The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-02-11

! he chose the murder as the lesser"
Markham did not speak at once:
he seemed lost in reflection. But
presently he turned and. fixing
Vance with dubious stare, said:
What about that chiseled jewel.
box? A professional burglars
jimmy, welded by an experienced
hand. doesn't fit into your ecthetic
hypothesis-it is, in fact, dia.
metrically opposed to such a the
ory."
II know 1t only too WE'LL"
Vance nodded slowly. And I've
been harried and hectorcd by that
steel chiscl ever since beheld the
evidence Of its work that first
morning. Markham. that
chiscl is the one genuine note in
an otherwise spurious performance.
It's as il the real artist had come
along at the moment the copyist
had finished his faxed picture, and
painted In a single small object
with the hand Of a MASTER"
But doesn't that bring us back
inevitably to Skecl?"
"Skecl-ah. yes. That's the cxp)a-
nation, no doubt: but not the way
you conceive it.
"Skcel ripped the box open-I
don't question that: but deuce take
it!-it's the only thing he did do:
it's tho only thing that was left
for him to do. That's why he cot
only a ring which La Belle Mar.
guerite was not wearing that night.
All her other baubles-to wit. those
that adorned her-had been
stripped from her and were gone"
Why are you SO positive on
this point?"
The poker, mantle poker! 80.
Don't you see? That amateurish
assault upon the jewel-case with =
cast-iron coal-proddcr couldn't have
been made after the case had been
pried open-it would have had to be
made before.
"And that seemingly insane at.
tempt to break steel with cast.
iron was part OF the stage-settinr.
The real cUlprit didn't care II he
got the case open or not. He mere.
ly wanted It to look as il he had
tried to ges it open: so he used
tho poker and then left it lying
beside tho dinted box"
Il see what you mean.~ This
point, think. impressed Markham
more strongly than any other Vance
had raised; for the presence OF the
poker on tho dressing table had not
been explained away either by
Heath or Inspector Bremen.
is that the reason you questioned
Skecl as IL he might have been
present when your other visitor
was therc?"
Exactly. BY the evidence Of the
jewel-case knew hc either was
In the apartment when the boru.
crime OF robbery was being staged.
or else had come upon the scene
wnen 1t was over and the stage.
director had cleared out.
From his reactions to my questions
l rather fancy he was present"
Hiding in the closct:"
Yes. That would account for
the closet not having been dis.
turbed.
AS ! see it. it wasn't ransacked.
for the simple and rather gro.
tesque reason that the elegant
Skeel was locked within.
"How else could that one clothes.
press have escaped the rifling &C.
tivitfes OF the pseudo-burglar? He
wouldn't have omitted e deliber.
ately, and he was Tar too Thorough.
| going to have overlooked It acct.
dentalIy.-Then there are the
dnger.prints on the knob. -
Vance lightly tapped on the arm
Of his chair.
: II tell you. Markham. old dear.
you simply must build your con
ception Of tho cri1lo n thio ".
potheeis. and proceed aceot0lnglx,
III you don't. each e6i1co yoln
} rear win come toppliAg aboat yonx
ears."
u (T0 m CoNTIKUmnl