Evening star., 1923-12-02

out of sight. i saw a roughly dress
ed man come down Pine street, look
around. pause near the last taxi and
then get into the drivers seat. He
sat there fully two minutes. his hand
on the starter. but apparently he
could not start the motor, for he sud-
denly leaped out of the car and hur-
ried away. | saw his face plainly in
the moonlight. That man was you.
Morton Yeager. Instantly there
flashed across my mind the picture
Of your face at the club when 1 was
outlining the plan of the terrible
crime that happened today. l re-
membered that you asked me twice
If / was sure Alec Rae's revolver did
not shoot. Why had you been so in
terested? Why were you in Bridge
City at that hour. in rough clothes.
with a cap pulled over your eyes?
why had you tried to steal a taxi?
I supposed you had fed in the middle
Of the attempt because you saw my
figure in the doorway. I followed
you
Yeager sat like one spellbound.
II followed you" went on Simon
Balm. along Shady road, around the
cemetery, past the Pioneer mills and
onto the covered bridge over the
Rushing river. On the bridge you
stopped. With pocket electric
fiashlight you made a careful exam
ination of the interior Of the old
bridge Then you turned the light
upward and 1 heard you give a cry
as IL you'd seen the devil. The next
second your light was out and you
had dashed off the bridge and into
the darkness. The moon had disap-
peared by this time and I could not
follow you. So / went home. I had
TO doubt what was in your mind. and
why you were examining the COW
cred bridge. Like prudent man,
YOU were familiarizing yourself with
the scene of your activities that
afternoon"
THE district, attorney listened with
the look of one fascinated.
Anything nore?' he asked.
hoarsely.
NV first thought" went on the
banker, was to warn Alec Rae of
the danger he was in from you. When
I reached the bank at ten this morn
ing there was a telephone message
waiting for me. 1t was from Alec
Rae. who had phoned at nine-thirty
that he and Reynolds. the treasurer
Of the Pioneer Mills. wanted to go
over with me some matters relating
to the finances of the mills. AS this
happens once or twice a year, I was
not surprised. The message stated
that I was to come to tAe Office of
the mills at three o'clock that after
noon, and that Rae would wait until
7 arrived. That meant, of course.
that Rae wouldn't come down for
the payroll cash until later, and that
I'd have a chance to put him on his
guard about the crime 1 had plan
ned, and you had stolen"
you're wrong, dead wrong, Bain,"
broke in Yearger, heatedly. Il did
not"
"Hear me out, as /. heard you," in
terrupted Balm, sternly. Il left the
hank at half past two and went to
the Pioneer 21IlIS. DuI NhSh h"N
reached them, Alec Rae had already
left for the bank. He had sent me
no telephone message. 1t was a fake.
That's why 1 wasn't at the bank
when the crime was committed. With
all possible speed / hurried to the
covered bridge; it was my one chance
to prevent the crime you were planning.
But i was too late. Poor Rae had
been murdered and the money stolen
when 1 got there. A crowd was al
ready gathering. I called up your
Office, Yeager. You had not been
there all afternoon
Yeager started to speak. but Balm
checked him. "one more thing" said
the banker, "and I'll rest my case.
This afternoon. on the bridge. found
this"
ae vhAppAo xr0ua 1te pocket 4 sil-