The Indianapolis times., 1930-04-15

THE night clerk looked at the
clock and asked me if my girl and
I had a row, since it was so early"
Conway went on cheerfully. well,
went up to my room and stayed
there till Saturday morning.
I carried the jewelry in my
pockets while I made my rounds OF
the shops Saturday, but this morn
ing 1 slowed it away in my sample
case, because I was afraid some OF
it might drop out Of my pockets
on the golf course.
I was planning to call on the
trade as usual all day Monday, then
to leave Monday night for Chicago,
per schedule. I aimed to ged rid
of the stuff there, through a fence
who's been bothering me to go back
to the old racket" j."
WHY didn't you get rid OF the
w shirt and necktie?" Dundee
asked.
Just try to think up some way
Of getting rid Of an incriminatlng
bundle and see if you wouldn't have
done what 1 did," Conway retorted
reasonably. "I thought of a dozen
ways, each more dangerous than the
last, and finally 1 just left 'em
around, as if they didn't mean
thing in my young life"
Good psychology, which didn't
happen to work this time" Dundee
s;vnpathized. "The chambermaid
brought them in this morning"
"You can't crack a safe without
taking a chance" Conway shrugged.
"But if I'd tried to sneak out and
chuck 'em in an ash can, the chance
would have been ten times bigger
and as it turns out later, If I'd left
the hotel 1 wouldn't have had an
alright alibi on this murder
business.
"I didn't even know murder had
been committed out there until I
saw an extra Saturday morning
and at that time you didn't know
thered been burglary, so we were
quitS!"
And when you did learn of the
murder?" Dundee prodded.
God, / nearly lost my head!"
Conway admitted, with Shudder.
But l knew I had an alibi if worst
came to worst and Hubert Cart
wright was connected with Harvey
johnson, so I kept right on with
my program of acting natural and
taking orders for silk stockings"
"You say this Berkeley job was
a jumped-up affair" Strawn began
sourly, after long minute OF
silence. whats the yarn?"
FRIDAY morning nothing was fur
ther from my mind than to try the
old racket again" the prisoner an
swered earnestly. But when I was
showing my line to buyer in a
shop on Grand avenue heard Mrs.
Berkeley talking to Mrs. Lambert.
Shooting off her mouth to i'm
press people, I guess. 1 heard her
say. Dear Mrs. Lambert! Don't
let me forget to go to the safe de-
posit vault for my jewels and right
after we've had a bite of lunch, you
must dash over to the employment
bureau and try to get a valet Tor
dear Mr.. Crosby
Even Strawn grinned appreci-
atively at the excellent imitation OF
Mrs. Berkeley'S gushing speech and
manner.
"Well, I needed sudden money
and it was me that dear Mrs.
Lambert hired as a valet, Conway
continued. II had some references,
but there's no use asking me where
I got EN-"
For nearly an hour Captain
Strawn hammered away at his sus-
pect, eliciting a very full and in
teresting confession of the burglary,
but Dundee paid little attention.
His mind was occupied intensely
with more vital matters.
n
A T the end of the hour every de-
N tail of Harold Conway's allbi
had been checked and verified. The
owner of the coupe joined with the
night clerk and with the interur-
han motorman in clinching the
thing, for he promptly volunteered
the information that he had left
No. 4318 Fairview road at 1000.
And Doris Matthews was alive at
that time.
While Brede, the stenographer,
was preparing q statement LOT
Conway'S signature. Dundee drew
Captain Strawn aside and asked in
a low voice:
"Wen. what next. chief?"
Right back where we started
FROM Strawn admitted bitterly.
.sDistriSt Attorney Sherwood blew
in here this morning and told me
he'd take a hand himself If john
son proved a washout on the muir
der business. I'll have to call hlm
now and tell him the bad news"
He put in the call, with such re-
luctance that Dundee felt sorry Tor
him. When he hung up, he re-
joined his young subordinate ana
told him gloomily:
sherwood wants to see the notes
YOU took yesterday. Got EN- with
you?"
"Yes," Dundee admitted, drawing
the packet of folded sheets from
his pocket He removed the final
page. however, and returned it to
his pocket. "Nothing-just some
stuff 1 jotted down." he hastily an
swered the suspicion in Strawn'S
ewes. THE stories are all complete