Evening journal., 1922-01-24

CONTINUED From our Last lssue.)
The girls slender figure did not
resemble the splendid. sensuously
fun lines OF the body OF Mrs. Vane
save in its height, and the face was
an indistinguishable blur. but on a
sudden inspiration Barry rose. still
carrying the picture. and going into
the studio he turned on the bril-
liant light within the reflector. Then
he drew from his pockt a small but
powerful microscope. II proved OF
little aid beyond showing that the
blurred object by the girls side was
indeed a large dog. for the photo
graph was too worn and faded, but
on the reverse side the distinction
between the pencil marks and pen
scratches was plainly visible. and
three words written in a round,
girlishly uniformed hand were un-
mistakably revealed:
"Mopus would move"
Then. standing almost on the
same spot which the body of Miriam
Vane had occupied in front Of the
easel, Barry used his microscope to
scan every inch of the portrait with
meticulous care.
Strai ghtening at length with a
very grave expression upon his boy
ish countenance, he switched off the
glarng light in the reflector. leaving
only the side brackets In the wall
glowing softly, and crossinr behind
the portrait he passed the model
throne and went to me row OF win
dows
When he raised tie shade Of one
of them. the empty house beyond
The narrow strip Of garden stood out
more distinctly than before and a
grayish enulgence was spreading
over the cloudy sky. The sultry
summer dawn was at hand.
Dropping the shade once more.
Barry turned and refiectively re-
garded the back of the portrait upon
tie easel The huge square Of can
vas was blank except for some num-
hers scrawled IN charcoal on the
upper left-hand corner and small
cross in red paint a little below the
center For some minutes these
enigmatic characters occupied the
close attention of the sergeant. then
he turned off the last Of the lights
and left the studio. going directly to
tie outer Lall without a second
glance toward the boudoir and bed
room.
Big Doane. seated upon the low
est step OF the staircase. rose hast
lily and saluted.
zone of the boys came up, sir, 4
find out about the light in that stu
do. but I fixed It with him." he re
marked. did you find the answe
to what was puzziing you. sergeant?
IF I've fond the answer to wha
was puzzling me. Doane," he replied
i've stumbled on a bigger myster.
ye. and a blacker one"
He found at headquarters tina
Craig had already turned in his re-
port, and the chief was awaiting his
own appearance with ill-concealed
Impotence.
What do you think" the chief
asked.
"As to the identity OF the muir
.derer. sir?" Barry asked. cautiously.
I'm quite certain that several peo-
pie who might conceivably have
killed Mrs. Vane did not do It, and
that lets me out for the moment
However. l took II upon myself to
do a little unofficial investigating"
"Of Counsel That's what l ex-
pected you to dol" the chief inter
rupted eagerly. "The medical ex.
aminer hasn't performed the au-
topsy yet. naturally, but from his
account of the affair as well as the
reports of the boys from the loca
precinct. and Boyle and Craig, 4
appears that the Vane woman wa,
shot by some visitor, someone sh'
knew well, and that she had no pre-
monition OF the attack. There
one queer point about the murde
that the press is bound to pounce OF
and play up big. and yet I can't SCI
any explanation; 1 thought perhap
you might have some idea"
What is that. SIP" Barry's ton,
was guileless.
There were no powder marks OF
TIE woman's smock, and the med
zeal examiner says that the sho
must have been fired from a dis
lance Of several feet at least"
The chief paused. Now. accord
ing TO Boyle's report. Professor Sem
yonov stated that when you and n
heard the eound Of tho shot an