Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-06-05

ia tiny court" said Piper THE cour'
I Is fenced, but an agile man could Sc
{ over the fence into AlisOn's rear yard
Z or into the service yard Of the apart
E ment on the other side"
Hmm" observed Miss Withers du.
biously. Murder for revenge, ehP"
why else7"
Miss Withers stood aside TO aIlos
; Sergeant Krim and q uniformed pa
trolman to drag up the steps white
faced, very handsome young man
II won't talkl" shouted William ALI
! son, but he was optimistic. Miss Withers
hurried on down to the library. A
she came to the open door she saw
that Mazda lay on the yellow rug, IN
faint, with her brother and the doc
tor ministering to her.
Back up the stairs went Miss Withers
but the door was closed. She knocked
imperiously. and In 2 moment the in
spector opened It a crack
"Alison's played leading roles in a
stock company" Piper whispered. 'One
Of the boys recognized him-go take
a walk for yourself, and when you get
back wen have a confession out OF
him"
"Confessionl" spoke Miss Withers
eAAA5AAJf g4t tAAC SoOA NACoC4 eAAAAs HN-4e
because he's an actor doesn't mean
he deserves to go to the chair-or does
It? Anyway, Mazda tainted when she
saw him under arrest"
She went back to the girls room and
began methodical search. She poured
the powder from a pink box, dug the
cold cream from a Jar. In the bottom
Of the jar was ring.
She turned her attention to the
clothes closet, but found nothing out
Of the ordinary. There was another
closet, from which emanated the faint
smell Of cedar. 1t bore stout lock Of
! the Yale variety, quite beyond the
| power Of Miss Withers' hairpin.
Taking q long chance, she felt along
the top Of the door frame, where from
/ experience she knew that many opti-
mistic persons hide their keys Nor
was she disappointed, the closet door
/ yielded and she disappeared inside for
a long half hour.
When Miss Withers came back into
Maida's bedroom her face was flushed
and there was an icy CLINT in her
blue eyes. Her expression did not
change when she saw that the girl was
sitting on the bed, staring at her. She
was running her fingers wildly through
her dark curls.
$50 you found it," said Mazda saw
agely. wen
MISS WlLtiGIS OlQ lAOt dAAoWCAs AA1W
old are you, child?"
'eTwenty-but I don't see"
did you love him such lot?"
did 1?' The clear young eyes cloud
aAnd then the doctor came along.
and you changed your mind?"
Mazda began to laugh, Historically.
'I suppose you thought it was very
romantic, like Romeo and Juliet1
Having an affair with the son Of the
man your uncle hated most in the
world Who thought Of digging out |
the bricks and making passage from
your closet to his bedroom. you or her
Then Mazda was hysterical, Miss
Withers left her and went away. She
spent the next half hour cloSeted with
Marvin, the housekeeper.
''Strfct with her2 Let me tell you,
she walked q chalkline all right"
They used to quarrel?
mot exactly. Miss Mazda Is very
sweet, you see. She couldn't bear to
hurt anybody's feelings-not much IKE
her brother. Why, If you ask me-, l
think that she promised to marry the
doctor mostly because her uncle kept
after her so. She was afraid he'd fret
himself into his coffin If she didn't.
Miss WitherS then remembered that
there was a desk In the library. Hur-
rying there, she found Framed busny
engaged in going through the drawers;
"You needn't spy on mel, ne hurled
at her IT don't know anything ABOUT
this. Why don't you go find that doctor
they told him he could go, but he's
still hanging around. He knows :.
You mean you suspect DR.. French?" ..
she asked.
Franzel backed water. II won't say
that but for the last few weeks hes
been shopping around. He's got VINO
Of something, but he's close-mouthed
SToo bad you're not" murmured Miss
Withers softly, as the young man I
brushed past her. She bent over the
desk and found that young Framed
mad been engrossed in reading his de- !
ceased uncle's insurance policies.
Miss Withers emulateo him, not WITH {.
put profit. The results Of her STUDY
showed that John Wurtz had been
insured for only two thousand dollars
iirect life policy, but that he had car
led twenty-five thousand in accidental
policies. with double indemnity in
;ase Of accidental or sudden death,
he noted. All policies showed Franzel
md Mazda as Joint beneficiaries
She hurried upstairs, and tmally
managed to get the Inspector to come
,ut into the hall. Oscar, listen to me
Here's something-if Wurtz died from
leart failure he'd leave Is, 900 insurance,
,ut If he died from sudden or acci-
Iental death-including murder, I pre-
ume- the policies would be doubled"
$50 what?" said Piper cheerily.
Miss Withers shrugged, smiled sadly,
nd started out on q new line Of en-
leavor. Suddenly she heard her name
allied In familiar voice. The Inspector
7as eager and excited.
''Hildegardel Come and bring your
lotebookl" She hurried down the hall
nd into the dead mans bedroom.
against the window the VIII Alison was
tanding, looking like q young man
Tho had been recently In he'll and
expected to return there.
Take his confession In long-hand,"
rdered the Inspector jubilantly. Hes
ecided to make it easy for himself,
avent you Alison2"
The young man nodded woodenly
nd spoke in q rapid sing-song.
William Alison, OF my own free will
nd vOlitton, without dyress and with