The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-11-29

May oCc 9OuA bA%N5C so--s
please, Mrs Miles?"
"My-bridge tallyl" she echoed
blankly. "Why-it must be on the
table where / was playing"
1T is not" Dundee assured her
quietly. Perhaps it is in your hand
bag?" and he glanced at the rather
large rafia bag that lay on the
table.
She snatched it up, slightly avert
ing her body as she looked hastily
through its contents.
"It-isn't here. 3. Oh, l don't
know where it is! What does ii
matter?"
without replying. Dundee es-
corted the trembling little discov-
erer Of Nita Selim's body into the
large ornate bedroom, murmuring
as he did so:
Don't be frightened, Mrs. Mar
shall. The bod mean Mrs. Selim
isn't here now. And you shan't
have to scream. I'll give the signal
myself. I just want you to &c
through the same motions you did
before"
On jerky feet the girl advanced
to Nita's now deserted vanity
dresser.
II was calling to her all the
time" she whispered. Il didn't
even wait to knock, and II began
20 tell her how much we'd made
off that hand, when when she
didn't answer. didn't touch
her, but I saw saw" Again she
gripped her face with her hands
and was about to scream again.
Il know" Dundee assured her
gently. Then he shouted: Ready
TTERDED by Strawn, the small
4 l. crowd of men and women came
running into the room, Judge
Marshall leading the way, Penny
being second in line.
Penny secondl Why not Flora
Miles, who had been nearer to that
room than any of the others, if her
story was true? Dundee asked him
self. But all had crowded into the
room, including Polly Beale and
Give Hammond, before Mrs. Miles
crept in. 800
as this the order of your arrival?"
Dundee asked them all.
Penny, who was standing against
the wall, just inside the doorway
spoke up, staring at Flora with
trowning intentness.
You're sort of mixed up, aren't
you. Flora? I IVES standing right
here until the worst of it was over
Il didn't even go near Mia, and
I know you didn't pass me.
81 remember that Tracey stepped
away from the-body, and called
YOU, and you weren't here. And
then almost the next minute saw
you coming toward him from-from
over there!"
And Penny pointed toward that
corner of the room which held, on
one angle. the door leading to the
porch, and on its other angle the
window from which. or from near
which Mia Selim had been shot.
You're lying, Penny Grain!
did no such thing!" Flora Miles
cried Historically. Il came running
-with-with the rest of you, and
1 rushed over there just to see if
could see anybody running away
across the meadow"
MY wife is right, sir" Tracey
Miles added his word aggressively.
L saw what she was doing-the
most sensible of all of us-and ]
ran to join her.
We looked out of the windows
both the side windows and the rear
ones. and out of the door on to the
porch. But we didn't see anything. .
And you we're the only one to
touch her, Sprague?"
"I-belieye so" Dexter Sprague
answered in a strained voice. Il
laid my hand on her-her hair,
for an instant, then picked up her
hand to see tiff there was any
pulse left"
"Yes?"
"She-she was dead"
And her hand-did it feel cold? p
Neither cold nor warm-just
COOL" Sprague answered in a voice
that was nearly strangled with emo
ton. "She-she always had cool
hands"
What did you do, Judge Mar
shall?" Dundee asked abruptly.
Il took my poor little wife away
from this room. laid her on a couch
in the living room, and then tele-
phoned the police.
Miss Grain stood at my elbow
urging me to hurry, so that she
might ring you-as she did. You
line was busy and she lost about five
minutes before getting you"
And the rest of you?" Dundee
asked.
$Nothing spectacular, I'm afraid
Mr.. DundeeI Polly Beale answered