New Britain herald., 1924-07-30
sO uN MYTH I'll. STORY

III tnefe, put the money back In tn
 safe, and in the morning, when h.
 finds the money there. he'll think h.
 dreamed It all Al any raic. there'l
 be no talk of jail"
 He pondered this. l made anothe
 suggestion. Has he a telephone a
 his home? Then ring him up; if h.
 answers, he isn't in his office Wei
 know that you're mistaken in think
 ing you turned off the light. IT, it."
 1 He was trembling now, sufferins
 from the sudden reaction to despair and amenable 10 any suggestion
 From a nearby lunch room he tele. 1 phoned his employer. He emerged
 from the booth so white that feared he would faint.
 His housekeeper' answered. She told me that Mfr. Carbon had gone to his office, in response to telephone message, an hour ago, from me-. l whistled. And you didn't tele- phone him. think we'd better en- ter the office"
 Tirrell unlocked the door of Gar bon's office, and we entered the room, There, upon the floor, his blood - stained head indicating hls murderer's ferocity. lay Carbon. The opened safe against the wall furnished the motive for the crime.
 l grabbed young Tirrell just as his hand was on the telephone.
 What's the idea?" demanded.
 The police" he answered.
 l pointed at the open safe. "'rhat looks like motive enough, but the police are going to ask questions. Don't forget that somebody imper- sonated you on the telephone an hour ago."
 But you can prove that we found the body" he protested
 I shook my head. Obviously, I who was avoiding em mbarrassing oues- tloning from the police on one rub Ject, did not care to invite it on an other.
 T would have to tell the whole story Of our brief acquaintance. I might not be believed. It might even be said that we planned the murder together. Imagine asking a jury to believe that a stranger gave you ten thousand dollars"
 But you did, he protested.
 We know it: and Miss Peters knows it but would jury believe it 2" asked.
 He sank helplessly into a chair. But what else is there to do?" he asked
 also sat down, The problem seemed unsolvable. Yet there must be way out.
 Now. a great thief--and I may be pardened if I consider myself great has in him the qualities essential to he making of great detective. Il lad always sneered at detectives. Occasionally, as my readers know, | lad outwitted the best of the pro- ession. And now, before the Celeste ailed, I must justify my sneers. fggnl lordon'Lt,weaSe
 How many people know that you re Cartoons confidential clerk :" I .sked.
 Hundreds I suppose" he an wered duly.
  emperament that would make you aspect them capable or murderc"
 How can l possibly answer that?" e retorted.
 l nodded. Of course. boy like his would not be a reader of char cter.
 Do you know anyone who could initiate your voice." I asked,
 Tt isn't hard to do, is it 2" he re- orted. The shock of the tragedy ad almost stupetied him | Its extremely hard" told him. You've been working for Carbon ereral years. The person whose { oice imposed upon him so that he elieved it yours must have been an { xcellont mimic" 1 light flickered in his eyes. "po- | ami told me today that he used to e an actor" he cried. { The handbook man. ( Gamblers are crooked-profession } amblers. that is. Poganni knew [ arbon and his confidential clerk. [ course. a hundred other shady f laracters might have known the | sad man. But only today Poganni Id accepted a wager of ten thou- Il nd dollars from Tirrell The sum
 money might readily have aroused [ oganni's cupidity. It would turn ' s thoughts upon Carbon and his { fe. 0 had but little time before me. D le Celeste sailed at five. It was ter ten now. could not spend ys, weeks, even months. in investi- Ii ting the acquaintance of the mur- a red man. For I must sail. Safety il manded it. But decency demand fl that, no matter what the cost to cl ,. I do not leave this boy in the -ch. I must find the murderer or h CT myself to the police as wit ss, even though my credibility be el ubtfu to them, and even though ] in Ist expose my own mode of life, was inevitable. W The telephone book showed that fael Poganni lived in Greenwich te Iage. We left the dead man lying the floor. took a taxi to Sixth enue and Eighth street and ralked ca . rest of the way to PoEanni's to ,rtment A negro elevator man a