The Coolidge examiner., 1935-05-10

following morning. be foaud that
Archer was stiIl In HIS bedroom. be
hind holted door The man must
have felt that the whole world had
gone Insane. imagine be rushed 70
the hail closet. when Gamble wasn't
looking. 10 check hIs sanity. 50 to
speak and then he snw the dead
body or Brisbane. Some OF the
truth. at least. must have dawued
upon him. He had killed bis friend
his ally-by accident what
mental torture he must have sur
fered! And there was also in his
mind the terrible problem ~ Ar.
cher's death. wonder the man
stood up so well when we arrived
The cold desperation Of the final
necessity. | suppose. :"
Markham moved about the room
restlossly.
= see 1t all. be muttercd. as n
20 himself lie stopped and swung
round but what of wrede's AZ
tempted murder Of Grasslf"
That vas logical and 10 keeplnl
wiih his character" said Vance
Miss Lake explained lt-lutense
jealousy Of his lucky rival Wrede
thought he had successfully pulled
the wool over our eyes. and the fac,
gave him confidence. Ne knew e1
nctly where the dagger was: he
knew the domestic arrangements of
the Coe house: be had key to the
rear door: aud he doubties- kuew
~ the broken lock on Grassi's door
lie had probably brooded over Lls
Joss os a wealthy bride until he
could no longer resist the urge 10
follow up his-as he thought-suc.
cessful murder OF Archer by the
murder of Grassl. He would thus
have Won complete victory over
the forces that had temporarily d.
fested him. His frustrated ego
again. And had Il not bcea for
Llauss perEplcaclty-wh!ch wrede
underestimatcd-and the shift Of
GrasSi's arm. be would have sue
ceedei-
"But what" asked Markham.
'arst gave you the idea that wrede
had committed the murdersT'
The Scotte. Markham" an
swered Vance. After having found
she belonged to HlggInbottom. r as.
certalned that he had given her 70
his Inamorata who lived IN the Belle
Maison. And once I had followed
the Scoitie's trail and knew iha,
sne belonged next door. | made .
hlt of an investigation. I learned
from "a perfectly honest Irish maid
that both HlEgiub0ttom and hIs lady
fair-a Miss Dcladeld had been
having n farewell dinner at the time
Coc wns murdered. Y see. | had
thought perhaps that some blond
lads with a Dupla.x llpstIck had
admitted the scuitje into the Coc
house earlier IN the evening. But
although Miss Delaaeld used Du.
plaix llpstlck and had undoubtedly
called on Archer Coe before half.
past seven. Il was not she who had
let the Scottie in: for the little dog
was In the Delaaeld apartment AFT
er nine o'clock that night. and had
disappeared some time between
then and half.paa ten. at which hour
the maid Instituted a search FOR
her. Moreover. learned that the
Scottie could have entered the Coe
house only II some one had unlocked
the gate between the Belle Malson
and the vacant lot next 70 the coe
residence. And | further learned
that there was no way for the Scot.
tie 10 escape from the Belle Mals6n.
except into the rear yard. ONLY
some one who had unlocked the
gate and opened the rear door of
the Coe residence would have given
her the opportunity OF entering the
house. And Wrede was the only
person who could have done this" "
The following year Hllda Lake
and GraEsi were married. and the
alilsnce seems TO have been highly
successful Vance became the own.
or OF Miss MacTayish. lie had be.
come attached 20 her during the
days he had nursed her back 10
health, and the romance (if one
may call IL that between Higgln-
bottom and Doris nelaiield ran on
the rocks shortly after the iady's
return from Europe. After her
break with the major she showed
little interest in the dog: and Hlg-
glnbottom, in appreciation Of some
nebulous favor which he considered
Vance had done him, made him a
present OF the bitch. Vance placed
her In his kennels. but she did not
seem 10 be happy there: and he
finally took her into his apartment.
He still has her. and she has been
"pensioned" for life. Sometimes I
think that Vance would rather part
with one OF his treasured Cazannes
than with little Miss MacTavlsh.
1.-THE END.l