The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-23
(Coatinued From Our Last issue

when his door had closed and
he was out OF the way | rushed up
to her; ] don't know what said;
must have been crazed with jeal-
ousy and the mystery of IT all
do remember, though, quite dis
tinctiy, that she turned on me in a
cold fury, forbade me ever to adj
dress her again, and entering her
apartment, shut the door in my
face. / descended, let myself in
here almost mechanically, and
dropped into that chair you're sit
ting in now, sergeant
Craig was settling back in his
chair, with a gesture to Barry.
when the latter stepped forward.
Mr.. Ladd, as 1 understand it,
your apartment here is a replica
of the one just above, studio and
all. Have you any objection to
showing US about?''
Not at all" In contrast to that
of the dead woman's Ladd's studio
was hung with rare tapestries and
furnished as luxuriously as that of
a social dflettante, yet its easel
upon which stood an unfinished
landscape, and the carved refectory
table carelessIy covered with paint
tubes and smeared cloths, showed
it to be a workroom no less than
hers.
What color do you call this%'
Barry picked up a tube, and squeez-
ing a bit of its contents on the pal
cite, he indicated the blotch of red
dish brown.
Burnt sienna" respodned the
artist, promptly. Il seldom use it
you can see there was none on
the palette before-but l always
keep a full assortment of colors on
hand. 1t is odd you should have
asked me about that"
Why demanded Barry quickly,
for the young mans tone had tens
ed with some sudden emotion.
We'll, it is just a trivial matter,
but over a week ago-the last time,
in fact, that Mrs. Vane and l had
chummy little talk in her studio
! i advised her to use more burnt
sienna with the seal brown to get
the proper effect of the wood on
the staircase in that portrait she
was doing of Mrs. Vansittart, the
one before which her-her OWN
body was found tonight"
Barry replaced the tube refiec-
i lively on the table as Craig, with
an evident effort to emulate his
| colleague. picked up one of the
bottles and shifted it speculatiVely.
That's turpentine," Ladd re-
marked, and his voice had sunk
again to a dull apathy.
Its funny about this turpen-
tine" Craig still stood by the "a
Bile. It's used as a cleaning fluid,
isn't it? Seems to me I've smelt
that odor somewhere else in this
house tonight
Naturally the studio above is
permeated with it Barry turned
away from the window and let the
shade drop. Mr.. Laid. IL you'll
Just show us through the rest OF
your apartment now we won't Uou-
BILE you any more tonight"
Barry thanked the artist and
bade him goodnight In the hall
Craig produced a handkerchief and
wiped his rudy brow.
We'll. John, we've a nice mess
to report at headquarters" he an
rounced in a low tone that the po-
liceman on guard might not hear
Here's a woman shot dead, and
every last tenant in the house ex-
cept the professor seems mixed up
in it somehow, though every one OF
them have lied and peached on the
resti Who the devil was this Mir
lam vane, anyway? Where did she
come from and what were the rest
~ thor, IN her
Il think we can guess what Ladd
was" Barry whispered as he led
his colleague up the stairs once
more. Just an idealistic young
fool who let her play with him like
a cat with a mouse to please her
vanity and then kicked him out
when he became announcement He
NAV have killed her, but l don't
think so; think he would have
adored the woman he thought she
was and protected her with his
last breath"
THE woman he thought she
was," repeated Craig, pausing on
the stairs in his establishment