The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-09

carefully by the neck.
Sorry to be so long" he ex-
planned, "but I had to buy some
powder and some other junk +.
I got pretty good thumb print, I
think, but the rest are not so good
wanta wait here a little longer
till go up and develop this? I'll
hurry.
What's the bottle for?" Mary
asked, bewildered.
Don't touch it," He drew it away
from her pointing finger. cts his
the F1y's. He drinks a special brand.
Mike sneaked it for me while Jacks
back was turned.
Let me get upstairs with it, quick,
before something happens to it," He
was laboring under strong excite
ment. Cant y imagine it?" I been
carrying this down the street like
this. Afraid to wrap it up and smear
the print. Wonder I wasn't pinched."
He started off and Mary followed.
"Oh, don't leave me here! One
more black mark on my reputation
won't hurt. I'm going up with you"
In the elevator she asked bitterly,
Did you know what was in that
magazine you gave me?"
When they were out Of hearing
of an exotic-looking couple who
went up in the elevator with them
she told him. Bowen did not seem
impressed.
ooh, who reads that lousy little
sheet anyway? A handful of nit
wits with more money than brains,
who know it anyhow, and about
million repressed school teachers
who won't understand it after they
read it. Forget it."
Emily Ann Ruyther reads it"
Mary said worriedly. Il suppose
she's in the midst of pink fit by
now"
Forget i'll Well have Emily Ann
begging your pardon on Bonded knee
before we're through"
TIE propped the door of his room
4 Il open with book, and laid his
purchases out on the table, the
precious bottle occupying an open
space all its own After that, they
did not bother to talk.
Bowen set to work and Mary
watched, absorbed. The thumb print
came up clearly, the others were,
as he had said, too faint to be. of
much good.
Presently he raised a flushed,
perSpiring countenance and said
dramatically: 'Now!" He laid on
the table the sheet of paper con-
tanning the fingerprints obtained
from the gun.
Beside it he placed fipgerprint
chart and a magnifying glass.
Occupying the place of honor
stood the whisky bottle, erect, it's
powder-blackened sides showing a
variety of finger smudges.
He bent his eye to the magni-
flying glass, moving it from one to
the other, back and forth.
I'm no expert" he said, at last,
"but if those thumb-prints aren't
identical, I'll eat 'em. I'll get an
experts opinion on it, if you want
it. The boys N the Identification
bureau will do it for me-"
do it, will you?" she asked
eagerly. It accept your word, but
we must be absolutely certain"
Fright. Tomorrow, without fail.
Well, Miss Sherlock Holmes, let's
shut up shop for tonight"
He removed a pile of clean shirts
from a dresser drawer, laid his eX-
hibits carefully away in the empty
drawer, locked it, and they went
out.
TITS only 10 o'clock" he whis-
pered in the elevator. you'll be
home and in beddy-bye in an hour.
What could be sweeter? And don't
worry, your boy-friendll come
around all right.
Keep a stiff upper lip, and re-
member what you've got now to
knock sense into him with-that
whisky bottle"
CHE didn't want to hear him talk
y about it. She was more CRATE
full than she could ever say for the
surety he had just given her. 1t
made her course clear.
But personally, he had become
family repulsive to her I. that
declaration of his was shocking,
somehow, conferred as her emotions
were in Dirk, and Dirk only. Per-
haps she drew away slightly; her
feelings may have shown in her
face.
Listen, forget what I said
while ago, will you?" he said. II
ought not to have-but hell, you
asked for it! And I know it doesn't
make any difference to YOU"
"Oh, I'd forgotten all about til"
she assured him, surprised at his
perception.
They stepped out into the lobby.
Hungry" he asked. Better
have cup of coffee before you go.
You look done up. Did you eat
anything at Shay's?"
Not much,' she confessed and
followed him, almost webbing with
faintness and WEAKNESS, to the grill,
which was empty except for the
couple they had seen in the ele-
vator
Mary recognized them without
more than brief glance. The odor
of the woman's oriental perfume
was overpowering. The man with
her was odd-looking, too-foreign,
apparently.
Such of their talk as drifted to
her ears was in French, and his
clothes sloppily worn, his hair thick
and long below his large black felt
hat. He wore small waxed mus
tache.
q
MARY began to feel a peculiar
4VA uneasiness. She had been I'M