The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-03-18

clumsily swabbed a section OF the
floor and of the bench. Very near
the bench, to the left Of the steps
leading into the water. there was q
family brownish stain. which the
hasty swabbing had not been able
entirely to obliterate. Blood!
He was about to rise when his
eyes caught sight Of something eev-
eral feet away. on the floor against
the three-foot wall which formed
a back for the circular bench. He
was about to pick It up when he
remembered the necessity for pre-
serving fingerprints. He let It lie.
1t was the big crystal stopper
from the perfume flask.
HAS there been a~n-accident.
sir?" Wicket called. his voice
quavering like an old mans.
mo, Wicket! Not an accident.
Murder!" Dundee answered with
brutal directness, for there was no
time now for sparing feelings. II
am going to telephone to the pc.
lice, and I think you and Mr.. Cros.
by had better remain where you
are. BY M means 60 into the sum.
merhouse. and let no one else enter
it until the police arrive. Have
you spread the word that there's
been an taccident'?" he added, ig-
noring the buffers Mortified quaver.
ings.
mo. s.sir. s-saw Miss Gigi and
Miss Clorinda returning. They
seemed upset. but Miss Clorinda
would not let Miss Gigi explain.
IL thought one Of you gentlemen
had been hurt. sir"
QUT before the butler had finished
- his explanation Dundee was
s~printing for his dressing gown.
discarded at the springboard.
Struggling into 1t. he cut across
to the cement walk which led di.
rectly from the summerhouse di.
agonally across the lawn to the
driveway that curved about the
back Of the house.
His trained mind automatically
made note Of the fact that the muir.
derer's feet, II the murderer had
come from the Berkeley house,
need not have left the hard. un.
betraying surface Of cement, wheth.
er the exit from the house had been
made by front door or rear. For
the broad driveway completely en-.
circled the house. But the short.
est route to the summcrhouse was,
Of course, from the rear door.
To his own knowledge, Clorinda
Berkeley had stolef out last night
by the back door. And It was her
modernistically patterned Batik
scarf with which the stone-weighted
skirts OF the maid had been tied!
But Dick Berkeley had also
stolen out Of the house. to keep .
rendezvous with the girl who was
now dead. And Dick Berkeley was
missing. or had been missing az late
as half an hour ago. Two suspects
already. -.
The back door was not latched.
The detective entered and strobe
swiftly but quietly toward the but.
ler's pantry. which had q telephone,
he knew. Al he passed an open
door on the opposite side OF the
hall he heard = dat, indignant fe.
male voice declaring:
mo. ma'am. she amt In, her
room! Her bed amt been slett in.
! tell you. Mrs. Ryan! A fine
howdy.de-do. I must say. even II
she IL engaged! Staying out Ill
night never did trust that
uppity little English snip"
The sc. ;ants' sitting room. Prob
ably the cook and . chambermaid
mulling. with relish, what they
thought was q nasty bit Of back.
stairs scandal.
Reaching the buffers pantry IN.
heard. Dundee found the telephone
and gave the number Of police
headquarters.
Ito BE Continuedl