The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-17
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE Con
tinuedl

His lazy eyes roved over the plain
severity but solid comfort of his
bedroom, and on past the open door
to take in appreciatively the equally
comfortable and masculine living
room. Pretty NIGEL That
leather-upholstered couch and arm
chair had been q real bargain, and
he liked them all the better for be-
ing rather scuffed and shabby. Then
his eyes halted upon covered cage,
swung from pedestal. -.
Poor old Cap'n Must be
wondering when the devil I'm 60
ing to get up" and he swung out
IF bed, lounged sleepily into the
small living room and whisked the
square Of black silk from the cage.
The parrot, formerly the prop
erty of murdered old Mrs. Hogarth
Of the Rhodes house, but for the
last year the young detectives
official Watson" ruffled his
feathers. poked his greenland
yellow head between the bars of
his cage and croaked hoarsely:
"Hullol Hullol"
"Hullo yourself, my dear Watsonl'
Dundee retorted your vacation is
over, old topl It's back on the job
for you and me bothI d.. Which
reminds me that I ought to be tax
ing a Squint at the Sunday papers,
TO see how much Captain StraWn
thought fit to tell the press"
LIE found The Hamilton Morning
L 4 News in the hall just outside
his living room door.
Listen, Captain. NJTA
SELId MURDERED AT BRIDGE
Probably the snappiest
streamer headline the News has
had for many a day. Now let's
see" He was silent for two min
utes, while his eyes leaped down
the lesser headings and the story
of the murder.
Then: Good old Strawnl Not
a word. my dear Watson, about your
absurd masters absurd perform
ance in having the death hand at
bridge replayed! Not word about
Ralph Hammond, the missing guestl
Not a word about Mrs. Tracey
Miles being hidden away in the
clothes closet while her hostess was
being murdered!
In fact, my dear Watson, not
a word about anything except
Strawn's own theory that hired
gunman from New York or Chicago
preferably Nita's home town,
New York, of course-sneaked up,
crouched in her window, and
bumped her off. And life-size photo
graphs of the big footprints under
the window to prove his theory!
BY golly, Capnl I clean forgot
to tell my former chief that I'd
found Nita's will and note to Lydial
He'll think / deliberately held out
on him WE'LL can't sit here
all day gossiping with you. Work
much work-to be done, then
Sunday dinner with poor little
Penny"
Four hours later a tired and dis
spirited young detective was climb
ing the stairs of the five-story
''walk-up" apartment house in
which Penny Grain and her mother
had been living since the financial
failure and flight of the husband
and father. Roger Grain.
Hello, there!" 1t was Penny's
friendly voice, hailing him from
the topmost landing of the steep
stairs. "All winded, poor thing?"
His eyes drank her in-the fresh
ness and sweetness of a domestic
Penny Grain, so different from the
thorny little Office Penny who
prided herself on her efficiency as
secretary to the district attorney.
Penny in lowered voile, with
a saucy, ruffled white apron. E.
But there we're purplish shadows
under her brown eyes, and her
gayety lasted only until he had
reached her side.