The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-05-23
Chapter 8 PERHAPS A TRAP7


 schiem repeated, and the glance she gave her defiat-d bus. band was not pleasant. "Of course MT. Sundean had nothing to do with the murder. That clock sword there are a dozen explanations. But the police won't believe them. Give 1t to me-"
 The man made a protestant ges- lure. but nevertheless handed her .he sword, and she took it coolly.
 'Pll just wash this off and re- place it and nobody need know any. thing about it."
 Lovschiem looked blank.
 That won't do at all," he said. I don't know what you"
 "Lovschiem," she said sharply. Her eyes quelled his. Yet there was no reason that I could see for Madame Lovschiem's suddenly championing me.
 Moreover. didn't know that wanted her championship.
 In the first place, if l let her do as she proposed there was no dan ger of the girl, or me being accused of murder. At the same time. if the truth eventually came out, as 1t readily might, things would look much blacker for us. And l should give the Lovschiems 8 most detest. able hold over me.
 "No." I said. "We1l call the po- lice and let them know the whole thing. dagger and all. I didn't kill him. I'm not afraid"
 She stopped and looked at me in credulously. saw then that her eyes were green. limpid. and clear. and yet with tat look of secret reflection that a cats have.
 Not afraid?" she said rather softly. American, aren't you? Not bad-looking. either. Accustomed to having your own way. l suppose, with men-and women"
 You are too kind. madame. You'll leave the dagger exactly as 1t is. please. and your husband and will wait together while you phone for the police"
 "Pll do lothing of the kind," she said and turned to the bathroom, but caught her wrist and led her back to the dead man. She did not protest or even pull back when l told her to place the dagger on the dead mans chest, but 1 did not re. lease her wrist until she had done so, and her eyes shone like a cats when the light strikes them.
 She said nothing to me. however. She gave her husband a glance of scorn and fury but said in a smooth voice that was under perfect con- trol that, since MT. Sundean so wished. they might as we'll call the police.
 "Very we'll" said Lovschiem slug. gishly, as if his thoughts were sunk in some dark mire. "Call them"
 She looked at him again in a kind of impatient scorn. shrugged light. ly. and then glanced all about.
 Father Robart!" she said sud. denly. "Of course. Father Robart. I'll get him at once. This-this dead man must have prayers i'm. mediately. A violent death, with out absolution. Besides, it is not bad to give more pious atmos. phere. eh?"
 THE fringes of her yellow scarf . swirled and vanished in the gloom of the long corridor. Shadows followed her. and the wind whis. pered. and the whisper rose to a gust. and the whole place rattled like dead mans dry bones.
 l said to myself: It's a night mare. I'll shut my eyes and then open them and look directly at the mantel clock. The sword will still be there. and it will all have been a dream.
 The clock sword was, of course, not on the mantel; 1t was lying bloodstained there below me, and the dead mans face was real enough.
 Lovschiem was standing quiet be- side me, his gaze too upon the dead man. and his fat face only vaguely frightened now, for he was stin sunk deep in his thoughts and looked more troubled and per. plexed than he looked frightened. I thought of Sue as I waited, of the story she had told of her abduc- tion--and the fact that she had not told enough about the event. She had not wanted me to look for her