Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-09-14


pose All he had written on the stubs
were the figures and the word "hoor
err" Thus six times regularly SIM
the second of October. the bow boS
paid out this sum. And withont tbo
corresponding Cancelled checks 20
turned from the bank which bos
cashed them for the unknown bearer
there was no means of learning who
he was.
1t was in the closet in the bedroom
that the detective made his second i'm.
portant discovery. Jordan kept most
of his shoes there; and on CASUALLY
inspecting them, he was startled to find
two thumb-tacks in the soles of each
pair. All were marked in exactly the
same fashion, one tack embedded IN
the heel and the other in the arch
And like those in the shoes the dead
boy wore. they were bright and new.
unscratched by rough contacts. as
though put in within the past few
days. If their purpose was to help dis
tinguish Jordan at the initiation. the
criminal was evidently taking no
chances that he might don an unrec-
ognizable pair Of shoes.
Aside from this, Rankin's Thorough
search Of the bedroom produced no re-
suits. AS his hunt progressed, the
detective grew increasingly disturbed
at the absence of private papers and
letters. 1t seemed absurd that Jordan
never received any mail; though alone
In the world except for his guardian.
he should surely have exchanged cor.
respondence with Howard Merrick In
five months. Yet there was no evil
dence that they had written each
other. And still more extraordinary
was the fact that the student had ap-
parently no friends of the opposite
sex. Pictures Of girls, the familiar
notebook of addresses and phone num-
bers, communications from them-an
these were missing. Yet Rankin could
not credit the complete and unnatural
solitude that the circumstances indi-
Gated. The alternative was that he
had destroyed whatever letters he got.
because he was either hiding himself
or some secret to which they referred.
It was unlikely that anyone else had
removed them. And his mysterious
monthly payments partly supported
this theory. 1t was too early to jump
to conclusions from facts susceptible
of an innocent explanation; but their
regularity and covertness both sug-
gested that Jordan was paying black
mail to someone who knew a secret
he wished concealed
If this were so, then this secret
might plausibly have brought to bear
on his life the forces which finally en-
comprised his tragic death.
Rankin left Room 315 in Croft hall
after one o'clock. Pelham, hall was
the name of the dormitory given him
as Walter Randall's address; and
there, he next turned his footsteps.
The room. he discovered. was on the
third floor. facing the grounds on the
same side as Jordan's quarters.
The door was open and after knock
ing. Rankin entered to find the char
woman, at the moment busy busting
with cloth, the only occupant. Short,
middle-aged and motherly. she had
gray struggling hair. lined face and
| glasses over tired eyes.
The charwoman ceased her work to
peer near-sightedly at the visitor.
"If it's Mr.. Randall you're wantin',
he won't be out long," she volunteered,
before he spoke. "He left hardly twen-
ty minutes ago when l was finishin' up
next door and said he'd be back soon."
HE didn't. by any chance, 60 to q
class or for lunchT" Rankin asked.
"Id rather drop In again later than
wait for him now any length Of time"
"Oh, no, he just went out SOS I
could straighten out his room without
his bein' in the way" the cleaner re-
piled and elaborated volubly. "He
allus stays in bed late. till most every
body else is gone already; guess he's
only got afternoon classes, since he
amt been very well Anyhow, he's
still in when l get round to tidy up.
That's why make 1t point to do this
room last. Not but what" she added
hastily, "Mr. Randall amt fully
dressed when do get here. The way
some O. these boys run round with
most nuthin' on is a disgrace. say;
they amt got no modesty. But he's
gentleman. It's just kind O. conven-
lent to keep this place to end with"
"Then I think I'll stay till he comes
In, over in that corner where 1t won't
Inconvenience you" The detective took
the chair he indicated.
The woman began to collect her
cleaning appliances. "Oh, I'm done
for today" she announced. II never
stay alter one o'clock or half past.
But I can't very well be lettin' you In
here when I 60 off," She surveyed
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