New Britain herald., 1929-03-20
that woman that gets you"

l
 Jake Bailey. another of our morning callers, puts It little diff ferently," Ruth retorted. "He says Miss Manning got Borden, but he l doesn't mean exactly what you do.
 I'm sorry. dear! I understand how you feel. for I've been feeling like a malicious. meddling little beast myself, ever since she told her whole. pitifful. tragic story" Don't feel too badly" Jack urged tenderly. his hand closing over hers tightly. "McMann would l have got on her trail within few hours anyhow, since there must be any number of people who knew ot her and Borden's affair. But what did McMann get out of the poor thing, with his damnab ble 1 third degree methods?' Ruth neglected her soup and sal ad to recount every detail of Mar tha Manning's story. in the order in n>which McMann had extracted it. I'd like to choke that bully" Jack interrupted fiercely. when 1 Ruth told him, with astonishing | vividness, how the detective had secured the woman's fingerprints. Haven't you learned your les son yet. red -head?" Ruth chided him gently. II should think you'd never utter another threat so long as you live"
 "I suppose some lip-reading de- l detective has already made a note of my slip of the tongue, and if Me Mann is ever bumped off. I'll be I accused of the crime. But cut l along, sweetheart! promise to be good!"
 Ruth "cut along" rapidly, de- scribing with wry humor the va rious tilts between Martha Man. ming and Jake Bailey, Borden's bodyguard.
 But against his will" she con- cluded, Jake did do Miss Manning a good turn. His professional pride would not let him admit that Mar. l tha could have been close enough to him on the street so that she could see the pattern of his shirt and tie, without his seeing her. So 1t all boils down to this: Bailey himself. as much as he hates Miss Manning, because he believes she killed his boss, corroborated her story of having been in the Star bridge Building Friday night, from about half- past eight till a few minutes past nine"
 "A few minutes past nine?" Jack repeated thoughtfully. And she says she walked down the stairs and out of the lobby at that time ?" Sudden comprehension illumined Sudden comprehension illumined Ruth's lovely face. T see what you mean! Why didn't I think of that before? That's just when the little army of cleaning women and porters is pouring out of the build ing. I've seen them a dozen times. at least. They're through work at nine. I'll speak to MT. McMann as soon as get back to the office-'' Jack interrupted. grinning: "I thought you were conducting his investigation, young lady! Why not make inquiries yourself? Mrs. Fellow, the grand old dowager in | charge of the cleaning women, must be in the building now. She comes on about two o'clock, think, and acts as sort of house. keeper for the building, even be- fore the cleaning women come on. Let's have go at her. darling. Now-eat every leaf of that salad, or Papa spank"
 Ruth obeyed, but now and then a puzzled frown knit her brows, and her breeding blue eyes dark ened.
 What's the heavy thinking about, honey?" Jack inquired at last.
 Ruth shook her head, as if to clear it of mists. "I-don't know. That's the funny thing about it. In fact. I'm not so much thinking as--listening."
 Listening? Spirit messages 2" Jack laughed.
 You needn't laugh." Ruth pro- tested. Dad did come to me in