Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-07-05
CHAPTER v

CHAPTER v
Molly stared at Lawyer Higson in
amazement.
"But l didn't kill Mr.. Winfield"
Molly cried.
Higson shrugged his shoulders. He
was greatly distressed. And he was
thoroughly angry at the girl. He had
known Tom for years. He had utter
faith in him. If Tom Austin had kill
ed this man he would have told Hig-
son.
"Really, he was all right when /
left-I had words with him-he had
threatened to kill Tom and went to
him to warn him that if anything hap
pened to Tom I'd shoot him-then I
left"
Higson did not believe this. But
he knew that Tom loved this girl,
and he didn't know exactly what move
to make. He decided to try to catch
her. He would communicate with
Tom later and see what he said.
tom Austin thinks you killed Win
field, Miss Marston," Higson finally
said.
GLOW could he think that? Oh,
everything is so muddled, and it all
started so innocently, on my part"
Molly began to cry.
Higson waited. Tears would relieve
her.
"Look here, weren't you in the hab-
it of calling on this Winfield?"
"Never! I'd met him few times at
at friends of mine-I mean, at the
homes of friends of mine"
Higson was more than ever con-
WINGED that the girl was lying.
"Then, why should Tom go to this
mans studio if he didn't suspect you
of visiting him."
81 cannot understand = unless a
friend of mine telephoned to him
she didn't want me to go and make
more trouble"
"Isn't it true that you went there,
that he tried to get familiar with you
and you killed him in defending your
self"
"No; not a word of it."
"Do you expect me to believe that ?"
docs Tom think I killed him."
Naturally. Do you believe that
Tom would go there and deliberate
ly kill this man if you weren't there?"
mo. I don't believe Tom killed
him."
81 know he didn't do it, but 1 be-
lieve that you did,"
Molly shook her head.
A stenographer came in with late
edition paper. It contained short
but sensationally written article about
Winfield.
"He isn't dead!" Higson said, as he
glanced at the double-headed "flash"
about it. Then he read it to her:
duane Winfield, interior decor
ator, whose handsome studio is in the
Quigley Building" Higson read, sis
lowering between life and death at the
All Saints Hospital. The police have
given out that his probable fatal in
juries were due to an accident, but
there is a great deal of mystery to
it. George Simpson, porter, report
ed to the police, and later told report
ers, that he saw a well-dressed young
woman coming down the fire-escape
from the Winfield studio"
There were more details about the
nature of the injuries.
Lawyer Higson stared hard at Mol
ly now.
$50 that was the way-when Tom
came you had just smashed Winfield
with the war club and were escaping
down the rear fire-escape."
"No; tell you-NO! I went out
the front way and down the elevator"
"But you say you were alone with
him."
81 didn't see anyone there. Some
one might have been in the rear
rooms. I saw big room in the back
with portieres at an archway, but I
didn't go in. didn't go ten feet away
from his desk all the time 1 was
there"
Lawyer Higson was beginning to be
convinced now, in spite of himself.
He left Molly for a moment and in
structed one of his young men to go
to the hospital and find out if Win
field had regained consciousness and
made statement.
When he came back he said, so sud-
denly that Molly almost jumped, "Sup-
pose Winfield RECEIVERS enough to