The Coolidge examiner., 1935-03-08

Win u AAftWAs hNULtE, and tricky
brain. The technique of this crime
had been thought OUT 10 several
decimal polnts-and then every.
thing went wrong. The murderer
was forced 10 add complications "a
bis plot 10 cover himself. And he
has confused the issue out OF all
recognizabiity. ="
but who used this. string aud
needle? Aud for what purposet'
Vance looked up gravely.
III | knew who used them. rd
have an important key 20 the entire
situation. The fact that they were
In Brlsbane's topcoat means little
That Is the logical place that any.
one would have put them after hav-
,ng used them It's always safe
don't y know. TO throw suspicion
on a dead man"
Markham stiTened and his eyes
became hard.
You believe the same person
killed both Brisbane and ArcherY''
Vance nodded "Undouhtedly.
The technique OF both murders was
the same; and the same weapon
was used In both killings"
But" argued Markham. @the
dagger was found in Ar.her's bolt
I'd bedroom
That's another Incredible compll.
cation" Vance returned Really. s.
know. the dagger shouldn't have
been there. Il should have been
here 10 the library"
"lieref' Markham uttered the
word with astoBlshment. but why
In the ubrary7 Neither man was
killed here"
Il wonder. o" Vance leaned
over the table. deep In thought II,
would have been the logical place
and set neither body was
found here.
Why was this room the logical
placer Markham asked sharply
Because of this substituted Tao
kuauS vase and the broken piece ~
Ting yao porcelain with the blood
on it," lie stopped abruptly and
bis eyes drifted into space THAT
bloodsialned Ting yaol An
What happened after tina, Sung va q
WIS broken what would the stab
ber have done theul Would be have
gone out taking the blood with hlm7
No Tie wouldn't have dared
Ill wouldn't have fitted IN with bis
sinister purpose lie would have
been afraid lie was hiding some
thing Markham Vance lookeI
about the room. That's n he was
hiding something TEice De
bid u aud then something nm.
expected happeaed-someghing star
Ting aud npsetglng The corpss
should have been here In the library.
dye see: and therefore the dagger
bad % be here
I haFe Theory. Markham--a
theory TO account for certain contra
dlc'iry phases of this case-but !
wouldn't dare express it--yet. It's
too outiandlsh And moreover. Il
doesn't lt two-thlrds of the facts
But give me q few minutes
Let ue see II I can verify ore i'm
porlant item IN my theory II I'm
able 70 end what I'm looking FOR.
we'il bs a little farther along"
He walked 20 the mantelpiece and
stood before large blue-green
vase.
"A beautiful example % Tsul se. =
be said. running his fingers over the
glare lie pat hls finger In the
neck. Too small" he commented.
and moved 20 another vase-a
bottle shaped. dark-red speclmen--at
The further end % the mautel.
~one of the most perfect examples
OF Lang yao I've ever seen--ox-
blood. or sang DC boeuf. as we call
H." lie fingered the vase lovingly
and held q, toward the light
Vance set the vase back 90 the
cabinet. and let his eyes run over
the other ceramic specimens In the
roorn But he did not linger over
any one OF them. lie gave them
merely a casual inspection. lie
seemed to be searching for some
particular type OF vase. for he would
hesitate here and there. shake his
head as II In rejection. aud pass on
20 other pieces. Al last he com,
pleted his rounds and halted. There
was a distinct look OF dlsappolnt-
ment on his face as he turned back
10 US
I'm afraid my theory Is a mere
broken reed" he sighed.
he came back slowly toward the
center OF the room where we were
grouped about the davenport and
the circular table. AS he reached
the end OF the library table. he
halted and looked down AT a small
low teakwood stand on which stood
coruucopla-shaped white vase.
Vance approached the vase
That's dashed Interestln'.- he
murmured A piece OF late Ting
yao-from the Yung Cheng era.
should say"
He picked up the vase and began
inspecting H.
"A rather thick biscuit. and dec
GRATED In relief; copied from an an
eieuf brouze An~ltIar crackIin d,