The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-02-16
CHAPTER vII-contlnued.

WAS Killed about Two O'CLOCK IN tnt
morning. The girl might have come
to the house and killed him; ther
gone back to her u~ncle's, and told the
story about being afraid to go through
the woods alone. She said II was
three o'clock when he came with her
to the house. That's a good alibi, OF
course; but suppose she had been
to the house once before. The dog
didn't bark, because he knew her. She
was also in the house when the re-
volver disappeared. If you claim the
taking of the gun was foolish, why
ear it not be said TO be the kind of
an Illogical thing a woman would do?
The average man would know it was
no s to remove the gun. You re-
member how startled the aunt was
when she saw the girl"
BARLEY had listened with an amused
smile that grew broader as l talked.
Though I had not been serious when
/ began, the more l thought of the
idea the more plausible my suggestion
sounded. BARLEY himself had said
that in the case we must build up a
theory first, and hen see If the facts
would ftsit.
When ! had ended, he said that he
himself had. at first, considered the
possibility of the girls having lone
it, bat had decided against it. He
reminded me that Slyke had been
killed on the balcony, and carried
down two flights of stairs, and that
Oy-I-~ wr-t-lA1 80 I.-.-I 81 GE&x.
pounds. the girl not a hundred. Re
~membering that and the task 1t was
to carry such a heavy weight down
so many stairs. did ! still think the
girl could have done 1t?
My face turned red with chagrin,
and. seeing that l was hurt, he smiled
at m kindly and a~pologized.
81 didn't intend to hurt your feel
ings, 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, / said, |
John. we have been going on the
theory that some one from outside
came into the house and killed Slvke.
a mysterious visitor who arrived after
had left. Perhaps the muir
was hiding In the house all the
He gave me an interested look and
an approving nod.
Suppose" | went on, "that the
murderer was on the balcony. 1t was
a good place to hide. 1t was so dark
up there that he could not have beer
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
zee what 1t was. The person may
made the sound on purpose to
attract his attention. At any rate,
when he does ONE out on the bal
he is killed"
BARLEY did not speak for a while,
urning my suggestion over In his
mind. Then he answered, you may
'e right. 1t is possible that some one
vas waiting for him to come upstairs.
But do not forget that, if that is so,
he person would have had to wait
here for a long time; for he could
ot tell when Slyke would come into
he room below the balcony. Still,
our suggestion is well worth keeping
mind" +,
Although he spoke so favorably of :
~ idea, / could see that he did not
eally agree with me.
1 yawned and BARLEY glanced at his 4
'atch. 1t. was after three, and we c
hould have been in bed several hours h
go. He rose, and taking two objects a
'om his pocket placed them on the t
esk. l leaned owe to see what they
ere. /"
Lying black and sinister on the dark c.
ahogany surface were the revolver d
Iat had been taken from Sykes hand d
hidden in the vault, and a little t,
'rk stopper, It's end covered with a
ID wax hat showed where a knife b.
I'd been used ON 1t.
Look" Barley said, pointing at al
with a laugh. "The sole result
a days work. The only clues we
i've are before us. One is a revolver tu
at did not have a finger print on it; in
e other a little stopper that might 10
come from anywhere. From Ell
csc we have to discover the MUIR W
81
he laughed. / stood looking to
the two objects, thinking how In Bi
ynifcant they were and wishing fu
ey could speak and tell their story. 1t
itching my mood, his face grew
ave. He stood looking at them for M
moment, then with a sudden gesture as
'ept them into a small box saying. In
ought to have been in bed hours XII
o."
I had reached my room and was to
ling down the bed covers when he an
led to me. / returned to his room oh
d found him sitting on the edge of no
bed taking off his shoes. Isl
I forgot to tell you, Pelt, that when we
reach the solution Of this murder, Wi
mellow or other whisky will be exI