The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-21
THIS HAS HAPPENED


body Of her employer, HAND.
SOME II AR r. W B q RID E N,
sprawled beneath the airshaft
window Of his private office.
McNiANN, detective sergeant,
questions the following suspects:
MRS. BORDEN. Bordcn's cs-
tranged wife and mother Of his
two children; RITA DUBOIS,
night club dancer. with whom
Borden was infatuated; ana
JACK HAYWARD, Ruth's fiancc,
whose office Is across the narrow
airshaft from Bordcn's.
Jacks guilt seems emphasized
by his admission that he returned
to the seventh floor Saturday aft
crEoon, and by tho testimony
Of MICKY MORAN and OTTO
PFLUGER. elevator boys. BILL
COWAN, Jacks friend, unwill-
ingly tells Ct having heard Jack
threaten Bordcn's life Saturday
morning.
McNlann questions BENNY
SMITH. Borden's office boy;
ASHE, his nnanscrvant; MINNIE
CASSIDY and LEFTY MILLER,
seventh floor scrubwomen, and
CLEO GILMAN, Borden's dis
cardcd mistress. MARTHA MAN
MING Is brought into the case by
Ruth's clever detective work. She
swcars she last saw Borden Fri
day night but admits phoning
him three times Saturday after
noon.
When McMann pointolank ac-
cuses her of the murder, she chal-
lengcs him to bring forward any
che who saw her in the building
Saturday. While Ruth and Jack
arc out for lunch, Ruth deter
mines to check up on Martha's
story. The memory of Martha's
nervous, twisting hands stirs some
dccp-hurricd impression in Ruth's
subconscious.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER Xiv
"Yes-old subconscious working at
last, darling!" Ruth answered, when
the elevator had discharged them at
the seventh floor. Her eyes were
shining like blue diamonds, but even
If she had wanted to confide in her
sweetheart, the inevitable group of re-
porters clustered about Borden's door
would have prevented her.
Throwing back at Hayward a bril-
liant smile by way of FAREWELL smile
destined to grace the front page of an
extra few hours later-Ruth slipped
into her office, or rather the office
which had been hers until her en-
ployer had been murdered.
She found Detective BirdWell with
his feet Oh Benny Smiths desk, his
black derby tilted low over his per-
petually weary eyes. At the girls en-
trance. down came the feet and off
came the derby, but the expression of
bored gloom OH the detectives face
deepened.
HAS anything happened?" Rutl
asked, as she hung up hat and coat
and fluffed her golden curls before
the WashStand mirror.
"Oh, nothing much" BirdWell
draWled YEARLY. Nothing except
that Commissioner Weeks has been
here handing out nice, hot little sam
pies of hell. You'd think to hear that
guy talk, that nobody hadn't done
but twiddle their thumbs or
play tiddly -wtnks since you stumbled
over Borden's body yesterday morn
ing. AS the chief says to him''-and
BlrdWell jerked his head toward Bor-
den's private office, where McMann
was presumably hard at work-"he
says, Give us time, commissioner. We
amt been on this job 80 hours yet,
ne says, and the Big Noise comes back
at him with this kinda proposition
If you can't make an arrest by five
o'clock today, McMahn, he says, I'll
assign the case to Lieutenant Pryor.
Hunh! I know Pryor! He'll clar
everybody in sight in Jail, and ther
say 'Eenie meenie miney mo- to set
which one did It,"
And what did Mr.. McMann SAY
to that?" Ruth asked, smiling cheer.
fully.
''Oh, this and that" Birdwell tolt
her YEARLY, "but the gist OF it wa.
that he guessed your sweetie, Hay.
ward, would have to be the goat
Thought I'd tip you Off"
Thanks awfully, Mr.. Birdwcll!'
Ruth replied, but to the detective
amazement her smile was no
q whit less cheerful. us Commits
sioner Weeks still with Mr.. McN1ann?'
mo, he's toddled on off to brighter
up another dark corner" Birdwel
grinned, "but Borden's lawyer-a la,
de-da chappie, with cane and spat.
and everything-dropped in few
minutes ago to lend a helping hand
McMann phoned him to bring il
Handsome Harry's' will. But ii 70,
want to see the chief I'll call him ou
for YOU"
mo. I've got a job to do that
going to keep me very busy indeed TO
the next few minutes" Ruth answere,
as she sat down to her desk and tool
the cover from the typewriter tina
had stood idle since the abrupt ter
mination Of her career as private sec
Rotary to Handsome Harry" Borden
X \ y
For few minutes, however, he
hands lay inert on the keys, and he
brows were knit in a mighty frowl
Of concentration. Then, with an ex
clamation Of excited triumph, sh
quickly rolled sheet Of yellow pape
into the machine and began to typ
with furious haste. N
AS page after page was filled wit
her flawless tipping, Birdwell locke
on with growing interest, when h
was not engaged in answering tele