Evening journal., 1922-01-26

What had Miriam Vane to do
with your wife Mr.. Griswold?" :
Criswoid raised his head and the
detective had the shock OF his ca
reer. He had thought that the mem
ton OF the dogs foolish pet name
had recalled the mans dead wife,
and that it was genuine grief which
had opened the crusty financier's
long-closed heart, whatever his re
lation to the other woman and his
share in the mystery. But it was not
resurrected sorrow which met his
amazed eyes; Griswold's thin. acid
ulous face had been transformed
into that OF an exultant fiend and
personal fear seemed to be wholly
forgotten in the sundering OF the
hold which he had held over him
self
miriam Vaner' The repetition
of the name came with a raucous
laugh. "Miriam Vane was my wife,
my lawful wife to the hour OF her
death, and she was too clever TO give
me an opportunity to free myself
from her. at least without the no
toriety that she knew l could not
afford. II took someone cleverer
than she. less cautious than l. to FIRE
that shot last night, and because of
q | owe a debt for the first time in
my life. a debt Of gratitude which
even my money can never repay
Despite the astounding revelation,
Barry did not allow his expression TO
change. and his tones were suavely
persuasive as he suggested:
suppose you tell me the whole
sterv. Mr.. Griswold. Our knowledge
of the truth may enable us to pre-
vent the nototiety you wish to avoid.
How long were you married to the
woman who called herself Miriam
Nane?"
For twenty years, ever since she
was a girl of sixteen and law
student Of twenty-five. down in
little town called Springville, in
Delaware. I've given out these
many years that l was a widower
because OF the disgrace of the whole
affair. but II is evident that the
truth must be known now and you
find it out sooner or later
"six wears our marriage lasted
six years that brought disillusion-
ment to me in spite OF her beauty
"she was twenty-five, in the ful
tide of her devilish fascination and
knowledge Of how to use il when
accented a clerkship in Cleveland
With the law firm OF Venner and
scullv--he broke off to add:
'.Venner had a son. good-lookine
realxling with a delicate wife who
adored him The chances are thai
IL would never have amounted e
ANYTHING. anyway, but the minute
he laid eyes on Miriam It was all uI
with him.
He paused again and his bon,
hands clenched. Barry ventured;
"Do you mean that she broke M
their home and yours?"
II mean that they ran away to-
eether and his sickiy wife went
mad She died in sanitarlum
within a year"
"Put why didn't you divorce her.
Mr.. Griswold ?" asked Barry.
The other groaned
"Recause 1 thought she was out
or nv life forever, 1 thought she
would drift the way of all such
women If the opportunity to re-
habilitate herself by marriage with
another infatuated fool was denied
her.
He and she we're in some out
of-the-way hole in the south, leading
z cat-and-dog's life when somehow
he learned of his wife's madness
and death, and in remorse he blew
Bis brains out.
SO that was the explanation Of the
empty cartridge shell treasured all
these years like the symbol of a
ghost that could not be laidl Barry
whlstled softly and then a sudden
question came to his mind.
Mr.. Griswold. you told me a while
ago that Mrs. Vane was too clever
To give you an opportunity to free
yourself legally without notoriet,
which you could not afford Surel,
her eiopement with young Nenne
provided you with evidence enough.
Griswold rose and commenced q
pace the floor. When Venner 81 p
ped through her fingers she remem
bered that she sin had a legal hot
on me and ell her calculatin
shrewdness came to her aid. Whe
she found mel was lying IN wit
Uphold in a Chicago hotel. Men d
Strange things in delirium and
must have babbled her name.
Some fool specialist thought ne
presence would pull me through tn
crisis.
..rrr,-. T ~. .. ...,-.t -,,.,, n.
she was in full command and l ws
too weak 10 do anything. In the ey,
OF the law 1 had condoned her o
fense.
The sergeant nodded and Gri
void resumed.
1T was sheer blackmai. I met h'
terms; a quarterly allowance {
condition that she change her nan
and leave the country.
He halted In his restless paciT
and when he spoke again il W
with his face averted from the d
tective
Last October the janitor broug
note up to me. and / found IN
she had had the impudence not on
10 break our agreement by returnii
to America but had actually donnie
ed herself beneath the same ro
and insisted that il was / who h
first broken our agreement by sto
ping her allowance, and must cor
down 20 her at once for a person
Interview.
Il went and then began a ser
OF Prosecutions which did not ce,
rrtil last night. She not only