New Britain herald., 1927-09-21
Oy s. s. WAy VAN DINE,

b" informed uS; and I was on duty on this beat last nieht. Around r-iIniEht l guess it was, 'hore was ME gray Cadillac standing in
 irou' of this housn--I no'iccd it particular, because II had q. lot of fiGhinr-taclle sticking out the h'ck. and all of is lights were on. When l heard of the crime this morning I reported the car to the { station sergeant. and h" sent me around to toll you about it." Excellent" Markham com
 U"n'ed: and then. with 2 nod, re f'rred th" matter to E,ath.
 "Nay ho something in it." the latter admitted duhiously. "FEow iors would you say the car was bprn, officer""
 "A good half hour anyway. 1t vas her" before 12, and when I cam' hack al 12:3o or theroahouts ii was still here. But the next time I came by. II was gone"
 You saw nothing else? Nobody in tho car. or anyone hanging around who might have been the oWner"'
 NO. sir. I dld mo-"
 Several nih"r questions Of simi- lar nature were ag,.cG him: but nothing more could be learned, and he was dismissed.
 "Anyway,' remarked Heath. "the car story will be good stuff to hand the reporters"
 Vance had sat through the aues- -ioning of Mclaughlin with drowsy inatt.ntion -- l doUht if he e~en heard moro than the first few words of the officers report - and nov. with q stiflod yaWn. he rose and, :au0tering 10 tho conter-tahla. picked ur one of the ciearet butts that had been found in inc fire rjaco, After rolling it hatween his thumb and forofineer and scruti- nIzing the tip, he ripped tho paper open with his thumb-nail, and held the exposed tobacco to his nose.
 Heath, who had been watching him GloWeringlv, leaned suddenly forward in his chair
 What are you doing there7" he cfmandcd, in 2 tone of surly truculcnco
 Vance lifted his eyes in decorous astonishmcnt.
 Merely smelling of the tobacco," he replied, with condeec4nding un- concern. It's rather mild, V know. hut dolicately blended"
 The muscles in Heath's cheeks worked angriy. 'Woll you'd bet ter put it down, sir" ho advised. 1 Then he looked Vance up and down. "Tohacco expert 2" rc asked, with !! ill disguised sarcasm.
 "Oh, dear no" Narre's voice was dUlcct, My speciality is scarab-car- touches of the PtoIemaic dynas- ! ties"
 Markham ia,orposcd diplomati- cally.
 "Nou really shouldn't touch any thing around here. Vance. at this | stag" of the game. You never know "hat'll tnrn out to he important. ! Those ciraret stubs may quite pos | sihly hc significant evidence" ]
 'EviG"nc"?" repeated Vance . sWoetly. My word, You don't gay, really, N7et amusin""
 Markham was plainly annoyed; and Heath was boiling inwardly. | but made no further comment; he even forced mirthlcss smile. He evidently felt that hn had been little too abrupt with this friend of he district attorneys. however much tho friend might have de served being roprilnandcd.
 Heath. however, vas no sycorhant l in in" presence of his supcriors. He In"W his worth and lived mp 10 1t with his whole energy. discharging the tasks 10 which hn was assigned with a dOcg"d indifference to his o~n political W"ll-hoips. This siub- 'ornnoHs of spirit. and the soldity of character fl imrlicd, were re- 'roc'cd and valued by the men 1vor him,
 II" vas large. powerful man, 5u' a2Ilo and graceful in his move Tnonte, like a highly trained boxer. He had hard, blue eyes. remarkahIy ,Teh' and pCnotratjng. q small nose. a broad oval chin. and a 1orn straight mouth With Ups that pp"ar'd alWars pressed. His 'ajr, "hich, though hc was well , dong in his for'ios, vas without a rae" of cr2yn"ss, vas cropped 'hont the edges. and stood upright