New Britain herald., 1927-11-16
NOW BEGIN THE STORY

! He extracted the magazine, and
 poured the cartridges onto the 1 night-table where they lay in a
 neat TOW before us. There were seven-thc full number for that style of gun.
 Again, Markham. ] present you with one of your rcvcrcd clues. Car tridges that remain in a magazine
 for q long time become slightly tarnished, TOT the catch plate is not alr-tight. But Q fresh box of car tri2ges is well sealed. and it's con- tents retain their lustre much loneer.'
 He pointed 10 the first cartridge that had rolled out of the magazine.
 "Ohscrve that this one cartridge the last 10 be inserted into the magazine-is a bit brighter than it's fellows. The inf'rcnce is-you'rc all adept at influences, y know - that 1t is a newer cartridge, and was placed in a magazine rather reccntly.'
 lie looked straight into Mark hams eyes.
 Tt was placed there to take the place of the one which Captain HaGelorn is koeping.'
 Markham lifted his head j"rkily, as if shaking himself out of an en- croachins spell of hypnosis. He smiled. but with an effort.
 .+, !, 70 cT n C Mrs. Platz is your masterpiece.
 My picture of the Major is merely blocked in,' answered Vance. "rho roveaIin' touches arc to come. But first, a brief cate ctisln: How did the Major know that brother Alvin would be home at 12:&0 on the night of the thirteenth lie heard Alvin invite Miss St. Clair to dinner-remcm- Der Miss Uoffmar's story of his eavesdropping and he also heard her say she'd unfailingly leave at midnight.
 When I said yesterday, after we had left Miss St. Clair, that some thing shc told us would help con- yict the guilty person, I referred 10 her statement that midnight was Ter invariable hour of departure" The Major therefore knew Alvin would be nome about half past twelve, and he was pretty sure that no one else would be there. In any event he could have waited for him. what"
 "C'ould he have secured an i'm mediate audience with his brother cn dcshabille?-Yo He tapped on the window: his voice was recog- ntnp,, beyond any shadow of doubt; ard he was admitted instantcr.
 Alvin had no sartorial modosties in front of his brother, and Wo'lu have thought nothing of receiving him without his teeth and tonpc'-
 Is the Major the right height. -lIe is. l purposcly stood beside hi,, in your office the other day and ne is almost exactly i've lo''' jan and H half,'
 Markham sat staring silently al inc dIscmbo~a}led pistol, Vance had been speaking in Noic" Hnl'' different from that he had used when constructing his hypothe''c&l casos against the others: and Mark ham had sonscd the change.
 "Wr now come 10 the jewels, | Vance was saying. 1 once ex- pressed the belief you remember ! that when We found the security i for Iprvfe's note, we would put our ! hands on the murderer l thought i then the Major had the jewels; and l after Miss Hoffman told us of his i requesting her not to mention the ! package, l was sure of II.
 Alvin took them home on the f afternoon of the thirteenth, and tho | Major undoubtedly knew it. This fact, l imagine. influenced his de- 7ision to end Alvin's life that night. IIe wanted those baublcs, Mark lam."
 He rose jauntily and stepped to he door.
 And now, it remains only to ind 'em. . The murderer took em away with him; they couldn't nave left the house any other way. Therefore, they're in this apart nent. If the jor had taken them 0 the office. someone might have cen them; and If he had placed hem in a safe deposit box, the clerk