New Britain herald., 1927-11-11

but Vance exposes the COnfeSSlOn as a lie to shield Miss St. Clair. Vance tells Markham to come to his apart ment and he will tell him who kill ed Benson. When Markham comes Vance hands him & document on which is outlined | strong case gainst Mrs. Platz.
 NOW BEGIN THE STORY CHAPTER II | Markham read this precis through several times,-he was fully Is min- utes at the task,-and when he had i finished he sat silent for ten min utes more. Then he rose and walked up and down the room.
 Not a fancy legal document, that" remarked Vance. But think even a grand juror could understand if. You, of course, can rearrange and elab'rate it, and be- deck it with inum- m-rabe meaning less phrases and recondite legal idioms."
 Markham did not answer at once. He paused by the French windows and looked down into the street. Then he said:
 i Yes, I think you've made out | case. Extraordinary! I've won dere from the first what you were getting at; and your questioning of Patz yesterday impressed me as , pointless. I'll admit 1t never oc cured to me 10 suspect her. Ben son must have given her good cause"
 He turned and came slowly toward us, his head down, his hands behind him.
 T don't like the idea of arresting : her. Funny l never thought of her in connection with it.' He stopped in front of Vance.
 And you yourself didn't think of her at first, despite your boast that you knew who did it after you'd been in Bensons house five min- utes"
 Vance smiled mirthfully, and sprawled in his chair.
 Markham became indignant.
 Damn it. You told me the next day that no woman could have done it, no matter what evidence was adduced, and harangued me about art and psychology and God knows what"
 Quite right" murmured Vance still smiling. No woman did it.'
 NO woman did it." Markham: gorge was rising rapidly.
 "Oh. dear mo-"
 He pointed to the sheet of paper in Markham's hand.
 That's just a bit of spoofing don't y know. . Poor old Mrs Platz.-she's as innocent as 3 lamb"
 Markham threw the paper on the seen him so furious; but he con trolled himself admirably.
 "Y' see, my dear old bean," ex plained Vance, in his unemotiona drawl, T had an irresistible long ing to demonstrate 10 you how ut tcrly silly your CirCumst ntial an( material evidence is. I'm rathe . proud, y know, of my case agains Mrs. Platz. I'm sure you could con ) vict her on the strength of it. "But, like the whole theory o your exalted law, it's wholly spe cious and erroneous. Circum st'ntial evidence, Markham, is tn uttrest tommyrot imas' 'nable. It theory Is not unlike that of ou present-day democracy.
 The democratic theory is that i you accumulate enough ignoranc at the polls you produce intolli gcnce, and the theory of circum st'ntial evidence is that if you ac cumulate a sufficient number c weak links you produce d stron chain.'
 "Did you get me here this morn
 ing" demanded Markham coldl, Ito give me dissertation on leg; theory?"
 "Oh, no" Vance blthely assure him. "Rut l simply must prepar you TOT lNt aCttpLdllCe oI IIlS itHtid ton: for l haven't a scrap of mate rial or circumst'ntial evidenc against the guilty man. And yc Markham, l know he's guilty q we'll as I know you're sitting i that chair planning how you ca torture and kill me without bcin punished"
 If you have no evidence, ho' did you arrive at your conclusion ! Mark hams tone was ylndictivc.
 Solely by psychological analys by what you might be called tn science of personal possibilities. mans psychological nature is q clear brand to one who can req it as was Hester Prynnes scarl' letter. I never read Ha" { thorne. by the bye. I can't abid +bo Nou- ton, r,' ra r,, ant h