The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-11-20

j are going to face them-going to
face them together. VIENNA.
Perhaps some day you win wish
with all your heart that ] had
turned on you this gun you have
begged me to put away. But that
doesn't matter. Am determined
to be merclless-as merciless as
fate-and spare your pretty body
In order that your soul may suffer
In some measure as mine will.
II fear you don't yet appreciate
what an extraordinary situation
this is. Here Is the little wife who
trusted and was deceived, lying
dead with bullet through her
brain. Locked In the room with
her dead body arc the husband who
deceived her and-the woman in
the case.
mo. need for people to say
'cherchez la femme for here she
IL! The triangle Is broken, but
here are its three sides. locked in
one room and simple enough for
the merest amateur of detective or
reporter to reassemble.
Here, too, is the weapon that
fred the fatal shot. There viii be
no difficulty in proving its owner
ship. for II Is marked with Velma
Dafe's initials"
With an ugly smile Fraype held
the gun before her eyes She shud-
dered ~ she recognized II and real.
ixed what fateful link Il formed in
the cruel chain of vengeance which
his mad brain was forging about
her.
But although the three sides Of
the triangle and the weapon that
shattered It are all here, there's
more OF mystery than appears at
FIRST sight.
"who fired the shot that killed
Dorothy Frayne? Wae Il her hus-
band or IVelma Dare? II It was
not Velma Dare who pressed the
trigger how explain her presence
in the room with Frayne and his
wife's body!
1.-THE revolver 10 plainly velma
Dare's property Can II be that
she supplied the weapon to Frayne
and urged him to turn II on his
wife?
what a perplexing tangle for
the police and the courts to I'M
snarl! What a delicious morsel
for the newspapers to gloat over!
"Of course, murder will out and
eventually you'll 20 free, Velma.
I'm not so hard hearted as to hope
that you won't. But I'm going to
take good care that you have to
face the music with me until you've
paid at least q part of the price
which Dorothy has already paid
and which III be paying some day
soon-in the electric chair"
velma's head sagged backward
like a thing lifeless and her body
crumpled into pathetic heap on
the floor. Dimly she heard Frayne
cross the room to the telephone and
call a familiar number, but she was
too overcome by the appalling fate
he had pictured to make any,s
tempt to prevent the last move ID
his devilish plan for revenge.
Police Headquarters" she
heard him say in crisp. business.
like tones. This is Martin Frayne,
Of No. 1869 Poplar avenue. My
wife, Dorothy, has been murdered
shot through the head. Velma
Dare, the woman In the case, and
/ are here at the house with the
body. VIII you send some one for
us?"
When the police burst their way
into the dining room few minutes
later velma Dare had mercifully
tainted. Martin Frayne was kneel-
ing beside his wife's body, tears
streaming down his face, his hands
clasping the dead woman's and his
lips babbling incoherently the fond
terms of endearment Of his court .
ship and honeymoon days.
Poor devil-crazy as a LOOM"
muttered the detective as he slip
ped the handouts on Frayne's
wrists, and later numerous distin.
guished alienists confirmed this
diagnosis.
Long before the close of the sem
sational and hard fought trial
which finally ended in velma
Dare's acquittal on a charge of FIRST
degree murder Martin Frayne was
committed to the asylum, where
he will end his days in the vain
effort to escape the accusing gaze
of a pair of blue eyes.