The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-09
"XXTHAT was she like-beside her
w voice?" Ruth asked eagerly

"XXTHAT was she like-beside her
w voice?" Ruth asked eagerly
Tall and very slender, big, fine
! dark eyes-Sad eyes," Jack an
swered so unhesitatingly that an
other pang of jealousy shot through
the girls heart.
About 35, I imagine. A good
deal of makeup, but a skillful, ar
tistic job. Good clothes, but just
! a little shabby, an elegant sort of
shabbineSS."
"She evidently made a great i'm
preston on you," Ruth could not
help remarking. IT suppose you re-
member her name too?"
You're delicious when you're
angry or jealous" Jack laughed,
and kissed the tips of her fingers.
"She did make deep impression
on me, because I thought she had
the most tragic face I'd ever seen.
That's why hesitated to say a
word which might involve her in
this nasty business. No man would
want to add another bitter line to
that tragic face. Her name was
/ Martha Manning"
Miss or Mrs. ?" Ruth persisted.
"She didn't say, but I addressed
her as Miss Manning until she made
inquiries about a trust funds be-
ing made Of the insurance, if she
took it out, in favor of her six
year-old son. Then I called her Mrs.
Manning and she did not correct
me-"
Ruth considered, her eyes grow
ing wider and wider. Then, slow
ly: Miss Manning, Jack and the
boy was Harry Bordens illegitimate
son. I feel absolutely sure OF that.
:. What was her address?" she
added suddenly.
Some little hotel-let me think.
g.. Oh, yes, the Acro2olis hotel. ]
wrote her, asking if she had made
up her mind as to the kind of in
sura nee she wanted to take out, and
she lid not reply. She did come in
again, however, and told me that it
was quite useless for her to con-
slider any kind of insurance on her
, life-that she had been to her own
physician. and he had told her she
was in an advanced stage of tu-
bersulosis.
And agair-she stood at my win
dow, looking out. felt damned
sorry for her." Jack added in a low
voice.
Frank Ashe felt sorry for her,
too" Ruth said slowly. And then
she told him, briefly, the story that
Borden's man servant had told De-
tective Sergeant McMann--how the
woman with the beautiful contraltc
voice had come to Borden's apart
ment, gained entrance by WATCHING
her chance, and had been knocked
half senseless either by Borden
himself or by Jake Bailey, his body
guard.
"Motive!" Jack commented, but
without triumph. Now as to op-
portunity. Let us suppose she came
to the Starbridge building SATURDAY.
afternoon, before calling Borden on
+, the telephone as he had asked he]
to, through Minnie But why come
to my Office to make the call, even
If she did remember that it was
directly opposite Bordens and thai
she could see his face, as she talked
to him?"
MAYBE she realized that you
AVE- were interested in her, would
go out of your way to do her good
turn. Perhaps she intended to ap-
peal to you to help her plead her
case with Borden" Ruth suggested
hesitatingly.
"She found your door unlocked.
thought you were in, and entered.
Once inside, she took the liberty of
using your phone, although you
were not there, quarreled with Bor-
demand shot him through your
window.
But how did she know had a
pistol?" Jack objected.
You've just said you gave her q
lot of insurance literature" Ruth
pointed out eagerly. ~Yol keep
stacks of it in the bottom drawer
of your desk. Why couldn't she
have seen the pistol while you were
searching for the printed matter
you wanted to give her?"
Possible, but not highly proba-
ble," Jack conceded. Buff she
killed him from my Office, how. can
you account for the disappearance
of your gun? Miss Manning could
hardly have entered the dead mains
locked Office, would have had no
reason to do so. in the first place
gTo BE Continued -.