New Britain herald., 1927-11-17
NOW BEGIN THE STORY
CHAPTER lNI { Thursday, June 20: noon


 CHATTER LNI
 ( Thursday, June 20: nOOn)
 on leaving the apartment. Mark ham took with him the pistol and the case of jewels.
 In the drug store at the corner of Sixth avenua he telephoned Heath to meet him immediately at the office, and to bring Captain Hagcdorn. He also telephoned Stitt, the public accountant, to report as soon as possible.
 You observe. trust,' said Vance, when We were in the taXicab headed for the Criminal Courts building, .'the great advantage of my methods over yours. When one knows at the outset who commit . ted a crime, one isn't mislcd by ap- 1 Tearances. Without that fore knowledge, one is apt to be de- ! ceivcd by a clever alibi for eX- ! ample. l asked you to secure the albis because, knowing the Major was guilty. I thought he'd have prepared q good one.' But why ask for all of them And why waste time trying 10 dis prove Colonel Ostrandcr's? ?" "What chance would l have had 1 of securing the Majors alihi. if | had not injected his name surrcpti- tiously. as it were, into a list ot 1 And hoJ I sl, (, 4 you to check the Majors alibi first | you'd have refused.
 T chose the Colonel's alibi tC start with because it seemed to oitci | a loop-hole,-and I was lucky ir ! the choice. I knew that if l could puncture one of the other alibis l you would be more inclined 10 hell me test the M1jor's.'
 But if, as you say, you knew from the first that the Major wa: 1 guilty, why, in Gods namo, didn'' you tell me. and save me this week of anXiety?'
 Don't be ingenious. old man. returned Vance. If l had accusec the Major at the beginning, you'' have had mo arrested for crimina libel. It was only by deceivin' yo' every minute about the Major guilt, and drawing a whole schoo of red herrings across the trail. tha I was able to get you to accept thu fact even today.
 "And yet. not once did ] actu'llN lie to you. I was constantly throw ing out suggestions. and pointing 10 significant facts. in the hope tha you'd see the light for yourself; bu you ignored all my intimations. O else misinterpreted them, with tho most irritatin' pcrversity.'
 Markham was silent moment
 "I see what you mean. But Whl did you keep setting mp these straw men and then knocking then oycr""
 "Nou were bound, body and soul 10 circumst'n,ia cvidcnce." Nanc pointed out. "It was only by let ting you see that ii led you nowhere that I was able 10 foist the Majo on you. There was no cvidonc against him. naturally saw t that. No one even regarded him q a possibility: fractriride has bee held as inconCciyable since the day of Cain.
 "Eycn with all my fincssing yo fought every inch of the way, ol iec,in' to this and that, and doin everything imaginable to thwart m humble efforts, . Admit, like good fellow, that, had it not bee for my assiduousncss, the Maje
 Markham nodded slowly. , And yet there are some thint don't und"stand even now. Wh for instance, should he have o' : irctcd so stranuously 10 my arres ing the Captain?"
 Vance Waggcd his head.
 "How dcuccd obvious you arr Never attempt crime. my Marl ham.-youd be instantly appr' htndcd. l say. cant you see ho much more impregaable the Major position would be If he showed T int'rest in your arrests-if, indee le appeared actu'lly 10 prote against your incarc ration of d vic tim
 Could he, by any other mean lave eliminated so completely a possible suspicion against himself Moreover, he knew very well tn; nothing he could say would sWer> you from your course. You're E