New Britain herald., 1927-10-01
nr1 Y TJhe 4 ;,cz 55 5z5z-== BENSON MURDER CASE
 6y s. S. Wy VAN DINE, @ CHARLES scplBrza soss
JlZhe C
y VAN DINE
@ CHARLES ScPIBNE23 9oES


 titiol my own better judgment in SO doing, why not tell me frankly what you've got up your sleeye?"
 Up my sleeve?' Such an inele- gan metaphor. One would think was prcstidig'tator, what"
 Whenever Vance answered in this fashion it was sign that he wished 10 avoid making direct reply; and Markham dropped the mater.
 "Auyway" he submitted. 'you Gilu't have the fleasure of witness ing my humiliqtion, as you prophe- stt1"
 Vance looked up in simulated sur 1ris".
 "Didn't I, now?" Then he added ,orro"fully: life is so full of dis appointments, y know
 (~aturday, June 15; 1 p. m.)
 After Markham had t~lophOne1 Heath the details of the interview, We returned 10 the StuyveSant Club.
 Ordinarily the district attorneys cfnce shuts down at o'clock on Saturdays: but today the hour had h,an extended because Of the i'm portanc" attaching to Miss St. rlair's visit Markham had lapscd into an interpretive silence which Hs-ol until We were again seated in the alcore of the clubs lounge room. Then he spok, irritahlv.
 "DaInn if, I shouldn't have let Her go. I still have feeling shes guilty"
 Vanco assumed aa air of gushing croduIousn"ss.
 "Oh. rcally2 I dare say you're so psychic. Been that WAY all your life, no doubt. And haven't you had lots ami los of dreams that cam" true? I'm sure you've often had q phone call from som'on" you were thinking about at tho momcn'. A dcloctablc gift, Do you read palms. also? Why not have the laiy's Horoscope cast@"
 T have no evidence as yet" Markham rc,ortcd. that your ho- lief in hcr innocence is founded on anything more substantial than your imprc&sions.'
 "Ah. but it is" ayerred Vance. T know shes innocent. Further more I know that no woman could possibly have fired the shot"
 "Don't get the erroneous idea in your head that woman couldn't have manipulated q A army Colt.'
 "Oh. that?" Vance dismissed the rotion with a shrus "Tho material indications of the crime don't enter into my calculations, y know,.--I leave 'em entirely to you lawyers and tho lads with the bulging deltOids
 "I have other. and s,1r"r. ways oi reaching conclusions. That's why l told you that if you arrested any woman for shooting Benson you'd he laundering most shamefully."
 Markham eruuted indienantiy.
 "And yet you seem to have re- pudjated all processes of deduction whereby the truth may bc arrived nt. Have you. hy any chance, on- tiroly rcnounrcd your faith in the orcrations Of the human mind?'
 "Ah. there speaks the voice Of Gods great common people" eN- claimed Nanca. "Your mind is so typical Markham. Ii works on the Irincipln that what you don't know isn't knowlodgc. and that. sinc' you don't understand a thing, thor' is no explanation. \ comfortahl" point of view. Ii relieves one from all care and uncertainty. Don't you find the world very sweet and wonderful place."
 Markham adopted an attitude of affahle forhearance.
 "You spoke at lunch time, I h"- licvo, of one infallible method of detecting crime. Would you care 10 divulgc this profound and price less secret to a mere district at rornoy?"
 Vance boWol with exaggerated courtesy.%
 "Delightod. I'm surc,' he re turned. "I referred 10 the science of individual character and the psychology Of human nature. "" all do things, T yc soo, in certain individual way, according to our