The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-01-21

nhtHt9 ehufs8f UetecttYe barry ana
nis frierds Pfofessor semyonov, To.
rush fr1nSth latter rooms ON the
NTH hoof OF New York apartment
no1ae They discover that beauti-
tul Miftam Nane, society portrait
patnter hss been murdered IN her
stutio apartment on the third
door. L3add. young artist on the
secp7d floor, Griswold, apbachelor
on fourth, and Patricia Shaw,
wBtHripn the sixth, deny having
Hoard the shot. GriSwold States
nat I5add had been friendly With
MISS Yane. This, Ladd denies.
COON WITH THE STORY
Well Gordon Ladl mci5tened
hisnpg and spoke slowly, weighing
each wordlwith, care. II let myself
n ~ the entrance with my house
key and hud reached the door OF
4y apartment outside here when
tlaneing up the stairs / caught a
giimpse % Mrs; yane in the hall
above just outside her own door.
i had not seen her In several
days went halfway up the stairs
and greeted her, With the half
fortned Intention OF paying her a
short call stf II were not too late,
! hit she said that she was too busy
and must work upon o. portrait, or
words % thatehect, SOL babe her
goodnighf and, coming back to my
own apartment. let myself In and
closed tho door.
II semed almost the next mo
9aent, 4 have stated, that the
comntotpn arose, and as no one
else seemed likely to reply to that
banging on the, entrance door I
went down and admitted the
policeman. We heard voices and
saw lights coming from Mrs.
Nane's apartment and went up to-
getheT but / heard no shot and Of
eourse had no. suspicion Oh. the
truth. That is why It. fioored me
so whenwhen I saw the body"
1t was only at the conclusion Of
his long explanation that the
iSoung man faltered and into his
yes there came again that swift,
iteetfng look OF sheer, stark horror
which Barry had noted earlier,
when no had collapsed at the
discovery of. the murder.
Mr.. LAID. he recommended
NsuaYeIy. How was Mrs. Yane
tIressad when you saw her in the
dfnN akaTaF9 nNSa5ra 80 80 S,hNs
her body was found?p
"Qf counsel The artist stared.
Did you see anyone else in the
railways or on the stairs, either
aboye or be1ow?"
sNo one. The reply was de-
elstxe but theSpaase before II came
was afrachon too long and, Barry
seized uponlit.
Then Mr.. Ladd, what in your
estimation was the reason for Mrs.
Nane's presence out there In the
public hall? Did she offer any
e9p1alafion3. 3
sCeftaihfy not, and L thought
nothing7e ft!'s.Ladd replied hotly.
ut IS q ridiculously trivial notion
TO bubble over! There might
have beensa hundred unimportapt
reasons,
sTheEeYmight have been a hun
\ dred reasons, Mr.. Ladd!" Again
therdS came that maddening repiti-
ton Of his name which had so
often helped in breaking a stub
horn witness under the third de-
gree Bntsinsthis case there was
only one, and you know 1t! Mrs.
panewas either receiving or eject
ng d guest, and IL you saw no one
else, YOU yourself must have been
the guest! We have purposely
inte Togatei the other tenants Of
The house before approaching you
and We have learned moro than
YOU thir1sl The saying that walls
have eatsSis true also OF cell
He paused significantly while
Sergeant Craig stared at him in
genuine surprise, but the shot
found us mark. Leaping to his
| feet. with his handsome face dark
ensl and distorted in q paroxysm
OF rage, Laddscried:
so that's what you two have
been tfyingsto get at, is 1t? That
miserable wretch Griswold has
noted my acquaintanceship with
Mrs. Nanea and. deliberately tried to
blaclken her character in your
cyesi admit that l was in love
With her. all our world in Paris
Ms we'll rs hero will tell you Of my
long atfemptito make her my wife,
bn. theg viii also tell you that she
mas laughed at my love for her, as
she has at that of all Others !
would have. said nothing. but now
that ne has spoken, ask him what
claim lie has upon her, gentlemen,
for j fisdtto you! Idld see some
one on the stairsl It was he whom
saw lesging her apartment q
moment before l entered my own
and the shot was fired which must
have ended her lite!"
v
sefgeant Barry felt that the
moment was too tense and the
possible issue too important to
give his colleague an opportunity
70 itteFrnpt. Without a glance at
lCraiR hesdemanded Of the almost
distr1aght young artist before
khtni;
"Fha being the case, Mr.. Ladd,
usStne truth Of what happened
ptshE Why did you go half
bnp4the flight Of stairs lead
70 Mrs, Vane's apartment If
NJ saw her In the hail talking
TO q nesghbor whom you apparent
diske