The Indianapolis times., 1930-03-21

nothing until the hem itself was
passing under his nose.
well, I guess that settles it!''
he grunted with satisfaction. "The
hem of this skirt has been in the
summer house, Miss, if you haven't!
Now for the capel"
HIS nose was Unrewarded, how
Il ever, and he was about to toss
the gold metal cloth garment aside
when Dundee Sprang forward.
Il think you've overlooked some
thing, Captain Strawn," he said
quietly, pointing to a thin, dark
brown, horizontal line halfway down
the back Of the cape.
Strawn uttered sharp exclama-
ton, then scratched at the dark
streak with a fngernan.
Blood" he announced triumph
antly, his gray eyes boring into the
girl, who had retreated until she
was leaning weakly against the foot
of her bed.
"Blood?" she whispered. "I swear
I didn't see any blood never
dreamed-"
you thought you'd got rid of
every trace of Doris Matthews
blood, eh?'' Strawn asked grimly.
Pretty hard thing to destroy
! bloodl"
stop! You're going to make her
faintr' Gigi commanded. "Clorinda
didn't kill Doris! Why should She?
You have to have a motive to kill
people Oh, darlingi Don't look
so sick! Lean on Gigi!"
I'm all right" Clorinda said
duly, but one of her beautiful white
hands gripped her little sisters
shoulder to steady herself. "Gigi is
right. 1 didn't kill Doris"
Then maybe you'll tell us who
did, since you were on the scene of
the crime last night?" Strawn sug-
gested Come now! Who was it?
Your brother. Dick?"
It saw no one kill Doris Clo-
rinda answered, her voice trembling.
Il did not even know she had been
killed until Gigi told me this morn
ing. D.. Oh, please give me time!
I'll tell you what little 1 do know.
II did go into the summer house
last night, because I passed near
enough to it to get a terribly strong
whiff of F1eur glamour. At first 1
thought it was just the perfume on
my dress but another gust of wind
brought the smell with such sicken-
ing force that I decided to inve5ti-
gate.
Il walked toward the summer
house, since the smell seemed to
come from there 1t was light
enough for me to sec"
"How?" Strawn interrupted.
THE lights that encircled the
lake, concealed among the rocks,
were on, as usual" Clornida ex-
planned tiredly, not realizing that
she was telling the detectives some
thing they already knew "I entered
the summer house and saw big ir-
regular wet spot on the floor, near
the circular bench.
7 stopped, to make sure, and
found that a lot Of perfume had
been spilled there. I also saw that
whoever had spilled it had tried to
wash it up, for the surrounding floor
had been swabbed with water, but
that was almost dry.
IT wondered who on earth could
have done it, then thought mother
had discovered my absence"
And had come looking for you
with flask Of perfume in her
hand?" Strawn interrupted, with a
twisted smile of incredulity.
NTOTHER is so excitable." Clo-
1Vl rinda went on wearily. IT
thought it possible that she had
gone to my room, carrying the per-
fume, perhaps for me to admire
again Mr.. Crosbys thoughtfulness,
and had discovered my absence and
had rushed out of the house to look
for me about the grounds.
I could imagine her stumbling in
the summerhouse and breaking the
flask. 1t was h"r perfume. I had
heard her tell Wicket to take it to
her rooms. Naturally I could think
of no other explanation as to how
the perfume got there"
Dundee and Strawn exchanged a
long, questioning glance. Was it
possible that Clorinda was telling
the truth, that she had hit upon an
explanation of the most puzzling
factor of the case?
But another thought occurred to
Dundee almost instantly. yet you
went to your room, Miss Berkeley,
without taking the trouble TO go TO
your mother and reaSsure her?"
"Yes." she agreed. Struggling. II