The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-09-22

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them"
"Do you mean to suggest she re-
NAMED in her cabin to escape observa-
tion?" Rankin probed shrewdly. "That
her Illness was pretense to avoid en-
counters with passengers and crew?
Is 1t possible that she feigned much of
her distress to have reasonable pre-
text for keeping to herself?"
well, yes; don't know why she
should have, but I don't suppose 1t is
out of the question"
AS Rankin dismissed the nurse. he
could not help being somewhat elated
at this information, trifling though it
was. For it raised some doubt
/ whether the woman who occupied
Cabin % was Laura Dumont And
when he summoned the stewardess
this mere speculation Unexpectedly
was fully and undeniably confirmed
An angular, middle-aged, sharp-fea-
tured woman, with inquisitive eyes
and firm mouth, Mrs. Winters took
chair; and Rankin repeated the
story of his search. But the instant
he touched on the passengers appear
ance, she halted him by an abrupt
gesture of the hand; as though in sat
isfaction, she nodded her head.
There, was right" she announced
proudly. "I'm not surprised at your
wanting to learn about her. I was
suspicious of her because her hair
wasn't golden blond at all She really
had dark brown hair, straight and not
curly; the light hair on top was just
wig over it !"
"How can you be certain Of that
that she wore disguise?' Rankin
demanded.
Mrs. Winters answered volubly.
"Well, l have eyes. Twice, when
this woman lay in bed particularly
bad, she was careless and let the wig
slip over to one side little. I dis
tinctly saw her real, darker hair I'M
derneath." She paused. hesitantly.
sand her name wasn't Laura Du
Monte either" she added.
"You discovered that, too?" Ran
kin's appreciation increased with his
enthusiasm. That's wonderful, Mrs.
Winters! How did you learn that?"
But suddenly the stewardess ceased
to be loquacious; as though regret
ting her frankness, she glanced appre-
hensively at the purser.
Il why :. I only guessed
that" she stammered nervously. 81 -.
maybe she was registered correctly.
only supposed from the fact that :"
Perceiving the cause for her dis
tress, the detective FASTENED to reas-
sure her.
''You need have no fear about re-
vealing where you obtained your
knowledge" he interrupted. moth
ing will be said, promise you. And
you may be instrumental in clearing
up serious crime and bringing the
criminals to Justice"
''You understand, I didn't mean to
be so newsy," the stewardess spoke
alphabetically. "But after what I had
noticed, / couldn't help wondering who
she was. And finally my curiosity got
the best of me- Toward the end of
the voyage, while she was in her bath,
I opened her largest suitcase and ex-
amined her clothes carefully. Some
of 1t was marked with name-tape."
sand who was she?" Rankin put the
query with barely suppressed inten-
sity.
''Her name was Myra Prentiss; she
had it only on few articles-an old
kimono, brassiere and two pairs of
hose. The rest was new and I'M
marked"
The detective soon established the
stewardess' inability to add further
to his information concerning the pas
senger. However, he was not disap-
pointed; already, he felt, his speedy
uncovering of the fraud and identify
ing his quarry was more luck than he
deserved. But for the woman's single
blunder while she was sick, he might
have drawn blank.
It was indisputable that Laura Jor-
dan had deliberately engineered an
alibi for herself, to mask her move
ments during the murder. Such an
elaborate deception could have no
other Interpretation. While her ac-
complete journeyed from st. Louis, she
must have been in Philadelphia; pre-
sumably, she had just met Miss Prem
tiss and secured from her the details
of the voyage. 1t mattered not
whether her confederate aided inno-
Gently, or whether she knew of the
murder plot, behind the trickery. She
must be found; the fact remained that
in one way or another, Laura Jordan,
whom she could incriminate, was re-
sponsible for her husbands death.
But how, Rankin deliberated I'M
easily, was he to trace the actress ac-
complete? Considering this problem,
Rankin reflected on how Jordan's wife
might have enlisted the missing wom-
an in this imposition. Obviously, she
was selected because of her superficial
resemblance to the actress, which
makeup and wig would enhance.
In that case. her participation could
scarcely be guiltless; she probably ex-
pected to share the Inheritance the