The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-07-31

i had ,s,, i;1,yS;s: y sel' MARKET
| NO: l didn't know it,
"You never had Accession b meet
him either :, in business - : per-
q never met ain i .anyi Wy
n,d ,1 ses S.... ~: FIX X, Mimi s s,. s,ys
| mind -
Il greatly doubt it"
II see You're positive you
never met Ramon Worth ana you
never heard Of him! Well, Will you
look at these pictures! Do yeu rec
ognizc any of them?"
| They were pictures Of Ramon on
a surf board; in tennis flannels: in
swimming suit. Douglas recognized
in an album Of Sandy's.
Look at them carefully, If you
please"
He went through them again. lit
tie guessing the trap they were
| them"
Mcagcr massagcd the red joints Of
his long. bony fingers. "Wcli, guess
you never saw him. then. wonder.
Mr.. Keith. II you may have CHANGED
| to meet the woman who was Worth's
friend. DO you recall having been
out with girl who may have men,
| toned his name. or who may have
bowed to him while in your COM
pany and mentioned her intimacy with
| him?"
"Why should you persist in these
questions. Mr.. Meager? I've told you
rs emphatically IS l know how that
] never met Worth. I'm not aware
Of having the remotcst acquaintance
with him in any conceivable way"
Eve have. Of course, adequate rea-
son. Mr.. Keith. The coincidence is
| odd, extremely odd"
Douglas flushed. He noticed his
| hands shaking and folded them
pugnaciously under his arms. What
adequate reasons could they have?
What odd coincidence? We're there
letters giving Sandy's name and his
name? Had he been traced and iden-
titled as the fellow who carried 4
girl from Ram0n's office?
He tried to restrain the instinct to
| swallow relieve his parched, sitting
throat. He was suddenly conscious
Of a false. high note in his voice.
"What reason have you that can
alter facts? I don't know him, and
that's all there is to it."
"Ycs--the odd thing is that he
knew you. In the last hour or two
Of his life you were in his thoughts.
He scrubbed your name hundreds of
times. The tracing of it Is in tn.
bl0tter found in his desk. OF cours>.
no suspicion attaches to this. We
Thought you probably knew him and
would shed light on battling case.
Can you account for his frenzicd
writing OF your name?"
"No--l cannot! He may have seen
it under a drawing and picked it out
idly. He never met me so far as
knew. ] never met him."
The detective nodded slowly. all
the while rubbing his knucklcs: II
see. Of course you understand we
wanted to clear up this angle. Sorry
to trouble you. Mr.. Keith"
In a sudden rush of his overchargcd
emotion. Douglas put out his hand.
gave deep. uncertain laugh: "Too
bad couldn't help you--bcttcr luck
next time!"
He rose unstcadily. He went out
quickly-blinking. rubbing his teeth
oyer mis lower lip. Out Of it! Yc
gods, out Of it! He went. half run
ming down the steps. He wanted to
grab someone by the hand. laugh
uprOari0usly.
The sun swept the old plaza: made
the grass seem new and clean. He
his pockets. The luck! Wild. un-
heard Of luck!
Saturday m0rning-hed drive down
and tell Judith--tell Sandy--make
them riotously happy.
He got in his car-swinging down
the highway-road clear-no one in
sight. Gradually he became aware
Of machine behind him-closc be-
hsrt.
He was nervous and slowed down.
Let it pass him.
As soon IS it was ahead Of him
he began creeping. He distinctly no.
ticed the other machine slowing. He
put on all speed and went dashinG
He turned. The machine was with
in 200 feet Of him. Swallowed
were shadOwing him.
He wondered with a sickcncd pang
what they knew; what thew suspect
ed. He turned off ut DAILY City,
rctracing his way.
He thought his hands shaking on
the wheel: "God-tllis takes il out
Of . fellow; God-l'll be glad to get
The evening papers and the Sum
day morning paDers had nothing adj
ditiOnal. No mention Of his name.
With a tingsing resurgc Of conf
dencc he took EN- out for a drive.
cts over" he told himself. They've
nothing they can possibly pin on
mc!"
Monday morning they came for
him. They brought him to Thc room
where he had been the first time.
There were half dozen people here.
The tall offer said politcly: swat
here moment. Mr.. Keith. I'll find
Guicter place."
He stood there some ten minutes.
his side. Twill you come with ne.
Mr. Keith"
/ He didn't ask Douglas to BE- seat
ID. He led him into this small room.
He turned on him abruptly: ibid I
understand YOU to say you had new
cr been in Ramon Worth's office Z"
"You did"
DO you know where this office
was -
II read 81 it in the newspaper"
1T was in the third floor sof the
- building. Yoa know thix build
ing?"
ayes" .
II want to make sure you know
this office. Let's 60 over now and
havs look ct IT,
t4r a.
He was trapped. HI knep It. He
said ansrily Aren't Sou rsthar high
handed. Mr.. Meagerf se
"Rrobably not! I hARg zen Woat