Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-24

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His first sensation was Of relief. Thi
, handsome apartment with its Persian
rugs, its padded easy -chairs, its harmo
, Nous wall tints. had q note Of repos,
quite alien to tragedy. 1t was the hom
OF man who had given a good deal o
attention to making himself comfort
able. 1ndefnably, 1t was a mans room
The presiding genius Of 1t was mascu
, line and not feminine. It lacked tn,
, touches of adornment that only ,
woman can give to make q place home.
like.
Yet one adornment caught Kirby
eye at once. 1t was large photograph
In handsome frame on the table. The
picture showed the head and bust Of
a. beautiful woman in evening dress
She was a brunette, young and very ut
tractive. The line Of head, throat and
shoulder was perfect. The delicate, dis
dainful poise and the gay provocation in
the dark, slanting eyes were enough 10
tell that she was no novice In the game
Of sex.
He Judged her an expensive orchid
produced In the civilization of our TWEEN
tieth century hothouse. Across the bot
scription In a fashionably angular hand.
Lane moved closer to read It. The
words were, always, Phyllis" Prob
ably this was tho young woman to
whom, II rumor were true, James Cum
ningham, Senior, was engaged.
Tn the hoor, near where Kirby had
been lying, lay heavy piece Of agate
evidently used for a paper weight. He
picked up the smooth stone and guessed
instantly that this was the weapon
which had established contact with his
chin. Very likely the woman's hand
had closed on 1t when she heard him
coming. She had switched off tho light
and waited for him. That the blow
had found vulnerable mark and
Knocked him out had been sheer luck.
Kirby passed into luxurious bed
room beyond which was u tiled bath
room. He glanced these over and re-
turned to the outer apartment. There
was still another door. 1t was closed.
As the man from Wyoming moved to-
ward 1t he felt once more q strange SEN
sation Of dread. 1t was strong enough
TO stop him in his stride. What was
he going to find behind that door? When
he lhld his hand on the knob plnpricks
played over his scalp and galloped down
his spine,
He opened tho door. A sweet sickish
odor, pungent, but not heavy, greeted
hrs nostrils. 1t was familiar smell,
one he had met only recently. Where?
His memory jumped to a corridor of
the Cheyenne hospital. He had been
passing the operating room on his way
to see Wild Rose. The door had opened
and there had been waited to him family
the penetrating Whit of chloroform. II
was the same drug he shifted now.
He stood on the threshold, groped for
the switch, and flashed on the lights.
Sound though Kirby Lanes nerves
were, he could not rcpress a gasp at
what he saw.
Leaning back In an armchair, looking
up at him with horrible sardonic
grin, was his Uncle James Cunning.
ham. His wrists were tied with ropes
to the arms OF the chair. A towel,
passed around his throat, fastened the
body to the back Of the char and
propped up the head. A bloody clot
OF hair hung tangled just above the tenn
pie. The man was dead beyond any
possibility Of doubt. There was a small |
hole in the center Of the forehead
through which bullet had crashed
Reneath this was a thin trickle of blood |
that had run into the heavy eyebrows, |
The dead man was wearing a plaid |
smoking jacket and oxblood slippers.
On the tabouret close to his hand Law
a half-smoked cigar. There was a
grucsome suggestion in the tilt of the
head and the gargoyle grin that this
was hidcous and shocking Jest he was
playing on the world.
Kirby snatched his eyes from the grim
spectacle and looked round the room.
1t was evidently a private den to which
the owner of the apartment retired.
There were facilities for smoking and
for drinking, lounge which showed
marks OF wear and q writing desk In
one corner.
This desk held the young mans gaze.
IT was open. Papers lay scattered every
where and it's contents had been rified
and flung on the floor. Some one, In a
desperate hurry. had searched every
pigeon hole.
The window of the room was open.
Perhaps II had been thrown I'D TO let
out the fumes Of the chloroform. Kirby
stepped to II and looked down. The
hre escape ran past II to the stories
above and below.
The young cattleman had seen more
han once the tragedies Of the range.
He had heard the bark Of guns and had
looked down on quiet dead men. but a
pSAuip iuil VI lubty llIc'N buC
these had been victims of warfare in
he open, usually Of sudden passions
hat had darcd and struck. This was
Inherent. 1t was murder, deliberate,
old bloodeJ, atroc!ous. The man had
been tied up. made helpless and done
o death without mercy. There was a
'ote Of the abnormal. OF the unhuman,
bout the affair. Whoever had killed
James Cunningham deserved the ex-
RENE penalty OF the law.
lie was man who no doubt had
made many enemies. Always he had
demanded his pound Of flesh and got it.
'0me one had waited patiently fer his
Iour and exacted fearful yengeancs
Dr whatever wrong he had suffered,
Kirby decided that he must call the
'olice at once. No time ought 10 be
ost In starting to run down the mur-
erer. He stepped into the living room
0 the telephone, lifted the receiver from