Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1922-11-23
BY WOMAN'S WIT
LOUISE HELEN GOODHUE
@o-o-o-o@c-o

- 49, 49, p = " sA44 AA AA+AN44
Whitmcre was much interested. IN
voluntarily J sighed as 7 looked across
At the silent figure In fhc big arm
chair. and an answering sigh echoed
from the other end OF the room. :
glanced M TO see Barry in the open
doorway.
IAN right, sir he said, as If IN
reply to my enspoken question. cdr
Woods and the coroner VIII be over
al once"
clock somewhere in the house
struck half past six as / went up
stairs to dress Rarry hastily pre-
pared some coffee which / gratefully
drank. for there was long, hard
lay ahead OF ne and / would have
need of all my strength Fifteen min
utes later | came down again TO meet
Doctor Woods who arrived all out Of
breath.
"Wh-what's this about whltmore?"
he asked, shaking the snow from his
fur coat and in reply preceded
him TO the scene OF the aatastro-
phe.
! had known DR.. Woods for ten or
twelve years and knew him for ar
International, professional man, but
in the face OF this appalling death Of
his friend he was absolutely and lit
orally stunned. II is Impossible to
otherwise describe his emotion. lie
collected himself. however. with mar
yelous rapidly and made the usual
examination, without disturbing in
any way the position of the body.
Whom he had fnis'~d he said moth
ing for few molWnts but going to
the open window. stood gazing ont
upon the whitened earth as if con
sidering some vital point.
II certainly is awful, Alan" he
said finally. AS near as can come
10 il Leonard has been dead since
about one o'clock ~ between twelve
thirty and one, anyway that is. let's
see, nearly six hours. He was killed
evidently by one stroke of the dag
ger OF course l have not had time
to make a thorough test, but. !"
AZ that moment loud, sharp ring
ing of the bell announced the arrival
Of the coroner
Coroner Richards entered with very
much the air Of a man who has some
work to do and is anxious 20 get it
over with. That ne knew his business
well was shown by the manner in
which he Immediately took charge o.
Affairs and il was with feeling OF
iatense relief that / turned things
over to him. He was accompanied by
Two policeman whom he had stationed
at the front door and hail with or
ders 10 aiiow no one TO leave the
house unfif the officers he Was expect
ing arrived. He made what seemed
90 me cursory inspection of the
body. consulting now and then with
DR.. Woods, whom he know by rep
utation. while I sat nearby and ans
wored the questions he occasionally
asked me-
NO. it couldn't have been self
inflicted" l heard DR.. Woods say de-
cisively, the blow as YOU see, was
in the back. and must have been
driven with great force in order that
The weapon penetrate 10 the hilt.
Death was. of course instantaneous
no, il is impossible that Whitmore
killed himsolf'
y, too. think ii Impossible" agreed
The coroner solemnly, Now what we
want to fnd out Is. il he didn't. who
did? l think I can hold the inquest
by ten o'clock this. morning. 1t is
rushing matters. but this is an inn
portant case. Have you ever seen
this dagger before Z" he Went on after
a moment, addressing me-
lSwss sboat to reply in the mega
tive when he added.
j mean. is il enc Of the many arms
and e0ricsities you have around the
room?"
] glanced at the dagger which the
doctor had drawn from the wound
and carefully wiped, and shook my
head.
NO" told him; ''it is not one OF
those We have collected. l know
every arm. antique and modern. in
the house, and am positive this is
not cne of them. If Whitmore were
stabbed by a stranger. wouldn't it be
natural 10 suppose that he brought
his weapon with him for the pur-
pose2 That would. of course. prove
That the murder was. premaditated.
but though we had a considerable
sum OF money in the safe last night
il VAS not touched. cas- far as 1 can
tell nothing whatever is missing.
therefore. burglary could not have
been the motive"
Barry had entered the room While
l was speaking. and stood watching
me with look of such intense
interest on his thin face, that
for moment l thought he was going
10 speak. But instead. when l had
finished he merely glanced inquiriag-
y at the coroner as If to ask about
the moving of the body. DIR. Rich