Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-10-26


terson."
OF the two students, Ben Crawford
was the more astonished. The presi-
dents pallor reflected his concern,
as he compressed his lips in grave
silence.
He shook his head slowly. II was
afraid it might turn out like that" he
said. But Ned-that's really awful!
can't believe it."
well, there isn't the slightest doubt
of it. You may not be aware of 1t,
but he has been gambling recently for
high stakes in questionable establish
ments. Mr.. Palmer could tell you he
is in debt far beyond his MEANS"
With that, Rankin briefly sum-
married. the scene Larry Palmer
and he had witnessed at the Morton
club, and the proofs that Patterson
pawned the timepiece And as he lis
tened. Ted Stanton's expression grew
more strained at the new problem that
burdened him. But when the detec-
tive finished, he had determined his
course.
isn't 1t possible, Mr.. Rankin, for the
fraternity to handle this trouble with
Ned? After all, that is a side issue
to poor Stuart's death; and any action
you take won't help your main investi.
CATION"
Il appreciate your position" Ran
kin said alphabetically. "And If
they were really isolated events, I'd
drop them in moment. But actually.
the two crimes are connected; and il
is Mr.. Patterson who supplies the link
between. I've got to learn the truth
about the murder, so | can't afford
TO disregard the lesser offense. If
Patterson isn't JOrdan's murderer
himself. then he is surely implicated
in his death as we'll as the thefts I"
but that's ridiculous" Stanton
cried. "Surely, sir. you aren't serii
ousr'
Rankin shook his head. ut isn't 80
hard to believe as it sounds. small
amount of CONNIE, the poison which
killed Jordan, was kept in the chem
istry laboratory at school, for special
research. Mr. Patterson knew this
fact; and on Tuesday itself, he stole
more than a fatal amount of it. He
left finger-prints in the laboratory.
Yesterday, l found some of it hidden
in his bedroom, the rest missing"
"But why" Stanton protested. "Why
should Ned want him out Of the way?
They never even met before rushing
season; then, as his sponsor, they
were on the best of terms"
Barely ten minutes before, this
problem of motive was as mystifying
to Rankin as when he first started
to suspect Patterson. On the surface
at least, his crime lacked incentive.
Now, however, Ben Crawford's infor-
nation had suggested an answer.
1T is my conviction" he addressed
both students, shat his motive devel-
oped only last Monday night. Just
when your watch was taken, Mr..
Crawford. You say that happened be-
tween two-thirty in the morning and
seven-thirty, though probably some
time before daylight. When you re-
tired, Jordan had not yet returned to
. eat mouse Sacs .0 lis cfotSes us II three rse
u s,clr - somewhere arouhsNnAtaer
o'clcAa, I've ascertained from 0yneeu
sources he drove in from Gladwyne
at half-past two. Suppose he arrived
while Patterson burglarized you, enter
ing 80 carefully you didn't hear him.
Suppose he went upstairs. What more
likely than that he either caught Ned
in your room or saw him softly sneak
out of it2 Especially as 1t Is almost
at the head of the stairs"
"Then why didn't he mention the
incident to US on Tuesday," Ben Craw-
ford queried. IF he could clear up
the robberies, he'd scarcely be quiet
about it. Unless" he added as an
afterthought, ''he tried to shield Ned
because they were friends"
"Or because he failed to realize at
the moment, the significance Of what
he had witnessed" Rankin suggested.
Remember, as Mr.. Stanton stated, the
PLEDGES were ignorant OF the thefts;
30 the mere sight of Patterson in an
other boys room, even SO late. would
hardly arouse Jordan's suspicious.
But If he became fraternity brother.
he would be entitled to all the rituals
and secrets; naturally, he would hear
Of the thefts. Then, when he put two
and two together, he would realize
his sponsor was guilty"
With great reluctance, Stanton con-
ceded the validity of the deductio, .
After q moment, the detective nip-sen
raised their single possible faw.'
my only misgiving," he admitted
"is with regard to your use OF the
blackball box. Could Patterson have
prevented Stuart's initiation throuea
that-or any other normal measreI
Nf 10. he wouldn't need to reset 70
phurdering him to remove Wit ne
dkeaded-the danger Of expoore'
The president answered sutnIuily'
Though the facts we're dermen'ai 10
Il ne suspect.
"No, he couldn't have stopped MN
rom going through tne las' mo
meS ut, even by the bla<ball box. The
1nallN vote on the plagees TOOK place
a. : a,pecial meetis called on Mon
a. op u,..sday was too late