New Britain herald., 1926-09-10

llelepnOne 10 anyone else.
 Mrs. Preptiss heard the aston ished gasp at the other end of the line, and srinned with satisfaction.
 But the reply came: Heath? No, this is-this Is Jackson. Please tell Miss Moore I must speak with her. You may say have important news for her."
 Suddenly Emily Prentiss felt that she was oyerstepping the bounds of propriety. She was gentlewoman, not a detective, and she had no right to intercept or eavesdrop upon a private communication.
 So she said simply, Miss Moore 1. next door at the Heath house. If you wish, you can call her there."
 Thank you" was the response, and without further goodby ths voice ceased.
 The advice, however, was fol- lowed, for a few moments later the telephone bell rang in the Heath studio.
 Inman reached for the receiver, but Mott was too quick for him.
 Grasping it first, the detective said, briskly: "Hello."
 Hello" said a mans voice, T want to speak to Miss Moore. and make it snappy!"
 Though not very quick -witted, Mott was ingenious, and endeavor- ing to sound like Herrick, he said: Miss Moore ain't here, sir"
 "Yes, am!" cried Bunny, so loud that her voice carried over the wire as she sprang toward the instru- ment, and tried to wrest 1t from Mott's grasp.
 And so agile and 1.-the were the girls hands, that she succeeded, and ! in moment, she was listening 10 | Heath's voice.
 For Heavens sake, Bunny, you are up against it! Now, listen, l have to speak fast, You fire Emma, send her way off so she can't testi- fy against you. Get rid of Herrick. too, if you can. Those two are in cahoots, and they saw us on the ter race. By the way, there was lot of money in the desk drawer. I'll bet Herrick has stolen that. If so, it'll give you a hold over him. You play innocent baby, and sneak home as spry as you can. I'm not coming back-not at all--get that?" "Yes," Bunny said, faintly. | She helplessly dropped the re- ceiver, and buried her face in her hands, while the great obs came in 1 her throat.
 1 Mott grasped the receiver, but his "hello!" was answered only by a mocking laugh, and jeering good by"
 That was Heath" he said, with 1 lconviction.
 | Mott called Central. and immedi- ately had an investigation ordered that must result In knowledge of where the telephone message came from, at any rate.
 l Then, the detective turned to Bun ny.
 You know where Perry Heath isl" he said, accusingly, and the sound of his stern accents reused the girl from her crying spell. ! T do not" she declared and faced him with angry eyes. "Se here. MT. Mott, I'm tried of your prying into my affairs, of your innuendoes and questions. Now if you suspect me of a hand in my friends death, then I'd rather you'd say so straight out, and stop this beating around the bush"
 "All right, will, Miss Moore. As you asked me to do. I am speaking straightforwardly. The time has passed for mincing matters. To my mind, the death of Mrs. Heath must have been brought about by one of three persons, her husband or one of her two house guests. Her cause it was impossible for him to get out of the house and leave 1t 1 locked and bolted behind him. Also, Mr. Inman is not likely suspect, because he was in love with the lady.
 'I am told that MT. Inman's af- lection for Mrs. Heath was known not only to her husband and house. hold, but to most of her friends and iacquaintances. Now, even granting l that he would be inheritor of her estate. MT. Inman Is not going to kill the woman he loves. Then, where can we look for the murderer but to her girl friend, the visitor of Mrs. Heath, who is, incidentally, in love with Mrs. Heath's husband, and will doubtless some day marry him?"
 What ?" Bunny's face was deadly white and her eyes stared in horror and dismay.
 That's the way things look" said Mott. Also, it must be remem- ibered, that Miss Moore's finger prints are on the broken bottle which was used as the weapon of death"
 Mine are there, to, am told" exclaimed Larry Inman.
 "Yes, but yours are over those of Miss Moore superimposed upon hers. This, es you can't help see- ing, proves that the bottle was first used by Miss Moore, as deadly weapon, and afterward picked up or examined by Mir. 1nman. Perhaps he was present at the time, and wrested it from Miss Moore's hand, thus leaving his prints above her own. Now, the matter of the vanity case. It has been proved. to the satisfaction of the police, that the makeup on Mrs. Heath's face was applied after she was dead, and also that the materials used are the same as those in Miss Moore's vanity case. It Is further assumed, though of course this canont be matter of actual proof, that the color was ap- piled by either woman or an artist. Had an intruder, such as a burglar or midnight marauder. committed this crime, he would not, probably could not, have applied that make ,o with such n degree of skill and