The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-12
gE; +; !; ! l!;!::K I! R , III 5,{1

Mann interrupted her stumblin,
speech. "This is murder, you know
and someone committed the murder
and I'm here to find out who did Il
II you're trying to shield Mrs. Bor
den"
!, "I'm grateful" Mrs. Borden, whs
had risen and was holding to hel
chair, finished his sentence for him
"And / don't want YOU to bully thi,
child. It is true: | did see the wea.
pom. | was feeling sick and faint be.
cause l heard woman and my hus.
band laughing loudly together"
"You admit that!" McMann de.
manded. ri guess we're ab q I
through here, DOCTOR" he called ia
the medical examiner, who was still
in the private office with the corpse.
"Wait, Mr.. McMann!" Mrs. Bor-
den commanded, and Ruth admired
the calm courage which had come to
Harry Borden's widow. II have made
no confession, and will make none,
for did not kill my husband. have
merely relieved Miss Lester Of q
painful duty-that Of telling what
happened between her and myself
Saturday morning.
II admit that I was hurt-jealous,
if you will-because my husband was
so evidently finding happiness with
another woman. But for many years
he has given me cause to be jealous,
and have borne it uncomplainingly
for the sake of my children"
McMann nodded, his lips twisting
in brief, cruel smile. "But on Sat-
urday you reached the end Of your
rope, didn't you, Mrs. Borden? You
quarreled with him about this other
woman, after he had given you your
check"
Il did not!" Mrs. Borden inter-
rupted firmly. I'VE parted as ami
cably as usual, and my husband was
alive. I did not even remember that
Miss Lester had pistol in her desk.
My husband gave me no cause to re-
member, and l was thinking only of
getting back to the Chester Hotel,
where had left my children"
Again McMann grinned, but he
suddenly switched his glinting hard
eyes upon Ruth again. ibid Borden
buy the automatic and instruct you
to use it on bandits, Miss Lester?"
NO" Ruth breathed the word,
rather than spoke it.
II bought the gun for Miss Les
ter, Mr.. McMann," Jack Hayward
spoke up. "As ! told you we are en-
gagged to be married. l bought the
automatic several weeks ago, after
there had been two ho!d-ups in the
building, but she was afraid to learn
to shoot it."
McMann. scowled at the young
man, thought deeply for q moment,
then bounced upon Ruth again. If
yon were afraid Of the gun, Miss
Lester, how did it happen that so
many people knew you had it."
The memory of past humiliations
PAINTED Ruth's cheeks scarlet. ."Mr.
Borden made me get it out some
times and show people that We've
were armed" she faltered. eft
amused him to see how frightened Of
the gun was. Several of the stock
statesmen were in his office one aft
ernoon, and he made me bring it in
-and-and pretend was a bandit"
Swell sense Of humor!" McMann
commented. "You weren't 50 crazy
about your boss, were you, Miss Les
teri"
Ruth stared at the detective with
frightened blue eyes. "I-he was
nearly always q considerable employ
er. | had no cause at all for COM
plant, until the day Of his death"
She could have bitten her tongue aft
er she had again uttered that phrase
OF double meaning, but apparently it
had made no impression upon Nc
Mann, or he had accepted it at its
face value.
you seem pretty sure that Bor-
den died on. Saturday, Miss Lester"
the detective commented. Lets see
what the medical examiner has to
say. He must be able to give some
sort Of report by now. Oh, doc
tori"
DR.. Nelson appeared in the door,
way between the two offices, his pale
eyes blinking mildly behind his
thick-lensed spectacles.
"When was Borden killed, doctor?
of course you can't say to the min
ute or even the hour, before you per-
form the autopsy, but it would help
me in my work If you could tell me
approximately when death took
place."