The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-06-06

| SalQ LOFn uryiy. NOW LHens MT | Sundean, Miss Tally suggcsts that your man in the courtyard and her abductor and the murderer are one and the same man. Whats your opinion?"
 "It's entirely possible" I said. "Anything's possible. But of course there's no way to be sure of that. l couldn't possibly identify the man in the courtyard; Miss Tally didn't even get look at her abductor. and neither of us saw the murderer"
 There isn't any way in which you could arrive at some means of identifying the man in the court yard?"'
 No. He was only footsteps and a revolver and once bit of cloth. But l feel. don't know why, that it's possible that the murdered man was the man who carried Miss Tally off earlier in the evening""
 "Ah." said Lorn. How about it., Miss Tally?"
 "I don't know" she said Her face was white and pinched-looking at the recollection. "l thought of that. too. But l couldn't tell. If he were the same man, though" she said doubtfully. "why should he have been killed? Who killed him?" l remembered the flying figure against the light from my opened door; I remem bered her slim fingers holding the little dagger. l remem. bered its being replaced on the clock. THERE are dozen answers to
 \ that" said Lorn quietly. "The most obvious one is that. in that case, he was murdered by a second person who would like to get posses sion of your means of identifying yourself to your brother and who thought your abductor had 1t. take It." he added rather hurriedly. that you've told MT. Sundean everything about the affair.""
 Yes" said Sue briefly.
 l said thoughtfully:
 Look here. If we presuppose that that's the reason for the murder or better. if we simply assume that there is conspiracy or a plot to rob Miss Tally"
 "l think we can scarcely escape assuming that" murmured Lorn.
 Well. then. what would the plan be. do you suppose? Miss Tally says the token she has isn't worth any. thing in itself"
 You can answer that yourself. MT. Sundean." said Lorn. He leaned back in his chair. put the tips of his fingers together. and half closed his eyes. It was. guessed. the kind of question he liked.
 "Oh. the obvious thing Is to sub. stitute someone for Miss Tally"
 Certainly" said Lorn. "Substi. tuition is the essential part of the scheme. We must keep that in mind. There could be no other way of do. ing. And that implies two people at ileast knowing the secret--the fel. low who tried to abduct Miss Tally, and the girl he intends to substitute. i"His abducting you argues either that your room was to be thoroughly searched at given time. and thus you were to be out of the way during that time, or that he had some req son to believe you carried the token with you-somewhere about your clothing-and intended to search you"
 "It's all right now." I said quick. ly to Sue. You are perfectly safe now"
 "Oh-" she said faintly. Don't mind me. It's only that l keep re- nembering- Do go on. MT. LoTn."
 "I was only going to say" con- tinued Lorn rather disapprovingly, "that there might be an alternative plan. Even two alternatives. One would be that there would be an at tempt to gain your confidence and thus discover the whereabouts of the token. Another might be the pos. ing of some man as your brother" . | "As my brother" said Sue.
 "Of course" Lorn looked impa. tient.
 Upon which would presumably turn over the token to him! We'll, ] won't do that. Francis shall not see my token until he shows me his own No one shall see it."
 | "But see here. Lorn." l offered There's flaw in all three of your alternatives. You know the real Sue And you know the real Francis" l He nodded. Unfortunately it's the same flaw. and l am it. Blu, there's simple solution. You forget MT. Sundean. the existence of some one in the affair who's rapid and ready with his revolver. And dead men tell no tales"
 "Oh!" cried Sue with horror. "Yor don't mean that. MT. Lorn!" : Why. yes. It is obvious. However Is I'm not unused to danger" And what" said Sue. do the, kA Il