just that.
And now. why have you asked me here
tonight? You don't act without mo-
tive. What ,is,it in this -case?'
Achison smiled with an expression
which suggested that the joke was on
his companion.
Ramsey" he said, you've seen me
do my mystifying act before my au-
dience in the courtroom; now 1t
amuses me to take youAbehind the
scenes and show you just how the
rabbits and the bowl ef%goidfsh got
into the silk hat. ~
my young friend, the argument I
put over, that this crime was COM
mitted by some unknown man who
drove. away in an automobile. and
who. you are convinced. was hired by
a master mind amounts to just that"
He blew out cloud of cigarette
smoke and watched it dissipate into
the air.
...You don't believe me, eh?" He
turned his broad. mocking race BACK
to Ramsey. "You think / am drawing
a red herring across the trail. because
1 realize where 1t really leads? Let
me see: how shall I convince you?
Like all doubters, you demand sign:
VT fail, to perceive those which lie
right under your nose.
How do you suppose, for instance,
that secured as a witness that emil
nently respectable manufacturer VINO
served as the corner stone OF my de-
Tense? Was it by chance? A stroke
Of luck? Not at all. Before I had
ever heard of him. 1 knew just what
he would testify. and where to go to
find him"
beginning. When. after your long
and unavailing search for her. Ella
He was following you to get In toucn
with Ella Sands after your interview
was over. A man has no secrets from
that Coombs did not inspect your let
ters before he brought them to you.
or that he failed to recognize the
handwriting of Ella when he saw 1t?
He knew that you were going to meet
where.
"He did not intend to kill her in
the drug store. He says he did not
intend to kin her at all he merely
made himself known-for. with his
hat drawn down, she doubtless be-
lieved him to be you until after the
interchange of the letters and money
the knife out of her bag. he claims.
and made lunge at him. He wrest-
ed the knife from her hand and then,
as she turned to flee. he reached
over her shoulder and struck her
down. In the eyes of the law. Coombs
stands an innocent man. but. as
matter of fact. he is guilty as hell"
Ramsey shook his head.
Il am afraid ! shall have to re-
mind you. Mr.. Achison," he said with
adage about the pitcher that goes too
often to the we'll. If the story you
presented in court today was. as you
claim. merely an ingenious fabrica-
f@xH t1ss, N< fr,,t n s,,@ !,
do know that you>are not perform
ing similar feat in the version you
now ask me to believe? And your
second story lacks the convincing
quality of the first. for in it. clever
as you are. there is a fatal oversight.
You quite forget his voice rose
triumphantly. that. with Coombs'
arm in the condition that it was he
could not possibly have struck that
blow-an obvious right-hand thrust
hardly with the CONSERVATION that
Ramsey expected. Then he broke into
laughter.
Good Lord" he exclaimed Don't
you know L held my breath when 1
was putting that over in court. That
trick that l learned years ago. and,
fortunately. Coombs had the nerve to
hold his arm that way throughout
the months before his trial and so
And now that that's settled" he
leaned blandly across the table. Il
hope. my young friend. you will begin
to see the folly and futility of the
absurd suspicious you harbor against
me. and abandon these efforts to
bring me to Justice II you
don't-"' The light satiric smile
was still on his lips. but in his eye
there was hint of darker menace.
IF you don't" he shrugged his
shoulders. why. 1 don't know what
I shall do to you
To Ramsey. staggered by the reve-
lations of the last few minutes, the
half-veiled threat was like restora-
tive. He raised his head and looked
Achison squarely in the eye.
Il don't believe word you have
said" he declared dogEedlys It's
only another out Of your box of
tricks. Will You go with me to my
apartment and there repeat to
Coombs' face this story you have told
me-
with all my heart" agreed Achi-
son readily.
But when they reached the apart
ment they found that Coombs was
gone. and had left word he would not
return.
fCopyright l0a1l