The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-09-15
CHAPTER IX-Continued
IL.

ly, NOR to pretend you weren't per-
suaded of their guilty intrigue.
didn't intend acquainting you with this
evidence until I was ready to arrest
you; but as that was just matter of
hours, you can realize your position"
The lawyers features grew Slightly
pale, but he replied scornfully. "That
doesn't frighten me, Rankin. What
you mistakenly consider an adequate
motive gives you no case in court.
You couldn't even get warrant on
such flimsy conjecture"
perhaps not" Rankin admitted,
"but have more proof of your guilt
than that. Don't forget you had the
opportunity to commit the crime.
Throughout the initiation, your hands
were free to administer the poison;
you stood close to the boy and marched
around the chapter room just behind
him. And you will find this diff
cult to explain, Mr.. Fletcher!"
Suddenly he place on the desk be-
fore the lawyer, the hypodermic needle
discovered in the roadster. which the
city chemist had returned that morn
ing.
But Mr.. Fletcher only looked at it
in wonder; If he was acting, his self
control was remarkable.
"Explain?" he queried, puzzled.
t'Why, it's a hypodermic What has
it got to do with me? 1t isn't by any
chance the needle that =. that :"
Exactly, Mr.. Fletcher. I expected
you to recognize it, the detective in
terrupted grimly. "That is the weapon
which injected the poison into Jor,
dams wrist. And / found it while
searching your roadster last night; it
was hidden in your dashboard pouch !"
''In my car? What are you saying,
Rankin? 1 never saw it before in my
life I"
Abruptly, the lawyers curiosity had
changed to panic. His pallor deepened
and he sounded strangely desperate to
convince Rankin of his assertion.
Ranlkin's disbelief was apparent.
.'Then how did it get thereY he de-
handed ''In the very machine you
drove the night of the initiation. You
can't expect me to accept that when
you probably hid it there the first
chance you had after the boy was
poisoned"
But it isn't mine," the lawyer in
sisted. II don't know anything about
it. Someone must have planted it.
You don't suppose I'd have left such
discriminating evidence since Tuesday
where anyone taking the car might
have discovered it? / would have got
rid of it,"
The very fervor of his denial lent 1t
sincere ring; and even as he an
swered the argument, Rankin per
ceived its validity.
I'm afraid that won't do, Mr..
Fletcher. Under the circumstances,
the pouch would seem as safe a place
of concealment as any. /. Besides,
you tempered with Jordan's Shoes"
Again Mr.. Fletcher's only reaction
to the charge was perplexity. "Tam-
pered with his shoes?" he repeated
Il don't understand what you mean"
"Y visited his room in the dormi-
tories on Tuesday morning to put
thumb-tacks in the soleS of all his
shoes. Only the murderer would do
that and for one purpose-to distin-
guish him at the initiation from the
other PLEDGES, all of whom wore sim
liar gowns. 1t was a precaution TO
insure. :"
II never touched them, Rankin I"
the lawyer cried in alarmed bewilder,
ment.
"Just before you reached Croft hail."
Rankin ignored the protest, inexorably,
4'the cleaning woman Strengthened out
JOrdan's rooms. She put all his cloth.
ing away. And she can vouch as
witness that after you arrived. three
pairs of his shoes were scattered
about, removed from where she had
neatly set them"
"But | tell you they were already
lying in the vestibule when entered !;
almost tripped over them All l
wanted was to have little talk with
the boy; felt that plain speaking
would save him future trouble"
The detective shook his head. "Yet,
not finding him in," he stated DELHI
erately, you gave the charwoman a
cock-and-bull story about being his
uncle, and got her to let you enter his
quarters. It's hardly likely that some
other person stole in unnoticed by her
in ten minutes between the time she
quit them and opened the door to let
you in"
In answer, Mr.. Fletcher spoke so
persuasively, extending his hands to
stress his argument, that he COM
PEELED Ranlsin's attention.
''Try to judge my state of mind" he
requested. when | called on Jordan
had just proved he was the chap who
fed from my wife's bedroom at two
fifteen that morning-who was re-
sponsible, believed, for stealing her
affections. Naturally, she enjoyed
youth and excitement. She had al
ways loved living at pace with which