Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-19
~, Sh.,, Nerlect No Suspect"

w7.uOSE locked rooms bore me.
said Morton. 'I've read lots of
,...c,ivc stories founded on that point.
Invariably the locked room proves to be
'.,,sroblc at some point. haven t fin.
,A.a I examining the doors and windows
Y yet" -..,o.n
proceed with your examinations,
..., !" said Lockwood; 'if you can find
, secret or concealed entrance it's more
than can do
",rore than you will do. perhaps,
T.. ,o+ necessarily more than you can
d."
..non't forget that vanished Japa.
,.,e" prompted Marsh. Eve small
Nth in O,icntals, md il there is way
- a.. in and out secretly. I'd question
III. Ian before l would Mr.. Lockwood
here"
"so should l." declared the impas.
.,ro .scrc,ary himself. "And another
r KIN, don't forget. Morton, after the
nriys,c secretary, the next person to be
iprsnected Is the butler---that is in fic-
,Ion, , which I gather you take as your
manual Of procedure
Iockyood's sarcasm drove Morton
frantic. but he was too wise to show his
annoyance. g.
II shall neglect no possible suspect,
hs said. with dignity.
And then two men came from the
malice, who said they were photogra
rher, and desired TO take some pictures.
at The chiefs orders.
Lockwood left them and went 10 the
living room. where the household and a
few neighbors were assembled.
"I'm glad to get out Of that detcc-
tve atmosphere" he said. relaxing in
an easy chair. IT'S bad enough ia
have the man dead. without Seeing and
hearing those cold .blooded police bum
cling over their 'clues' and 'cvi-
Fences. y
"Te!l me little Of the circum
Stances" asked Mrs. Bates. who was
present. II can bear it from you. Cor
don, and 7 must know
apparently, DR.. Waring was sit
began. with faraway look. as il try
i1E 10 T'fpnstINtL lh' Sel'. ia'
must have been reading Martial-for
the volume was open on the dcsk--and
the pages were bloodstained.
Mrs. Dates gave little cry, and
sluddered. but LOCKWOOD went unmov-
ably on.
There were other books about. some
open, some closed. but Martial wa,
nearest his hand-quitc RS If he wcr.
reading up to the last moment
When the murderer came 80 Mrs
Rat's breathcd softly, her eyes wide
with horror.
1T COULDN'T have been murder
Lockwood said. in a positive way. ''yur
see, Mrs. Bates. it just couldn't have
been. That Morton detective is tryin,
70 trump up way the assassin coul,
have entered that locked room--but b.
cant find any way. ] know he can t
30 1t must have been suicide. Much II,
We dislike to admit it, it is the onl.
possible theory
:, But they say there was robbery,
Ms Peyton put in. The ruby pin i.
zone and tho money from The drawer.
But. perhaps.' Gordon said. ''ihey
we're taken by II robhcr who did moi
also murder his victim. Nosi. nov
"of course cried Helen Peyton
qe'ckly; II sec it. never could abide
Nogi, with his stealthy ways. He stol'
me things, and then he ran away. auC
ater Or. Waring killed hinself".'
Because Of the robbery" exclaimct
Emily Bates.
"0h, no." Lockwood returned. Ger,
u amy not for that. Indeed, the mo
1--WE IS the greatest mystery Of all. W,
,ood perhaps imagine q motive fo
,,uurder-whcther it was robbery or som'
0rule OF the other faction or some ole
fnemy OF whom we know nothing. Bu
!Gr suicide. though | ain sure il wa
mat' l can think of no motive what
J., Nor ]. - said Mrs. BATES. II kncv
mm petttr than any Of vow, and
MoWIl know for Il certainty that h
~A happy man. That he looked for
Tsta eagerly to his marriage with me
SisI ne was happy in tho thought o
,,s,t ms tpteSidency--that he hadn't 4 rea
roGDie ,.D In the world
-, ahe other faction began Mrs. pcy
ion,
No." said Mrs. Bates, firmly. III
new ,. ne was doing his duty, upholdin
,ae principles and tradition Of his col
Nse, and the other faction did no
no'ry him. lie was too big. minded
w. proad 'visioned to allow that t
p.I u think you're quite right. Mrs
nnses Lockwood agreed: but grant
& "s " was suicide, what do you thin
"as the cause:''
That's just IT," she declared. "
@ non think it was suicide: ! know
,ou'ah have been. lie WAS too happy
vo good, too fine. 70 do such thing
,t ren II he had had reason. AnI
'",n, M,, what did he do it with
a, Morton imasines secret rntrun'
some SORT. said Lockwood. 81
,Nre Is one, the rObber could have com
-, n alterward and could have carried o
,mHush, Gordon" said Mrs. Bate
SSNrhiy. That's too absurd II
rh udu poGn suicide-which it wasn't
my ,y under heaven would n burglar CON
''g IN later take away the weapon"
d., 70 save himself said Lockwood
seorlly. 80 he wouldn't DC suspect,
VI. ne greater crime"
Aaa'e!y,; II never heard such rubhisl
anu in the first place, there's no Is.
wy e. entrance to the study. ! haven
mhspt and busted and vacuum clcan'
sat place all these years without know
s mat Yes, and had the room n
y SSscorated and rea0ored, and,-oh,
INV INV every inch of it There's no POI
bm br,e chance of n secret entrance. WI
WTnt u and when and why? Not u
MM1hs' His life's always been an op,
s,. Never has he had any seer
t,ands. any callers whom | idi
.uaoN, any matters ON which he W
sn mnt or mcommunicativc. Until i
,xuSement TO Mrs. Bates, he hDdn t
,hwe III his quiet life, and that