The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-01-26

ITO bseak our agreement BY rstafni
ing to America but had actually
domiciled herself beneath the sSms
roof and insisted that II was l who
had first broken our agreement By
lotoppfng her allowance, and ! must
come down 10 her at oncel for a per.
sonal interview.
II went and then beganga series
lof prosecutions which did not cease
until last night. She. not only de.
matded an outrageous Income hut
forced me to call upon her at regu.
lar intervals, on pain OF announc.
ing herself as my wife aud raking
up that whole wsetched scandal I
had SO carefully lived down.
II thought when that young fool
Gordon Ladd appeared on thesscene
II might make a difference but She
was oosinfernally cleYeI. Yesterday
she demanded a further increase In
her allowance and It was the last
straw. &
EARLY in the evening 1 went
down to tell her that l had reached
the end and would do no more bu.
! she defied ME laughingly. Ileft her
lin a rage and as I assembled the
stair to my own apartments here l
distinctly saw young Ladd mount.
ing from his. Understand, Sergeant.
am not trying 10 cast suspicion on
him, ] am merely giving you facts
and Il shc has played fast and loose
With him, many other and moro
feeklesS men than he appears to
have lost their heads over her In
Europe, as my foreign agents havL
kept mo informed, since that old
,Tenner affair in Cleveland
"H'm!" Barry exclaimed thought.
fully. Speaking Of that case, Mr..
IGriswold, did that misguided young
man have any relatives except his
father" +
mo. When old Venner died about
five years ago he left all, his money
TO his law partner. Scully."
And young Mrs Venner, the one
who died insane: who were her PEG.
pie? What was her maiden name?"
u don't know. She had met young
Venner while visiting some school
friend, but on that point my mem.
DRY Is vague. None OF her own PEG.
pie came forward at the time OF the
elopement and when her mind gave
way It was old Venner who had her
placed In tho sanItarium.n
"Mr. Griswold." Barry leaned for.
ward i~mpressively toward the man
who stood before him. You realize.
of course, that any help you may be
able to give US will be helping your.
self us well.
"You had the strongest motive
for killing her and the testimony Of
others show that you had plenty OF
time after leaving her In a rage 10
return here for atpistol; climb down
the fire escape, rush to that vacant
house next door OF which you pos.
lsess the keys, and from one of its
windows fire the deadly shot
through ono of her lighted win.
dows."
"Great heavens!" gasped Gris-
void. "You know I'm innocent, Ser.
geant, for II I'd. meant 10 put her
out OF the way I could have done
so long ago and. saved the thou,
sands upon thousands'tha she has
wrrng from me.
"That vacant house IS out OF the
question unless some one broke. in,
for the only KEYS to Il arc In my
Office and my clerk can testify that
they have remained undisturbed
for months ina strongbox under his
! charge. II some one had not con.
cealed himself in her studio itself
during her absencetor dinner there
remains only the fire escape
mo one conld have come up the
fire. escape without being seen by
Policeman Boyle, who stood 3ust be.
low; that has been established"
Barry added, still with deliberate
intent: Suppose he had been con.
cealed on the fire ESCAPE for aome
little time before Boyle appeared
on HIS rounds. he must still after
the crime have assembled instead OF
going down to the street level and
where could he have gonea 1t-has
been proved that tho roof offered
no means OF shelter. l can vouch
for Professor Semyonov, and Miss
Shaw was in her studio al the time,
50 there remains only your apart.
CHAPTER x.
The venerable house which had
once held tho law offices Of Ven.
ner & scully had long since, given
place to a modern business block.
Fourteen years was indeed a long
time. as Griswold had said, but
Scully would surely recall the de-
tails OF the tragedy which had made
him his partners heir. However,,
when Sergeant Barry had run tho
gamut Of stenoSraphers and found
himself behind tho. door marked
Philip Scplly-Private," he saw
confronting him a well.groomed