The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-01
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/ den wanted few other things be-
sides the creme de menthe, since
I was going to the bootlegger's any
way. She must have been watching
and waiting for her opportunity"
"She? Who?" McMann broke in
sharply.
81 don't know her name, sir, but
the woman who was quarreling with
MIR. Borden when I came back with
the liquor, sir. The three. of them
Mr.. Borden, Mr.. Bailey and the
woman-were in Mr.. Borden's bed
room with the door closed when 1
got back. I could hear Mr.. Bor-
den's voice and the lady's voice and
knew they we're quarreling, but l
couldn't hear what they said. 1
didn't want to be mixed up in any
trouble, sir, so I went about my
business-Inixing the cocktails that
Mr.. Borden had ordered. That was
in the pantry, right off the dining
room"
But you did hear the woman's
voice2'' MeMann interrupted. What
sort of voice? High, low, harsh,
soft?"
The valet hestitated, cropping for
words, and faint flush crept up his
anemic cheeks. "ft's odd, sir, but I
did notice her voice particularly, be-
cause I recognized it as one To
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 il any longer. "a
contralto voice, Mr. Ashe-musical,
but low pitched?"
That's it, miss, exactly" the
valet nodded gratefully. Maybe
she's telephoned here at his office
too. take it you were his secre-
tary, miss? He mentioned that he
had little bit of a blond girl for
his secretary, but he didn'C-oi3n't
say"
What little beauty she iS?" Nc
Mann helped him out, schuckling.
Eyes, Miss Lester was Mr.. Borden's
secretary, Ashe. You say this mys-
FERROUS female with the contralto
voice telephoned Borden frequently
before Christmas Eve?"
mot 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 I ever did it again.
After that, the three or four times
she called, I mean, always said my
master was out, for I couldn't mis-
take that voice.
"Once she changed her voice COM
pletely, so that I was fooled. Said
she was Miss Gilman, and made her
voice sound almost like Miss Gill
mans, too. So, of course, I 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 III for it.
H"H It
a LII right, Ashe. Get along with
IA your story" McMann directed
impatiently: you're sure this was
the same wornan--I mean that the
woman who slipped in after you'd
left the door unlocked was the
woman whom Borden wouldn't talk
to on the telephone?"
Eyes, sir. Sure of that, sir" the
valet nodded emphatically, GAS I
was saying, I mixed the cocktails,
and just as I was shaking them /
saw, through the archWay between
the dining-room and the living
room, a sight that made me turn
sick, sir" The valet paused ORA
matically.
"Well, what was it?' McMann de-
manded.
"a woman being half dragged,
half carried, from the bedroom
through the living room to the
foyer" the valet said impressively.
MIR. Borden holding her up by one
arm, Mr.. Bailey by the other. She
looked like. she was drunk or
asleep, but it wasn't that, for there
was blood on her mouth, which Mr.,
Bailey wiped off twice as they
crossed the living room. Knocked
out, she was, SIR
what did she look like--hair,
eyes, complexion. clothes?" Nc
Mann raped out, thoroughly inter-
ested at last.
81 couldn't see so plain at that
distance, sir, but had the idea she
was not old and not young, and her
eyes. were closed, so I couldn't say