The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-04
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fancy clock in the front office, nm
II noticed the time by it. Then
come straight over here, and let my
self in with my pass key"
The door was locked ?"
"That it was, and thought Mr.
Borden was gone. I knew Miss Rutl
had left, for me and Lefty seen hel
and her young man-and = nicel
man amt in the land of the Twins
than Mr.. Hayward, Tommy Nc
Mann!-seen them at the elevator
we did"
'When?"
"Just before I went in to Mr.
Green's offices-musta been Is OF
20 minutes past one" Minnie an.
swered readily. $50 I thought no.
body wasn't in here and come in
There wasn't no light on in Mr.. Dor.
dens private office-not that he
needs It, what with two windows on
the street and one on the Airshaft,
Anyway, there wasn't no light, 20
opened the door without knockin' and
then I seen Mr.. Borden a-settin' II
his desk, and ] started to back out,
saying, Excuse me, sir, I didn't
know We was still here and he said,
Come on in. I'm going to be here
till two. You won't bother me-"
pleasant, was he!" McMann de-
manded. "Didn't look worried or an
gy!"
"He spoke sort Of short, but Lor-
dy, I'm used to that" Minnie con-
fessed resignedly. II went on about
me work, and was carryin' out his
wastebasket when Benny, his office
boy, come in"
Tell me exactly what passed be-
tween Benny and his boss" Nc
Mann directed.
snow, Tommy McMann ye're not
going to make me help We scare that
poor kid to DEATH" Minnie assured
the detective spiritedly. II didn't pay
no attention to what passed between
'em-none Of my business. I took out
Mr.. Bordens wastebasket, emptied
it into Miss Ruth's wastebasket, and
then took hers out into the hall and
dumped the papers into the big sack
I'd drug up to the door from Mr..
Green's office. When the sacks full,
the porter takes it down to the base
ment-"
"All right. Minnie" McMann in
terrupted. Benny says YOU over
heard Borden telling him to get
tell out of here Is that right p"
II didn't pay no attention, tell
ye!" Minnie repeated stubbornly.
The boy left while I was here
that's all I'll swear to, Tommy Nc
Mann!"
20. K. Minnie" McMann chuck
led. Il don't blame you for being
sorry for the kid-after hearing
Borden bawl him out and fire him. !"
did he fire the boy now" Min
ME asked, with bland innocence, so
that the trap, if such it was, which
McMann had laid for her, failed to
spring.
McMann did not answer, but
opened up a new line with his next
question. "You say you wiped off
the window stills. Minnie. And closed
the windows, I suppose, as your duty
requires you to do ?"
"Sure l wiped off the window sills,
inside and out, and the window
frames, too. 1 amt a Stacker, even
It 1 am gettin' old and rheumatic.
But didn't shut the windows. The
two front ones, looking out on the
street, was already closed. or the
draft would have bowed the poor
man away. That with the window
open on the airshaft, like it was. /
did pull it down to wipe it clean, but
Mr.. Borden told me to push it up
again. He said he'd shut it when he
left 1T two"
The last vestige Of hope Ruth had
unreasoningly nourished that the
window had not been closed until
after Borden had been killed died
then. OF course she had known all
along that it was foolish to entertain
that hope, in view Of the incontro-
ve-tible evidence of the pigeons
footprints in blood both inside and
outside the airshaft window. But
weak though it was, it had been
hope. and the girl stared with UNI
concealed misery at the Rarrulous
old woman who had slain it.
'You pushed up the window after
you had wiped it clean, l suppose :"
McMann asked, and Ruth knew he
had in mind the fact that Ferber, the
expert, had found no
prints ut all upon the window frame.
'Of course / did" Minnie retorted.
DO you wear rubber gloves while
cleaning!" McMann suggested.
Minnie cackled her derision. s1What
does an old woman like me care
about her hands? Not that
some Of the girls amt finicky-I
scared furniture polish and yellow
soap will rough up their precious
hands, but not Minnie Cassidy" and
she spread her pitiful old hands on
her lap, regarding them with Curl
Gus satisfaction, even the hand with
the mutilated forefinger, whose
Btubby print was now I part Of Fer
ber's sinister collection.
That's the spirit, Minnie!" Nc
Mann grinned. "Now, did anything
else happen when you were clean
ing in here Saturday Afternoon!
Any visitors or telephone calls?"
We'll. there was . phone call
while Mr.. Borden-peace to his soul,
poor man!-was out"
@Out? He left the office while you
were here {" McMann demanded.
That he did," Minnie answered,
stepped down the hall
to. the levato4y. He asked me to stay