The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-03
CHAPTER THIRTY -FOUR Con
tinued)

CHAPTER TEIRTY-FOUR Con
tinuedD
What did you hear?" asked the
detective.
"Oh, 1 don't know. It might have
been a floor board creaking. They
DO that in cur house. But heard
it several times. ana after while I
took ~ my shoes and went over to
the Soo~.
Il was sure somebody was on the
landing then, so 1 went back to the
table, turned the light out, discon-
nected the cord, showed the shade
OF, and sneaked back to the door
with the lamp in my hand. It's a
heavy affair and I figured if ever
hit anybody with it. there'd be a
funeral ;"
George NIacKray suddenly burst
out laughing. But seeing that he
was making a spectacle of himself,
he sobered quickly.
And what then?" the detective
urged impatiently.
well. I heard the doorknob turn
ing and the next thing I knew a
light shot across the room and
somebody was coming in :"
George EIcc-<ray was no longer
laughing. He was leaning forward,
his hands clutching the arms Of his
chair. his body tense.
Il raised the lamp over my head"
Mary Della continued, land waited.
From the glow of the flashlight 1
couIS ---'-- out a mans form, but I
was waiting for him to turn so I
could get a squint of his face. And
then he turned just enough for me
to see a corner of a red mask, and I
let go
You mean you screamed" asked
the detective.
Re YOUR age" said Mary Della.
ct soid let go. Let go the lamp,
brother. He ker-hopped like that,
cold. I picked up the flash and was
STOPPING over to pull the mask of
his eyes when his hand closed
around my leg. lost my nerve then
and fennled over him in a dead
faint. When I come to, he had
made his exit and was stretched
out on the floor Now you want
to know about that night on the
Che-tire read
II q
MOT so fast, Miss Chubb," Lieu
IN tenant McMullen said grufly.
"What you've Just told us is of first
rate Importance, if you only realized
it. It fits in with something we al
ready know and suggests to me that
the Red Mask knows you wrote the
original note to the superintendent.
You see, that's the second time he's
appeared since the murder. Both
times you are present"
Il hope I'm not under suspicion.
Mary Della smiled. But if you call
that little act at the armory dur
ing the policemen's ball an appear
ance, I think you're wrong"
You saw him at the armory
didn't you?" the detective asked.
Il saw whoever it was that turned
a f1ashlight on himself in the bal
cony when the lights went out,
Mary Della admitted. But t
wasn't the same fellow I saw on
the Cheshire road and again in my
house Saturday night"
But how do you know?"
well. the fellow that wore the
red mask in the armory must have
weighed a good deal less, for one
thing. We couldn't see anything but
his face, YOU know, but his face was
thin. And then, too, it had some
color in it.
What do you mean by that?"
asked the detective. Didn't the
Cheshire road Red Mask have any
color?"
mot a DROP Mary Della declared
emphatically. Il can't describe 1t
very well, but it was so white you
wouldn't forget it in hurry"
Sounds like a victim Of amaze
mia" said the detective.
cor dropsy,'' suggested Robert.
sounds like Santa Claus with too
much powder on to me-" George OIL
fered. and ducked an imaginary
blow from Robert.
q q .
= LIEUTENANT M'MULLEN tapped
IL the table idly with the end OF
his pencil.
Lets see, now" he said. could
It have gotten around that you
wrote the note about the murder
Miss Chubb?"
mo" said Mary Della, positively
eat least, not before yesterday"
IAN old fame of mine figured il
out for himself and told one Of the
girls at the shop. And he tipped
the superintendent of, too. You
know about that"
oh, Speaks. you mean. BY the
way, where was Speaks the night
you and Mr.. Calkman parked on
the Cheshire road?"
Playing craps" Mary Della re-
klied frankly. Shooting craps.
ould have said. Anyhow he said