The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-05-23

| believed it. I was thinking how pleasant 1t had been having her by my fireside when 1 remembered that she had sent me for key that was not where she had said 1t would be.
 While l was gone a murder had been done, and the sword from the big clock, which she had had in her hand a few minutes before, was in the breast of the murdered man. It seemed ridiculous-but still be- lieved her. Perhaps this lumpish, grotesque thing at our feet had been pursuing her, and she had snatched the sword and struck at him, and then run away.
 I was about to say something to Lovschiem, anything to break the silence in that narrow passage, when we heard a sound down the corridor and Madame Lovschiem's yellow shawl emerged. followed by the black skirts of the priest.
 Madame Lovschiem led the priest directly to the man at our feet. We both moved back a little when the priests red beard boomed up into the light. He bent over, as we all had, and stared al the dead man. But he looked puzzled and clumsy and did not seem to know exactly what Madame Lovschiem expected of him. He got down, however. on his knees and got out his crucifix and rosary and began passing his fingers over the beads.
 COULDN'T zee his face, only his | bent head and rather thin and narrow shoulders in their tightly buttoned -outane. and his feet, which projected from the black folds of the skirt of the garment he wore and looked very large. He was younger than he had seemed on my first glimpse of him; there was an unwrinkled look about the back of his neck, there seemed to be no gray in his mouse-colored hair. and his figure was rather lean.
 It was strange. 1 thought. that he was wearing American-made shoes. It was so strange that 1 looked closely at the soles and heels and stitching. They had undoubt- edly been made in America.
 He was mumbling then, and Low schiem was staring blankly across the shadow-swept court, and Ma dame was looking very devout ex- cept for her eyes, which were shin ing and were looking at me with an expression that came very close to kind of wicked amusement.
 The priest kept on muttering. To my approval he had asked no ques- tions about the m1rder. which was self-evident. to be sure; and he offered no churchly admonitions or advice. It occurred to me that he might be, in his youth. little un. certain in what was likely an un- precedented experience with him.
 Lovschiem drew back little, and Madame and l moved also.
 was tired and would have done with the thing: 1 said:
 And now, madame. the police"
 "You go, Grethe." said Lovschiem stupidly. Tell them what you think best"
 This time she consented, and after giving one quick glance about which fingered with certain satis- faction on the kneeling figure of the priest. she went. 1 was suddenly frightfully weary. And I knew that l must have my story ready. My story in which there must be no holes. for I should have to stick to it and tell 1t at the later and formal inquiry which would undoubtedly take place. Ire weakest point was my trip to the lobby.
 How could ] explain that without telling about Sue?
 Through the glass windows ] looked out over the shadows of the court. If the wind would stop, per haps things would be better. But instead of stopping or even lulling 8 bit, there was terrific onslaught which fell upon the court and the old house with cold and raging fury.
 The shadows flew, and the small light above the great iron gate waved madly. It made such a wide arc that suddenly it's fiickering rays fell upon a window a:ross the court and above. The shutters of that window were thrown back, and a face was watching us.
 The room beyond was black, SO the watcher must have been able to see us all quite clearly against the light behind us. The face looked white in that flash of light upon 1t, and dreadfully haggard.
 You felt at once that whatever watched had some strong and dreadful interest in the scene it looked upon.
 But the thing was, 1t was a girls face-and it was like Sue Tally's face.