The Coolidge examiner., 1933-11-24


tion would be held on Tuesday night
at eight-thirty. You questioned
him about the average attendance
at them. And during your drinking
bouts, he let slip enough of the
proper signs of recognition to en-
able you to enter the chapters pri-
yate chamber past the sergeant at
arms"
My interest was harmless J"
Buckley insisted fearfully. II was
just curious about frats. like others
who don't belong TO them, Mr.. Ran
kin"
Yes, so you gave Palmer to un-
derstand." Rankin met the evasion
almost exultantly. "Yet you made
every preparation for getting into
the ceremony yourself on Tuesday
night. You see, | know all about
that. tOO-how you persuaded
young Palmer TO visit the Morton
club that evening. and drugged him
to insure his absence from the
house and a place for you to fill"
He stilled the boys attempt to
speak with harsh gesture. "You
stole his keys to enter the house
after the ritual began. You aban-
doned him at the club at eight
twenty-five and TAXED to your
apartment for robe you had OBJ
talned In advance TO pass as a
member. That came from Kings
ton. the costumer. BY eight-forty-
five. you had entered the house,
where you slipped into the gown
in the deserted hallway" He
paused before concluding. Buck
ley, the evidence is too complete
and damning to mean anything ex-
cept that you plotted 10 murder
Stuart Jordan in revenge for. :"
In his dread. the student inter-
rupted despairingly: mo. no, that
wasn't my purpose at all! | swear
ii was something different-to get
hold of something insidel | didn't
hear of his death until afterward."
"You didn't?" the detective be-
gan incredulously. "You can hard
ly expect. :"
But Mr.. Warwick snatched at the
possible loophole before he could
express his skepticism.
ITO get hold of somethingT he
demanded. Just what were you
after?"
"A check | had forged" Buckley
answered unhesitatingly. almost
eagerly. "To prevent discovery, l
had TO recover IT before 1t was in
vestigated."
The supervisor knit his brow
gravely. Recover 1t from whom?
| don't understand; whose check
did you forge?"
Larry Palmer's. 1t was for two
hundred and fifty dollars; need
ed that amount to pay for my tut
ton this second semester of school.
couldn't borrow 1t and | was al
most broke; tried to win 1t gam
bling at the Morton club, but had
a streak of bad luck And | didn't
want to quit school"
"How long ago was this forgery
committed?" Mr.. Warwick queried.
You had better make a clean
breast of it." he added warningiy.
IT'S your only hope of avoiding
the more serious charge of mur-
der"
The students unassuaged panic
drove him to speak freely. Il in
tend to, Mr.. Warwick" he assured
anxiously. Il had been planning it
for some time. but only carried it
out on Friday. February sixth. The
term began on the second; and you
know all bills were payable not
later than the ninth, Monday, one
week afterward. So | had to draw
the money from Larry's bank be
fore that"
AS he spoke, Rankin saw his
carefully constructed case collaps-
ing. He could not disregard the
students statements: If confirmed
by the bank and the evidence of
the check itself. they explained his
activities In a way that freed him
of all suspicion of the murder. Es-
pecially as no part of Rankin's ar
raignment accounted for where he
might have secured the conine.