The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-02-23
'HERBER!T's|
 :;ADlNSs

QIedQ dlVSlIldIlNe!
 If he did it. answered Jimmie "he is not likely to escape. Not one murderer in fifty does" 1 The girl shivered, thought it was warm night.
 Your sister said you had not been sleeping" he went on. Why don't you get a sedative from the doctor?" She made no answer, and he added, Have you seen Dr. Meth erton today?"
 [ No"
 His mother said he was busy. I suppose he could not get over this evening?"
 We did not ask him" i So Bill Netherton had not been asked. This to Jimmie proved they were not openly lovers, or he would have come without being asked. If they were lovers in secret, they might wish to keep apart until Richmond's suspicious were lulled. Jimmie knew there must be some thing hidden, but it baffled him. Why had Stirling come to the house? How was he concerned? The dark-eyed Janet served them coffee and cakes in what was still called the young ladies' room. Stir ling suggested playing cards, but the idea was not much liked, and when Duckworth declined to sing, lall seemed to agree that music and mirth would hardly be seemly in the house C. sorrow. Then Jimmie had happy thought. He turned to Duckworth
 "Is it as easy for singers to get engagements today as it was in the days before the movies and oth- CT modern amusements virtually eliminated the concert halls?" he asked
 Duckworth, without directly an- swering the question. pointed to the modern demand that variety pro- grams include two or three good singers. Listeners demand it," he added.
 Speaking of listeners said Don aid, how does the radio affect iyou?"
 Badly. The broadcasters hire Ia dozen artists and put hundreds cut of employment.
 How about the graphophone?" continued Jimmie.
 T hate it. There are royalties, of course, from records, but they reduce attendance at entertain ments."
 T would never have one in my house." said Evelyn warmly
 NO, Aunt Annabelle would never allow it."
 And so the talk went on, at least making the evening more pleasant
 When Jimmie returned with his friends to their home, a message was awaiting him, left, the maid said, by policeman on bicycle It was from Richmond and read:
 We were right. J. A. is clear.
 He left the Brown Bear at 8:30
 and rode straight to Beighton
 near Sheffield to say goodbye
 to sister in service there. Ar
 rived before 9:30. Her employer,
 Colonel Welsted, saw him. Off,
 fered to put him up for the
 night and to give him tempor-
 ary job. J. A. Stay. Cast-iron
 alibi So we are where we were.
 Hope you will be able to at
 tend inquest tomorrow. G. R.
 Certainly this development made the approaching inquest more im- portant. At any rate, by the time Monday morning arrived nearly every one present for the investi- gation knew of Joe Aliens alibi.
 When Jimmie and Nancy Wade reached Querling Institute. where the inquest into the staying of it's donor was scheduled the hall was crowded. Police from Bradford were directing matters, but Con- stable Roscoe never felt himself quite so indispensable Audrey Win ford sat with Jimmie and Nancy, whose husband had work. for the day and could not attend.
 Nine men were on the jury--three farmers. two private residents and four shopkeepers-and three wom- en, one being hostess at the Brown Bear. They were sworn, taken to see the body and with solemn faces filed back and took their seats.
 Dr. Burbeck, the middle-aged coroner for the district. after few preliminary remarks, called Evelyn Blake as the first witness. Jimmie thought that Richmond, who was near the coroner's table, had some reason for the choice.
 Evelyn, pale and distressed, tried to steady her voice and answer without nervousness. After giving Miss Querdling's name and age, she said that she, her sister and her brother in London. were the only living relations. She told of her aunt's habit of sitting in the Dutch garden and explained, so far as she knew, how each mem