The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-06-04
Chapter 21
HELP AT LAST

Chapter 21
 HELP AT LAST J THE man seemed to be quite fa- miliar with the house." Harper continued. flor he disturbed noth- ! ing. He started a fire In that hearth, very likely as soon as he arrived, for 1t was chilly The logs were pret. ty we'll burned when we arrived on the scene.
 ! Wouldn't some one have noticed the smoke from the chimney when he started it?" Lafferty questioned. "The Whitmores. for instance?"
 We can inquire. but think the chances were against 1t. It was a gray. lowering sky. and with the snow coming down so thickly 1 doubt if 1t would have been noticed. Our man set out a decanter of whiskey and one of brandy. took glass from the cabinet wonder. and sat down at the head of the table. as comforta- ble as you please. He lit cigarette. threw the match in the fireplace. and relaxed. Doesn't that suggest that he was there to meet some one?
 He smoked five cigarettes. for there are four stubs in the grate and five matchsticks. The fifth cig. arctic burned itself to ashes be. tween his dead fingers. As he smoked. he carelessly Tipped the ashes toward the fireplace. Some fell little short. He is still sitting there when Officer Hamill enters the room and the shooting begins" "
 Lafferty made wry face. That brings us right back to the mystery of why they did 1t. What made them go for each other simultaneously ?'
 Harper said, "It's all very pug. zling. If our unknown man had been trailing Dufresne. he must certainly have realized that Dufresne would guard himself in the Austerlitz, last night of all nights at least. What made him come up here and dress himself like Dufresne? The mystery of this mans clothing is going to give us plenty to think about. The outfit must be part of his mas querade. his own clothing must be hidden somewhere in this house."
 Harper turned out the inner breast pocket of the jacket. An. em. bossed silk label furnished the mak. CTS name-Barr. Tompkins & Barr, one of the exclusive tailoring firms of the city.
 Look here. Jack. this fellow was no customer of that firm. There is too much discrepancy between the quality of his under and outer cloth ing. Nor did his hands exactly indi- cate the gentleman of leisure. These nose-glasses were put on. along with the false beard. to make his resem. blance to Dufresne more striking. The pincers of the glasses made deep red marks on the sides of his nose.
 Was he so anxious to conceal his identity that he removed a ring worp so long that he had to skin his knuckle to get 1t of? There are some leading questions for you"
 Well. Barr. Tompkins & Barr should be able to give us some in- formation about the dress suit"
 "l think we can get the same fn- formation much nearer home." liar per replied. rising and pressing the service bell.
 "CTEvE." Lafferty began. i've O been mulllng over what you said about that man having shaved here in the house. That suggests just one thing to me-he was going to meet some one-and that some one was woman. You can't escape the deduction"
 Harper nodded. "Yes, but you cant be so positive about a woman being mixed up in It. Every time you see a man shaving 1t doesn't mean that he's going to a rem. dezvous."
 Steve. you're certainly bent on throwing a screen around Mrs. Dufresne. Why are you so sure she had nothing to do with it?"
 Harper answered patiently. "That inference will not be overlooked. l hold no brief for the lady. but l have an instinctive feeling that she Is entirely innocent. Not as Doyle suggested. because of her air of fra. gility or any chivalrous duty to beau. ty in distress"
 Mrs. Dufresne tainted when she saw the dead man unmasked." Laf. ferty continued doggedly. Perhaps that was from shock or the sudden relief from strain-but I think she knew that mani And I'm going to take that as working basis"
 "Thats quite all right" Harper answered good-naturedly. Mrs. Du. fresne's movements last night will be looked into thoroughly. Don't for. get that this pow.wow began with