The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-12
THIS HAS HAPPENED

the body Of her employer,
HANDSOME HARRY" BOR-
DEN, Monday morning. sprawlcd
beneath the airshaft window Of
his private office. He was shot
between one and four Saturday
afternoon.
NIcMANN, detective sergeant,
questions the following suspects:
Ruth, MRS. BORDEN, Borden's
estrangcd wife and mother of his
two children; RITA DUBOIS,
night club dancer, with whom
Borden was infatuated; and
JACK HAYWARD, Ruth's fiancc,
whose office Is across the narrow
airshaft from Bortlen's.
Jacks guilt seems confirmed by
the testimony Of elevator boys
MICKY MORAN and OTTO
PFLUGER, and of BILL COWAN,
Jacks friend, who says he heard
Jack threaten Borders life Sat-
urday morning when he saw
Borden struggling with Ruth in
the opposite office.
McMann sends detectives to
bring in CLEO GILMAN, Bor-
den's discarded mistress, and
JAKE BAILEY, his bodyguard.
Meanwhile he quizzcs BENNY
SMITH, Borden's office boy:
ASHE, his manservant; MINNIE
CASSIDY and LEFTY MILLER,
A new scar in the wall outside
Jacks window and a flat bullet
found on the cement seven flights
below convince McMann Borden
fired in self-defense at his muir.
derer who stood in Jacks window.
Ashes and Minnie's testimony
about some mysterious woman
with q contralto voice whom
Borden feared, causes Jack to re-
call MARTHA MANNING who
called on him about insurance
but who was more interested In
Borden's offices across the air.
shaft.
Ruth goes to Mrs. Borders
carly next morning and asks her
If she knows Martha Manning
and is answered with q naughty
significant negative. Ruth next
calls on Minnie to ask her If she
remembers seeing in B0rden's
wastebasket an orchid tinted en-
vclope which Borden received in
Saturdays mail. Minnie says she
saw it in a drawer of the desk.
but Ruth knows McMann has
searched the desk and that no
such letter was found.
X X X
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER XXXVI
But I tell you, Mr.. McMann. there
must be another drawer" Ruth Les
Ter insisted. She had arrived at tn
murdered mans offices at half pas
10, and had almost autocraticall,
aside the detective sergeant
brusque inquiries as to the chase sh
had led the plainclothesman who ha,
been assigned to the task of shadow
ing" her.
Minnie Cassidy described tn
drawer as no deeper than a case knit
Is broad, and insists that it was pulle
out in front of Mr.. Borden as he sa
at his desk. She had to pass directl
behind him to get to his wastebaske,
and his obvious anger-pounding o.
he edge of the drawer with hi
clenched fist-aroused her curiosity
50 that she looked over his slroulde
rs she passed. He was evidently re
reading the letter after he had rea
1t once and put it away in the drawe,
Minnie is positive that it was shee
Of orchid-tinted notepaper. closel
written in violet ink.
Then why the devil didn't she sa
about 1t when / questione
her?" the detective grumbled. But h
pulled out the tWo-inch deep middl
drawer of the desk. and STOPPING, in
serted a hand and tapped against tn
roof Of the cavity exposed. "A hollo,
sound rewarded him. You're .righ
There's a drawer above this one,
secret drawer. And no apparer
means of opening it.
Let me try!" Ruth suggested, an
began to press her fingers against tn
deliberately carved strip of walnu
which was undoubtedly the front en-
Of the secret drawer, though it ap
peared to be only the edge of the DIES
top. Her efforts met with failure un
ii her fingers pressed hard upon
carved leaf directly above the RICH
corner of the unconcealed middl
drawer. The carved strip swung slow
~ inward, revealing a shallow drawe
less than an inch deep. triumphant
the girl pulled it out There was NO
one orchid-tinted letter, but six g
Them, with the last received on TOT
1t the front Of the little drawer.
Don't destroy fingerprints Nc
Mann warned Ruth. "Here-let m
handle It," And with infinite caution
The detective drew the letter from It
arge, square envelope, touching onl
one corner of the sheet as he shoe
It out and laid it on the blotter q
he dead mans desk.
May I read it," Ruth begged, an
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