The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-20

window nearer the east wall of the trophy room. He lay on his side. | his left cheek against the floor. the fingers of his left hand still clutch- l ing the powder burned bosom of his soft shirt, now stiff with dried blood. a pool of which had formed and then half congealed upon the rug. The right hand, the fingers l half curled but not touching each other. lay palm upward on the floor at the end of the rigid, outstretched arm. The one visible eye was half open, but on the sallow. thin face, which had been strikingly hand some in an obvious sort of way, was a peace and dignity which Dun- dee had Eever seen upon Sprague's face when the man was alive. The left leg was drawn upward SO that the knee almost touched the bullet pierced stomach.
 How long has he been dead. doctor?" Dundee asked quietly.
 Hello. boy!" Dr Price greeted him placidly. Always the same question! I've been here only a few Strawn that I shall probably be un- able to five the hour of death with any degree of accuracy"
 "Took your time. didn't you. Bonnie?" Captain Strawn greeted his former subordinate on the homi- eide squad. Doe says he's been dead between 10 and 12 hours. Since it's nearly 10 now. that means Sprague was killed sometime be- tween nine and II o'clock last night"
 Better say between nine o'clock and midnight last night" Dr Price I hour or more = unconscious. of course. For the indications are that he did not die instantly, but stag gered a few steps. clutching at the wound. But of course shall have to perform an autopsy first" l Dundee crossed the room. step ping over the dead mans stick-a swank affair of dark. polished wood. with q heavy knob of carved onyx, which lay about foot beyond the reach of the curled fingers of the stiff right hand.
 "Sprague's hat?" he asked. point ing to brightly banded straw which lay upon the top of the cab met.
 "Yes." Strawn answered. And did you notice the window screen?' ?' | He pointed to the window in l AIolIL oL "AiCh tiC Oouy Aoy' AAN sash of leaded panes was raised as high as it would go, and beneath 1t was a screen of the roller-curtain type, raised about six inches from the window sill. A pair of curved, nickel-plated catches in the center of the inch-wide metal band on the bottom of the coppernet curtain showed how the screen was raised or lowered.
 You'll have to admit I was right right now, boy. You've sneered at my gunman theory and tried to pin Nita's murder on one of Hamil- tons finest bunch of people, but you'll have to admit now that every detail of this .setup bears me out
 "Yes?"
 Sure. This is the way figure 1t out: Sprague has good reasons to be afraid he's next on the program. He's nervous. He hops a taxi at his hotel and comes here -, can't stick to his room any longer. Wants a little human companionship. This crowd here and I have Miles word for it---ain't any too glad to see him, and shows it. He phones for a taxi to go back to his hotel about ::15. that was. Miles says but decides to walk down the hill to meet it. Doesn't want to go back out on the porch and lie about hav- ing had a good time, when he front door if this was any ordinary house. but before he steps out he sees or hears something-probably a rustling in the hedge across the driveway or maybe he even sees q face, in the light from the lan- terms on each side of the door.
 "He feels sure Nita's murderer iias traiied him. Tn ;l panic he darts into this room. and don't turn on the light for fear he'll be seen from the windows, but he can see well enough to make out how the screens work. I'll bet you anything room for an hour or two, till he thought the coast was clear. then eased up this screen, intending to climb out of the window and drop to the ground. Not much of drop at that. You can see that the tall hedge on this side of the driveway comes pretty near up to these windows. Well, I figure he laid his hat on this cabinet, in- tending to reach in for 1t when he was outside, but that he made some little noise which the gunman was listening for. and that when he got the screen up this high, the gum man, crouching under the window, let go with the same gun and silcncer that he used to bump off Nita. I've got Miles word for it that neither he nor nobody else heard a shot. Of course. mo- body knew Sprague was in here. and since his hat and stick was both missing from the hall closet, they took it for granted he'd beat 1t. Any objections to that theory, boy?"
 Just q few one In particular" Dundee said. But I grant it's good one. provided Dr Prices autopsy bears you out as to the course of the bullet and that Carra- way finds Sprague's fingerprints on that contrivance for raising the screen. Even then"
 But Dundee was not allowed to finish his sentence, for Strawn was summoned to the telephone, by Whitson. When he returned there was a slightly bewildered look on his heavy old face.
 That's funny. Collins-the lad I sent to check up on the taxi companies-says he's located the driver that answered Sprague's call last night. The driver says he was told to wait for Sprague at the foot of the hill, on the main road; says he waited there until half-past 10. then went on back to town. sore'n a boiled owl"
 Sprague were afraid of anyone out side nf fhfs hnnSa lact piOhf dnac