Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-10-05

actor his startled. puzzled expression
betokened his ignorance.
-Four hundred dollars a month!
And there is no record OF what these
| expenditures were for?"
ut almost looks as though there was
some secret in his life" Mr.. Warwick
contributed gravely. "Some incident
he wanted concealed. And he was
paying someone to keep quiet about it,
The guardian shook his head sol
emily. "These expenditures are
total mystery to me-" he confessed.
GAS I said. Stuart's income was ninety
five hundred year, more than enough
to meet even this great DRAIN So that
he never had occasion to approach
me for additional funds"
"What about an ENHANCEMENT with
| q wOmanT
At the suggestion, Mr.. Merrick's fea-
lures grew dark and his eyes fiinty.
"If he was, it never reached my ears
And if he had, it would sustain any
| measures I chose to take under his
fathers will" A harsh note crept into
! his voice. stuart was we'll aware
that sexual improperly was the one
misstep / would not countenance."
do you know of any reason why
anyone might have had animosity
against him?'
But here again, the banker respond
| ed negatively. He could not conceive
Of how his nephew could have excited
a hatred so virulent as to be a mo.
tive for murder. The name of Buckley
was familiar to Mr.. Merrick, only be-
cause people of that name resided in
Vandalia; but he was not acquainted
with the family or Ralph. All he
could tell of them was that they were
middle-class folks, small merchants
in the outskirts. He could not say
whether the boy had ever displayed
interest in any particular girl at school
or in the town.
On concluding his inquiries about
Jordan's past, the detective ended the
interview. Though disappointed at his
meager information on a few points,
he was satisfied he had covered all
the important ground.
Before Mr.. Warwick and the banker
departed, Rankin also questioned the
upervisor-about the feasibility of
Buckley's having gained admission to
the university by the fraud Walter
Randall had outlined. He did not,
however, name the boy about whom he
inquired. Mr.. Warwick. looking per-
turbed, conceded that the imposition
was possible.
Rankin did not consider he was be-
ing unduly dstrustful in suspecting
Howard Merrick. The situation ere.
ated by Mr. Jordan's will was too sig.
nifcant to be disregarded, the tempta.
ton it produced perhaps too strong
for the guardians probity. In the cold
! light Of reason. It furnished an all.
powerful motive for the boys murder
For all the detective was aware. Mer
rick had some urgent desperate need
for the estate. And under these
equivocal circumstances, the nephew
had actually died less than two months
before his birthday.
T Immediately, however. Rankin was
confronted by the problem of Mr.. Mer
rick's opportunity to commit the crime
Each suspect In turn. who was moi
a member of Mu Beta Sigma, present
ed the same problem. II, as Merricb
claimed, he had left vandalia al
eleven O'Clock the previous morning tC
come east, he could not have been IN
Philadelphia the Tuesday night of the
murder or be personally responsible
for the crime. And an accomplice
among those who attended the initia
ton was improbable. Clearly, Rankin
must have Mr.. Merrick's journey and
his movements the past forty-eight
hours investigated.
This was his conclusion when Simp
son entered Captain Thomas office tc
announce to him another visitor. ask
ing for the officer in charge of the uni
versity case.
well, bring him in here, Simpson.
Rankin instructed. "and let's hea,
what his business u.s."
Ushered into his presence, the new
conner was obviously college man
but slightly older than the average
undergraduate. Perhaps twenty-six
thin featured and intelligent, his slen.
der mustache and pince-nez added sew.
eral more years to his age
II am handling this unfortunate
affair."" the detective introduced him.
self. MY name is Rankin. What car
do for you, Mr."
Hayward, Kenneth Hayward" the
stranger Informed him. II am a grad.
uate student in the department OF
chemistry at the college"
"You have some information about
this fraternity house murder?" Rankin
inquired. Were you acquainted with
Jordan, Mr.. Heyward?"
mo, 1 was not. But my reason for
coming may have some bearing on the
crime, though hope not. The news
papers all say the poison used to kill
him was CONNIE. the juice of hemlock
Conine is not easy to obtain and II
was one of the alkaloids with which j
am working. This morning, I meas.
ured my supply at the laboratory and
discovered that some of it. and some
atro2ine, as well. were missing"