Evening star., 1923-06-12


John waring. newly elected to the presi-
dcncy of Corinth College. venerable New
England seat of learning, is found stabbed {"
death in his study. As he IL AT the pinnacle
Of his career and about to marry Emily Bates.
charming and cultured widow. motive for
suicide appears. He has 10 known enemies.
There was no trace of weapon. nor was
there any way in which a murderer could have
left the locked room.
The next morning Nogi. the Japanese hut
ler is missing. as are valuable ruby stick
pin. worn by the dead man. and 500. known
TO have been in his private drawer. Gordon
Lockwood. DR.. Warnings secretary, insists firm
ly. even suspicously upon the suicide theory.
Unknown to the detectives. he has secured a
crumpled bit Of paper from the waste basket
been searched. 1t is half finished love letter
to Anita.
Anita Austin, The Mystery Girl as she
has been dubbed by the inmates of Mrs.
Adams boarding house (because OF her silence
concert ming herself and her business in Corinthl
is drawn into the tragedy when it is discov
cred that small footprints in the lead
directly from Mrs Adams 20 the French win
dows Of DIR. Warnings study, and back again.
Suspicion is definitely fixed upon Anita by Miss
Basc0m. prying old maid. who searches her
room and triumphantiy produces from q bureau
drawer roll Of bills. Out Of the center of
Miss Bascom gleefully takes her informa-
tion to Cray. prosecuting attorney, and fur
ther incriminates Anita by identifying her a.
the fur-cOated figure she saw leaving the
house in the direction Of Dr. Warnings on the
night of the tragedy.
The spfnfster's Evidence.
II don't know anything about Miss
Austin being in DR.. Warnings study
Sunday night" returned Lockwood,
coldly, land I don't believe it. For if
she had been in there I should have
known about it. l was here myself
just outside the study door. until IL
You don't mean latter than that, do
you?"
Dunno. The Bascom spinster tells
the story
Then don't bank on it. With all
due Difference to Miss Bascom. know
she is not always reliable source
of information"
But she says she saw the girl COM
ing over here late that night"
"She didn't! It's not true! What
under the heavens would she have
come for"
What does any girl visit a man
for?" Cray gave an unpleasant wink.
and Lockwood. with difficulty. con-
trolled an insane desire to spring at
his throat. And. besides, she is even
now in possession of the missing $500
and the ruby PIN
II don't believe it,
See here. Mr.. Lockwood. it doesn't
matter to anybody whether you be-
iieve these things or not. Miss Aus
tin has the valuables. and I'm going
over there now to inquire how she
got them. Also it just occurs to me
across the field are directed toward
the Adams house. and may have been
made by a woman as likely as by our
hypothetical small-footed man"
"Those are Nogi's footprints"
How do you know"
tin did come over here for any reason
she would have come by the street,
not across the snowy field"
Apparently she chose the field. So
I'm going to ask her why"
"All righ. Cray, but you must ad-
nit you're illogical, inconsequent and
inconsistent. You think I killed DR..
Waring. because 1 have a sharp, round
penholder. and owe some large bills.
Then, because a goSsiping old maid
off at a tangent and accuse an unpro-
tected girl of absurd and unbelievable
crime"
self. eh?"
NO: Pm motif you mean Miss
Austin. That is, not personally"
Few men could have told this lie
with such a convincing manner, but
Lockwood's phlegmatic calm stood
him now in good stead, and his air of
obvious indifference carried convic-
tion.
But" he went on. II am sorry for
Ter. It's nobody's business who or
" hat she is. yet those women over at
the Adams house are one and all pos
sessed to find out something against
her. ] only want to advise you, Cray,
if you talk to anybody over there
get Old Salt himself. He's more fair
minded than his wife or the other
women"
Men are apt to be--where a pretty
girl is concerned" said Cray, dryly
and Lockwood ground his teeth in
rage, as the attorney went away.
His demand to see Miss Austin was
listened to by Old Salt Adams, who
had seen him coming and opened the
door for him.
Well. Cray" said the cid nan, -