The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-06
9 1929 ~ Mex SERVICE INC.

cheerfully. That's Sherlock's pre-
rogative, 50 we'll pretend that it's
my head that's wreathed in smoke
clouds. if you'll furnish the clouds. "
She thrust the pipe into his hand,
then struck a match, so that he
was forced to put the stem between
MS lips. She waited until the first
puff Of smoke and the first hint OF
relaxation on Morgans tight, gray
face rewarded her strategy.
"Well?' Morgan asked another
strained smile Pickering across his
face. Who murdered Mrs. Andrew
Ward. my dear Holiness
Nobody murdered Mrs. Andrew
Ward. my dear Watson!'
You're not trying to be funny,
are you?' the lawyer demanded,
with an anger that was not all
faxed. And Nan was grateful even
for his anger.
Not any funnier than old Mrs.
Ward was. when she committed sui
eide and made it look like muir
der Nan began to defend her
self spiritedly
Suicide? Well, III be" Nor
gan. whose attention she had un-
doubtedly captured, ran his fingers
slowly through his thick silver-fox
pelt.
Damned" Nan finished for him
cheerfully. Listen, Mr.. Morgan
it's as clear as day, once you get
used to the idea. Looking for the
criminal Siamese twins-motiVe and
opportunity-we we're up against a
stonewall all the time. The only per-
son. apparently who had both was
Lois Downs. I don't blame Brainerd
for being so cocksure of convicting
her. There was literally no one else
except the mysterious female who
made fingerprints on two bottles Of
poison in the medicine cabinet in
the bathroom, and on the medicine
cabinet itself.
But we couldn't find a soul who
had seen any woman other than Lois
Downs herself enter Mrs. Wards
room after HOO o'clock that night.
Therefore, who had an opportunity
to slip old Mrs Ward a strychnine
and bromide cocktail and leave tell
tale fngerprints behind her except
old Mrs. Ward herself-always eX-
cepting Lois Downs?" Nan de-
manded.
In the bathroom" Morgan
scoffed. Aren't you forgetting that
the old dame was paralyzed? To
leave flngerprints on the medicine
cabinet she would have had to walk
at least twenty feet from her bed
to the bathroom"
which is exactly what she did"
Nan COntended eXcitedly. Brain
erd had her doctor on the stand
he reached the old lady's bedside
Just before she died-and he reeled
of a swell medical line in answer
to the question Brainard asked
him. as to what allied the old shrew
before he was poisoned. 1t was
paralysis all right, in the doctors
opinion. but a sort of psychological
paralysis, if you know what mean.
She couldn't walk because she
didn't think she could You can
call DR.. Holtzmann back to the
stand and make him admit that if
she had tried hard enough and sud-
denly believed that she could walk,
she could have walked all right.
And I'll bet you can make him adj
nit that he'd told her so. Then
when she wanted to walk, so that
she could reach poison with which
to commit suicide. she remembered
what he said, and-walkedl Are
you with me?" she challenger, her
brown eyes very bright.
"Limping along slightly in the
rear" Morgan ginned family.
Il
II EFT me reconstruct the crime
l. as I believe it happened" Nan
urged. And crime is right That
old female f1end ought to be brought