Indiana daily times., 1922-02-03


length, but 1t viii be difficult to bring
either crime home to him--if not impos-
sible In Benjamins case. We can only
wait till headquarters reports. They
will photograph him, take his Bertillon
measurements, take prints Of his hng-
ers-"
! ngers-fngers-" murmured Mrs.
Farnham, under a new percussion OF
her sub-conscious psyche. e."-fngers-
NJ r as fngers-Nylie-Nym ymie-Nykie-
| Nykie's fngers--fn gers
| She stood up while she spoke, stretched
out Of her hands and with unseeing eyes,
moved about the room Her fingers
twltched. her arms moved, she seemed
like a somnambulist seeking some object
in vacancy.
Nyra and Arthur watched her spell
sound Her feet forced her around the
"rartment apparently without her own
NOlition. At length she came in front
Of the mantel. Her hands reached up
/ and searched.
Suddenly, with an air Of triumph. she
seized the little statuette, the Tanagara
with the great wings and the wind
blown draperies which Millicent had
given Myra as a souvenir OF her father.
She uttered no word, but carried It
over to Arthur.
~ nat 3ldN 90 Will Ju4St Ac dSHACN'
as he took it and looked at the .gaTland
and the palm branch in the hands.
Il do not know" she answered. as she
came out Of her somnambulistic state.
/ Something, do not know what, urged
me 10 get II and to give 1t to you"
You repeated the old names, said
/ Mvra. trying to rouse some recollection.
/ "First you said Myra's fingers. then you
said the other names Mymie, Nyhe,
/ Nykie."
/ Mrs. Farnham could not remember.
Arthur looked fondly at Myra and
! laughed "A he examined the statuette.
/ There seems to be another woman
I in the case" he said. Myra told him
how and when Millicent gave 1t to heF.
As she spoke she gave a little start and
/ laid her hand on his arm.
/ You recall mothers vision" she
asked.
"she said that when Abner was in the
shack he handled one OF the damp hg-
ures then wiped his hands as though he
had solled them"
The girl was almost as excited as her
mother had been She did not know
why. She felt there must be some rea-
son why the words tumbled out OF her
mouth as though she were not giving
them utterance.
Arthur regarded her strangely. Then
his thoughts came slowly.
1T may be that"
He took the Tanagars to the win
dow. After a long scrutiny he said:
Il cannot tell. We need a magniner'
but think the base Of the figure shows
markings Of fingers"
"Abner's hngers?" asked the old
woman.
possibly. They viii know at head
quarters"
"The fire has betrayed him." cried
the mother. "The very element he de-
pended on to cover up his crime has
baked the clay and preserved the evil
dence against him"
And they did know at headquarters
The old officer in charge Of the finger
print department had not an instant OF
doubt when he compared the markings
with the enlargements OF the whorls
and ridges at the tips Of Abner's fingers.
II was late in the evening Arthur
NTvra and Mrs. Farnham were there.
"J'his fastens the case absolutely upon
him" exclaimed Arthur. There is no
escaping this proof We will prove that
he hired the automobile, that he was at
the shack. we win admit now that 1t was
Benjamin's body that was found-here Is
the final clew-the motive is plain-the
circumstantial evidence convicts him"
"That's one case" said the chief. stand
ing by. 1--WE have also found in his
office more Of the sugar coated pills. He
hasn't a chance"
The nngerprlnt officer laughed here
and said:
AS they say in France cherces la
femme. our friend Abner should not
have stopped to firt with this little
woman"
He held up the Tanagara as he spoke.
Nike got him in bad"
'Nike?"
"Nike?"
"Nike?"
The three wondering exclamations
came at once from Arthur, Myra and Mrs.
Farnham
"Surel Nikel" said the officer, holding
up the statuette. This is Nike, the
Greek goddess Of Victory"
what stupid 1 am" cried Arthur
The famous Nike of SamOthrace 1
never thought of it."
"Nike-fngers-that is the message"
said Mrs. Farnham softly. Then Ben
iamin did appear to me In Chicago. he
gave us the clew to his own death and
we doubted. I shall never doubt again"
Il can explain everything else by the
subconscious," said Arthur, "but I must
confess l have no explanation for the
message In Chicago"
Nor did anyone else ever find an ex-
PLANTATION. 1t is one Of the things left