Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-12-30
Al Bridge
ARA tn ANNE AUSTIN 11b1s< e<-rae BLACK PIGEON:
dssE 'TE AENens ssSar. ~ .s.sLsR eSssTaas-
Begin Here Today

ing dinner with Penny Grain the
Sunday after Juanita Selim is mur-
dered al Bridge, tells her the latest
findings: Suspicion centers heaviest
on Ralph Hammond, in love with
Nita, who has disappeared. Dundee
suspects that Ralph came to Nita's
house from the rear, unseen by
Polly Beale and his brother. Give,
who were watching for him. shot
Nita in her bedroom with a Maxim
s!lencer stolen from Judge Marsh
all, Nita's landlord, TO whom she
paid no rent, and fled.
Suspicion also rests on Flora
Miles. in Nita's closet at the time
Of the murder reading a note which
she thinks is from her husband,
but which is really from Dexter
Sprague. who came from New York
to join Nita, and whom Penny ac-
cuSes of the murder. Lydia, Nita'S
maid. whose face Nita had burned
horribly and to whom Nita left all
her money in an attempt 10 COM
pensste. is practically cleared.
Ralph, however. appears and tells
Penny that he is cured OF his in
fatuation for Nita. The morning OF
Nita's death. Ralph. IN estimating
the cost Of remodeling Nita's attic,
finds bedroom evidence that Sprague
was her lover. Polly. calling for
Nita. who has already gone. finds
Ralph. and forces him TO come
with her. He promises not to come
to the party, and instead goes to O
cheap hotel TO drink II Off" The
next morning he realizes he loves
Penny. and writes a note to Nita,
who had already promised 10 marry
him. telling her he is through. He
asks Penny very humbly TO marry
him. She promises TO, and then calls
in Dundee.
Now 90 on with the story
CHAPTER XVII
It was nearly nine o'clock Mon
day morning. and Dundee sat alone
in the district attorneys office. i'm
patiently awaiting the arrival OF
his chief. Coroner Price, with the
approval of Captain Strawn Of the
homicide squad, had set the inquest
into the murder Of Juanita Leigh
Selim for 10 o'clock. and there was
much that Dundee wished to say
to the district attorney before that
hour arrived.
When the thoroughly tired ana
dispirited young detective had re-
turned 70 his apartment late sun
day afternoon, after having seen
Ralph Hammond completely exon
Grated az any possible completely
I'm the murder Of Nita Selim. he had
found a telegram from the district
attorney. filed in Chicago.
CALLED CHICAGO SERIOUS
ILLNESS OF MOTHER STOP RE-
TURNING HAMILTON EIGHT
TEN MONDAY MORNING STOP
SEE BY PAPERS YOU ARE ON
SELIM JOB STOP GOOD BUT
WATCH YOUR STEP-SANDER-
SON"
Well-and Dundee grinned rue
fully-he had been on the Job all
right. but would Sanderson consider
that he had watched his step2' Al
any rate. he had been thorough. he
congratulated himself. as he weigh
ed the big manila envelope contain
AAAk A4AN 0NfAA AAGAA&GAA IAANAA vi NA#4
copious shorthand notes he had
ataken during the first hours of the
Investigation. "A smaller envelope
held Nita'S tell-talc checkho0k. her
amazing last viii and testament,
and still more startling note she
had written to Lydia Carr. The last
two Dundee had retrived from
Carraway only this morning, after
having submitted them to the fin
gerprint expert on Sunday.
Carraway's report had rather
dashed him at first. for it proved
that no other hands than Nita's-
and his own. OF course-hsd touch
cd either envelope or contents. But
he was content now TO believe that
Mia herself had unsealed the en-
velope she had inscribed ITO Be
Opened in Case Of My Death.
Why?.. Had she been moved by an
impulse 70 give a clue to the iden-
t.ty Of the person Of whom she
stood ia fear. but had stifled the
impulse?
Strsvn had said. too. that the
little rosewood desk had been IN q
fairly orderly condition. before his
big official hands had claNed
through it il search OF q clue or
the gun itself. We'll, 5trawn had
been properly chagrined when Dun
dee produced the win and note.
Why did she stick 1t away IN a
pack oi new envelopes. II she want
Cd 1t to be found?" Strawn had de-
manded irritably. and rad not been
appeased by Dundee'S suggestion:
Because she did not want Lydia,
in busting the desk, 70 see It and be
alarmed"
Yes. he had been busy enough.
but what. actually, had he to show
ioi lis industry? He had worked
up three good caSes-the first against
Lydia Carr, the second against Dex-
ter Sprague, and the third against
Ralph Hammond-only to have them
knocked to pieces almost as fast as
he had conceived OF them 49,, OF
! course Lydia Carr might have been
lying 10 give Sprague an abb. but
Dundee was convinced that she was
telling the truth and that she hated
Sprague too much to fake an allbi
for him ... OF course there was
always Judge Marshall, but
Through the closed door came
sounds which Dundee presently
identified as connected with Penny
Grains arrlval-the emphatic click
of her heels; the quick opening and
shutting OF desk drawers.
The down-hearted young detective
debated the question Of taking his
~perplexities out to her. but decided
against it. She probably wanted to