The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-05-03
CHAPTER XII-Continued

pocket and attempted to draw 1t, dur
Ing the struggle. You wiped 1t clean
of finger-prInts. too, and then thought
OF leaving Franklln's own thumb-mark
on the weapon. You pressed 1t into the
dead mans hand, then flung II into the
bushes of the garden, In the rear.
After that you left the way YOU had
come but you couldn't go into the
church because you had not had time
to dress for the wedding. You were
still in tweeds. So you crossed the
street and waited In your car until
after the crime was discovered
You have already told US what you
did then. After taking Calls Shlpley
home, you returned to the church. You
knew Franklin had been murdered.
To protect yourself you first said that
the girl had told you. We knew she
couldn't know Franklin was dead I'M
less she was implicated In the affair.
When you saw you were trapped. you
tried to wriggle out of 1t, and the girl
tried to help you. I don't know. 1t
might have worked If 1t had not been
for last night"
II asst night p Rylie Carmody stared
fxedly at the detective. You keep
coming back to that. What about
last night?"
You want me to tell you. eh?" Kill
days gaze never wavered from the
youths face you were suddenly
mighty anxious to escape the man who
was following you. last night, weren't
you? Because you had something to
do that wouldn't bear watching.
"You were afraid there was some
thing In Franklln's apartment that
might identify you with the crime.
You hadn't an opportunity to do 1t be-
fore, because we were watching you.
You realized you were under suspicion.
That heightened your anxiety, and
made you all the more eager to de-
stroy that evidence, II 1t were In the
apartment.
$50 last night you made up your
mind not to walt any longer. You de-
cided to shake the detective and take
your chances with Fletcher. And
that's what you did, You had lucky
break when Fletcher went out for a
couple Of hours. But you couldn't find
what you went after there and decided
Franklin had kept 1t at his office.
II don't know what you were after
yet. But I'll find out. Probably some
evidence that connected this Shlpley
girl with the case. Or perhaps 1t con-
nected you, or even young Spears with
the crime. At any rate. that's where
Cardigan outguessed us both. It's too
bad didn't have more confidence in
him. II | had, I'd have been with him
last night and he would be here, right
now. Next time, III play his bunch,
Ii there ever Is next time.
The detective scoWled. Il don't I'M
derstand how you caught him so COM
pleteiy off balance. He WAS armed
But somehow or other, you did, And
In the struggle which followed, you
knocked him out Of the window. But
not" he paused to glance significantly
at Rylie's bandages. mot before he
had put up an awful struggle. He left
his mark on you.
THE fight was waged In the dark.
Cardigan has been able to tell me that
much. You thought that even II Cardl-
gan lived, he would be unable to lden-
tify you. But circumstantial evidence
accuses you. my boy, just as surely as
Peter Cardigan ever could.
'You gave our detective the slip.
Why7 Because you couldn't afford to
be observed when you went to Frank
Inns apartment and Office You knocked
Cardigan through the window, but not
before he had left his mark on you
This accident story won't get you any.
where, Carmody."
Suppose" replied the boy soberly
that | can prove there really was ar
accident?"
do you have Witnesses
"Not eye-wltnesses. but ! can pro
duce the wrecked car. That should
be pretty strong circumstantiaf evil
dence, as you call IT.
Kllday pulled thoughtfully. "Tht
wrecked car, eh? What time was this
wreck?n
2 about eight thirty. or perhaps {
quarter to nine, on gravel road abou
ten miles from Westport."
where did you go7 What did vol
do? How did you get back to town
What time was 1t then?" The sergean
shot his questions with staccatt
rapidlty.
Il was stunned. | guess 1t was thi
blow on the head that did it. Ryli'
fingered the discolored eye gently .
don't know how long | was out
was quite dark. ] remember TIL
car had overturned and | had bee
thrown clear. didn't realize, at first
that / had been unconscious. Then
looked at my watch. Ii was nine
thirty. That worried me, because
uaa sunnoSpd to meet some one a