Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-11-23

tor IriIn. In -. Louis AMI thence
on to her. or perhaps the physician
actually stayed at the Halfway house
while she went east. To lend verisimili.
tude to their fake rendezvous. Which
ever the case, inquiry at the lake
would settle It; but Of one point, the
detective was practically certain. By
now, Doctor Prince had surely re-
turned to st. Louisiana somehow. he
must apprehend him.
For unlike the mythical duped lover.
the physician was a very real indl-
vidual. And that portion of Mrs. .Ior-
dams fiction dealing with him came
perilOusly close to the true situation
last May. when Stuart had been his
wife's dupe and that of her paramount
After their marriage in February a
year ago. she had continued her secret
relations with her lover. begun before
she met the boy. But her letters had
never named him; now. suddenly. the
show-girl had identified him with the
confederate who helped her create her
alibi. Certainly. Rankin calculated,
the evidence logically indicated they
were the same. By her own admission.
the actress was intimate with Arnold
Prince before her first contact with
Jordan. And 1t seemed impossible
that there was still another man for
whom she dOuble-crOssed both her hus-
band and her sweetheart.
IF the physician were actually the
lover over whom Laura Jordan quar-
relied and separated from Stuart. then
he was manifestly as interested as she
in preventing the boy from depriving
her of the Jordan estate.
Rankin was amazed. once he con-
cluded that they plotted the murder to-
gether, how the complete details Of the
crime fell into proper place. Step by
step. he could trace every develop
ment-Doctor Prince with the knowl.
edge, as a member of the fraternity.
necessary to accomplish the deed. and
the actress actual commission of It,
Since the central body of Mu Beta Sig
ma established the same secret code
and ritual for every chapter. the physi-
clan could have informed Laura Jor-
dan how to enter the Gamma chapter
initiation: given her the secret knocks
and passwords of recognition to get
by the sergeant at arms; related how
the PLEDGES and brothers were ar
| ranged throughout the ritual; know
when the opportunity to reach Stuart
would arise And he could also de.
scribe the robes-perhaps supply her
with his own costume, used years be-
fore. Under its voluminous folds.
woman was as effectively concealed
as a man. The actress then needed
only key to the fraternity house and
must ascertain the date and hour of
the initiation. :.
The detectives sudden inspiration
at that instant sent his cogitations rae
ing forward excitedly. OF course-the
blond girl Benjamin Crawford acct
dentally met, who failed to keep the
blind rendezvous with him the Tues
day night of the initiation! When the
student described that encounter. Ran
kin had considered it merely an anus
ing and typically collegiate Irritation.
But now he perceived it's true sig
nificance. The woman must have been
Laura Jordan; and far from being a
pickup. she deliberately engineered
] the meeting for twofold purpose.
Thus, she guaranteed Crawford's alb
sence from the ceremony and could
take his place without the addition OF
| an unaccounted member. And in fix
ing her date. she subtly learned from
him at what hour and day the initia-
ton would be held. Early in the case,
this incident had suggested that a
woman was involved. but he lacked
the perspicacity to recognize the fact.
The first essential, Rankin clearly
discerned, to the success of the muir
Ter plot was that the fraternity accept
Stuart Jordan. Hence, Doctor Prince
recommended him as worthy member
ship material; young man of his cali
Der, position and wealth would almost
certainly win the Philadelphia chap
ter's approval OF course. if he was
not pledged or refused its bid, the
criminals would have been forced to
uAoCdEu tAlS pdNIlCuldE SCHcIuc anu
| formulate some new one. Meanwhile,
Doctor Prince foresaw that his interest
In the student might be subject to in.
vestigation; and took the precaution
Of first visiting Mr. Merrick. before
writing the chapter in October Os-
tensibly to obtain a loan. his call was
in reality shrewd subterfuge to dis
cuss Jordan and thus explain his ac-
quaintance with facts about him which
he had already learned through Mrs.
Jordan.
By the time Rankin finished ques.
tioning the show-girl, he had reached
a decision. He was convinced of her
integrity; and she could tell him no
more about either Doctor Prince or
the actress. Nevertheless, he resolved
to hold her temporarily in custody as
material witness. He was taking no
chances that she might attempt to
communicate with either consprator:
at all costs, they must not be warned
of his progress on their trail, lest they
escape.
When he announced his intention to