Nogales international., 1928-10-16
G53IEzz2l T. z!3:!17!22;l
TENTH INSTALLMENT

him. Norbert said he supposed
George got his. liquor from some
bootlegger; the servants knew
George usually had whiskey in .fIis
room but the chauffeur seldom
drank it--only when the pain was
bad Probably, Norbert said.
Maggie had got the whiskey from
George, but she should not drink.
DR.. Blessington said she had a
mighty high blood pressure and
whiskey was dangerous. for her.
He had scared her good, Norbert
said, when she had "a sort of
stroke. The doctor told her she
was pretty sure to. drop dead il
she took much whiskey.
When Norbert was gone Bref-
nan lighted cigarette.
"It's a queer bunch. altogether.
Judd" he said, "but you'd be
amazed how many queer punches
there are in this world if you
mixed around as ] do: i see them
at their worst usually, when they
are keyed up BY some catastrophy
and their eccentricities stick out
strong. | think my next job is to
talk to this man Dart, our under.
taker friend. He may not yield
much but we'll get another angle
on John Drane I have a notion
Dart must have know Drane was
woman"
"Pshaw, now" Simon Judd ex-
claimed, chuckling. "You don't
mean it, do you, Dick? Why the
old rascal! A hairy old boy like
him, seventy years old if he's a
day, hangin' around this old lady
like he was tryin' to be her hus-
bandw
Brennan snapped his fingers
There's an idea" he said
There's a lead worth following!
If this man Dart discovered that
Drane was woman he might very
we'll try to blacknail her into mar
rying him John Drane was very
rich person, Judd. We may have
the reason for the murder there
Dart trying to force Drane to mar
ry him TO avert exposure"
"Noper' said Simon judd
"Nothin' like that, Richard
"But why not, I'd like to know
Brennan demanded, rather amused
at the fat mans decided tone.
why black my cats, Dick!' said
Simon Judd. "He couldn't be
wantin' to marry her when he was
married to her already, could he?"
How do you make that out|
Brennan wanted to know.
Simon Judd chuckled his heav-
lng chuckle again. q
II just sort of !. suspicion it,
Richard" he said. Seems so to
me, as you may say. A feller don't
always have to have reasons, does
he?" D.,
"In my profession he does," said
Brennan coldly.
"Well, them" said Simon Judd,
"how about him. comm to play
cards and stayin' over night quite
frequent, Richard, If / was tryin'
to figger this out I'd sort of say
John Drane was a. woman and she
didn't want it known If she didn't
want it known she wouldn't be
havin' a feller stay over night
much, especial if he didn't need&to,
seein' as the feller lived right here
in town And if she did let feller
stay over night it'd sort of show
they was married. If he was tryin'
to bulldoze her into marryin' him
she wouldn't want him around.
would she"
"You may be right said Bren-
nan thoughtfully. "And does your
mind tell how long they had been
married."
"Oh, pshaw,- now. Richard"
Simon Judd laughed. "Yon don't
want I should have a head on me
that could tell you the day and
date, do you?"
But Brennan was rubbing his
chin, considering this new idea.
He did not tell Simon. Judd what
he was thinking but if.$was THAT
if William Dart was indeed John
Drane's wife the last will and testa-
ment made by John Drane might
be of great importance in solving
the mystery, such as it as,soffhe
murder. If Drane had nadesa will
leaving everything to Amy, as
Amy said Drane had told her he
would, William Dart would have
been foolish indeed to kill Drane,
but if the latest will left a. large
sum to Dart and Dart feared the
making of a new will this might
be a reason for the murder of
Drane by Dart. Coupled with the
fight of the undertaken from the
house on the night of the murder
this might all mean something.
you're wrong. Richard" Simon
Judd said, interrupting the detec-
tive's thoughts.
Wrong? What about?" Brennan
asked. .
you're thinkin' maybe this
undertaken feller murdered John
Drane, so-called," Simon Judd
said.
"How do you know what / was
thinking?"