The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-07

tell MS story.
Everything was against him
his sneaking in, his presence in the
house at half.past nine. his rela.
lions with the girl. his profession.
his reputation. He hadn't . chance
in the world. / say, Mark.
ham. would you have credited his
tale?"
Never mind that" said Mark.
ham. go on with your theory"
my theory from this point on"
resumed Vance. lis what you might
term self-developing. It proceeds
on it's own inertia, so to speak
Skeel was confronted by the urgent
problem OF getting away and GOV.
ering up his tracks.
HE could have left by the side
door at once without being seen:
but then. the door would have been
found unbolted. And this fact,
taken I'm connection with his ear.
lier visit that night, would have
suggested his manner of unbolting
the door.
''He knew he was likely. in any
event, to be suspected Of the muir.
der, in view OF his shady aesocia.
ton with the lady and his general
character. Motive, place. oppor.
tunity, time. means, conduct, and
his own record-all were against
him. Either he must cover up his
tracks. don't y know, or else his
career as q Lothario was at an end.
A sweet dilemma! He realized. OF
course, that II he could get out and
leave that side door bolted on the
inside, he'd be comparatively safe.
mo ono could then explain how
he had come In or gone out. It
would establish his only possible
abba negative one, to be sure:
but. with q good lawyer, he could
probably make it hold. Doubtless
he searched for other means Of
escape. but found himself con.
fronted with obstacles on every
hand. The side door was his only
hope. How could it be worked:"
Vance rose and yawned.
That's my theory. Skeel was
caught In a trap, and with his
shrewd. tricky brain he figured his
way out. He may have roamed up
and down these two rooms for
hours before he hit on his plan.
"As for his using the tweezere,
I'm inclined to think the mechan.
ism Of the idea came to him almost
immediately.-Y' know. Sergeant.
this locking of a door on the in.
side r. an old trick. There are any
number OF recorded cases OF It in
the criminal literature OF Europe.
Indeed. in Professor Hans CROSS
handbook OF criminology there's .
whole chapter on the devices used
BY burglars for illegal entries and
exits.
but all such devices have had to
do with the locking-not the bolt.
ing-of doors.
THE principle, Of course, Is the
same. but the technic is different.
To lock door on the inside, 4
needle, or strong slender pin. Is in.
serted through the bow OF the key.
and pulled downward with = string.
But on the side door Of this house
there IS no lock and key: nor IL
there bow in the bolt-handle.-
Now. the resourceful Skeel. while
pacing nefvously about, looking for
something that might offer q sug.
gestion. probably espied the tweez-
ers on the lady's dressing.table-
no lady nowadays is without these
little eyebrow.pluckers. don't y
know-and Immediately his prob
lem was solved.
1T remained only to test the de-
vice. Before departing. however.
he chiseled open the jewel case
which the other chap had merely
diuted. and found the solitaire diar
mond ring that he later attempted
70 pawn.
Then he erased. a. he thought,
al hie 1nger.prints, forgetting to
wipe Of the inside door.knob Of the
closet, and overlooking the hand.
mark on tho table. After that. 10
let himself out quietly. and rebolted
the side door the same - ! did.
stualng the tweesers In his waist
coat pocket and forgetting them
(TO De C0NTINUEDl