The Washington times., 1938-01-05
ANALYZES CRIME

one morning. Morris was stand.
ing on short stepladder, pick
ing grapes, and his back was to
Lorac.
She stord watching him, her
brain oGsy The bank was robbed
somewhere neal o'clock in the
morning Morris always got up
early to work in his garden.
| What was to keep him from
going to the vault. already marked
with Arnold's fingerprints the
had seen to that Just before clos
ing time the afternoon before)
using gloves to open the vault,
getting the money, and coming
back 20 work?
1t wouldn't take more than 20
minutes. and he could easily
come mo GO without arousing
suspicion. or probably without
being noticed at all at that hour
Of the morning.
If he had done this, he would
come .erk to the garden, OF
course, to prove his alibi. Lorac
caught her breath and hurried
down the street. She was right,
she knew she was right.
That night, at IL O'Clock, when
the Morris house was dark. Lorac
stood at the back fence, in black
slacks, with a flashlight. In three
minutes she was over the fence
into the garden, thankful there
was no moon.
All NEXT she combed the flower
beds, finding nothing. The next
night ;h2 searched the arbors,
almost counting the grapes, but
nothing turned up.
The third night she began on
the grape vines on the fence.
Hour after hour she funbled
among the thick leaves and
tangles of branches, using the
light sparingly.
Suddenly she heard the back
door of the house open softly.
With the agility Of cat she dived
among the foliage. Lying flat on
the ground, she Rugged the fence.
Lifting her head. she watched.
In spasmodic CLEANS of flash
light, she saw Herman Morris
coming across the yard. So intent
was she on watching that she
forgot her own danger until the
flashlight shone full into her eyes,
binding her.
Frightened. she pressed down
into the soft earth, waiting. Foot
steps vibrated opposite her and
stopped.
TICKLISH SPOT
Herman parted the thick leaves.
STOPPING, he crept under the vine,
the toe of his shoe pressing against
her ribs. Lorac stiffened. She
almost leaped to her feet, but In
stead she bit into the earth to
keep from crying out.
Now that she was discovered
her last chance to save Arnold was
gone. Breathless, she waited.
Finally she realized that Morris
had not seen her. He was look
| ing up.
From his fo4t pressing against
her she could feel him rise up as
if reaching for something. She
strained every nerve, listening, but
all she heard was the rustling of
leaves.
When he had gone Lorac was
afraid to move. Suppose he was
hiding out there in the darkness,
watching? Cautiously she raised
her head, then eased over on her
back. Her blood quickened, She
rose to her feet.
No chance to use the flashl1ght
now, she would have to feel her
way. She heard the rustllng OF
leaves so that was where she
would look. She was breathing
fast as he pushed her hands about
through the branches.
There's nothing here but
leaves" she sobbed, thousands
and thousands of them" Stand
ing on tiptoe she reached high
above her head. Her fingers
touched something slick and cool.
AS she grasped it something
cracked. Her fingers flew as she
counted rapily. Ten oil cloth
sacks, each about the size of a
grape leaf, and all of them tied to
, the vine.
She knew without seeing them
,, that they we're the same green
color of the leaves. Forgetting
caution, she snatched one and
never stopped until she reached
the police station.
Later with Arnold's arms about
her, she looked up at him and
said, You see my hunch was
=; right, don't you, darling?"
"Yes, but what made you so
sure?"
The day you were arrested
Morris patted me on the shoulder.
telling me how sorry he was.
looked him in the eye and told
him he would come nearer taking
the money than you would.
when I said that, his hand on
my shoulder Stiffened; he grasped
it so hard that the nails dug into
my flesh. I knew then he was
guilty"