Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-09
THE STORY THUS TAR

Frank Rice, millionaire, is found
murdered in his library on the eve of
his daughters wedding. The door
was locked on the inside and the key
was found in the lock-.
John BARLEY, crime detector and his
best friend. is called in on the case.
Upon questioning the butler he learns
that the crime had been committed
while two detectives. hired to. guard
the wedding gifts. were in the house.
Pelt, Bartley's friend, is the narra-
tor of the story.
The Missing Box Of Gold
Maybe BARLEY might have said
more, but the butler came into the
room followed by two men. 1 judg-
had guarded the wedding gifts dur
ing the night. One was a fairly
oldish man, heavy-set. with a
smooth face that did not show the
greatest signs of intelligence. The
typical detective of a cheap agency.
The other was a tall, heavy. average
looking man, except for one
shoulder standing quite a bit
higher than the other. His eyes
were keen and wondering as they
glanced around the room. His
name turned out to be Hall.
There was little doubt that they
expected to be questioned regarding
their knowledge of the crime. But
the presence Of BARLEY seemed
rather to surprise them. I presume
they expected to see only the police,
and when BARLEY did the question
ing instead of the chief, their won
der increased.
In response to his questions, Of
where they were from, and who
hired them, the older of the two
men, whose name was Wells, took a
card from his pocket and a sheet
of paper, which he handed the
chief, who after a glance passed
them to BARLEY. 1t was a
card showing that the men were
detectives working for the King
Agency OF Providence. The letter
was simply instructions to report to
Mr.. Rice. who would tell them what
to do. He said in explanation that
both he and Hall had reported
around o'clock the previous after
noon.
1t seemed that Mr.. Rice had in
Formed them that he himself did
not actually see any need for any
detectives, but had promised his
daughter he would have two guard
the presents during the night. He
had told the men that there was
little need for them to report until
about nine o'clock in the evening,
and they were then to be on duty
until some time around nine the
next morning. The men had not re-
turned to the house till a few
minutes before nine, when the
butler had taken them to the library,
showing the gifts, and also how to
operate the elevator.
They had decided, that insomuch
as no one could get to the top floor
except by the elevator they would
stay in the hallway on the third
floor. There were no stairs above
there, and they thought that with
the elevator door open all would be
safe, for the machine could not be
started unless the door were closed.
With it open, no one could reach
the top floor.
But" said Barley. "You are not
going to tell me that from the
time you came In at nine the ele-
vator never went to the fourth floor.
that you two men were sitting there
with the open elevator before you
all that time
The older of the two men shook
his head:
No. sir. Of course not. There
was nothing to do for a while
There was girl upstairs for a
wnlIe, a secretary, / think. Then
the daughter took some girls IN To
see the things and about nine
tnlrty Mr.. Rice came in with several
men. The men went out In a few
minutes, and young man, I think
IL was a stepson or something"
The butler broke In on him:
think he means Mr.. Maxson.
sir, the son OF Mr.. Rice's dead sister
He lives here"
4 don't know his name" the de-
tective half growled. 81 seen him
around, a thin sort Of a kid. He
went up and was UP quite a while
then he went down to the main fioor
and one Of those men that were
with Mr.. Rice came back and went
up again."
How do you know that ~ vo,,
were on the third floor?" BARLEY
asked shrewdly. e'
why we were not I'D there TIN
about twelve o'clock. Mr.. Rice told
US that there was little need to
bother much till he hit the hay. He
liked US up with some smokes and
the like, and we hung around down.
stairs"
''That man that returned, the last
one. who was he?"
Il don't know. He was with Mr..
Rice when he first went up" Bart
ley turned to the butler:
DO you know who it was. Rich
ards?"
The butler looked s,,rnrised syo