The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-22

the fact that Polly and Give got married this morning, I mean. .. |. l wasn't surprised when read about the wedding in the extra. It's exactly like Polly to make up her mind suddenly. after putting Give off for a year"
 "So it was Polly who held back" Dundee said to himself. Aloud: "No, I didn't learn much new, Penny. You're most excellent and accurate reporter. But there were one or two things that came out. For instance, I got Drake to admit to me. in private. that Nita did give him an explanation as to
 Yes" Penny prompted eagerly.
 Drake says" Dundee answered dryly. "that Nita told him 1t was back alimony' which she had suc- ceeded in collecting from her former husband. Unfortunately, she did not say who or where the mys- terious husband is."
 "Poof!" scored Penny. Don't you see? She just said that to satisfy Johnny's curiosity. After all, 1t was the most plausible ex- planation of how grass-widow got hold of a lot of money"
 '"So plausible that Mir Drake may have thought of it himself" Dun dee reflected silently. Aloud he con- tinued his report to the girl who had been of so much help to him: Among the other minor things that came out this morning. and which the papers did not report, was the fact that Janet Raymond tried to commit suicide by drinking shoe polish. Fortunately her father discovered what she had done al- most as soon as she had swallowed the stuff, and made her take ipecac and then sent for the doctor."
 "Oh, poor Janet!" Penny groaned. "She must have been terribly in love with Dexter Sprague, though what she saw in him"
 Dundee made no comment, but continued with his information: Another minor development was that Tracey Miles admitted he and Flora had quarreled over Sprague after all of you left, and that Flora took two sleeping tablets to make sure of a nights rest"
 She's been awfully unstrung ever since Nita's murder" Penny defended her friend. "She told us all Monday night at Peters that the doctor had prescribed sleeping medicine. Now. you look here. Bonnie Dundee!" she cried out smile on the detective's face, If you think Flora Miles killed Nita Selim and Dexter Sprague, because she was in love with Dexter and suspected he was Nita's lover be- cause of that silly note"
 Whoa, Penny!" Dundee checked her. "I'm not thinking exactly that. But I've just remembered some- thing that ha seemed of no inn portance to me before."
 And what's that, MT Smart Aleck?" Penny demanded furiously
 Before I answer that question, will you let me do a little theoriz- ing?" Dundee suggested gently. "Let us suppose that Flora Niles was not in love with Sprague, but that she was being blackmailed by Nita for some scandal Nita had heard gos- siped about at the Forsyte school |. No. wait! Let us suppose further that Nita recognized Flora's picture in the group Lois Dunlap showed her, as portrait of the girl whose story she had heard: that she was able, somehow, to secure incrim- mating evidence of some sort-let- ters. let us say. Nita tells Sprague about it, and Sprague advises her to blackmail Flora, who. Lois has told Nita, is very rich. So Nita comes to Hamilton and bleeds Flora for $10,000. Not satisfied, Nita makes another demand. the money to be paid to her the day of the bridge luncheon-"
 silly" Penny scoffed furiously. "The only evidence you have against poor Flora is that she stole the note Dexter had written to Nita!"
 That's the crux of the matter, Penny darling!" Dundee assured her in a maddeningly soothing voice. at which Penny clenched her hands in impotent rage. "Flora, seeing Nita receive a letter written