The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-10-13

the tdStuuS OF ChTuiFdl were Tutuiul
on a swiftly ebbing tide. A single ele
vator In the building was. however
in use. A single suite of Offices. Will
carefully drawn blinds. WAS lighted
and occupied.
They were not ornate. these Offices
They consisted Of two rooms. q small
reception room and a large private
Office. both lined 30 the ceiling witt
books. chiefly law books. In the larger
room were sitting three men. One
of the three, Ben Chacherre. sat In
a chair tipped back against the wall
his eyes closed. From time to time
he opened those sparkling black eyes
Of his. and through narrow-slitted lids
directed keen gIances at the other
two men.
One of the men was the chief of
police. The second was joachim Fell,
whose offices these were.
"Even If things are as you say,
which I don't doubt at ALL" said the
chief. slowly, 81 can't believe the boy
did it, And darn it all, II I pinch
him there's goin' TO be 4 h of q
scandalr
Fell shrugged his shoulders. and
made response In his toneless voice:
"Chief, you're up against facts.
Those facts are bound to come out
and the newspapers will nail your
hide to the wall in a minute. You've
a bare chance 10 save yourself by TAX
ing in young Malllard at once"
The chief chewed hard on his cigar.
Il don't want to save myself by put
ting the wrong man behind the bars"
he returned. at sure looks like he
was the Masquer all the while, but
you say that he wasn't. You say this
was his only job-a joke that turned
out bad"
"Those are the facts" said Fell. 81
don't want to accuse a man of crimes
| know he did not commit. We have
the best of evidence that he did COM
NIT this crime. If the newspapers
fasten the entire Midnight Masquer
business on him, as they're sure to
do, we can't very well help him. /
have no sympathy for the boy"
"Of course he did it," put in Ben
~Chaeherre. sleepily. Wasn't he caught
with the goOds?"
The others paid no heed. The chief
indicated two early editions of the
morning papers. which lay on the desk
in front of Fell. These papers car
ried full accounts of the return of
the Midnight Masquer's loot, explain
ing his robberies as part of a carnival
jest.
THE later editions. comm out DOW"
said the chief, "will crowd all that
stuff off the front page with the Mail
lard murder. Darn it, Fell Whether
| believe it or not, I'll have to ar
rest the young fool"
Chacherre chuckled. joachim Fell
smiled family.
"Nothing could be palmer, chief he
responded. "First. Bob Maillard comes
to us In front of the opera house. and
talks about a great joke that he's
going to spring on his friends across
the way"
How'd you know who he wasp in
terjected the chief, shrewdly.
"Gramont recognized him Ansley
and / confirmed thu recognition. He
was more or less intoxicated-chiehy
more. Now, young Maillard was not
in the room at the moment of the MUIR
der-unless he was the Masquer. Five
minutes afterward he was found in a
nearby room, hastily changing out of
an aviator's uniform into his masquer-
ade costume. Obviously. he had as
the guise of the Masquer as a
Joke on his friends. and the joke had
tragic ending. Further, he was in
he aviation service during the war,
md so had the uniform ready to hand.
iou couldn't make anybody believe
hat he hasn't been the Masquer all
he time"
"Of course" and the chief nodded
Derplexedly. It'd be a clear case
)nly you call me in and say that he
wasn't the Masquer! On 1t, Fell,
his thing has my goati"
whats Maillard's story?" struck in
Ben Chacherre.
"He denies the whole thing said
worried chief. According to his
tory. which sounded straight the way
re tells II, he mean to pull off the
oke on his friends and was dressing
n the Masquer's costume when he
ieard the shots. He claims that the
startled him n made him
back. He swears that he had
lot entered the other room at all. ex-
'ept in his masquerade clothes. He
the murderer must have been the
cal Masquer. It's likely enough, be-
ause all young Maillard's crowd knew
bout The party that was to be held
II that room during the Comus ball"
mo matter" said Fell, coldly.
Chief. this is an open and shut case;
boy was bound to lie. That he
.illed his father was an accident, of
curse. but none the less ii did take
.'The boys a wreck this minute"
he chief held a match TO his unlight-
d cigar. But you say that he amt
he original Masquer?'
Nor Fell spoke quietly. "The
riginal Masquer was another person,
No had nothing to do with the pres