New Britain herald., 1926-09-10

T am told, Miss Moore, that you went upstairs at half past one, or whereabouts the night of Mrs. Heath's death. Is that true?"
 Why. no, don't think so," Bun- ny looked like a puzzled child. T should say I went up to bed some time earlier than that. Didn't I, Larry?"
 Inman gave her an imploring glance, which she rightly understood to mean advice to be more in- gratiating in her manner.
 But he Loyalty played up to her lead, and said: "As ] remember 1t, Miss Moore said good night and went to her room at something like half past eleven"
 Mott said. gravely: T gather, from facts told me that Miss Moore did go upstairs at the time you men, ton, but that she went down again later, and then rcascended the stairs at about half past one o'clock. She carried up with her, her gold vanity case. It has been proved that the contents of this case were used on the countenance of Mrs. Heath, after that lady had ceased to live"
 Excuse me, MT. Mott" Toddy broke in, may I ask how you proved that?"
 By the evidence that the vanity case in question Is the only one known to have been In the house that night which would give the re- suits, the colors or tints, found on the face of the dead woman. This has been most carefully tested by expert chemists and we believe our deductions to be true ones. Did you put the makeup on Mrs. Heath's face, Miss Moore?"
 Most certainly not" said Bunny, but so tremulous were her lips. and so nearly inaudible her voice that Mott smiled grimly as if in disbe- lief.
 But you were down in the studio at one thirty?" he went on, inexor- ably.
 "No-I was not" her voice trailed off to silence.
 Mott signed pauently.
 "Then we must go on," he said. NOW, we have to consider also the flight of Perry Heath. It is ac- knowIedged that a disappearance Is often equivalent to a confession. Therefore, I am ready to assume that since Mir. Heath has disap- peared, 1t may well be that he is re- sponsible for the death of his wife. do not attribute too much import ance to the cad left behind, with the legend, The Work of Perry Heath That, it seems to me may be the work of the murderer himself and equally well may not. l can scarcely conceive of MT. Heath leav- ing the card if he were really the murderer. And, yet, it is not easy to imagine another doing it.'
 Might it not be the work of some of the seryants?" asked Buck, earn estly.
 Tt doesn't seem like that to me-" Mott said. "yet. of course it may be. Too often servants are neglected or ignored as witnesses. On the con- trary, it seems Q me that servants, granted their truthfulness, are most valuable witnesses. They know the family secrets often, they overhear the family jars, or small squabbles. I wish, by the way MT. lnman, you would call In the man, Herrick. He may prove helpful
 Larry was not at all anxious to accede to this suggestion, but he saw no way out of it, and he pushed the bell that summoned the butler.
 Sleek. snug and subservient, Her rick appeared.
 Did you ever hear or overhear any ouarrels or small tiffs between MT. and Mrs. Heath?" Mott asked him.
 Herrick, after & stumbling inter- val, managed to get out the infornla- ton that he had heard such.
 '"When last?" Mott asked.
 "The-the night Mrs. Heath died,' Herrick replied.
 Here, in this room?" the detec- tive went on.
 "Yes, sir They were in here"
 And where were you?
 Tn the lounge, sir"
 What were you doing there?"
 Just waiting to lock up the house. MT. and Mrs. Heath were about to go upstairs"
 And they quarrelled?"
 Not to say quarrelled, sir. But they had words, like, and Mrs. Heath told the master that she knew his secret"
 "oh, she did! And what did he reply to that?"
 "Oh, he said a lot of things, but l didn't half hear and I didn't get the drift anyway. But they talked about a divorce, and the lady said if the masters secret should get known it would be terrible"
 q don't think you know much about that conversation, Herrick."
 NO. not much, sir"
 Well, then, don't try to repeat 1t. Was Miss Noore's name men tioned?"
 Tt was, sir" Herrick flashed an apologetic look at Bunny.
 Chapter xXV
 While the confab was going on in the Heath studio, Mrs. Prentiss was sitting at her window, wonder ing whether to go over to the Heath's house or not.
 Her curiosity was as strong as usual and her inclination was to go, but a strange sense of caution held her back.
 She felt, intuitively, that she could do no good over there and might do harm. Moreol CT, she could have a report of what had transpired, when her nephew and her guest reap peared, and so, Mrs. Prentiss sat- waiting and thinking.
 The telephone rang, and Mrs, Prentiss answered 1t herself. This was her custom, for her quick curl osity never could walt for the inter-
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