The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-01

have seen it in his hip pocket whe,
he'd take his coat off to play poke
with Mr.. Borden late at night some
times, when Mr.. Borden couldn'
sleep and wanted company. A ner
vous sort Of man, Mr.. Borden was.
ION Christmas Eve the two O.
them came in together, and Mr.. Dor
den told me to mix some cocktails
He wanted creme de menthe in them
and it happened that the bootlegRer
who's on the third floor of our apart.
ment hotel, though / hope, sir, you
won't use this against him"
I'm not in the prohibition en-
forcement department" McManr
grinned. go on. You went down fol
the stuff, eh, because the bootlegkeY
was behind on his Christmas deliver
ics?"
"Why, yes. SIR" the valet assent
led, surprised. "And knowing I'd be
right back, and that Mr.. Bailey was
with Mr.. Borden, l left the foyer
door on the latch-clicked it, you
know, to save the bother of unlock
| ing it when came back with my
hands full. Mr.. Borden wanted few
other things besides the creme de
menthe, since was going to the
bootlegger's anyway. She must have
been watching and waiting for her
opportunity"
"She? Who?" McMann broke in
sharply.
II don't know her name, sir, but
the woman who was quarreling with
Mr.. Borden when I came back with
the liquor, sir. The three of them
Mr.. Borden, Mr.. Bailey and the wom-
an were In Mr.. Borden's bedroom
with the door closed when got
back. could hear Mr.. Borden's voice
and the lady's voice and knew they
were quarreling, but couldn't hear
what they said. I didn't want to be
mixed up in any trouble, sir, so
went about my Understanding the
cocktails that Mr.. Borden had order
ed. That was in the pantry, right off
the dining-room-"
But you did hear the woman's
voice 2" McMann interrupted. "What
sort of voice? High, low, harsh,
soft?"
The valet hesitated, cropping for
words, and faint flush crept up his
anemic cheeks. "1t's odd, sir, but l
did notice her voice particularly, be-
cause I recognized it as one I'd heard
over the telephone several times. A
beautiful voice, sir, sort of-sort Of
like the deep notes of an organ. If
you know what I mean"
Ruth leaned forward, too excited
to keep out Of it any longer. "A
contralto voice, Mr.. Ashe-musical,
but low pitched?"
"That's it, miss, exactly" the va
let nodded gratefully. "Maybe she's
telephoned here at his office, too. I
take it you were his secretary miss +?
He mentioned that he had little bit
OF blond girl for his secretary, but
he didn't-didn't say"
"What little beauty she is :" Nc
Mann helped him out, chuckling.
YES, Miss Lester was Mr.. Borden's
secretary, Ashe. You say this mys-
ferrous female with the contralto
voice telephoned Borden frequently
before Christmas Eve?"
"Not frequently, but several times,
sir. The first time, although she
wouldn't give her name, put Mr..
Borden on the phone, and he told me
when he'd hung up as quick as If the
receiver burned his ear, that he'd
fire me if ever did it again. After |
that, the three or four times she |
called, I mean, I always said my
master was out, for I couldn't mis-
take that voice. Once she changed |
her voice completely, so that I was |
fooled. Said she was Miss Gilman, |
and made her voice sound almost |
like Miss Gilman's, too. So Of course |
called Mr.. Borden to the phone, but |
he didn't fire me, under the circum-
stances, though he bawled me out |
proper for having let him in for |
Cali right, Ashe. Get along with
your story" McMann directed inn
"You're sure this was the
same, woman-1 mean, that the wom-
an who slipped In after you'd left
the door unlocked was the woman
whom Borden wouldn't talk to on the
q"
Eyes, sir. Sure Of that, SIR the
valet nodded emphatically. "As I was
saying, I mixed the cocktails, and
Just as ! was shaking them I saw,
through the archway between the
and the living-room, q
sight that made me turn sick, sir"
The valet paused dramatically.
well, what was it," McMann de-
II,
"A woman being half dragged, |
,alf carried, from the bedroom |
through the living-room to the foy-
r." the valet said impressively. "Mr.