The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-01-13


vantage.
Il demand that you get the coroner
here" she said.
Doctor Wells is the coroner Of
fered Lizzie eagerly. Andersen brushed
their suggestions aside.
I'm going to ask you some ques-
tions!" he said menacingly to Dale.
But Miss Cornelia stuck to her guns.
Dale was not going to be bullied into
any sort of confession, true or false,
If she could help it-and from the
way that the girls eyes returned with
fascinated horror to the CHASTITY heap
on the floor that had been Fleming,
she knew that she was on the edge
Of violent hysteria.
DO you mind covering that body
first?" she said crisply. The detective
eyed her for a moment in a rather
ugly fashion-then grunted, ungra-
ciously, and, taking Fleming's raincOat
from the chair, threw it over the body.
Dale's eyes telegraphed her aunt a
silent message of gratitude.
"Now-shall 1 telephone for the
coronerT" persisted Miss Cornelia.
The detective obviously resented her
interference with his methods-but he
could not well refuse such a custom
airy request.
I'll do it," he said, with a snort,
going over to the city telephone.
whats his number?'
Hes not at his office-he's at the
Johnson's," murmured Dale.
Miss Cornelia took the telephone
from Anderson's hands.
"Tll get the Johnsons," Mr.. Ander-
son." she said firmly. The detective
seemed about to rebuke her. Then his
manner recovered some of its former
suavity. He relinquished the tele-
phone and turned back toward his
prey.
snow, what was Fleming doing
here" he asked Dale in a gentler
voice.
Jack Bailey's safety was too mex
tricably bound up with the whole sin
lister business. She must leland lie
again-while there was any chance of
lies being believed.
II don't know" she said weakly,
trying to avoid the detectives eyes.
Anderson took thought.
"Well, I'll ask that question another
way" he said. "How did he get into
the house?"
Dale brightened-no need for lie
here.
"He had key"
'Key to what doorT
"That deor over there" Dale indi-
Gated the terrace door of the alcove.
The detective was about to ask an
other questien-then he paused. Miss
Cornelia was talking on the phone.
"Hello-is that Mr.. Johnson's resi-
dence? Is Doctor Wells there? No?"
Her expression was puzzled. "Oh-ah
right-thank you-good night" She
rang off, and hung up the phone.
Meanwhile Anderson had been lis
tening-but thinking as we'll. Dale
saw his sharp glance travel over to
the fireplace-rest for moment, with
an air of discovery, on the fragments
of the roll of blueprints that remained
unburned among the ashes-return.
She shut her eyes for a moment, try
ing tenSely to summon every atom of
shrewdness she possessed to aid her.
He was hammering at her with
questions again.
"When did you take that revolver
out of the table drawer?"
when 1 heard him outside on the
terrace" said Dale promptly and
truthfully. 81 was frightened"
Lizzie tiptoed over to Miss Cornelia.
"You wanted a detective!" she said
in an irenic whisper. 81 hope you're
happy now you've got oneI"
Miss Cornelia gave her look that
sent her scuttling back to her former
post by the door. But nevertheless, in
ternally, she felt thoroughly in accord
with Lizzie.
at the rigid Dale-striving to pierce
her armor of mingled truth and false
hood.
when Fleming came in, what did
he say to your"
"Just-scmething about the wealth
scene was still too horribly vivid be-
fore her eyes for her to furnish a
more convincing alibi.
"You haven't had any quarrels with
him?"
Dale hesitated.
"No."
~He just came in that door-said
something about the weather-and was
shot from that staircase. Is that lit"
said the detective in tones Of utter in,
credulity.
Dale hesitated again. Thus Daddy
put, her story seemed too timsy for
words-she could not even blame An,
derson for disbelieving 1t. And yet
what other story could she tell that
would not bring ruin on Jack?
Her face whitened. She put her
hand on the back of a chair for sup
port.
"Yes-that's It," she said, at last
and swayed where she stood.
Again Miss Cornelia tried to come
to the rescue.
"Are all these questions necessary
she queried sharply. "You can't for
moment believe that Miss Ogden shot
that mani" But by now, though she
did not show it, she, too, began to re-
alize the strength Of the appalling net
of circumstances that drew with each
minute tighter around the unhappy
o;rl DaIa gratefully seized the mo.