Evening star., 1923-06-12

such thing.
Then can YOU explain your pos
session OF those articles"
You mean. I suppose. tho roll of
bills that Miss Bascom pui into my
top bureau drawer"
Miss Bascom put in the drawer"
"les-that is. she must have done
SO, or-how else could they have been
found there" You know yourself.
now. don't YOU. Mr.. Cray. that I'm not
a burglar-or bandit or a sneak
thief? You know / never went into
DR.. Warnings study and took those
things So. as say. isn't il the only
plausible theory that Miss Bascom.
who found the va1uables so readily,
first put them there herself?"
That matter can easily be settled"
Cray said. and going to the door he
asked Mrs. Adams to send Miss Bas-
com to them.
With an important air the spinster
entered the room
Holding herself very erect and even
drawing aside her skirts as she
passed Miss Austin. she took seat
on the other side of the room
"Now. Miss Bascom." GRAY began at
once. what made YOU think of look
ing in this lady's bureau drawer for
that money!"
Il didn't look for il. Mr. Cray. I
! merely felt that she had done wrong
and thought perhaps some evidence
would be hidden away in her room
And top drawer is the place a
woman oftenest hides things"
Cray gave short laugh. Rather
clever of you. | admit. But Miss
Austin SAYS she did not put that
, money there herself: that il was a
plant"
, "A plant?" Miss Bascom looked puz-
zled at the word.
Yes, she thinks some ill-disposed
person put il there To implicate her
falsely
oh. / see. Well. Mr.. Cray. let her
say who did it and who could have
got that money TO do it with"
The hard old face took on a look
/ that was almost malignant in its ac-
cusation. and little Anita Austin gave
a low cry as she saw it and hid her
face in her hands.
Take her away" she moaned; oh.
take that woman away
You hear her." Miss Bascom went
I'm bit of a detective myself. and
while you've been down here talking
to Miss Mystery I've been searching
her room more carefully, and I've
found a few more things. of which
! should like to tell you
Cray was nonplussed. His sympa-
thies were all with the poor little girl
who, clinging to the arms of her
chair, seemed about to go to pieces
nervously. but was braveIy holding
woman was telling the truth. he must
beware of the poor little girl"
I'm not sure you're within your
rights. Miss Bascom." he began, but
he was interrupted with:
Rights. Indeed. the rights OF this
matter are above YOUR jurisdiction,
The blood of John Waring calls from
the ground. ] am the instrument OF
justice that has been chosen by an
overruling Providence to discover the
criminal. She sits before you. That
girl-that mysterious wicked girl is
both thief and murderess"
"Oh. no. Anita cried. putting up
her arm as IL to ward off a physical
blow.
Then she suddenly became quiet.
almost rigid in her composure
That is grave accusation. Miss
it or retract it"
Bascom," she said; you must prove
Cray stared at the girl in astonish-
nent. Her agonized cry had been
human. feminine, natural, but this
sudden change to stony calm, to icy
hauteur was amazing-and, to his
mind. discriminating.
Miss Bascom, however, was in no
way daunted.
Prove 1t I will" she said sternly.
I'm another drawer. Mr.. Cray, ] found
the rolls of silver coin-exactly 500
worth-that we have been told were
in the desk with the roll of bills.
The ruby pin. you know about And
so these thefts are proved. Now, as
to the murder. / admit it seems i'm
possible that a girl should commit
the awful crime, but do say that
/ have found the weapon with which
it was done hidden in Miss Austin's
ROOM"
Again that short. low cry. more
like hurt animals than a human be-
ings. And then Anita Austin, the girl
OF mystery. fell back into the depths
OF her chair and closed her eyes.
CONTINUED tomorrow.)