The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-27
NOW BEGIN THE STORY

CHATTER MI
Markham turned on him with con-
siderable warmth.
'Does it mean nothing in the way
Of evidence, even to your layman's
mind, that a worlan's intimate and
necessary articles, which she has
carried throughout the evening. are
found in her escorts quarters the
following morning ?"
I'm admitting that it does not"
Vance acknowledged quietly, g. no
doubt expose legal perception
lamentably Inefficient
But since the lady certainly
wouldn't have carried these par
ticular objects during the afternoon,
and since she couldn't have called
at the house thct evening curing
Bensons absence without the house,
keeper knowing it, how. may one
ask, did these articles happen o be
there the next morning if she her.
self did not take them there late
that night"
"'Pon my word, l haven't the
slightest notion" Vance rejoincd.
THE lady herself could doubtless
appeasc your curiosity. But there
are any number Of possible expla-
nations, y know. Our departed
Chesterfield might have brought
them home in his coat pocket---wo-
men are eternally handing men all
manner of gewgaws and bundles to
carry for 'em, with the cooin" re-
quest: Can you put this in your
pocket for mc?' Then again,
there is the possibility that he real
murderer secured them in some way.
and placed them on the mantel de-
lib'rately to mislead the polio.
"Womcn, .on't v know, never put
their belongings il. such neat, out
of-the-way places as mantels and
hat-racks. They invariably throw
tEcm down on your fav'ritc chair or
your center-taDle."
"And, / suppose Markham in
tcrjected, Benson also brought the
ady's cigaret butts hone in his
pocket"
stranger things have happened"
returned Vance equally; though |
sha'n't accuse him Of it in this in
stance. The igaret butts may,
v know, be evidence Of previous
conversation
"Even your despised Heath"
NJ. .rkham informed linn, chad suffi-
cient intelli nee to ascertain from
the housekeeper that she sweeps
out the CRATE every morning"
Vance sighed an ,4ingly.
you're so thorough, aren't you?
5. But, I say, that can't be, by
any chance, your only evidence
against the LADY,"
by no Means Markham assured
him. But, despite your superior
distrust, it's good corroborat.-y evil
dence neve h 'ess."
Il dare say" Vance agreed, e
seeing with what frequency inno-
cent persons are condemned in our
courts But tell C more"
Markham proceeded witt an air
my man learned, first, that Ben
son dined alo.le !. tbs wmoan
at the Marseilles. little Bohemian
restaurant in West Fortieth Street;
secondly, that they quar-, lied; and
thirdly, IT, they departed It mid
night, entering taxi together
Now, the murder was COM
mitted at 1896. but since the lady
lives on Riverside Drive, in the
Eighties, Benson couldn't possibly
have accompanied her home-which
obviously he would have done had
he not taken her to his own house
and returned by the time the shot
was fired.
"But we have further proof point
ing to her being at Benson's. My
man learned, = the woman's apart
ment-house, that actually she did
not ge: home until shorty after !.
Moreover, she as without her
gloves and handbag, and had to be
let in her rooms with a pass-key,
because, as srs ex-laine she had
lost hers.
"As you remember, we found the
key in her bag. And-to clinch the
whole matter-the smoked cigarets
in the CRATE correspond to the one
you found in her case"
Markham paused to relight his
cigar.
$50 much for the particular eve
ming" he resumed. "As soon as /
learned the voman's identity this
morning, ] put two more me to
work on her private life.
Just as I vas leaving the office
this noon the men 'phoned in their
reports. They had learned that the
woman has fiance, chap named
Leacock, who was captain in the