The Bismarck tribune., 1927-11-02
'heriff led the Captain

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| out.
When the door had closed on him
a curious silence fell over the room.
Markham sat smoking furiously,
his hands folded behind his head,
his eyes fixed on the ceiling. The
Major had settled back in his chair,
and was gazing at Vance with ad-
miring satisfaction.
Vance was watching Markham
out of the corner Of his eye, =
drowsy smile on his lips. Tho ex-
pressions and attitudes Of the three
men conveyed perfectly their vary-
ing individual reactions to the in
terview - Markham troubled, the
Major pleased, Vance cynical.
1t was Vance who broke the
silence. He spoke easily, almost
lazily.
"Ypu see how silly the confession
is, what? Our pure and lofty Cap
tain is an incredibly poor Munc-
hansen. No one could lie ~ badly
as he did who hadn't been born into
the world that way. It's simply i'm.
possible to initiate such stupidity.
And he did so want US to think him
guilty. Very affectin'. =.
HE prob'bly imagined you'd
merely stick the confession in his
shirt-front and send him to the
hangman. You noticed, he hadn't
even decided how he got into Ben
sons house that night. Pfyfe's ad-
mitted presence outside almost
spoiled his impromptu explanation
Of having entered with his intended
victim. And he didn't recall Ben
sons semi-neglige attire.
"When / reminded him Of it, he
had to contradict himself, and send
Benson trotting upstairs to make =
rapid change. Luckily. the toupee
wasn't mentioned by the newspapers.
The Captain couldn't imagine what
meant when intimated that Benz
son had dyed his hair when changing
his coat and shoes. By the bye,
Major, did your brother speak thick
ly when his false teeth we're QUIT"
"Noticeably so" answered tho
Major. "If Alvin's plate had been
removed that night-as / gathered
it lad been from your question
Leacock would surely have noticed
it."
"There were other things he didn't
notice." said Vance: "the jewell
case, for instance, and the location
of the electric-light SWITCH"
"He went badly astray on th1t
point" added the Major. ''Alvin's
house is old-fashioned, and the only
switch in the room is . pendant
one attached to the chandelier"
Exactly" said Vance. However,
his worst break was in connection
with the gun. He gave his hand
away completely there. He said he
threw the pistol into the river
largely because of the missing car
fridge, and when told him the mag
azinc -.-as full, he explained that he
had refilled it, so / wouldn't think
it was anyone else's gun that was
"It's pl:in to see what's the mat
ter. He thinks Miss st. Clair is
guilty, and is determined to take
the blame"
That's my impression" said Ma
jor Benson.
"And yet" unused Vance, "the Cap
tain's attitude bothers me little.
There's no doubt he had something
to do with the crime. else why should
he have concealed his pistol the next
day in Miss St. Clair's apartment ?
He's just the kind Of silly beggar,
d. We see, who would threaten any
man he thought had designs on his
fiancee, and then carry out the
threat if anything happened.
''And he has a guilty conscience
that's obvious. But for what!
Certainly not the shooting. The
crime was planned; and the Cap
tain never plans. He's the kind
that gets a fixed idea, girds up his
loins, and does the deed in knightly
fashion, prepared to take the con.
s'quences. That sort Of chivalry, y
know. is sheer beau geste: its
acolytes want everyone to know OF
their valor. And when they 60 forth
to rid the world Of q Don Juan.
they're always clear-minded.
"The Captain, for instance,
wouldn't have overlooked his Lady
Fairs gloves and hand-bagsche
would have taken 'em away. In
fact, it's just as certain he would
have shot Benson as it is he didn't
shoot him. That's the beetle In the
amber. It's psychologically possible
he would have done it, and psychol-
ogically impossible he would have
done it the way it was DONE"
He lit cigaret and watched the
drifting spirals of smoke.
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