Evening star., 1934-09-15

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p ~ ~ BY ~CORTI AND FlTZSlMMCNS
BY CORTLAND FlTZSlMMC

The crowd was shouting. AS he
passed third he slowed up. 1t was a
cinch for him to beat the throw. He
turned and shouted something to
Higgins, then-"
"All right" Kelly stopped him.
where's Higgins?"
After a short wait, Higgins was
brought in and Kelly asked, Lefty,
what did Whitper shout at you after
he left third base on the way home?"
Go back to the bushes"
And what did you do?"
Nothing"
You didn't pull a gun and shoot
him, did you?"
Now, where in hell would I get
gun and why should I shoot him?"
Higgins exploded. 1T isn't the first
time some sucker has hit me for
homer. knew he was a slugger, but
he did surprise me-"
"You didn't see anything, did you,
that might help us out?"
mo. I was watching him and
thought he would make it sure. Just
before he Topped I swung my arm
up"
Il remember that" Kelly said.
why did you do that?"
Il thought there was bee buzzing
round my head"
What do you mean, a bee?"
"You know, a buzz-the noise a bee
or bug makes"
Were you in France?" Kelly asked.
"You mean the WARP"
"Yes.'
mo. I did my fighting at Perth
Amboy."
Then you wouldn't recognize the
buzzing or the whirr of bullet?"
You mean I heard the bullet?"
Higgins face turned pale.
Your bee was probably the bull
let"
"Gosh!" Higgins gulped. "It might
have hit me-"
Kelly nodded In agreement. That's
all, Higgins, but hang around. will
you? want you to go down on the
field with me later and show me
where you were standing when you
heard the bee and the spot where
Whitper FELL"
Kelly went over to the Philadelphia
dugout and questioned the men. They
were sore and nervous at the same
time. The strange death of Whitper
and the losing of the game had got
under their skins. and they had re-
sented the frisking to which they
had been subjected.
Dick Stewart. the outfielder, said.
Say, are you crazy? Do you think
any of us would kill one of our own
men? What do you think we are
in this game for-love? We want to
make money, didn't that ever occur
to you?"
Kelly learned nothing from the
Philadelphia men and on the way
back to Pops rooms Walsh, the Phil
adelphia manager, said that Larry's
punch had not really hurt Whitper
except for his pride
I guess he was pretty sore" Kelly
suggested.
He threatened to get Doyle for
it later and he probably would have.
too, If he had lived to have q
chance" Walsh said.
The men on the Blues team were
all questioned, but had nothing to
add to what Kelly already knew.
When asked about Doyle, Dutch
Schatz said that Larry came into
the locker room after the game was
over =
Doyle, with the other men, had
been kept under the eye of the police
men until Kelly was ready to ques-
tion them. Larry was getting ready
for his shower when the team came
In and told him the news.
Doyle was the last man to be aues-
toned. When he came in, Kelly mo-
toned him to chair facing the
fading light from the windows. DOYLE
sat down and faced the men. His
only trace OF nervousness was in his
hands, which would not stay still.
He swallowed once or twice as he
waited for Kelly to begin.
Doyle was really very young COM
pared with the other men on the
team. The fresh glow OF youth still
clung to him In spite OF his sober
expression. He was tall and straight.
His shoulders were broad and tapered
on TO slim waist. He had soft. wavy
brown hair and his blue eyes were
large and wide. His white, even teeth
cleaned against the tan of his skin
as he moistened his lips with quick
dartings of his tongue.
"You didn't like Whitper, did you?"
Kelly began.
NO" Doyle's prompt answer was
startling.
"why?"
I'VE Just didn't like each other"
mo other reason?"
Doyle's eyes darted toward Pop for
q second before he said, NO"