The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-04

who some day must supplant her as mis- tress of the house and who already had taken her place in the heart of the man she loved. It is almost certain that she de- manded that Dr. Selden make her his wife and as sure that he refused consistently until his daughter Vas grown and in turn undoubtedly interposed an objection to such union. Therefore, when Dr. Selden was found dead Miss Wrightson vented her hatred for the girl by weaving about her net of circumstantial evidence so con- elusive and damning that her escape from it seems impossible.
 Prior to this, however, we have evidence to lead us to the belief that Miss Wrightson learned of Dr. Selden's affiliations with the Crimson Circle and by threats of divulging all to her. Then, when possibly he wished to destroy the document, she, by threaten ing to expose his past with her, thus dis gracing himself and his child, forced him to allow the unnatural will to stand.
 "Thus having insured herself the Selden estate in the event of the doctors death, she was in a position to kill the man who had spurned her love as well as to eliminate the girl we assume she hated because of the home. However, have the best of reasons for believing that, whatever the woman's designs may have been, she did not kill Dr. Selden.
 "We will assume that, realizing the in- justice of the will, Dr. Selden summoned Colonel Bainbridge secretly that Anna Wrightson might not know of his presence there nor suspect his mission, and barred to his old friend the whole sordid story, turn ing over to the colonel the confession through which he expected to save for his daughter her rightful legacy.
 "This may sound melodramatic and far fetched, but when we take into considera- tion the probable omnipresent fear of death at the hands of the band he had betrayed in Italy and the dread he had of the shadow of disgrace Anna Wrightson had the power to cast over the lives of himself and the child he idolized, it is reasonable to infer that his weakened will-power refused to risk exposure to either fate.''
 "I cannot understand why Dr. Craig so consistently defends the Wrightson woman whenever her name is mentioned in connec- tion with possible guilt in the case," said Bristow. What can his motive be-"
 "It is possible that she has some hold on him.
 "Also there is Anna Wrightsons threat to Colonel Bainbridge just before he re- ceived his injury that if he revealed her connection with the making of the Selden will she would drag his name in the mire and bring disgrace upon his daughter"
 Perhaps Dr. Craig, Colonel Bainbridge and Dr. Selden were wild young blades to- gather, and that woman has the same hold on all of them.''
 'I can hardly believe that of Colonel Bainbridge," objected Bristow loyalty. q have known him for years, and his life has always been clean. I have never known a more pure minded man."
 "l assure you l mean no offense," Wig nolos hastened to say. "But this is time when we must become mercilessly analyti- cal if we are to solve the puzzle before us. No stone must be left unturned, no closet left closed in our efforts to aid the girl we are fighting to save''
 Bristow nodded his appreciation of this point of view.
 "You have been perfectly frank with me-" Vignolos went on, land l shall be as fully so with you. When you caught me lettering about the grounds of Crestmere l was not there for the purpose of obtaining an interview with Dr. Selden for my paper, as l told you in Cincinnati; but to convey to him the warning you found tackled to the door,"
 "Then you are"