The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-14

told him it wasn't Handsome Harry
that had hurt her lip, said she'd
banged it on the door, like ! told you.
And she said if Mr.. Hayward would
mt believe her, she'd take back the
promise she'd made him."
McMann's pencil tapped an omin-
Gus accompaniment to the slow, pain
full beating Of Ruth's heart. Finally
she could stand that slow tapping no
longer. She stepped toward the desk.
"Please, Mr.. McMann! I ask you to
believe me when l say that ! didn't
see Mr.. Borden when I returned to
my office to look for my savings
bank book. The door between the Of
fices was closed, and Mr.. Borden was
talking over the telephone"
McMann looked up at her from
under beetling brows. "And I'm to
believe, too, that you spent from four
to six minutes looking for your bank
book?"
II did! I had filed it in Mr.. Dor.
denis bank. folder by mistake, in
stead Of in the folder / use for my
personal papers. / looked everywhere
before it occurred to me that / had
done so. ! tell you, I didn't see Mr..
Borden, that my lip was bruised
against the door when I swung it
open. was in a hurry to rejoin Mr..
HAYWARD"
Moran, your car was down ut the
main floor all the time you were
waiting for Miss Lester, wasn't it?
You couldn't have heard q shot If
one had been fired on the seventh
floor !? Or did you hear one?"
II didn't hear no shot!" Micky
Moran denied emphatically.
Aren't you forgetting, McMann.
that Mrs. Borden has already told
OF seeing Mr.. Borden alive ut 20 min
utes of two?" Jack Hayward inter-
rupted, his voice quivering with an.
ger.
sI'm not forgetting anything,
Hayward-thanks" McMann grim
ned crookedly. IF you want to know,
here are three things I'm not for
getting: First, that you had given
Miss Lester gun to protect herself
against Borden's advances, if he ever
took fancy to your girl. Second,
that everything points to the conclu-
sion that Mis- Testers changed ap-
pearance had just the effect on
| Handsome Harry Borden you had
feared it would. Third, that $500 in
cash-the exact amount Of Mrs. Bor-
den's separation allowances miss
ing from Borden's body. Get my
point?"
"I'm afraid I don't!" Jack retort-
ed furiously.
Gall right, if have to spell it out
in words Of one syllable! Miss Les
ter comes back for her bank book.
Borden is alone, hears her return,
comes out, tries to kiss her, does kiss
her so hard that her lip is bruised.
She struggles with him, manages to
reach her desk, gets out her gun,
holds him off with it. until he backs
into his private, Office" -
X - X
! Jack Hayward laughed abruptly,
sarcastically. II was wondering how
you were going to get him back in
here!"
as that SOP" McMann almost
snarled. "'Any man'll back up if q
guns leveled at his heart! She gets
him in here and thinks she's safe, but
he starts for her again, knowing
she's afraid of the gun, doesn't think
she'll have the nerve to shoot it. He
starts after her again and she lets
him have it. She sticks the gun in
the pocket of her fur coat and tears
out Of the office, crying and pant
ing for breath. You meet her at the
elevator. She forcibly restraints you
from pounding on Borden's door, to
make him let you in to beat him up
because she knows he's already
dead!'
Jack laughed again, harshly. 81
didn't know a detective could have
such a sense Of humor, McMann!
Again / remind you that Mrs. Bor-
den came here about IL minutes aft
err Miss Lester had left the building
for the day and found her husband
l."
"Dead!" McMann. interrupted.
"Why not? She didn't report the
murder because she was afraid to,
afraid she'd be accused Of it. The
body was still warm, you know. And
she needed that $500 she found on
him when she was feeling his heart
to see if he was really dead. She
knew we'll enough that the check he'd
written for her and left on his desk
was nothing but . scrap Of paper,
since he was dead"
"And why did Mrs. Borden close
the window, McMann?" Jack asked.
"For the same reason that made
her come here this morning." Nc
Mann retorted. Because she loved
her husband. No wife who loved her
husband would want January wind
blowing in upon him, even if he was
dead and unable to feel It. And
knowing he was dead, she came here
this morning TO claim his body. F.
Going, DIR. Nielson?" the detective
broke off to inquire, as the medical
examiner stepped softly toward the
door. "You can tell the chief just
how stupid ,McMann is, and ask him
to prepare q warrant for the arrest
of Ruth Lester. My only hope is that
she gets as able . lawyer as Colby
Lester to defend her."
~ y \
Jack Hayward lunged toward Nc
Mann, trying to free himself Of
Ruth's convulsive embrace, but q
mild, diffident voice halted him.
Before you arrest anyone, es-
pecially Miss Lester, my dear Sher-
lock-" DR.. Nelson spoke from the
doorway, II advise you to interview
the woman who cleaned these offices
Saturday afternoon. She, at least.
Wnuld have M reason ia conceal the