Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-06-09
CHAPTER vIl-continusd.

zone back 10 her uli~io - -
81 arout being afraid TO go through
s'o'' Ids alone. She said it was
- o'clock when he came with her
- -. bouse. That's q good alibi, OF
-. hut suppose she had been
- tho house once before. The dog
-. bark. because he knew her. She
ais, in the house when the re-
'alrar disappeared. If you claim the
,.I.t1g Of the gun was foolish, why
'a@- - rot he said to be the kind of
- illogical thing a woman would doF
a. a. orsraee man would know it was
rsa 70 remove the gun. You re-
-aonber how startled the aunt was
gben she saw the girl.
hartley had listened with an amused
s,,,1a That grew broader as | talked.
Thongb had not been serious when
bscon. the more 1 thought Of the
Isaa the more plausible my suggestion
son1dpd. BARLEY himself had said
.bat In the case we must build up a
& ,boorv first. and then see if the facts
you'd fit 1t.
when I had ended, he said that he
himself had, at first, considered the
# feasibility of the girls having done
= but had decided against it. He
reminded me that Slyke had been
Filled on the balcony, and carried
down two fights of stairs, and that
slyke weighed one hundred and fifty
- hnnHrnH Rn-
memberlng that and the task it was
# N carry such a heavy weight down
81 many stairs. did l stil think the
glrl could have done It?
Nv face turned red with chagrin.
and seeing that l was hurt, he smiled
at me kindly and apologized.
81 didn't intend to hurt your feel
lngs. Pelt. You are like all news
paper men, you enjoy building up a
story out Of nothing. In this affair,
We mustn't let ourselves get side
tracked. We shall need all the clear
thinking we can do"
Anxious to redeem myself, l said,
"John, we have been going on the
theory that some one from outside
came into the house and killed Slyke,
a mysterious visitor who arrived after
Lawrence had left. Perhaps the muir
derer was hiding in the house all the
time
He gave me an interested look and
M an approving nod.
Suppose" l went on, "that the
murderer was on the balcony. 1t was
& good place to hide. 1t was so dark
up there that he could not have been
seen from the ground. Then let us
assume that Slyke heard a sound
above him, when he was in the room
below the balcony, and went up to
M see what 1t was. The person may
have made the sound on purpose to
III attract his attention. At any rate,
81 when he does come out on the bal
cony, he IS killed."
Barley did not speak for a while,
turning my suggestion over in his
Z mind Then he answered, you may
Be right Il is possible that some one
was waiting for him to come upstairs.
But do not forget that, If that is so,
the person would have had to wait
there for long time; for he could
6 not tell when Slyke would come into
81 the room below the balcony Still,
IA your suggestion is well worth keeping
In mind"
Although he spoke so favorably Of
M my idea, could see that he did not
really agree with me.
Iyawned and BARLEY glanced at his
watch Il was after three. and we
should have been in bed several hours
Ego lie rose, and taking two objects
IRON bis pocket placed them on the
ueSS' leaned over to see what they
Lying black and sinister on the dark
mahogany surface were the revolver
u'o, haa been taken from Sykes hand
a''l A.lden in the vault, and a little
'0.E STOPPER, its end covered with
lea wax That showed where a knife
'a' Deem used on it.
Look" Barley said, pointing at
ueA with a laugh. 'The sole result
!. aay S work. The only clues we
nave are before US. One is a revolver
-. as' o.a not have a finger print on it ;
s Is oiae- a little stopper that might
V come from anywhere. From
derer.R " ui'eo'er INC II u
asaia he laughed. l stood looking
: ue tT@o objects. thinking how in
suacaat they were and wishing
~. s' could speak and tell their story.
sa'galls my mood, his face grew
.'-'s he stood looking at them for
moment. then with sudden gesture
.s' item into a small box saying.
AZ. ~y ought TO have been in bed hours
r,r -al reached my room and was
c.r aFa the bed covers when he
80 e Iae. I returned TO his room
al lin sitting on the edge of
Ling off his shoes.
L. to tell YOU. Pelt, that when
So tie solution of this murder,
or other whisky viii be
na #.lh i When you told me
.1# SGD. raa Al