The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-29
THE MYSTERY GIRL
A DETECTIVE STORY
 By CAROLYN WELLS J. Jeriaized by Ledger Company Syndicate for The Age-Herald

wood said. staring at Fisby. How can you find a needle in a haystack, like that?"
 "I cant-but I've gotta" But it's so much simpler to get the information from Miss Austin herself"
 You call that simple" Fisby looked at him. Well, it isn't; It's easier to go to Mars, l should say, than to get any real information out of that little scrap of waywardness."
 No, nothing can be learned from her." said Stone.
 Then, shall I be off?" asked Fibsy.
 Wait "A hours, my lad, and then if we're no further along, I suppose youll have to go. Nogi must be founl."
 I'm glad MT. Trask called you in, MT. stone" Lockwood said, slowly, but l do hope you won't associate any thought of Miss Austin with the crime. She could no more commit crime than small kitten could"
 T fancy you are right" said stone, half absent mindedly, but opinions as to what people can or can't do are of not much real use.''
 Have you a theory?"
 ''Yes, I have theory, but the facts don't fit in-and 1t seems if they could not be made to. Yet it's good theory"
 You don't care to tell it to me?"
 Why I'm willing to do so. My theory is that John Waring com mitted suicide, but I can't make any facts bear me out You see, it's not only the absence of weapon, but all absence of motive, and even of op- portunity."
 Surely he had opportunity-in here alone"
 Tt can't be opportunity If he had no implement handy. And nothing can explain away the missing weapon, and the locked room, on the suicide theory"
 What can explain the locked room, on a murder theory"' Lock-
 T haven't thought of anything as yet. What book was pr. Waring reading that night?'
 There were several on his desk, but the one that was found nearest the body. the one stained with blood, Is copy of Martiafs Epigrams."
 May I see 1t, please?'
 Lockwood brought the book and Fleming Stone examined it carefully. It was not a rare or finely bound edi- tion 1t seemed more a working copy or book for reference. It was print ed In Latin.
 He was fond of Martial?" asked Stone.
 He was a reader of all classics. lie preferred them. of course, in their original Latin or Greek. He was also modern linguist."
 Stone opened the volume to the stained page, which was numbered ST. He studied 1t closely.
 Its all Greek to me-" he said, frowning, "even though it's Latin. but I hoped to read something on the page besides the printed text"
 However, the irregularly shaped red blur gave him no clue, and he re- turned the book to Lockwood.
 Had the doctor any private ac- counts?" the detective asked suddenly.
 Not that I know of." replied the secretary. "He was a man of singu- iarly few secrets and was always at liberty to open all letters and had free access to his desk and safe. never know him to hide or secrete 8 paper of any sort"
 NO harm in looking" Stone said. and began forthwith to search the desk drawers and Compartments.
 The search was fruitless, until at length a small checkbook was found.
 And a curious revelation 1t gave them. For of its blank checks but one had been torn out, and the re- maining stub gave the information that twas q check for ten thousand