The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-08-26
The Black Box Of Silence

10 WOrK Lne COmDlQdLlOu Oh the LaDOTd-
tory safe, the mere fact that the mag
nifying glass had shown faint line
running across the bail of the foot in
the soft soil imprint under Landis'
window wouldn't have suggested the
thought of connecting Betty with the
disappearance Of the black box. But
the telltale mark, added to Landis' ad-
mission, seemed to leave little room
for doubt, though even with the EVIL
dence thus all but conclusive, the thing
was blankly incredible.
AS he let the blue roadster amble
along toward the college suburb, Mark
ham tried to convince himself of the
absurdity Of the circumstantial evil
dence conclusion. First, it involved the
assumption that, instead of going di-
rectly home after the play, Betty had
delayed her return for at least an
hour, since 1t was nearly midnight be-
fore the black box had been locked
up in the laboratory safe. Again, the
automobile track and the double set
of footprints in the alley proved that
two persons were concerned, and II
Betty were the woman, Candy must
have been the man, since he was her
escort for the evening.
Reaching this point, Markham told
himself that the thing was blankly
unbelievable. Betty might play
trick on Owen; but that she would
make a man her accomplish was
ridieulously incredible. Also, there
was the matter of the fire-marked
shoe. Would Betty have worn pair
Of golf shoes to the theater? Mark
ham weighted the probabilities for
and against, and the 'againsts" had 1t
by an overwhelming majority.
He parked his car in front Of the
Lawson house and ran up the steps
with the box under his arm. When
the maid came to answer his ring he
was told that Miss Betty had gone
across the campus on an errand for
her father and would be back in
few minutes. Would he come in and
wait?
He would and did; and after the
maid had shown him into the parlor
and had gone back to her work,
masterful temptation assailed him.
With Betty, who was her fathers
housekeeper, out of the way, and the
professor busy with his classes in the
nearby college buildings, he knew he
was alone in the house, save for the
maid. He knew which one Of the
upper rooms was Betty's. At the
prompting of an impulse quite as law
less as the one-Betty's or another's-
that had led to the burglariZing Of
Landis' safe, he ran rapidly up the
stairs to the floor above.
He hoped he might find the door
of Betty's chamber standing open, and
it was. Feeling more like sneak
thief than anything else, he went in.
There was pair of shoes standing
beside the dressing chair Were they
the shoes she had worn to and from
the theater-changing, Of course,
when she costumed for her part on
the stage? He was afraid they were,
and he wished she had put them
away hidden them so that he couldn't
find them.
Since she hadn't-he picked up the
left shoe and examined the sole. It
not only bore the telltale crease across
the ball of the foot; to the conceived
front Of the low heel adhered a VS.
ible trace of the black soil of the
Lands back yard. Not to leave the
smallest chance of uncertainty, he took
the plaster cast from his pocket and
compared it with the shoe sole. The
marks were identical. While he
was wishing heartily that he
could discredit the evidence of his
own eyes. he happened to glance out
of the window, and saw the owner
Of the accusing shoe tripping across
the campus toward the house. In
frantic haste he replaced the shoe
beside its mate, pocketed the cast and
dashed down the stairs and into the
parlor a breathless moment before he
heard Betty fitting her key into the
latch Of the hall door.
eff need an excuse for this early
morning brash, here it is" he said, CIV
ing her the congratulatory box. II
wanted to be first in the field"
"Oh, how perfectly gorgeous!" she
cried, when the box was opened.
"You're- a dear, Wally; always dear!
Why doesn't some nice girl find 1t out
and make away with you?"
Exactly what I've asked myself
dozens of times" he laughed. "But
while there's life, there's hope. How
are you feeling after last nights strug-
gle?"
"Ch-was it struggle? Did it look
that way to you? What made you and
Owen take a stage box? Did you
think you might be able to rattle me
and make me forget my lines?"
"Sheer Devotion" he explained in
mock tenderness. 1--WE wanted to be
as near you as possible. Your work
was splendid. Not feeling any after
effects at all?"
She dropped into chair and passed
her hand over her forehead.