The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-08-17
CHAPTER XIV

TT was an unusual spectacle thai
L meeting in the office of the presi
dent of Marland university; a thing
/ strangely grim and unacademic.
At the door stood John Reagan
the muscular and decidedly eff.
cient policeman.
! Next to Reagan was Teddy Far
rell, president of the student coun-
Gil, president of Psi Tau Theta.
Beside him, anonymously enough,
was Mike Carmicino, janitor at the
fraternity house. By his side was
RUDE Farnum, and beside RUDE was
Phil Gleason. Next to Phil was
the trim little figure of Ivy WEIGH.
Ivy, considerably older than she had
been the week previously, looked
unusually serious.
Larry WEIGH occupied the seat
next to his sister. Occasionally his
eyes met the pair on the other side
those of Tony Peyton.
Jim Harvey was standing beside
the presidents desk. He did not
appear particularly happy, and his
first words were couched in an apol-
ogetfc tone.
Folks" he said gently, "Tn
make things about as brief as I can,
and I'll start with the most i'm
portant. Max Vernon didn't have
no more to do with killing Pat Thay-
er than l did.
"And now for Miss Peyton. sup
pose you've all heard that she was,
Pat Thayer's wife-that is, that
they went through sort Of cere-
mony last year. She didn't want to
say anything about that, but I ex.
planned 1t would be best because
you-all were talking anyway, and
you'd never. have understood why
she went to Thayer's room on May
day. What she went for, folks, was
to let him know that his hold over
her was broken: that is, that from
then on the campus would have te
know that she was legally his wife.
what happened up there Is mo-
-bedys business. Not even mine. But
I'll tell you this much"-and he
grinned NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Pey-
ton didn't kill Pat Thayer-and
that's q fact"
There was a gasp. Larry WEIGH
was sitting forward tensely, mis-
eyes focused on Jim's placid face.
The others stared at him in doubt
and fear. Was it possible 49,. I
Impulsively Ivy reached for her
brothers hand. It was cold as ice
And as though from a great dis
lance she heard Hanvey's words
"And now wen discuss Larry
Welch's part In this little affair. On
May first, Larry WEIGH learned two
important things. The first was that
Pat Thayer was the husband of the
girl he was crazy about The sec
ond was that the man his sister was
going with was a married man. And
as soon as he found out those two
things he went to see that man.
"Just what might have happened
between WEIGH and Thayer nobody
will ever know. Because when Larry
WEIGH got to that room, folks Pat
Thayer was already dead!"
There was q nerve-racking hush
then buzz Of conjecture. 1t wasn't
Max Vernon; 1t wasn't Tony Pey.
ton; it wasn't Larry WEIGH
but Pat Thayer was dead!"
They were too astonished to do
more than stare.
ITS cinch Thayer didn't kill
himself. And If neither Vernon nor
Miss Peyton killed him and he was
dead when Larry WEIGH got there
then somebody killed him between
times"
Harvey surveyed the group in his
quiet, friendly manner. His SOM
nolent eyes lighted on the face of
Mike Carmicino, the janitor, and
even though he did not call the
mans name, every person in the
room knew to whom he was speak
ing.
"You and Mr.. Thayer were pref
ty good friends, weren't you?''
Carmfcino's eyes flashed.
Yes. sir, Meester Harvey"
you told me that you did boot
Logging jobs together: that he
would get the orders and you would
supply the liquor. The last time
you worked together that way,
Mike, was a few days before the
killing. You told Mr.. Reagan and
myself that Mr.. Thayer had paid
you for the liquor furnished on that
last party. Is that true?"
Eyes, sir"
Jim turned to Teddy Farrell,
president Of the fraternity.
"You were in charge of the f.
nances of that particular party,
r.