New Britain herald., 1927-10-29

l home.
 | ''Thc situation now is Pfyfe knew they were in Benson's house, and was there himself at about the f time the shot was fired. Further more, the jewels are gone; and Pfyfe tried to cover up his tracks that night"
 ! Vance sighed hopelessly 1 Markham, there are altogether too many trees for you in this case. You simply cant see the forest, y : know, because of 'em.' There is the remote possibility that you are so busily engaged in looking at one particular tree that you are unaware of the others" A shadow passed over Vance's face.
 T wish you were right" he said.
 It was nearly half past one. and We dropped into the Fountain Room Of the Ansonia Hotel for lunch. Markham was prcoccupiod throughout the meal, and when We entered the subway later, he looked uneasily at his watch.
 q think I'll go or down to Wall Street and call on the Major mo- ment before returning to the office [ cant understand his asking Miss Hoffman not 10 mention the pack age Ia mo. It might not have contained the jewels, after all"
 Do you imagine for one mo- nl"nt." roioined Vance, that Alvin told the Major the truth about the package? IL was not q very crcd- table transaction, V know; and the Major most likely would have given him what-for."
 jor Benson's explanation bore cut Nance's surmisc. Markham, in telling him of the interview with Paula Banning, emphasized the lcW"l episode in the hope that the Major would voluntarily mention the package; for his promise 10 Miss Hoffman prevented him from admitting that he was aware of the others knowledge concerning it.
 The Major listened with consid- "rable asionishment. his eyes grad ually growing angry.
 Pm afraid Alvin deceived me" he said. He looked straight ahead for q moment, his face softcning. And don't like 10 think il, now that he's gone. But the truth is, when Miss Hoffman told me this morning about the envelope, she also mentioned q small parcel that Lad been in Alyin's private safe drawer: and I asked her 10 emit eny reference to 1t from her story to you.
 T knew the parcel contained Mrs. Earnings jewels, but l thought the fact would only confuse matters If brought to your attention. You see, Alvin told me that q judgment had been taken against Mrs. Banning, and that just before the supple nen,ary proceedings, Pfyfe had brought her jewels here and asked him to scquester them temporarily in his safe"
 On our way back to the Criminal Courts building Markham took Nanc"'s arm and smiled.
 Your guessing luck is holding out. l sec"
 Father" agreed Vance. Tt would aprear that the late Alvin, like Warren Hastings, resolved 10 die in inc last dyke of prerarica- ton"
 Tn any event" replied Markham, | the Malor has mconsciously added another ink ill the chain against rfyfc"
 You seem 10 be making col lection of chains" commented Vance dIIIy. What have you done with the ones you forged about Miss St. Clair anN Ieacoch? 2"
 "l haven't entirely discarded them-lt that's what you think, asserted Markham gravely. When We reached the office Ser . gcani Heath was awaiting us with q beatiiic grin.
 "lts all over, Mr. Mark ham," he announced. This noon after you'd gone. Leacock came here looking for you, When he found you were out, he 'phoned headquarters, and they connected him with me. He wanted 10 see mc-Nery important, he said; so I hurried over.
 "He was sitting in the waiting- ! room when ] came in. and he called me over and said: l came to give myself up. l killed Benson. l got him 10 dictate q confession to SWack"r, and then he signed it. Here il is.' He handed Mark ham d typewriter sheet of paper. Markham sank woarily into a 1 chair. The strain Of the past few | days had begun to tell on him. He sighed hcavily.
 Thank God. Now our troubles gre ended.
 Vance looked at him lugubri-