The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-07
@599 90 UDnCE 90 es93
Z XANACT0l" [HDW[E[DEK CASE
2y &.%.MN SHNE AUTHOR .of THE BENSON MVRpER CASE

blood. The new arrival-in the
midst, perhaps. Of some endearing
sentences seized the lady by the
throat and proceeded to throttle
her. Imagine Skeel's emo.
tons. my dear Markham. There he
was, crouching in dark closet,
and few feet from him stood a
murderer in the act of strangling
lady!
Il don't wonder he was petrified
and specchless. He saw what he
imagined to be maniacal fury in
the strangers eyes; and the
stranger must have been a fairly
powerful creature. whereas Skeel
was slender and almost understood.
No, merci. Skeel wasn't hav.
ing any. He lay doggo. And l can't
say that ! blame the beggar.
WHAT"
He made a gesture of intcrroga.
ton.
what did the stranger do next?
Well. we'll; we'll probably never
know. now that Skecl, the Mortified
witness, has gone to his Maker
But l rather imagine he got out
that black document box, opened
it with key he had taken from the
lady's handbag. and extracted q
goodly number CT discriminating
documents.
"Then, l fancy, the fireworks be.
gan. The gentleman proceeded to
wreck the apartment in order to
give the effect OF professional bur.
glary. He tore tho lace on the
lady's, gown and severed the
shoulder.strap; snatchcd her orchid
corsage and threw it in her lap:
stripped off her rings and bracelets:
and tore the pendant from its chain.
"After that he upset the lamp.
rifled the escritoire. ransacked the
Boule cabinet. broke the mirror,
overturned the chairs. tore the dra.
peries. And all the time Skeel
kept his eye glued to the keyhole
with fascinated horror. afraid to
move. terrified lest he be discov.
cred and sent to Join his erstwhile
tndmor0td. for by now he was no
doubt thoroughly convinced that
the man outside was a raving
lunatic.-1 can't say that I envy
Skeel his predicament: It was tick.
fish, y know. Rather!-And the
devastation went on. He could hear
it even when the operations had
passed from out his radius Of Wis.
ion. And he himself was caught
like a rat in trap. with no means
OF escape. A harrowin' situation
my world"
Vance smoked a moment, and
then shifted his position slightly.
"Y' know. Markham. I imagine
that the worst moment in the
whole of Skeels checkered career
came when that mysterious wrecker
tried to open the closet door behind
which he was crouchlng.
Fancy! There he was cornered.
and not two inches from him stood.
apparently, a homicidal maniac
trying to get to him. rafting that
thin barricade of white pine.
Can you picture the blightcr's re-
lief when the murderer finally re-
leased the knob aud turned away3
It's q wonder he didn't collapse
from the reaction. But he didn't.
He listened and watched in sort
Of hypnotic panic, until he heard
the invader leave the apartment.
Then. weakened and in . cold
sweat. he came forth and surveyed
the battlefield"
Vance glanced about him.
"Not Z pretty sight-eh. what?
And there on the davenport re-
clined the lady's strangled body.
That corpse was SkeeIs dominant
horror.
HE staggered to the table to look
at It. and steadied himself with his
right hand-that's how you got
your fnger-prints. Sergeant. Then
the realization Of his own position
suddenly smote him. Here he was
alone with q murdered person. He
was known to have been intimate
with the lady: and he was . bur.
glar with q record. Who would b.
lteve that he was innocent? And
though he had probably recognised
tho man who~ had negotiated the
business. hA Waa IN NO nnsition IN