The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-11

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would come to her again. ;.
Colby Lester did not come again
that night, but the next morning his
daughter woke, feeling strangely
happy and comforted, quite equal to
performing the two errands she had
set herself-without benefit of po-
lice sanction-and then, as she
had impudently expressed it to Jack
Hayward the night before, to taking
charge of the investigation into the
murder Of Henry P. Borden!
n
NTHILE she was dressing, a sud-
w den thought occurred to Ruth,
and she ran to the front window Of
her tiny apartment.
AS she had expected, she saw a
man strolling 1eisurely up and down
the sidewalk across the street from
her apartment house, his head turn
ing now and then to glance casually
toward the cheaply pretentiouS en-
trance.
Ruth blew a finger-tip kiss to the
unconscious watcher, laughed ex-
uitingly, then whirled back to her
dressing table. I'm going to lead
you an awful chase, dear, obvious
old 'shadow'!" she promised them.
And she kept her promise. Twice,
as the detectives taxi drew almost
abreast to her, the girl thought she
was going to be stopped and ques-
toned, but undoubtedly the man
had his orders not to jerk on the
leash.
The first was not a long trip.
Ruth's taxi drew up before an old
but dignified apartment house in
one of those side streets which offer
their residents an inpeccable adj
dress-the kind of address which
makes department store saleswomen
look at the owner with interest and
respect
please wait. I shan't be long,"
Ruth directed her driver.
Mrs. Borden is not seeing any
one, miss" the uniformed doorman
told her, when she asked to be
announced over the house tele-
phone.
please get Mrs. Borden on the
phone, and tell her that Miss Ruth
Lester wants to see her on a matter
of vital Importance" Ruth directed
crisply.
Three minutes later Borden's
widow and his secretary confronted
each other in the large foyer of
Mrs. Borden's apartment. Deep
shadows from sleepless, grieving
night lay like black moth wings be-
Meath the widows eyes, and accen-
tuated the CHASTITY pallor Of her
face.
Before Mrs. Borden could frame
her dignified protest at the intru-
sion, Ruth put the question she had
come to ask: Mrs. Borden, won't
you please tell me what you know
about Martha Manning?"
At the name, color flooded her
pale face and her eyes flashed angry
fire. Ruth was almost sorry she
had come.
"How dare you mention that wo-
mans name to n1e?" Mrs. Borden
gasped, her hand at her throat, as
if the words were choking her. Then,
by a visible effort, she regained a
measure Of control: "I-don't know
whom you mean, or why you ask,
Miss Lester! If Mr.. McNIann has
any further questions to ask me"
"Oh, please, dear Mrs. Borden!"
Ruth pleaded. IT know you want
to protect your usband's-past from
the newspapers, but-he is dead, and
it is your duty to tell anything you
know which might help"
II have nothing to say to you, Miss
Lester" Mrs. Borden interrupted
coldly.
I'm sorry to have troubled you,
Mrs. Borden" Ruth said gently,
and want yo1 to know that you
have my-my deepest sympathy"
and without waiting for a reply, she
reached for the knob of the door
by which she had entered.
Il =
TTER question had been answered,
L Il far more completely than the
murdered mans widow could sus-
pect. Ruth knew now why Mrs.
Borden had refused on Monday to
identify "the woman with the con-
tralto voice."
The mother of Harry Borden's le-
Ultimate children would die before
she would admit, and thus publish
to the world her knowledge of the
existence of an illegitimate half
brother Of those children. How
dreadful a burden that knowledge
must have been all these years.
1t was a saddened, subdued girl
who gave the next address to the
taxi driver.
"That gyp cabs following us, with
a dick inside" the driver told her,
out of the corner of his mouth, as
she climbed into her taxi.
81 know Ruth smiled at him re-
assuringly. "The dick is only do
ing his duty. There won't be any
trouble"
The driver shook his head, hest
tated about starting his motor 81
don't want to get mixed up in moth
ing, Miss"
VERY WE'LL" Ruth agreed cheer
fully, preparing to disembark. IF
you don't want to drive me. I'll get
the dick to take me in his cab.
I'll save taxi fare"
Guess it's all right" her driver
concluded, grinning at her impu-
dence.
This time the trip was a long one,
so long that Ruth cast more than
one anxious glance at the meter,
but at last she reached her destina-
tion-the suburban grocery store
over which Minnie Cassidy lived in
two cherries rooms.
Ruth had made the trip once be-
fore-on Christmas Day-to visit the